Ah! What size wing? Choices choice choices.

[temet vince]

Ok, I'm thinking about picking up an Oxycheq Mach V wing. But I'm a new diver and I don't have much experience to go by.

I will probably be diving with a 7 mm wetsuit most of the time. In scuba class, I used 12 pounds of weight with a wetsuit (I'm assuming 3mm), but I think that I was overweighted as our instructor gave us a little too much weight (I'm assuming for safety reasons in case we got "trigger" happy on inflating our bcd).

I dive mostly in cold, fresh water.

I was hoping to get the 18 lbs wing, but I'm not sure that's a good idea with the 7mm. Kinda bummed, as I was really set on it.

Will a 30 lbs be big enough? Or, because of a 7mm and cold fresh water, will I need a 40#? What if I decide to get a wet suit in the future?

Thanks!

(Ps...Extreme version or no?)

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I believe you can calculate this*:

1) How much buoyancy can your exposure protection lose (change), between the surface and the depths (you need enough lift to compensate for this).

2) How much will it take to float your rig on the surface without you in it? (Add up the weights for everything you will have on your rig, but not what you have on your person.)

It seems likely that in cold water with a 7mm you will want more than 18#, but I have only calculated for myself for warmer water diving (where I can use an 18# wing - it is a nice size if it works out).

Blue Sparkle

*Caution: Beginner diver/calculator - so see what other, more experienced folk say. I'm just practicing.

 

[temet vince]

Thanks. I tried doing some theoretical calculations, but since I don't have the suit yet, I don't have much to go by except what other people say theirs loses/weighs on the forum.

I wish I had posted this under the "basic" forum. 125 viewers right now vs 20 I was caught as to which was a better place for this thread anyways.

 

[TSandM]

A 7 mm suit can lose somewhere in the 15 to 20 lb range in buoyancy at deep depths. Assuming you are diving a single tank, a 30 lb wing should be fine for compensating for this and gas weight. And unless you put all your ballast ON your rig, it should be more than fine to float your tank and plate.

 

[packeteer]

personally, I'd say you need at least a 30lb wing

when using a drysuit (w/ 20lb's lead), then I find my 35lb wing is only just big enough to keep me on the surface (w/ steel 12L tank). That's with no air in my suit; once I add air to the suit then I'm Mr Cork.

 

[jcfahy]

I just bought a Dive Rite Voyager Pak (40 lbs lift) instead of Travel Pak (27 Lbs) after discussing my needs with Dive Rite rep. I need a rig that supports 7 mm in temperate water when I will need 22 lbs of lead with alum 80 and allows for different salt content in sea water. Essentially DR advised that the 40 lbs lift was a much safer option allowing for a margin of weight error and the potential of lending my buddy some support. My calculations were that 30 lbs lift were probably just enough for me but with no margin of calc error.

 

[DevonDiver]

This thread contains a wealth of information that will assist you:

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

 

[Blue Sparkle]

never mind, sorry! (is there a way to delete posts that I just have not found?)

 

[Splitlip]

As others stated, you should do the calcs.

Personal experience: I have both the 18 and the 30 pound wings. The 18 is my summer wing. In the winter (if you can call it that in South Florida) I absolutely need more than 18# of lift. The most neoprene I wear is a 3 mil full suit over a 2.5 mil hooded vest and 1 mil shorts.

I am 5-11, 190# and ~ 23% body fat.

You will need more than the 18.

 

[scubafanatic]

I own (4) of their Extreme wings (2 single bladder and 2 dual bladder versions) and have been VERY happy with them. I'm using 2 40 lbs 'singles' wings, Oxy wings are very slim, so there's no bulky taco-of-death even with the 40 lbs versions, so why not give yourself a fudge factor/safety margin of the 40 lbs wing?