Mares Dragon AT problem with valves.

[1011ster]

Hi again board, long time since my last log in, fell a little behind in my dives (thanks to work!), time to get wet again.

Soooooo, I dust off my Dragon (been sleeping for almost a year...), and decide what better than to take my 16 year old daughter for her first intro dive with my favorite diving center! She did great and loved it, during the skills with her instructor I was hovering at the surface around them, and then the time came for the 3 of us to do a little diving around, so she could really see what scuba is all about! We had decided on a max depth of 10 meters (beach dive), and while her and her instructor started cruising on by, I was left flapping with my AT, with valves opening and getting stuck open, closing and not opening again, partially inflating and basically having a mind of their own!

I managed to keep up with them (mostly at the surface), and afterwards gave the intructor (who is also a Mares tech) my Dragon to have it checked! Well guess what, he called me a little while ago and said that there are 2 tiny (diameter of about .5mm) hoses that pneumatically activate the 2 back valves, and they were both pretty much clogged (one of them almost completely) with sea salt. After hours of soaking them in tap water, he managed to soften the salt up and then let running water drip through them for about 30 mins to clean them up as best as he could.

And my question is: How the @#$%^&* did water get in there, and if water is supposed to get in there, then how the *&^%$+* am I supposed to clean it?

I love the Dragon and the AT rocks, but should I get into the habit of replacing the hoses annually? Is there some other trick?

Thanks in advance
1011ster

PS. I think my daughter liked it a little too much, now she wants the full monty (Mares of course!). OUCHHHHHH!

 

[Phil Mintz]

Hi,

I asked our Lab Program Manager on how this could have happpened as water is not supposed to get in there.

He can only guess as he was not there and did not see the BC, but this is one possiblity. Try to think if this or any similar situation occurred that could have allowed some water to gain access. You should not have to replace the hoses each year.

Regards,

Phil

Here is his reply:

The first problem is that after his equipment was sitting for almost a year with no dive or usage on them stuck in storage he should have had them checked before diving (SAFETY). Then air trim system would have been check and serviced. It sounds like the gentleman has never had his BC serviced. Air trim servicing is 1 year or 100 hours which ever come first.

Don’t know what his last dive a year ago was (boat, beach, etc) but I can guess if it was a boat dive he took of the BC laid it down on the deck and disconnected the regulator inflator hose. At that point the quick connect ( no cover like on ergo) on the air control is open. If he had water around it is possible that it got in. When the quick connect hose was reconnected for the next dive it sent the salt water thru the dump valve hoses. At that point he finished his dive and the BC set for a year the water evaporated in the line leaving salt behind to clog the hoses.

 

[1011ster]

As always, thank you Phil for your lightning fast reply!
I was not aware that I had to check the AT every year, I sure am a believer now!
True, my last dive had been a boat dive, but we always load our gear on the boat already assembled, which means that the AT was connected to the tank's air hose (it's an 8 person inflatable boat not a large diving boat, so we always hook everything up onshore). I am VERY meticulous about cleaning my gear after each dive, soaking them in my bathtub and then rinsing them with plenty of water (and having to mop up afterwards to survive my wife's wrath ). It still remains a mystery I guess on how water got up there, but rest assured I'll be replacing my AT hoses yearly.

Strange!:shocked2:
Best regards
1011ster

BTW, that's why I chose to have a beach, shallow dive with an instructor present, since I hadn't done any diving for a year! And no I didn't have my gear checked by a tech, I'm not sure of how may divers actually do that at the beginning of their season, other that the reg maintenance (which I do every year and not every 2 years as suggested).

 

[Phil Mintz]

I don't know that we will figure out how the water got in, but just have it checked each year. I don't think you will have to replace the hoses, there should be no reason to with normal use.

Regards,

Phil

 

[1011ster]

Just a thought here Phil, since after each dive I soak the BCD in the bathtub and the water here in Greece has a fair amount of minerals, could it be that water enters through the quick release and after it dries out leaves mineral deposits in the hoses? I know that in the dishwashers and the washing machines here we have to use special agents to protect them from mineral deposit built-up!
Maybe our Mares friends in Italy that probably share the same water issues may throw some light!
Would it be a good idea maybe that I only rinsed the BCD with the tank hose attached and not soak it with the quick release unprotected?

Waddya think?

 

[Phil Mintz]

This is a good possibility, I would agree to leave the tank hose attached so the quick release is protected, especially considering the mineral issue with your water. This sounds like it could be the cause.

Best regards,

Phil

 

[Benzonar]

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I was having issues with my AT also. The release trigger wasn't working, only the main dump valve.

Took it in for servicing and lo and behold both of the small air tubes are clogged with salt. Just wondering if anyone has come across more of these issues. I'm very vigilant about cleaning my kit, although we do have a very high salinity level here in the Gulf - but no water should be going in.

Also the inflator valve (oral one) was knackered and clogged up as well.