Halcyon Infinity for a new diver?

[Tortuga68]

Well in one scenario, you'd have 10# more lift than the other... eventually

Either scenario is fairly unlikely... unless you had a poorly maintained old-school stainless steel button power inflator of an un-named brand, which were prone to jamming

Of course you could always just disconnect your LP inflator hose like you were trained to do

Bottom line is you should get a wing that has enough lift for your diving needs, and no(t much) more

 

[FrancisK7]

My diving needs will be very varied though, simply because my local diving needs are so different than when I'd go down south. Locally, it's cold fresh water. Down south, warm salty water. I'm as likely to dive with double steel tank in a few years than I am diving with a single alu tank down south.

Doesn't make more sense to get the 40lbs? Best case scenario would be to get a 30 lbs and 40 lbs, but I don't grow money on trees yet.

 

[Jaques-Yves Costco]

The OP is an brand new diver, so the skill required to deal with a run-away or accidental over inflation, "could" still be missing.....
.... Halcyon sells the SURFMAT for this It goes in your mc storage pouch, you can inflate it as an SMB from the bottom or at 10 feet, and then on surfacing, you can use it exactly like a "belly board"
View attachment 105491

So first we're talking about the inability of a new diver to deal with a runaway inflator...and next we're suggesting they shoot a glorified lilo.

 

[Tortuga68]

...I'm as likely to dive with double steel tank in a few years than I am diving with a single alu tank down south.

Doesn't make more sense to get the 40lbs?

No, because it's a single tank wing

 

[danvolker]

So first we're talking about the inability of a new diver to deal with a runaway inflator...and next we're suggesting they shoot an H-brand lilo.

The runaway inflator issue was aimed a the OP and other new divers....the surfmat suggestion was because another poster was complaining about how hard it was to get the head out of the water with a bp/wing....
You need to keep up

 

[FrancisK7]

I'm still confused about the 30lbs vs 40 lbs, and the dozen of PM I've received to help clarify the situation have ended confusing me more. I don't understand how so many people can feel so passionately AGAINST the 40lbs and for the 30lbs, while others feel the almost extreme opposite. Either people are convinced I will NEVER need 40 lbs and it is completely overkill and others say it'll be fine and will come in handy for the future.

The dive shop offered to order the 30lbs for me specifically so I doubt it's about keeping inventory to a minimum, since they'd be ordering it for me and ship it out immediately. But, for argument's sake, say they ARE biased for whatever reason, this still leaves the debate at 50/50 between people arguing this issue. I am too inexperienced to really grasp the nuances of what 30lbs vs 40lbs means, and you all appear convinced and passionate whenever you present arguments for or against it.

If wings were cheap I'd buy both, but at 400$ a pop or so, no way.

 

[sprange]

I've had a 'runaway' wing once. It was with the wing that came with my 'Jet Harness' (I mentioned how crappy purchase decisions cost a lot in the long run). I added a puff of gas to my wing and it kept on filling. While holding open the exhaust valve on the inflater (which almost seemed to keep up with the inflation) I unplugged the LP hose and I'm still alive. The wing had seen previous action in Hawaii and was never serviced/properly cleaned I admit. From all accounts this seems to be a pretty rare event--I was using the wing because my nephew was borrowing my 30lb Eclipse at the time.

 

[rddvet]

With all this discussion you'd think we were talking about bungied dual bladder wings. There is so little difference between my Halcyon 30 and 40 pound wings I have no idea what the problem is. My Oxycheq 40 lb wing is even smaller than both Halcyon wings. Considering Francis' location (which is NOT the Southern U.S.), and size (which matters when you're offsetting a lot of neoprene if he does indeed dive dry), a 40lb wing is not overkill. I swear some people like to argue for the sake of it. Kate--if you think that the small volume of fabric that may drag due to a slightly larger wing is an issue then you aren't aware of the larger weight swings (usually positive) that people experience. Some of the guys I've been in the water with have larger stomachs than my Eclipse.

Right on the money. Its not a huge bungied horseshoe wing. It's not overkill. He'll be fine in a 40. Holy cow I dive in FL in a 40lb.

 

[Tortuga68]

Francis, try this: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bu...ems/158370-ultimate-wing-lift-calculator.html

the surfmat suggestion was because another poster was complaining about how hard it was to get the head out of the water with a bp/wing....

Sounds like a solution in search of a problem

 

[Jaques-Yves Costco]

The runaway inflator issue was aimed a the OP and other new divers....the surfmat suggestion was because another poster was complaining about how hard it was to get the head out of the water with a bp/wing....
You need to keep up

Nice post hoc justification for some interesting advice.