Building a bp/w for petite finance 18# wing ok?

[Nightwatch]

It’s been a few years since I’ve researched backplates and wings. Now my fiancé is diving with me and I’m trying to figure out what wing size to get for her.

She’s 5’3” and latest dives in warm salt water ( Cozumel) with a bcd and 80 steel tank she was neutrally buoyant with a new 3 mil suit and no weight. With a rental 5 mil she was wearing around 4 lbs. with aluminum and 3 mil ( I think) about 12 lbs.

I was thinking about an 18# oxycheq wing but am I right in thinking that’s not a lot of extra for the end of the dice if for some reason she’d have an aluminum tank and 12 lbs of weight?

Sorry I haven’t thought about this stuff in a while. For reference we only dice warm water single tanks. No extra gear for her except a light and emergency gear. Maybe an extra mask.

 

[runsongas]

its workable for areas warm enough for at most a 3mm, but if you want flexibility for cooler waters using a 5mm something closer to 25lbs is more ideal

 

[inquis]

that’s not a lot of extra for the end of the dice if for some reason she’d have an aluminum tank and 12 lbs of weight?

At the end of the dive (reserve gas pressure), she should be *neutral* with a nearly empty wing. (If not, drop lead until she is.)

The first consideration is being neutral at the beginning of the dive at depth. At that point, she still has 5 lb of gas (not yet breathed from the HP80 or AL80) and may have lost about 5 lb of 5mm wetsuit buoyancy from compression -- a total of 10 lb negative which is within the capability of an 18 lb wing.

The second consideration is will the rig float without her (e.g., if taken off before getting out of the water).

With a rental 5 mil she was wearing around 4 lbs. with aluminum and 3 mil ( I think) about 12 lbs.

The 5 mm+HP80+4 lb agrees nicely with the 3mm+HP80+0 lb. However, an AL80 scenario will only need to add about 5 lb over the similar HP80 case, all else being equal. Even at 10 lb of lead and full tank, the rig should float without her, so check that box.

All that said, a newer diver (I can't tell if that's the case) may feel more comfortable with a slightly larger wing. There are several 10L (22 lb) wings available, but I think the 18 lb would make for a great setup.

 

[sea_ledford]

I've dove both the 18# and the 25#, and the size difference isn't really that significant. I'd rather have the flexibility of the 25#. I do know that with an HP 100 and an AL backplate, the 18 would not even float the gear.

Also, unless she has a long torso, seriously consider a short plate. Every woman I've put into one say the difference is noticeable and the short plate is way more comfortable. 5'3" is the taller side of the short plate spectrum (I recommend for those under 5'4"), but worth considering.

Halcyon and Dive Rite both make short plates, I'm not sure who else does.