Patch a wing bladder pinch flat and prevent?

[stuartv]

though not likely his wing - this is likely the type of failure experienced....

photo is by Tobin @ Deep Sea Supply

Yes, that is the type of cut. I explained in post #5 how I think it happened. Definitely not pinched between plate and tank.

---------- Post added March 23rd, 2015 at 01:18 PM ----------

First, did you use Cotol-240 because aqua seal takes longer to cure?

Second, back in the day wreck divers (maybe cavers too) did use inner tubes to add puncture resistance to their wings. I am not sure exactly how it was done. But got the impression the bladder was removed and used as a template to try to fit the tube to the bladder. The cutouts for the dumps it would assume would keep the tube more or less in place.

No, I did not use Cotol. The Aquaseal directions say it takes 8 - 12 hours to cure without Cotol. 2 hours, I think, with Cotol. I patched and let it sit over 16 hours before inflating to test.

Your description of how people attempted to protect their wings sounds pretty much like what I was thinking. The thing I wonder is, it seems like that would be effective. And if the cuts I got are THE most common damage to a wing, why don't the manufacturers do something like that in the first place? Maybe it's just THAT uncommon that it's not worth it for the OEM to go to that extra effort?

 

[ams511]

Yes, that is the type of cut. I explained in post #5 how I think it happened. Definitely not pinched between plate and tank.

No, I did not use Cotol. The Aquaseal directions say it takes 8 - 12 hours to cure without Cotol. 2 hours, I think, with Cotol. I patched and let it sit over 16 hours before inflating to test.

Your description of how people attempted to protect their wings sounds pretty much like what I was thinking. The thing I wonder is, it seems like that would be effective. And if the cuts I got are THE most common damage to a wing, why don't the manufacturers do something like that in the first place? Maybe it's just THAT uncommon that it's not worth it for the OEM to go to that extra effort?

For some reason I thought Aquaseal took longer to cure, but if you read the directions then I believe you.

Different manufacturers use different construction technics for their wings. For example, Oxycheq uses a much thicker bladder and sprays the shell with urethane. Halcyon uses some sort of ballistic nylon for the bladder, which is more resistant to pinch flats. Do you have a clear/opaque bladder or a black one? My understanding is the black one is thicker and more resistant to pinch flats.

 

[stuartv]

Mine is clear/translucent (almost opaque). It's roughly 10 years old. And was in perfect condition until my trip to Hawaii last week. :-(

 

[eelnoraa]

Being 10 years old, I think DSS already lived up its promise. $50 for bladder replacement after 10 years isn't that bad. My question to DSS tho, does urathan material "dry up" over time making it more brutle and more prone to damage?

 

[ams511]

Being 10 years old, I think DSS already lived up its promise. $50 for bladder replacement after 10 years isn't that bad. My question to DSS tho, does urathan material "dry up" over time making it more brutle and more prone to damage?

I am pretty sure he bought the rig used.

---------- Post added March 23rd, 2015 at 11:37 AM ----------

Mine is clear/translucent (almost opaque). It's roughly 10 years old. And was in perfect condition until my trip to Hawaii last week. :-(

Thinking about your problem. I am wondering if it is easier to wrap the edges of the plate than protect the wing. A few thoughts:

1) Mod a laptop sleeve somehow.

2) Use an old wetsuit for the neoprene and use the plate as a pattern.

3) A rubber u-channel

 

[TSandM]

One of the ways that this can occur is when a dive boat uses "holes" to stabilize the tanks. The tank bottom goes down into the hole, and the wing gets crumpled up by the bench, allowing the backplate to come down and cut onto it. The only way I know to avoid this is to make sure your plate is sitting high enough on the tank that the bottom of the plate is above the bench.

 

[stuartv]

Being 10 years old, I think DSS already lived up its promise. $50 for bladder replacement after 10 years isn't that bad.

I did buy it used. And I think that $50 to replace the bladder is very reasonable. But, $70 (with shipping, etc.) to have it replaced when I can, potentially, fix it for a few cents worth of Aquaseal... well, my budget dictates to attempt the repair. As far as I can tell, the WORST case is it springs the same leaks again, which is far from being a huge deal. I already dove it at least twice, I think, with the leaks and the only thing that clued me in to check for leaks was I noticed that it seemed like I wasn't having to dump as much air as I expected on my ascents. I even asked my buddy and my DM to both look at my rig for signs of a leak when we got in for the last dive and they did look and they did not see anything.

And, for the record, the bladder does not feel brittle or anything like that. But, though it's 10 years old, it has not had a very active life. The original owner bought it, used it for a week on a Caribbean trip, then decided to go back to an integrated BC and stuck this BPW in a closet for 10 years until he decided to clean out that closet. So, the condition of the bladder definitely cannot be extrapolated to the condition of a bladder that has seen normal use for 10 years.

---------- Post added March 23rd, 2015 at 04:06 PM ----------

Thinking about your problem. I am wondering if it is easier to wrap the edges of the plate than protect the wing. A few thoughts:

1) Mod a laptop sleeve somehow.

2) Use an old wetsuit for the neoprene and use the plate as a pattern.

3) A rubber u-channel

Well, I don't have any of those things. But, I do have Aquaseal and a motorcycle dirt bike tire inner tube. So, guess what I'm going to try first. An inner tube "coozie" that cups the bottom of the bladder on each side should be pretty easy to fashion.

 

[Dhboner]

It IS a huge deal if the aquaseal fails on a dive and you are not diving a balanced rig and can't swim to the surface without ditching weights. Your wing fails, you drop your weights and have an uncontrolled ascent. DIY repairs to lifesaving gear is a risky proposition. Replace the bladder.

 

[rhwestfall]

all one has to do is go slightly head up, and since the hole is in the bottom of the wing, it will likely maintain enough air to allow a managed ascent.... (though still better to not have a leak at all)

 

[stuartv]

It IS a huge deal if the aquaseal fails on a dive and you are not diving a balanced rig and can't swim to the surface without ditching weights. Your wing fails, you drop your weights and have an uncontrolled ascent. DIY repairs to lifesaving gear is a risky proposition. Replace the bladder.

Are you saying that, if the Aquaseal fails, I could have a bigger problem than I did before I put the patches on? Because, as I posted above, I think (but could be wrong!) that the worst case is that all 3 patches fail simultaneously and leave me exactly where I was on my last dive or two (or more). A very slow leak that poses no risk of leaving me stuck on the bottom.