Rec EXP wing suitable for singles and doubles?

[paddler3d]

I have the DR Rec Wing. It is on a SS BP.

I have dove single AL80's. I pulled in the gusset cord to it's max. It worked fine but likely created more drag than necessary

I regularly dive single HP130's with my Rec wing and I can't say I have any complaints about this combo.

Someone mentioned the single tank adapter. I do not have one and with my DR SS BP, I see absolutely no need to have it. In fact I've challenged people to move my tank when it is attached to the plate. They can't. As for the lining up straight because of the bolts, just make sure the bolts are on the same side of the tank, I put my tank opposite my slung pony side.

To summarize, diving big singles, no problem. Diving small singles, draw in the gusset cords.

My next Caribbean trip I do plan to get a smaller travel wing.

You can also talk to Kathleen from DR on SB in the Manufactures Forum.

 

[RJP]

I have a DR Rec wing that I bought with the same thought in mind...

As with most things in life, anything designed to do two things will do neither of them particularly well.

In my mind the Rec wing would be fine for double 80's but suboptimal for single 100s, even with the gusset control.

As others have suggested, it's cheaper in the long run to buy a doubles and a singles wing now, instead of buying the Rec wing now and THEN buying a singles and doubles wing later. The voice of experience speaking here...

Buy it right, or buy it twice.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

The dive rite (dual purpose) wing is bigger than the halcyon doubles wing I was considering to compliment the singles with.

You can't just go by the rated lift capacity. Look at the geometry of the wing and consider how the flat center panel is going to sit with your cylinder. Singles and doubles present a very different "footprint" for the wing to accommodate, and you'll either end up with a wing that "pinches" part of the bladder against the doubles (flat panel too small for doubles, which reduces the overall effective lift capacity), or is very floppy with singles (flat panel too large for singles, which causes the wing to "taco" around the cylinder making it feel floppy and/or difficult to dump air). Neither will give you a very satisfying feeling during a dive ... at least not once you've tried a different product and realized how much of a performance compromise you've been making.

I started out with a DR Rec wing, for the same reasons you propose. And, in fact, I was happy with it as a singles wing until I tried a dedicated singles wing and realized just how poorly my own rig performed by comparison. Within a week I owned the wing I had tried and had the Rec wing up for sale.

Most people who I know who've purchased the wing as a dual-purpose "compromise" have had a similar experience. The fact is, it'll perform both functions but will perform neither as well as a wing that's dedicated for the configuration (singles or doubles) that you're diving.

If you're looking at it from a long-term standpoint, it's much better to purchase two separate wings. You'll most likely end up doing that sooner or later anyway.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[halocline]

I tried the rec exp at dutch springs during their demo day. You should try it out, I felt it was more of a singles wing than a doubles wing.

This is totally false, unless the EXP is much smaller than the previous rec wings. I have a rec wing and it's definitely NOT a single tank wing, although with the bungie you could easily make do for a few dives. It's even too big for my double 72s, might be perfect for double HP100s or AL80s. Dive rite tends to recommend far bigger wings than is really necessary.

My suggestion for the OP would be to look for an earlier rec wing for your doubles; I got mine for $170 because the silk screening was a little off. Check caveadventurers.com, they usually have some great deals. Then, you might see if NESS still has any of the EXP travel wings left for $170, another silk screening/color issue. Then you'd have both wings for less than the cost of a single halcyon wing.

One thing about the flat panel size for doubles; it doesn't have to be bigger than the footprint of the tanks to fully inflate, just as big as the backplate. Any part of the bladder that's outside the edge of the plate will inflate fine.

 

[Selachimorpha]

The Rec EXP wing has 50lbs of lift and the Rec wing has 51lbs of lift, according to the Dive Rite website.

I agree that these wings have too much lift for single tanks, but what about for doubles? Is the Rec EXP not suitable for double tanks? Do you think the Classic EXP (68lbs lift) would be a better choice?

 

[halocline]

The Rec EXP wing has 50lbs of lift and the Rec wing has 51lbs of lift, according to the Dive Rite website.

I agree that these wings have too much lift for single tanks, but what about for doubles? Is the Rec EXP not suitable for double tanks? Do you think the Classic EXP (68lbs lift) would be a better choice?

As I mentioned it's slightly large for my double 72s, but works fine. It would probably be just about right for double AL80s or HP100s. If you got into bigger tanks and stages, you'd probably want a bigger wing, but if you were diving with that much gear, chances are you'd have received extensive training (hopefully!) and would have guidance in choosing a wing. 68 lbs is ALOT of lift.

 

[JDMerk]

OK so nix the DR rec wing. If I go the Halcyon wing route would the 40lb Evolve provide sufficient lift? They offer a 30, 40 and 60lb wing in this style.
I would like to dive my Luxfer 80's doubled up and my Faber 100's doubled as well. The faber's are M series tanks (the heavy ones) which are 14lbs neg each when full. 6lbs for the SS plate and 5lbs or so for the manifold and bands...
(14x2)+(6)+(5)=39lbs neg
Cutting it a little close? Not bringing any exposure protection into the equation...40lbs of lift would be fine for the 80's but i'm concerned I might be cutting it too close with the 100's.
Would the #60 wing be a wiser choice?

 

[MSilvia]

It would be nice if I could get by with just one wing but that may not be possible.

I don't consider "getting by" all that nice, but that's all you'll get from a RecWing in my experience.

As I've said before, buying a wing that works with both single and double tanks is a lot like buying a moped because you want a bicycle and a Harley Davidson. Yeah, you can pedal it. Yeah, it has a motor. No, it doesn't do either thing as well as what you wanted.

 

[ruready7]

I dive double 80s currently and the DR Rec wing works well. I dont have as much experience as some of the other divers so take it for what it is worth.

 

[brutus_scuba]

I agree with NWGratefulDiver. I use a Rec Wing with my doubles, but have the venture wing for my large single steel tanks, and would even consider the travel wing if I were going to be diving warm tropical waters with AL tanks more often. I am most familiar with the DR wings. I know other companies build wings just as nice if not better in some cases. The most important thing is that it matches your gear configuration.