Water in Wing

[jerryk1199]

Hi -

A few months ago a bought a brand new Rec XT. I have 12 dives on it now. The first 8 were <60fsw. Everything seemed great. This past weekend I did 4 deeper dives (>100fsw). When we were done our last dive of the weekend, we needed to pack up quickly as we had a 3 hour drive to our hotel and it was a long drive. I quickly threw all of my gear in my bag and planned to wash it off dry it out at the hotel.

When I was unpacking at the hotel I noticed that the wing seemed to be heavier than expected. After closer inspection I found that there was water inside the bladder. I took the wing over to the bathtub, turned it upside down hit the exhaust button and water poured out. It didn't drip, there was at least a few cups of water. I don't recall this happening on any of the other dives, but I could be wrong. Maybe it's been building up over each dive.

Is this normal or do I have a problem?

Thanks,

~Jerry

 

[Hawkwood]

If you try to exhaust air from the bladder, but there is no air to come out, water will enter while you have the deflate button pressed. It's not unusual.

 

[WarrenZ]

It happens when you hold the dump open after the air escapes. Dont worry about it

 

[Bob DBF]

^^^what Hawkwood said^^^

I get that when I'm light at the end of a dive.


Bob

 

[diversteve]

It's normal unless there's a leaking seam/dump valve. You probably held the inflator button down too long. I like to vent my wing completely at depth so I often have some water in it later.

Blow it up and if it holds air, that's likely your problem. Depth really has nothing to do with it - hold the inflator open in the hotel pool and it will fill as nicely once the air is gone.

 

[jerryk1199]

Thanks so much guys!!!

 

[Dive Rite]

Hi Jerry,It is not uncommon to get a little water into your bladder. As they said if you try to dump and there is no air coming out some water may come in. Safe Diving,Jared

 

[redacted]

Actually, there could be a depth relationship in this. With a bit of narcosis, a diver may not realize how often they are trying to dump some air from their BCD. Even a successful dump may let a little water in. An unsuccessful attempt tends to let more water in.

 

[kwinter]

After closer inspection I found that there was water inside the bladder. I took the wing over to the bathtub, turned it upside down hit the exhaust button and water poured out. It didn't drip, there was at least a few cups of water. I don't recall this happening on any of the other dives, but I could be wrong. Maybe it's been building up over each dive.

Is this normal or do I have a problem?

No one seems to be addressing what I see as the real problem here. It sounds like this is the first time you have ever emptied your wing bladder after a day of diving. Even if it doesn't feel heavy, proper maintenance after salt water diving is to add water inside the bladder, swish it around, drain it, blow air in, drain it again, and then partially fill it with air and hang it to dry. The inside of a wing is just as important to rinse as the outside. If your wing is starting to get more and more water in it with each dive, there is a leak. It might be the bladder. But it is just as likely that leak could be from the OPV or inflator valves that are crusted with salt from lack of proper maintenance.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Actually, there could be a depth relationship in this. With a bit of narcosis, a diver may not realize how often they are trying to dump some air from their BCD. Even a successful dump may let a little water in. An unsuccessful attempt tends to let more water in.

This is very true.

To expand a bit.....

Water doesn't get into a bc because the exhaust was held open too long, i.e. after the bladder was empty. There is no pressure differential to cause this.

Fluids and gases *always* flow from areas of high pressure to lower pressure, the laws of physics demand it.

Consider a plastic baggie under water with a bit of gas in it. Even if you open it fully it won't fill with sea water after the gas escapes. In fact it can be a little trick to get water into the baggies as the sides will be forced together as the gas leaves. BC's work pretty much the same way.

What causes water to enter a BC is the corrugated hose. There is a bit of water sitting on top of the oral inflate valve / quick dump valve (if so equipped)

When these valves are opened this water runs down the corrugated hose as the gas flow out, the force at play is gravity.

The more often you dump gas the more water you will have in the BC at the end of the dive.

Less water will enter via the OPV than via the oral inflate on the corrugated hose, but either way some will. Perfectly normal.

What I suggest is to spend at least some portion of every dive orally inflating your BC. Doing so requires the diver plan ahead a bit more about adding and dumping and adding and dumping. The end result is practicing a worthwhile skill, and becoming much less likely to mash on the add button and dump gas all the time.

Tobin