Halcyon SMB punctured, how to patch?

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Puncture or failed weld? If the latter, whether around the OPV, on the main seam, or where the inflation assembly is joined to the bag, Halcyon will repair as part of the lifetime weld warranty.

An actual puncture is going to be harder, because patches aren't going to want to stick to the slick outer nylon fabric and getting at the inside is next to impossible unless you can get to the affected area through the OPV. Some kind of nylon repair tape might do the trick, or it might just come off at an inopportune moment.

SMBs are something you deploy and then rely on to stay inflated. If you can't fix it in a way that affords peace of mind, I'd nab a new one. Wreckdiversupply has some 4.5' blems on sale for just $88 and they come with the full warranty.
 
It is an actual puncture. It looks like something sharp, needle like puncture at the very top of the SMB, on the orange nylon about half inch from the top edge black seam. It is a through and through, both sides have a needle size puncture. I am very puzzled how that happened as I used it last week, it was fine. I didn't do anything with it that I don't usually do (cleaning, hang dry.... ) Today, I used it again, won't hold air.
 
I think you are in need of a new one, then. You can get a different brand for about half the price or even less. I have a really cheap one that has been inflated maybe a hundred times or more with no problem, and I have another one with nearly the same number of inflations that is much nicer (HOG) but still about half the cost of a Halcyon.
 
Thanks for the head up on the 4.5. how easy it is to shoot at say 30-40ft with one breath. I have tried the 6ft version, even at 70ft, it is impossible to fill the bag to any meaningful way with one breath.
 
I found a small puncture in my Halcyon SMB today. What is the best way to patch it?

try a thin dab of aqua seal or shoe goo over the needle hole. It should work well. If that doesn't wok, find some material that is similar to the smb and cut a round patch and glue it over using the same adhesive. If the risk of failre is a leaky smb, not too dangerous.
 
Try a little piece of cloth, something like 1/4" diameter of the same coluor. Glue it with cyanoacrylate (Loctite). Centre the cloth on the puncture.
It's important that the size of the patch be as little as possible, so, when the SMB is folded, the patch is not folded.
 
I have HOG SMB's in 4.5 ft and 36 inch. As well as a 6 ft DAN sausage that when it wears out will be replaced by a HOG. The 4.5 ft at depth requires about a breath and a half depending of course on the depth. It can also be inflated with the LP hose or a connector on one of my stage bottles. The 36 inch is the go to one for shooting from depth simply because it literally takes a 1/4 to 1/2 breath to shoot and have it fully inflated on the surface. Shoot it from 20 to 30 ft and 1/4 breath easily has it fully rigid at the surface.

It's also very easy to manage with the short length and it does what it's supposed to do. take a line to the surface, alert someone there that a diver is below, and once on the surface if needed a larger one can be deployed. What I like the most is that it has maybe ten pounds of lift tops. So when you do deploy you don't have to worry about it dragging you to the surface. For new divers just learning to deploy one it's safer, easier, and makes such a small package that fits in a pocket at a price that doesn't scare them.

Those little ones are the ones I make sure I always have in stock. The 4.5's I have a couple yellow ones and need to order in some orange this week. These smaller smb's are more popular now due to the ease of use. I'd still carry a 6 or larger for open ocean but on inland lakes and quarries they are overkill. Open ocean I might want a ten footer for the surface depending on conditions! But just to get a line to the surface? A 3 ft is more than enough.
 
try a thin dab of aqua seal or shoe goo over the needle hole. It should work well. If that doesn't wok, find some material that is similar to the smb and cut a round patch and glue it over using the same adhesive. If the risk of failre is a leaky smb, not too dangerous.
I also used shoe glue(Pattex) and it works well.
 
Thanks for the head up on the 4.5. how easy it is to shoot at say 30-40ft with one breath. I have tried the 6ft version, even at 70ft, it is impossible to fill the bag to any meaningful way with one breath.

Forget breathing into them: either use the LPI hose off your inflator, or, if you're diving with a pony or stage, use one off there. There's also something called a "quick shot" that is basically a schrader valve without the locking sleeve...put on a stage reg's LP port, press the SMB inflator nipple into it, insta-inflate.

---------- Post added August 31st, 2014 at 09:45 PM ----------

If the risk of failre is a leaky smb, not too dangerous.

Yeah, so long as you either have a second SMB and/or don't need to hang under it for an hour or several of deco. I'd dive a patched wing before something I was sending up 200-300' over my head to hang under.
 
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