Air tightness in BCD

[hon]

Hi all,

I would like to ask how air tight a BCD should be. I know it is a stupid question but I was testing my 2nd hand Buddy Commando BCD yesterday and found that it was leaking slowly.

I inflated the BCD fully to the extend that pressure was venting through the overpressure valve. I felt the firmness of the BCD and set it aside. After one hour I felt the firmness again and it was a bit less firm. Just tiny bit. I was able to top up the pressure by one or two blows into the oral inflation hose.

I left the fully inflated BCD to set for 24 hours and it had very obvious sign of losing pressure.

My question is: is this BCD OK? I have tried locating the leak with soapy water but couldn't find any.

Thank you.

[northern_diver]

Have you tried a full submersion, with full air, in say a bath? rather than the soapy water method? I owuld say try a swinning pool, but that would be fun to watch with all the lead you would need to keep it down;)

While it is not really going to be an issue on a single dive, it could lead to other failures on the future so is worth looking at.

Its a little, in some ways like leaving water in the bath as a kid over night, only to find it was gone...or at least less due to evaporation (and my parent sneaky letting the water out of my playmobile underwater bases station thingy i played with:rolleyes: ). Only this time its just the springs been slighly old or a seal in a OP value not quite, 100% sealing etc

Test it and get back.

John

[Nigel Hewitt]

I inflated the BCD fully to the extend that pressure was venting through the overpressure valve. I felt the firmness of the BCD and set it aside. After one hour I felt the firmness again and it was a bit less firm. Just tiny bit. I was able to top up the pressure by one or two blows into the oral inflation hose.
An hour?
If it didn't start to collapse in ten minutes I'd say it was OK.

[Blu DL]

might be worth sending it back to buddy for a service - seem to remember they charge about £75. http://www.apvalves.com/uk/aftersales/servicing/

There may be a bit grit stopping the dump valve sealing - they unscrew pretty easily - simple spring / seal arrangement - take out the seal and give it a clean
not neccessarily a hole in the bag... PS get some help from someone who has done this before

[ChrisA]

If it hasn't been rinsed out and left for a while it could be salt crystals holding the valves open , give it a good rinse out and test again.

[ChristianG]

I'm, quite definitely, with Nigel on this one.

[ChristianG]

Having said that, there is always a case to be made for washing out the BCD/Wing, whatever, periodically, say every two months but depending on usage and storage time, with fresh water and then full immersion in an elbow hot bath of warm water with a healthy dose of Milton in it for some 24 hours. Then rinse out with fresh water.

Although that won't, 100%, get rid of the bugs it'll make a pretty serious dent in their plurality.