Another BP/W question (Single 80 Alum.)

[Scuba Bud]

Hey,

So I currently have a jacket style BC and I'm about to make the switch to a BP/W. I only dive on a single tank for now.

I'm thinking of going with a steel BP with an OMS harness... Now for the wing I'm not exactly sure which one I want. I wanted a wing that I could maybe use for doubles in the future but ive been told that wings that would fit doubles will be too big for my single; that it would wrap around the tank too much. So I am leaning towards a single bladder OMS wing with 32 or 45 lbs of lift.

What do you guys think? Can I really not use the 60lb+ wings on a single tank? Which wing would you recommend for my current situation?

Thanks!

 

[Scuba Bud]

I am leaning towards this:

Stainless Steel OMS BP
OMS Comfort Harness System II
OMS Single Bladder 32lb Wing (No retraction bands)

What do you guys think?

 

[rstofer]

There's a lift calculating spreadsheet as a 'sticky' at the top of this forum.

Seems like we discussed this very issue a couple of days ago. However...

If your wing is substantially too large it WILL wrap around the tank and be hard to vent while you are horizontal.

I'm not going to recommend a wing size, there are experts for that. However, I dive with a 7/8mm wetsuit, 20# of lead, a 6# backplate and I use a wing with 30# of lift. It all comes down to how negative you are at depth (lead, tank, backplate, regulator, etc) minus what you think your wetsuit might contribute in positive buoyancy when it is compressed. The remainder is what the wing has to lift to get you up.

The other factor is that the wing has to support the weight of the rig when it floats on the surface without the buoyancy of your wetsuit. Assumptions have to be made about where you carry your weight. If you add 20# of lead to the BP/W and the tank is -10.5# when full, a 30# wing won't float the rig. So you need to wear some of the weight. The amount you wear needs to be less that the buoyancy of the wetsuit after you surface from a deep dive and the cells are still somewhat compressed. It would be nice to be able to take off the rig so you can reenter an inflatable. Assuming that the weight is in a harness and you would rather not take the weights out of the pockets, you need to work this out because the harness is donned before and doffed after the rig.

Richard

 

[rstofer]

I am leaning towards this:

Stainless Steel OMS BP
OMS Comfort Harness System II
OMS Single Bladder 32lb Wing (No retraction bands)

What do you guys think?

Have you compared the package price to a similar model at Deep Sea Supply? Tobin at DSS is an expert at BP/W selection. www.deepseasupply.com

Unless you are trudging miles and miles, uphill both ways, through knee deep snow (and I guess you could be), are you really sure you want all that fluff on the harness?

I bought the ProFit harnesses when I bought 2 DSS rigs but I am beginning to suspect that the Hogarthian harness, which is $50 cheaper, may work just as well. In the first place, my wetsuit adds a lot of padding. Not as much as a Farmer John but enough. Second, all of my other BP/W's have the simple web harness and I seem to do pretty well with them. One day I might just simplify my rig.

You might wander through this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bu...t-systems/298198-help-buying-my-first-bc.html

Richard

 

[Rhone Man]

+1 for Deep Sea Supply. Good advice, good products, competitive prices.

 

[jm@large]

Hi Nevalite,

I have an OMS setup: alum BP and 94lb double bladder wing. It was a surprise present from my wife at a time, when just like you, I was thinking about using doubles in the future. You can see this setup in my avatar.

It is possible to use a wing for doubles with a single tank but I personally did not like the result – too much wing flopping around. Aside from the drag it creates I found the wrapping of the wing makes it difficult to find the rear dump valve when you need it.

I used the wing for a couple of dozen dives before I got a single tank wing. It feels much better under and above the water. As it does not move around, everything is where it should be. A mayor point of using a BP/W is that is gives you a stable and streamlined platform which, ideally, you don’t even feel you have on your back. I only got to this point with the smaller wing – and you can really tell the difference with a BC!

I’d also go for a wing for singles.

Note: I recently took an entry level tech course. If you are going this route, with all the gear you have to buy (plus courses expenses), the extra money spent on a wing for rec dives won’t hurt you so bad – at least you won’t feel it too much.


Regards,
Jose Miguel

 

[AquaPixie]

When I decided to make the switch I was of the same frame of mind - that I could get a winging that would 'grow' with me as I progressed in my training, so I decided to get a Diverite. I soon found out that it would engulf my tank and my boyance was for cr@p. I finaly ended up with a Halcyon wing with a 5lb. steet backplate on a hagothian setup.:blinking: - I am MUCH happier now!

I found out the hard way that it is best to just get what your skill set is 'now' - If your gonna dive a single tank - get a wing made for a single tank.
When your ready to move up to doubles you can then get a wing made for that.

Not to mention that you normaly are not switching plate/wings systems between single / double tanks, as it is a pain in the butt.

Better to have a wing/plate for each tank set, if you can afford it

 

[fire_diver]

Everything sounds good to me. Like you were told, stay away from combo wings.

 

[Puffer Fish]

I would also vote for the single tank wing for a single tank and doubles wing for doubles.. you usually end up owning several plates anyway...

 

[Bonairetrip]

+ 1 for DSS and for a dedicated singles wing.

Here is how I got there:
Way back in the day, my first set up was a USD backpack and a mae-west style vest. (I didn't have the $$ for what the cool kids had -- a Fenzy). I have had a few other BCs since (I think a Tekna and a Mares).

I always missed the stability of the old backpack. That meant I wanted to go to plate and wings. I started by looking at wings that could do singles and doubles. That meant some sort of bondage wing (and I was leery about those). I also concluded that wings are not that expensive and dedicated wings would be better. (The same reason I have both a netbook and a desktop computer -- each excels at what I ask. And the combined cost was about the same as laptop that would have been very heavy and not as powerful as my desktop).

So I started looking at plates. I went with DSS for the plate because they have a nice variety of sizes and I like the finish and angling of the plate. DSS had some nice wings so I went with that as well. (And the wing is a tiny 17 pounder!)

After all of my research, I landed on three options:
a) Oxycheq. The Mach V series is a very nice product.
b) Halcyon. Great stuff.
c) DSS. Perhaps the equal of Halcyon but at a fraction of the cost.

Personally, that is where I would focus your quest...