XS Scuba Buoyancy Compensator User Manual

EVERYTHING FOR THE PERFECT DIVE...

Buoyancy

Compensator

Owner’s

Manual

.2 BC Owner’s Manual

Warning / Disclaimer

WARNING: This manual provides some basic guidelines for certain
buoyancy control techniques using your XS Scuba Buoyancy Compensator
(BC), but it is not a substitute for training from a professional diving
instructor. If you are unsure how to weight yourself in order to achieve
optimum buoyancy underwater and on the surface, do not dive with
your XS Scuba BC until you have obtained the necessary instruction
from your diving instructor or Authorized XS Scuba Dealer. Failure to
weight yourself properly can create a hazardous condition that could
lead to serious injury or death.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS

PRIOR TO USING YOUR XS SCUBA BOUYANCY COMPENSATOR.

Definitions of Warnings, Cautions and Notes:

XS Scuba, Inc

A WARNING indicates a procedure or situation that, if not avoided,
could result in serious injury or death to the user.

A CAUTION indicates a situation or technique that could cause damage
to the product, and could subsequently result in injury to the user.

A NOTE is used to emphasize important points or reminders.

WARNING: This manual provides essential information for the proper
use and care of your XS Scuba Buoyancy Compensator (BC). XS Scuba
BC’s are designed with many features that are unique from other
manufacturers. Therefore, it is very important to carefully read the
instructions provided in this manual in order to understand how to
correctly use your BC. Improper use of your BC can result in serious
injury or death.

BC Owner’s Manual 3.

Table of Contents

GENERAL WARNINGS & PRECAUTIONS........................................4

INTRODUCTION.........................................................................5

INTENDED USE & FUNCTION........................................................5

OVERVIEW OF STANDARD FEATURES............................................6

PREPARATION & SETUP.............................................................10

INTEGRATED WEIGHT SYSTEMS.................................................12

X-LOCK™ WEIGHT POCKET SYSTEM INSTALLATION...................13

PRE-DIVE INSPECTION...............................................................15

DIVING WITH YOUR XS SCUBA BC..............................................16

POST DIVE CARE & MAINTENANCE..............................................20

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES & SPECIAL FEATURES.........................20

DEALER INSPECTION & SERVICE................................................21

WARRANTY.............................................................................22

DEALER INSPECTION & SERVICE RECORD..................................23

This owner’s manual is copyrighted, all rights reserved. It may not, in whole or in part,
be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium or
machine readable form without prior consent in writing from XS Scuba, Inc

XS Scuba, the XS logo, Advantage, Nekton, Paragon, X-Lock Weight Release System,
Micro Pac, AirWave Inline, are registered and unregistered trademarks of XS Scuba. All

rights are reserved. All other names are trademarks of their respective owners.

© 2005 XS Scuba BC Owner’s Manual, PN BCM-0305

XS Scuba, Inc

.4 BC Owner’s Manual

General Precautions and Warnings

• Do not use this Buoyancy Compensator (BC) if you have not received supervised

instruction and certification in SCUBA diving and buoyancy control from a recognized
training agency. USE OF SCUBA EQUIPMENT BY UNCERTIFIED OR UNTRAINED

PERSONS IS DANGEROUS AND CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

• Before using this BC, it is important to completely read and understand all of the
instructions provided in this owner’s manual, any accompanying inserts, and labels or
markings affixed to the BC. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DO NOT COMPLETELY

UNDERSTAND THESE INSTRUCTIONS, CONSULT YOUR AUTHORIZED XS SCUBA
DEALER.

• Before diving with this BC in open water, it is important to familiarize yourself with
it first in confined shallow water with the assistance and supervision of an instructor
or experienced buddy. DO NOT ENTER OPEN WATER UNTIL YOU HAVE WEIGHTED

YOURSELF PROPERLY AND HAVE BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH USING ALL OF ITS
FEATURES AND ADJUSTMENTS.

• Before every dive, perform a complete pre-dive inspection following the instructions
provided in this manual. Check to ensure that all valves are functioning properly and no
signs of damage or leaks are present. IF ANY SIGNS OF DAMAGE OR MALFUNCTION

ARE FOUND, DO NOT DIVE WITH THE BC UNTIL IT HAS RECEIVED SERVICE FROM
AN AUTHORIZED XS SCUBA DEALER.

• Before entering the water, check to ensure that you can remove and ditch your
weight quickly and easily, without any obstruction or entanglement with any hoses or
accessories. IN THE EVENT OF AN OUT OF AIR EMERGENCY OR UNCONTROLLED

DESCENT, DO NOT HESITATE TO REMOVE AND DITCH WEIGHT.

• DO NOT USE YOUR BC TO LIFT HEAVY OBJECTS TO THE SURFACE. Doing so may
cause permanent damage to the BC, and could easily result in an uncontrolled ascent.

• DO NOT over inflate your BC or rely on using the power inflator to lift yourself toward
the surface. Control all ascents. A RAPID, UNCONTROLLED ASCENT MAY CAUSE

ARTERIAL GAS EMBOLISM OR DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS, AND COULD LEAD TO
SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

• IN THE EVENT OF AN UNCONTROLLED, RAPID ASCENT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
IMMEDIATELY VENT AS MUCH AIR AS POSSIBLE FROM THE BC TO SLOW YOUR
ASCENT RATE. CONTINUE VENTING AIR TO SLOW YOUR ASCENT RATE IF NEUTRAL
BUOYANCY CANNOT BE REESTABLISHED.

• DO NOT attempt to modify your XS Scuba BC for use with more than one cylinder.
Doing so could damage the structural integrity of the BC’s backpack and harness system,
and could lead to its failure underwater.

• DO NOT INHALE FROM YOUR ORAL INFLATOR. The BC air cell may contain harmful
contaminants or gasses, which could cause suffocation, serious injury, and infection of
the lungs.

• It is important to obtain factory prescribed service for this BC from an Authorized XS
Scuba Dealer at least once each year, or according to the same scheduled intervals for
your regulator. Annual service consists of a complete overhaul of the power inflator, and
a general air leak inspection of the air cell and valve connections.

• Disassembly, repair, or lubrication must only be performed by persons who are factory
trained and authorized by XS Scuba. UNAUTHORIZED SERVICE WILL RENDER THE

WARRANTY NULL AND VOID, AND COULD CAUSE THE BC TO MALFUNCTION.

XS Scuba, Inc

BC Owner’s Manual 5.

Introduction

Thank you for choosing XS Scuba. Your new BC has been designed, manufactured
and individually tested to ensure that it consistently meets the highest performance
and safety standards possible. This Owner’s Manual describes the unique functions
and features of XS Scuba’s BC equipment and various optional accessories. By
following the instructions in this manual, you will understand how your BC works,
how to make best use of its features, and how to ensure that it lasts a long time. It
is very important to take the time to read the instructions provided in this manual.
If you have any questions, please consult your Authorized XS Scuba Dealer.

Intended Use & Function of Your BC

The main purpose for wearing a Buoyancy Compensator is to achieve and maintain
neutral buoyancy at all times while you are underwater, regardless of changes in
depth or cylinder pressure. This allows you to be much more relaxed while you
dive – and safer – since you won’t need to struggle against the forces of positive
and negative buoyancy. Modern jacket and back inflation style BC’s provide
the most effective and streamlined buoyancy control, since they are specifically
designed to support the diver in a comfortably balanced, face-down position while
swimming underwater. Stress and exertion can now be minimized, if not eliminated
altogether.
Since the introduction of the jacket style and back inflation designs, the modern
BC has evolved into a consolidated harness and pack system that carries the
cylinder and serves as a fixture point for first stage regulators, instrumentation,
and accessories. For even greater convenience and comfort, many models are now
available with integrated weight systems that can supplement or replace the weight
belt.
Your BC can also provide you with non-emergency flotation to help you rest on the
surface, but you should never rely on it to function as a life preserver or personal
flotation device (PFD). In order to meet approval by U.S. Coast Guard regulations,
a PFD must be designed so that it automatically rights you to a face-up position
and supports your head out of the water on the surface to prevent drowning. The
design characteristics and intended function of a PFD are therefore very different
from those of a BC, since a PFD is specifically designed to function on the surface
and a BC is primarily designed to function underwater.
It is important to remember that other equipment you wear in addition to your
BC, including your cylinder, exposure suit, or weight system, will also affect your
position in the water. An empty cylinder, for instance, can create counter-buoyancy
that could roll you into a face down position if you were to lose consciousness.
For this reason, XS Scuba recommends that you always dive with a buddy, and
remain close enough to them to be able to render assistance to each other in the
event of an emergency. Do not depend on your BC, exposure suit, or any other
equipment to hold your face above the surface in the event that you are rendered
unconscious in the water while diving.

XS Scuba, Inc

.6 BC Owner’s Manual

Standard Features

WARNING: A Buoyancy Compensator (BC) is NOT a life jacket! It is
not designed to provide face-up flotation in all situations, and it does
not meet U.S. Coast Guard regulations for a life preserver or personal
flotation device (PFD). If you become unconscious in the water without
a buddy present to immediately assist, you may suffer serious injury or
death from drowning.

Overview of Standard Features & Adjustments

Please take the time to acquaint yourself with your BC’s features, including
standard inflation/deflation valves and adjustments that can be found on every
model of an XS Scuba BC. Specific instructions for using these features will be
provided throughout this manual. Additional options and special features will
be explained in the section titled Optional Accessories & Special Features.

Valves

Integrated Inflator System – With this system, you have two methods to inflate
the BC, two methods to deflate the BC, and automatic venting of excess
pressure. Be sure to read and understand these instructions describing how
this system operates before attempting to dive with your XS Scuba BC.

XS Scuba, Inc

Power Inflator – This assembly is actually made up of

two different valves. The oral inflation valve can be
used to manually inflate or deflate your BC. The power
inflation valve is connected directly to your regulator’s
first stage, and can be used to inflate your BC with the
push of a button.

Overpressure Relief Valve (OPV) / Rapid Exhaust Valve
(REV) – The integrated Overpressure Relief Valve (OPV)

vents excess pressure from the BC during ascent or if
over-pressurized from the power inflator. This component
of the Integrated Inflator System operates automatically
so no instructions for its manual use are necessary.
The Rapid Exhaust Valve (REV), located within
the upper shoulder unit of the integrated inflator, is
connected to the lower Power Inflator by a cable located
inside the corrugated hose. This valve can be opened to

BC Owner’s Manual 7.

vent air by pulling the power inflator straight down. It works best while you are
in a vertical heads-up position or in a face-down swimming position.

WARNING: The OPV in the Integrated Inflator is set at a lower relief
pressure than the optional OPV located on the back of some BC models
to prevent damage to the material of the BC air cell. It is imperative
that the Integrated Inflator System be the only inflator used with this
BC. Never dive with the BC if the inflator does not function properly,
or if it has been tampered with, modified, or replaced with an inflator,
airway assembly, or shoulder dump of a manufacturer other than XS
Scuba.

Rear Dump Valve – This valve can be used to dump air
by pulling on the ball and cord. This Rear Dump Valve
works best while you are in a heads-down position or in
a face-down swimming position.

Primary Adjustment Points

Shoulder Straps The shoulder straps of your BC are connected with side­squeeze fasteners, and can be easily adjusted by pulling upward on the buckle to loosen, or downward on the D­ring at the end of the strap to tighten.

Cummerbund Waistband

The cummerbund is designed to provide a wide range
of adjustment to hold your BC snug and secure below
your rib cage and above your hips. All XS Scuba
cummerbunds feature a high quality Velcro® touch
fastener, and can be adjusted for length at the backpack.
Some models feature an elastic stretch cummerbund
that can compensate for the contraction of your wetsuit
at depth. To fasten the cummerbund, simply pull the
left side containing the loop Velcro® snug across your
waist, and then pull the right side snug over it. Finally,
press firmly down to fasten the hook Velcro®.

XS Scuba, Inc

.8 BC Owner’s Manual

Cylinder Band with Buckle This mechanism attaches your BC to your cylinder so that it is securely held at the desired height, without slipping. Some models are equipped with the exclusive Micro Pac™ and two cylinder bands for extra support. The nylon webbing should already be woven through the buckle(s), but instructions for re-weaving are provided in the following section, titled Preparation & Setup.

Tank Locator Strap To ensure that your BC is set at the correct height on the cylinder, simply loop this strap over the cylinder valve and adjust it to raise or lower the BC. Then, fasten the cylinder band(s).

Sternum Strap Most models are equipped with this feature, or it can be purchased separately as an accessory option. Using two dimes, you can disassemble the post pin on the female buckle to reverse the strap’s direction, or remove it altogether.

Integrated Weight Systems

Some XS Scuba BC models are equipped with built-in compartments and
pockets to hold X-Lock™ Integrated Weight System and trim weights. Either
“soft weight” (pouches filled with lead shot) or solid weight can be used, but
soft weight is strongly recommended, since it will fill the weight compartment
to its fullest capacity and provide the maximum comfort.
If your XS Scuba BC is a weight integrated model, it is very important to read
the following instructions in order to understand the difference between these
two types of weight pockets and how to use them correctly. For installation and
removal instructions, see the following section, titled Preparation & Setup.

XS Scuba, Inc