Bladder replacement

[Lou]

Hi all

Got to replace the bladder in the CD wing at some point soon, I was wondering if this was any easy job that I could undertake or whether I let the LDS rip me off with a smile?

I can get the bladder itself £8 cheaper from Divers Warehouse and as far as I can make out from dismantling what I have to a safe level it is not much more than line it up inside the outer shell and screw fit the dumps, which I can manage ok.  It is just if special tools are required or anything daft like that.

Any advice?

Cheers

Lou

[Digger]

I've never had a problem unscrewing things and getting the bladder out, but then I like to take things apart. Just make sure you know where everything goes and came from, and what can go wrong?

What have you done to the original bladder? Puncture? You could repair that, and save yourself a whole lot. Then again, it might be a potential problem that will rear its ugly head when you need it most. If it's just decay of the materials, send it back to CD, you might get the freebie option, and they'd fit it for you!

I know that most of the stuff AP valves does for free they could charge for, and if its materials fault it's not suitable for the purpose for which it was intended, so you're into trades descriptions. Maybe this helps, maybe not. Tell them you're writing an article on customer service in the UK dive industry, and see how fast they can help!

[Lou]

Hi Digs

Yeah, its had a puncture that has been repaired.  I went to Divers Warehouse website to buy a puncture repair kit to take away with me in case it looked like it needed redoing but they were 13 quid!  For twice that I could buy the whole new bladder.  I played around yesterday and it looked like I could easily fit it, but I didn't want to take the fitting out totally in case there was a special tool needed or something that would prevent me putting it back together!  Been there before.......

Lou

[jjflash]

<font color='#0000FF'>Not sure about the CD one but I've just taken the missus's Dive Rite apart - dead easy just unscrew the inflator/dump valve and unzip the outer shell and pull it out/replace.

Hers was not to bad having been ripped off a cylinder and deposited at the bottom of the bay for 2 days,then washed up on the beach following Hurricane Fabien !

Just make sure than any rubber seals dont come loose when you strip it

Paul

[jjflash]

<font color='#0000FF'>Not sure about the CD one but I've just taken the missus's Dive Rite apart - dead easy just unscrew the inflator/dump valve and unzip the outer shell and pull it out/replace.

Hers was not too bad having been ripped off a cylinder and deposited at the bottom of the bay for 2 days,then washed up on the beach following Hurricane Fabien !

Just make sure than any rubber seals dont come loose when you strip it

Paul