Out of the Box
The BlackTip Vacuum Bulkhead ships fully assembled and includes a handheld vacuum pump and spare strap as well. We recommend tightening the removable port plug before diving, in case of accidental loosening during the packing and shipping process.
To attach the vacuum bulkhead to your BlackTip DPV, loosen its strap and remove the nose cone. Press the bulkhead down until it locks into the top of the body tube. This is the assembly point where we are able to access the top of the vacuum bulkhead and perform a check for leaks (see instructions below).
Once you are finished testing your BlackTip's pressure, replace the nose cone over the bulkhead and finish by strapping your scooter together. A spare length of strap is included with your BlackTip Vacuum Bulkhead, in case the original strap is too short to accommodate the added length of the bulkhead.
Using the BlackTip Vacuum Bulkhead
- Attach your BlackTip Vacuum Bulkhead to the top of your BlackTip's body tube (You may need to release some pressure from inside the tube in order to allow the bulkhead to fully seat into the top of the tube).
- Using the vacuum pump, draw pressure from your tube and bulkhead (Pressure between -5inHg and -10inHg is usually sufficient).
- Let the pressurized scooter sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Check for a drop in pressure.
- ✅ If no pressure decrease, your BlackTip is sealed properly!
- ❎ If the gauge has lost pressure over time, you have found a leak. Try dissassembling/reassembling your BlackTip, inspecting each seal point carefully to identify and fix possible points of failure, then repeat the pressure check.
- Release pressure by pushing the rubber valve tip sideways until the air pressure is equalized.
- If no leaks were detected, feel free to attach your BlackTip's nose and strap your scooter together. If you found a leak, repeat the previous steps until no leaks are detected.
Things to Remember
- It is safe to dive your BlackTip while under pressure! There is no need to release the pressure after testing your BlackTip before a dive. However, we do recommend releasing any pressure before storing your BlackTip for any period of time.
- It's perfectly normal to experience some resistance when attaching your BlackTip's nose cone over the vacuum bulkhead. This is caused by the air trapped between the nose and the bulkhead having nowhere to go once the nose is pressed down. The nose should seat properly once you've strapped your BlackTip together.