Airline destroyed bag with BCD's in it- how to check them out?

[Scared Silly]

Looks like the bag fell off the wagon and got run over. As others have said inspect carefully and fill with air and let sit over night. If in doubt get an repair/replacement cost for a claim.

Though this does not apply to the OP, more and more airlines are going to a policy that sporting good items, such as skis and golf clubs, will not be accepted in soft sided cases. It would not surprise me at all if they snuck in over exclusions. Read the Contract of Carriage.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Hi, @Jayfarmlaw! Did you get a chance to inflate it and see if it holds air?

 

[scubafanatic]

MY question is why are you going scuba diving in Afghanistan ? That's clearly IED damage!

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

It holds air, but bleeds down slowly. My concern is not that it wont hold air, but that there is no way to inspect the bladder for damage and the bladder may have a weak spot due to a pinch. More of a damaged, but not immediate failure, concern.

Jay

 

[Marie13]

It holds air, but bleeds down slowly. My concern is not that it wont hold air, but that there is no way to inspect the bladder for damage and the bladder may have a weak spot due to a pinch. More of a damaged, but not immediate failure, concern.

Jay

Can you inflate and then put BCD in full bathtub or plastic tub full of water to check for leaks? Soap it up like you would testing a drysuit for leaks?

 

[AZNetEng]

My $.02... Replace it. If its bleeding down slowly and it isnt obvious where or why, chuck it. Contact SW (shamelessly taking advantage of the rep that the airlines have) and see if they will replace it.

 

[Rred]

I would write to whoever you've been dealing with an CC that to the head of SouthWest as well. He may not see it but his office might see the point in taking action.
The problem is that this is life support equipment, it is critical to your safety in the water. Forget about the bladder, what is the crushing has fractured some plastic part that you can't see, caused a small stress fracture that will make some fitting (perhaps in the dump valve, etc.) let go under pressure when you are diving?
If you can't inspect the whole BC thoroughly, visually and physically, making no assumptions, then either you condemn it or you're rolling the dice.
This is why auto insurance companies will total out cars when they see a wrinkle in the roof, or a shift in an engine mount, indicating the drivetrain has been impacted and the only way to make sure it is not internally damaged is to literally take the transmission, engine, and differential apart. So they just condemn it, to be safe.

If it holds air, sure, the odds are it is OK. But ask Southwest: If the vest fails and you are seriously injured or killed, do they want to pay what that could cost them?

Subject to baggage liability limits (which suck in the US, we're among the worst in the world) they'll pay up.

 

[kelemvor]

It holds air, but bleeds down slowly

I guess it depends on how slowly, but I'd be looking to get a replacement.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

Hate to be "that one" but..... If you really believe that a BC failure will cause death or serious injury, more training is needed. A BC failure should be a minor annoyance not a "life support" issue. This is the problem with manufacturers pushing the whole "life support" sales pitch, it puts too much emphasis on equipment and not on training. A BC can fail at any time not just because it was ran over during transport and every diver should be prepared when the fecal matter hits the fan. Looks like you have two choices, test out the BC and if it is okay dive it and take the risk that it may fail due to an unseen issue or purchase a new one. But you're the only one that can make that decision. Any professional would be stupid to give this BC a clean bill of health after what it's been through. The only way to inspect the inside of the bladder would be to cut it open, so the safest answer will always be to replace it.