backplate/wings question

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I will be getting the OMS 30LB wing for singles and the 60LB wing for doubles. I would advise your return the 45 cause its pretty light duty for tech diving and a bit to big for singles/recreational diving. The comfort harness is not necessary and in reality all a person needs is a 1 piece harness, I figured it out the hard way.

 

[somewhereinla]

I use 30lb with 100hp tank. More than enough.

 

[BuoyantC]

I dived with an OMS 40 something wing I got from a friend. I only used it with a single 80, and mostly in warm water. It was great. Yeah, it was overkill, but it still had less drag than my old Zeagle Ranger, and my trim was the best I had ever had to that point.

My friend wanted to buy it back so I just got an Oxycheq 30 which I hope to get wet in the next couple days. I'm guessing I'll notice little difference with the smaller wing. Since I dive with about 4# of lead and rarely put air in the cell, I'm sure even the 30 is overkill. But......I do get to go dive cold water once in a while!

Don't be too afraid to keep your wing.
Dennis

 

[TSandM]

There are a couple of issues with a wing that is too big. One is probably minor in most circumstances, and that is drag. But the other is not minor, and that is venting. When the wing is too large, it will wrap up ("taco") around the tank. The air in the wing is then at the very top of the arcs of the wing, and is very difficult to vent. It may require big changes in orientation underwater to get the air to any dump valve.

Even for cold water use, a 30 to 35 lb wing is adequate for most people using a single tank. The lift needs to be enough to float your rig at the surface (eg. if you have to take it off before getting back in the boat) and to compensate for the lift lost by your exposure protection at depth. Especially if you are small, even using a thick wetsuit in cold water, you're unlikely to lose more than 30 lbs of lift.

The choice of adjustable versus one-piece harness is a personal one (unless you're DIR ), but the one-piece harness is cheaper and, in fact, more adjustable than the complicated ones. A lot of people buy the fancier harnesses to begin with and find they don't work as well as they had hoped, and end up with the cheaper and more flexible option as a second purchase.

Good luck with your class and your gear -- Scuba is great fun!

 

[mikerault]

I use a 30# for singles (have used it with AL100 with no problems) and a 50# for doubles.

Mike

 

[halocline]

It is definitely true that the ease of venting on a small wing makes your diving life easier. It's also probably true that most divers that have used both the "comfort" harnesses and standard webbing end up prefering the webbing; at least that's what you keep hearing on these threads. I used a hog harness for the first time a few weeks ago and I'm totally sold on it. To me it is more comfortable under water.

Anyhow, a couple of other questions; what kind of plate did you get (steel or alum) what are your weighting requirements, and do you want a STA or not? I'd answer all those questions first (maybe you have but just haven't posted the answers) then decide on the wing. Some wings will require a STA, others work better without, and really you will do best getting the smallest wing possible for your weighting. Of course you can dive with a larger-than-necessary wing, but it's not ideal. Someday I'll get one of the teeny-tiny tropical wings made by DSS or oxycheq and a freedom plate or something similar for a "pocket sized" travel rig.