04-11-2007, 08:36 PM
I really like my ODC420 -- however 1 thing is bothering me that I would not have to deal with otherwise, and that has to do with the valves in the pockets. Not for space like others have said -- but the fact that the valves "move" as you are pumping it up.
As you can see in the valve pictures a few posts up, you have a little square cut out of the pocket where the valve lines up -- as you pump, the valve "moves" -- and 50% of the time (even looking at the picture above you can see that it is nowhere near center -- and is getting close to the edge), before reaching full inflation (if you are not super careful) the valve will try to "sneak" out of the square. I had an incident last week where the valve had pushed right up to the edge of the square hole and lodged the fabric of the square onto the bottom of the valve -- thus preventing a tight seal -- and resulting in a flat bladder about a mile out
Now the good news is -- the ODC will still float 250 lbs just fine with 1 bladder -- the bad news is that it makes it a lot harder to paddle to shore.
On the other hand, since the valves are in the pocket -- if you happen to have a pump in the tube with you (which I did not) -- you could easily add air to a bladder while afloat.
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As you can see in the valve pictures a few posts up, you have a little square cut out of the pocket where the valve lines up -- as you pump, the valve "moves" -- and 50% of the time (even looking at the picture above you can see that it is nowhere near center -- and is getting close to the edge), before reaching full inflation (if you are not super careful) the valve will try to "sneak" out of the square. I had an incident last week where the valve had pushed right up to the edge of the square hole and lodged the fabric of the square onto the bottom of the valve -- thus preventing a tight seal -- and resulting in a flat bladder about a mile out
Now the good news is -- the ODC will still float 250 lbs just fine with 1 bladder -- the bad news is that it makes it a lot harder to paddle to shore.On the other hand, since the valves are in the pocket -- if you happen to have a pump in the tube with you (which I did not) -- you could easily add air to a bladder while afloat.
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