BC Failure Survey

[cool_hardware52]

I'm considering a redundant Wing. It does seem that having essentially two of the same thing provides less than optimum backup, i.e. whatever punctured the first bladder could well have punctured the redundant bladder.

My question are as follows:

1. Has anybody experienced failure of a BC or wing in use? By this I mean failures while diving, not faliures due to old age, improper maintanence, improper assembly, miss use etc.

2. What was the failure? Bladder? Over Pressure? Inflator hose / valve/ elbow / plug exhaust?

3. What was the construction of the BC, i.e. was it a sewn outer nylon shell with an inner bladder or a one piece welded coated nylon type.

Thanks,

CH

 

[wedivebc]

I'm considering a redundant Wing. It does seem that having essentially two of the same thing provides less than optimum backup, i.e. whatever punctured the first bladder could well have punctured the redundant bladder.

My question are as follows:

1. Has anybody experienced failure of a BC or wing in use? By this I mean failures while diving, not faliures due to old age, improper maintanence, improper assembly, miss use etc.

2. What was the failure? Bladder? Over Pressure? Inflator hose / valve/ elbow / plug exhaust?

3. What was the construction of the BC, i.e. was it a sewn outer nylon shell with an inner bladder or a one piece welded coated nylon type.

Thanks,

CH

I have had a dacor (the rig II) bcd fail when another instructor candidate pulled the lower dump valve off during a rescue scenario. It sank like a rock but I was unbuckled by that point.
I had a zeagle tech inflator valve stick open. The red button was subsequently recalled and replaced with a white one.
Although I own a redundant bladder diverite super wings I have found the rec wings has plenty of lift for my double steel 85s and since I dive dry, my drysuit inflator comes off a different reg than the wings. Enough redundancy for me.
Wanna buy low mileage superwings?

cheers,

 

[Diver0001]

I'm considering a redundant Wing. It does seem that having essentially two of the same thing provides less than optimum backup, i.e. whatever punctured the first bladder could well have punctured the redundant bladder.

My question are as follows:

1. Has anybody experienced failure of a BC or wing in use? By this I mean failures while diving, not faliures due to old age, improper maintanence, improper assembly, miss use etc.

2. What was the failure? Bladder? Over Pressure? Inflator hose / valve/ elbow / plug exhaust?

3. What was the construction of the BC, i.e. was it a sewn outer nylon shell with an inner bladder or a one piece welded coated nylon type.

Thanks,

CH

Yes, My own BCD has failed twice; both times it was the inflator hose. The first time it came apart while under water as a result of using the pull dump. The other time the hose, which was due for maintenance, developed a leak that required a field repair and hose replacement. My old BCD failed too when it started to leak around the plug inserted where the CO2 cartridge used to be. This BCD was retired and replaced as a result.

I've also seen several failed BCD's from buddies and rentals. The problems there ranged from free-flowing inflators, to broken quick releases, to sitching that ripped, to weight pockets that wouldn't stay in, to backpacks that separated (tank and all) from the main body of the BCD, to leaks of all kinds. I've never seen a puncture.

R..

 

[garyfotodiver]

I own a Dacor Caribbean BC purchased in 1995. No servicing, no failures.

 

[Diver Lori]

Two failures, same wing. First failure was the power inflator, it decided to inflate itself spontaneously without my permission. Plastered me to a ceiling of a cave system. Finished the dive by oral inflation when needed. Upon inspection after the dive, nothing could be found amiss with the inflator....possibly sand.

Second failure, was several small tiny pinholes of unknown origin. Sent the wing back to the manufacturer and the bladder was replaced at minimal cost. (out of warranty_

 

[jbd]

I have seen one wing(brand new) leaking with similar pin holes as mentioned by Diver Lori.

 

[Mako Mark]

I have pinholes in one of my sets of wings, I think it came from hitting a rock in a restriction. I need to get a bicycle puncture repair kit to fix it I guess.

 

[chrisch]

I have pinholes in one of my sets of wings, I think it came from hitting a rock in a restriction. I need to get a bicycle puncture repair kit to fix it I guess.

Aquasure will fix it - bike kits are for butyl rubber only...

Me - 20 yrs never had a failure - 2nd hand BC for last 12 (ex school) still going strong, but little hard use as I use drysuit for bouyancy and inflate BC at surface only.

Chris

 

[Norm]

I have owned 10 different BC's and I have never personally experienced a BC failure. (They were all brand names)
A friend of mine had a brand new jacket style BC and on it's first deep dive it "jettisoned" all of it's bellows hose assembly from the bladder, (there at the elbow where the bellows enters the jacket), at 80' !
Luckily we weren't cave diving that day.
Norm

 

[cool_hardware52]

Seems that without applying statistical analysis (too few data points anyway) that most bc failures in actual use were not bladder related, but were associated with the ancillary parts. Almost makes one want to design a redundant wing with valves and hoses and power inflators from 2 different sources, but that would make service a bit more involved.

In any event my first concern that an event that might puncture one bladder would likely fail both seems unfounded.


Thanks again for all the input.

ch