Can I use a single wing for doubles?

[*Floater*]

i was wondering if it would be okay to use a singles wing such as the halcyon pioneer 36# wing or any other higher capacity singles wing. this would only be used for double al 80's, nothing real heavy.
thanks

Yes, but you won't get 36# of lift from it because part of the wing that would inflate with only a single tank on top will be trapped under the doubles. That said, I saw some cave divers use that wing in Mexico with AL80 doubles and 7mm wetsuit (but in shallow depths and with no stage or deco bottles, so lift requirements were minimal). I also saw some people dive AL40 doubles with H Eclipse 40 at Dutch Springs last weekend. The lady using it was wearing a (thick) wetsuit, so no 'cheating' in terms of using drysuit for buoyancy.

Bottom line: It works if you only need very little lift.

Tip: Put the tanks as close together as possible if you have a choice. For example, if you rig independent doubles with a reversed STA, the tanks will be touching.

 

[Gombessa]

thats what i was thinking i just wanted to confirm. something close to 40 lbs should be good for a set of Al 80's and a steel backplate though huh? also, which manufactures make a donut shaped doubles wing? i really prefer them to the horseshoe.
thanks

Alum 80s, sure.

Steel 80s, different story.

We dive LP80s from various manufacturers (some with scooters) with wings varying in size from 38# to 45#. The 38# has more than sufficient lift.

 

[RAWalker]

I dive the 45# OMS Bungied wing in a single tank configuration so I'm speaking from experience.
The Bungies when set up properly do not completely compress the bladder at a certain point the bungies are completely relaxed and water pressure exerts the the force to deflate the bladder the rest of the way. What the bungies do is once there is enough air in the bladder it exerts its force to equalize the pressure throughout the wing and control the movement of the air by restricting the bladder's size and shape. This restriction of size and shape also controls the taco effect unlike a non bungied wing. This wing although suboptimal is far superior for singles diving that the same wing without the bungies and is actually quite a well behaved and safe BCD for singles use. So to answer the question that was asked you can have 1 wing for both doubles and singles diving. Although not optimal many divers are looking to minimize their investment in their gear while maximizing it's versatility and usefulness. This wing design safely allows them to own 1 less wing. This wing is optimal for divers with budget considerations that want to meet the above mention goal of maximum versatility. Like any other piece of gear the user must know the devices design constraints and limitations.

A singles wing is not suitable for diving with doubles.

A doubles wing is at best suboptimal for diving with a single tank. Bungieing the overlarge wing in an attempt to keep it from tacoing around the single tank is a kludge. At BEST it results in a poorly streamlined wing that traps air in the "bubbles" of wing that are trapped between the bungies. At worst, it won't vent, or won't hold air if holed.

Transitioning to double tanks should be a move toward overhead or decompression diving. That kind of diving should NEVER be done on a restrictive budget. Cutting corners, when you have become utterly dependent on your equipment (because the surface isn't an option) is not a good strategy.

 

[Colliam7]

so i guess my question was more of a "is a singles wing wide enough to fit under a set of doubles?"

And, I think you are getting a level of consistency in the responses. Are most singles wings wide/big enough? Not really, at least not without sacrificing some level of wing performance. Can you do it? Yes. You can get enough lift out of many singles wings to adequately support a double 80 rig, particularly in salt water, with 7mm neoprene or a drysuit, etc. Nothing wrong with trying it to see for yourself how a single tank wing performs with doubles. (That's what pools and quarries and lakes are for.) It is something like putting a doubles wing on a single tank, to see what kind of tacoing you get, with and without gussets / bungees. I wouldn't jump off a boat in 6 ft seas, over a bottom at 160 ft, for the first time in a 36# wing with double HP120s. But, I would try it in shallow water for grins and giggles, so I could come back to SB and say, 'Hey, it actually works.' or 'Man, was that a dumb idea, or what?"

 

[cool_hardware52]

(Double 120s and 2 steel 72 deco bottles with a Dive Rite Travel wing.)
...quote]

Wow!

Tobin at DSS did not believe me when I told him that several divers dive like this, with steel deco bottles.

It is irresponsible to promote this inadequate configuration.

People do all sorts of things that I would not do or recommend.

Double 120's + 2 x steel 72 deco bottles with a singles wing. Where to start?

I unfortunately see not infrequent reports of divers in doubles using too small a wing.

They have enough wing to compensate for the weight of their gas, but no where near enough reserve to deal with a drysuit failure.

As long as they have no problems with their suit they survive. Ignorance I guess is bliss.

Tobin

 

[foles1972]

Is there such a thing as wings that will work with both? Like say if you go with the OMS and bungie the hell out if them when you are diving a single tank or something?

Or is there really no way to make it work?

Yes, that will work fine. I use an OMS wing with 95lbs of lift, with the bungees and it works great. I have three friends who use the same wing with doubles, and two other friends who use the same with single steel 120s. It's completely versatile.

 

[Scuba Ken]

I Dive a rec wing with a single steel 119. It works ok but I have some trim issues that I think a doughnut shaped dedicated single would alleviate. I see people dive the rec wing all the time with doubles and they seem to be happy with it. It also has a restricter band to help deal with tacoing. At least that wing you can use for both safely since it was designed to do it. It is a horseshoe style though.

 

[PerroneFord]

At least that wing you can use for both safely since it was designed to do it.

No it's not. It's designed to sell to people too cheap to buy the right tool for the job. So yes it works.

You can drive screws with a hammer, but you'll never convince anyone with half a brain that it's the right tool for the job.

 

[JeffG]

This wing design safely allows them to own 1 less wing. This wing is optimal for divers with budget considerations that want to meet the above mention goal of maximum versatility.

I spent around $20,000 on my tech gear. Wow...I could of saved $300 so that I could dive an unoptimal piece of gear.

Why didn't I think of that?


BTW..Its called the nickel rocket approach. If you do it for wings...it is probably affecting other areas as well.

 

[PerroneFord]

Ok, speaking from experience...

How many wings do you own and/or dive regularly? I am interested in your comparison sample size. My *personal* experience comes from owning 5 wings and having put about a dozen in the water for dives including that bungied 95# OMS wing.

I dive the OMS Bungied wing in a single tank configuration so I'm speaking from experience.