mattengstrom
Guest
This may get a little long 
Let me set the stage first. I'm a new diver, and have logged about 15 dives total so far.
I've been renting BCs and have tried two different styles. I'm posting my impressions here to get feedback on whether or not my experiences have been typical or not. There are also some questions in here, and I would greatly appreciate any anwers.
I started out with a ScubaPro GlidePlus. This past weekend, I rented a BP/Wings setup from a LDS - an Aluminum backplate, abs STA, DiveRite Trek Wings, and a harness that was basically a DiveRite standard, but with a quick-release buckle added to the left shoulder strap.
The first thing that I noticed about the BP/Wings was that it was a little but more difficult to put on. The LDS helped me get it adjusted before I left, so that wasn't an issue. I believe that the donning/doffing process would get easier with practice.
Second thing that I noticed was that I really enjoyed having the air cell behind me, as opposed to wrapping around me as with the GlidePlus. It was more comfortable, and definitely more streamlined. Big point in favor of the BP/Wings. (Yeah, I know - major shocker!
)
Trim in the BP/Wings was good. Better than with the GlidePlus, but I think I think I could get good trim with either setup, given enough "futzing".
The stability of the BC on my body was much better than with the ScubaPro. The GlidePlus has had a tendancy to ride up on me in the water - I'm always pulling it back down into place. The BP/Wings simply stayed put.
The only thing that I didn't like about the BP/Wings was the setup for dumping air. The ScubaPro has the normal inflate/deflate hose buttons, and you can also pull on the inflator hose to open a shoulder dump on your left shoulder. There's another pull dump at the right shoulder, and another one on the right hip. With all of these, I can dump air from the BC in basically ANY body position that I might be in.
The BP/Wings, by contrast, only had the inflate/deflate hose and a pull dump at the left hip. There were quite a few times when I had to shift position in the water in order to dump air because the air bubble in the bladder had shifted over to my right side, away from both exhaust points.
Yes, more dumps makes more more failure points, but for a newbie like myself, that is a trade-off that I'm willing to make for the enhanced ability to adjust bouyancy and/or avoid an uncontrolled ascent.
Which leads to my questions. Can extra dumps be added to a wing? I realize that this may be sacreligious to some, but hopefully not as bad as putting an Air2 on a Halcyon Pioneer Wing. Or, do any of the wing manufacturers make wings with more dumps already on them? Last, is this not as much of a problem with the continuous "doughnut" wings like the DiveRite Travel Wing as it is with the horseshoe-shaped wings?
Whew. Thanks for reading all of this. Comments? Answers? Enlightenment?
Let me set the stage first. I'm a new diver, and have logged about 15 dives total so far.
I've been renting BCs and have tried two different styles. I'm posting my impressions here to get feedback on whether or not my experiences have been typical or not. There are also some questions in here, and I would greatly appreciate any anwers.
I started out with a ScubaPro GlidePlus. This past weekend, I rented a BP/Wings setup from a LDS - an Aluminum backplate, abs STA, DiveRite Trek Wings, and a harness that was basically a DiveRite standard, but with a quick-release buckle added to the left shoulder strap.
The first thing that I noticed about the BP/Wings was that it was a little but more difficult to put on. The LDS helped me get it adjusted before I left, so that wasn't an issue. I believe that the donning/doffing process would get easier with practice.
Second thing that I noticed was that I really enjoyed having the air cell behind me, as opposed to wrapping around me as with the GlidePlus. It was more comfortable, and definitely more streamlined. Big point in favor of the BP/Wings. (Yeah, I know - major shocker!
)Trim in the BP/Wings was good. Better than with the GlidePlus, but I think I think I could get good trim with either setup, given enough "futzing".
The stability of the BC on my body was much better than with the ScubaPro. The GlidePlus has had a tendancy to ride up on me in the water - I'm always pulling it back down into place. The BP/Wings simply stayed put.
The only thing that I didn't like about the BP/Wings was the setup for dumping air. The ScubaPro has the normal inflate/deflate hose buttons, and you can also pull on the inflator hose to open a shoulder dump on your left shoulder. There's another pull dump at the right shoulder, and another one on the right hip. With all of these, I can dump air from the BC in basically ANY body position that I might be in.
The BP/Wings, by contrast, only had the inflate/deflate hose and a pull dump at the left hip. There were quite a few times when I had to shift position in the water in order to dump air because the air bubble in the bladder had shifted over to my right side, away from both exhaust points.
Yes, more dumps makes more more failure points, but for a newbie like myself, that is a trade-off that I'm willing to make for the enhanced ability to adjust bouyancy and/or avoid an uncontrolled ascent.
Which leads to my questions. Can extra dumps be added to a wing? I realize that this may be sacreligious to some, but hopefully not as bad as putting an Air2 on a Halcyon Pioneer Wing.
Or, do any of the wing manufacturers make wings with more dumps already on them? Last, is this not as much of a problem with the continuous "doughnut" wings like the DiveRite Travel Wing as it is with the horseshoe-shaped wings?Whew. Thanks for reading all of this. Comments? Answers? Enlightenment?
