background image

.

4

      BC Owner’s Manual

XS Scuba, Inc

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. 

Summary of Contents for Buoyancy Compensator

Page 1: ...EVERYTHING FOR THE PERFECT DIVE Buoyancy Compensator Owner s Manual ...

Page 2: ... READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS PRIOR TO USING YOUR XS SCUBA BOUYANCY COMPENSATOR DefinitionsofWarnings CautionsandNotes 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 empha...

Page 3: ...TION 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 I...

Page 4: ... 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 ...

Page 5: ... 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 yo...

Page 6: ... 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 Power Inflator This assembly is actually made up of two different valves The oral inflation valve can be used to manually inflate or deflate you...

Page 7: ...nd cord This Rear Dump Valve works best while you are in a heads down position or in a face down swimming position PrimaryAdjustmentPoints Shoulder Straps The shoulder straps of your BC are connected with side squeeze fasteners and can be easily adjusted by pulling upward on the buckle to loosen or downward on the D ring at the end of the strap to tighten Cummerbund Waistband The cummerbund is des...

Page 8: ...th 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 IntegratedWeightSystems 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 ...

Page 9: ... in these pockets can be dumped by grasping the strap on the bottom of the pocket and pulling downward firmly X Lock Integrated Weight System Some XS Scuba models are also equipped with two X Lock weight pockets located inside the front lower portions of the BC These pockets can be easily identified by their plastic pull handles that face toward the center of the waistband The X Lock pockets are des...

Page 10: ...turers have a high pressure port that is clearly marked HP with a small restrictive orifice that is visible when the plug is removed If your regulator has all 3 8 ports and you cannot decide if a port is LP or HP bring it with the hose to your dealer for installation If you can identify your regulator s LP ports follow this procedure 1 To select the best LP port mount the first stage on a cylinder v...

Page 11: ...height and position 2 While holding the cylinder secure pull the free end of the cylinder band until there is a very tight fit between the pack and the cylinder 3 Close the buckle halfway to hold the cylinder band taut and thread the end of the band through the open slot in the end of the buckle 4 Pull the cam buckle closed so that it snaps down against the cylinder Fasten the end of the webbing se...

Page 12: ...ht that supplements the releasable weight carried on your weight belt or your BC s X Lock Integrated Weight System pockets Do not install weight into the trim weight compartments unless you are certain you can achieve positive buoyancy at depth by ditching your releasable weight while your BC is completely deflated You may otherwise experience difficulty ascending to the surface in an emergency situ...

Page 13: ... an uncontrolled ascent which could lead to serious injury or death due to embolism or decompression sickness The weight pockets should be installed while the BC is fully deflated either before or after it has been donned It is easier however to install them before donning the BC If the weight pockets are filled to their maximum capacity and installed into the BC XS Scuba strongly recommends that yo...

Page 14: ... with assistance from a buddy 1 Ensure that the side squeeze buckles of both shoulder straps are securely fastened Fully extend each strap to its maximum length by pulling up on the tab of the lower slide buckle and then pulling the webbing down until the D ring slides up near the buckle 2 While your dive buddy holds the cylinder supported behind you reach back to place your arms through the shoul...

Page 15: ...reaths Over tightening can restrict your respiration and blood circulation which can lead to serious injury or death Pre DiveInspection Before each use the BC must be visually inspected and tested NEVER dive with a BC that shows any signs of damage to its air cell or valves until it has been serviced by an Authorized XS Scuba Dealer Inspection Checklist 1 Connect the power inflator to a clean air s...

Page 16: ...eight pockets can cause a sudden increase in buoyancy and rapid ascent and could lead to serious injury or death due to arterial gas embolism or decompression sickness DivingWithYourXSScubaBC RulesForPersonalWeighting Before diving with your new XS Scuba BC it is important to establish the correct amount of weight you will need to wear to achieve neutral buoyancy without being too heavy negatively...

Page 17: ...re that your X Lock Integrated Weight System is not obstructed by any straps lines etc DO NOT add weight to your BC anywhere other than the designated weight compartments since doing so may prevent you from being able to ditch weight in an emergency Failure to ditch weight in an emergency may lead to serious injury or death due to drowning Before diving with a BC that features a X Lock Integrated ...

Page 18: ...tions Each method uses a valve that is in a different location and is designed either to vent air or dump it very quickly The method you should choose will depend on whether you are descending feet first head first maintaining neutral buoyancy underwater or controlling your ascent To release air as effectively as possible remember to utilize the valve that is at the highest point on the BC and neare...

Page 19: ... swimming position and is more convenient to use than the oral inflator Rear Dump Valve If your BC has a Rear Dump Valve located on the lower rear portion of the air cell it can be opened manually to quickly dump air by pulling on the ball and cord assembly This valve works best while making a head first descent or in a face down swimming position CAUTION The proper function of the overpressure reli...

Page 20: ...sh the interior of the air cell and then thoroughly rinse the exterior of the BC Before rinsing ensure that the power inflator is pressurized with air This will prevent debris and contaminants from entering the inflator valve if the inflator button is accidentally depressed 3 Completely drain the air cell of water through the lower OPV dump valve by pulling the ball cord assembly 4 Fully inflate the B...

Page 21: ...egradation 2 You should obtain factory authorized service for your BC at least once a year from an Authorized XS Scuba Dealer regardless of the amount of use it has received This service includes a general air leak inspection and complete overhaul of the power inflator and OPV valve s Your BC may require this service more frequently depending on the amount of use and quality of maintenance that it ...

Page 22: ...his warranty does not extend to damages caused by improper use improper maintenance neglect unauthorized repairs modifications accidents fire or casualty 3 Cosmetic damage such as scratches fraying and nicks are not covered by this warranty 4 This warranty does not extend to equipment used for rental commercial or military purposes WhatYouNeedToDo 1 Keep a copy of the original purchase receipt and s...

Page 23: ...l sales receipt and service records For the location of the dealer nearest you or additional information visit our website at www XSscuba com ServiceRecord Model _______________ Serial Number ______________ Purchase Date ___________ XS Scuba Dealer ____________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________ ______________...

Page 24: ...2740 S Harbor Blvd Suite E Santa Ana CA 92704 tel 714 424 0434 fax 714 424 0454 www XSscuba com 2005 XS Scuba Inc ...

Reviews: