Considerations around switching to a BP/W

[Aotus]

What is so special about the Zen - compared to another ~35lbs wing?

I don't have one, I just read about it recently when it came up in my news feed. Looks interesting to me. In particular, the ergonomic design of the plate in contact with your back, and the narrower wing looks more modern and innovative. But, no sense in me copying and pasting from their webpage. You can read about it here: http://www.xdeep.eu/single-tank-wing-bcd-system-zen-pr-121.html

 

[cool_hardware52]

At some point, if a wetsuit does lose every bit of its buoyancy, you could conceivably carry one in a mesh bag to some depth, let the bag go, and it would continue to sink. I bet that is possible,

Neoprene has a specific gravity of ~1.4, vs water at 1.0. That means if you tossed a piece of solid neoprene in the water it will sink.

(If you take a CF200 DUI crushed neo Drysuit and fill it with water it will sink)

That however isn't really all that important for wing sizing. Buoyancy Compensators are used to compensate for things that have varying buoyancy WRT to depth.

It is the potential change in buoyancy that matters when sizing wings.

As one compresses a wetsuit it mass is unchanged, it's volume and therefore it's density is what changes.

The mass of the wetsuit is already "out of the equation" if you test the suit by rolling it up, placing it in the water and adding ballast until it sinks.

Tobin

 

[dumpsterDiver]

The advice to throw the wetsuit in a bag and determine how much lead it takes to sink it and then ASSUME the entire amount of lead required equates to the loss of buoyancy the suit will undergo is clearly an approximation (and probably an over estimate), but the "error" is minor and it may provide a little bit of conservatism in the lift requirements - not a bad thing at all.

A very simple easy test anyone can perform in a few minutes.

 

[divad]

The corrugated hose placement would conflict with my single-tank regulator placement.

 

[Aotus]

The corrugated hose placement would conflict with my single-tank regulator placement.

... just in case you were talking about the XDEEP, I think you'll find that their website, linked in my previous post, is full of pictures of people using a single tank, with a regulator, and their central inflator hose. See also their other new single tank rec unit, "ghost" I think.

BUT, do whatever you want, I haven't tried these new units, I don't even BM any more. If the OP were my dive buddy, I'd be filling his head with SM koolaide and give him my old sidemount rig and I'd bet that would be the end of it. So ends my suggestions.

 

[piotr_c]

The corrugated hose placement would conflict with my single-tank regulator placement.

No, it won't.

In most BCDs indeed it would make a problem, but all XDEEP's NX Series wings (GHOST, ZEN, PROJECT) use the same revolutionary superflat and supercompact inflator's adapter. On this picture you may see how nicely the centrally located NX Series adapter works with both cylinder and the 1st stage:

 

[divad]

It definately would for me. My single tank is lower than that.

[Edit] Actually, it isn't the tank height, but the wing height. I want my wing higher up.

 

[piotr_c]

It definately would for me. My single tank is lower than that.

I'm sure not, because of one simple reason: in GHOST the cylinder is adjusted together with the wing. So if you'll lower the tank, the BCD would be also lower.

Besides of that, there's plenty of space there. Even if you will move it so far, that the first stage would be at the level of the inflator's adapter, it would not touch it as the adapter is only about 25mm thick (the classic elbow adapter is about 60mm thick).

Thousands of GHOST BCDs were sold until now and nobody even mention about conflict with the 1st stage.

 

[divad]

You silly ghost you.

 

[divad]

I'm sure not, because of one simple reason: in GHOST the cylinder is adjusted together with the wing. So if you'll lower the tank, the BCD would be also lower.

I want the wing higher, with the top of it about even with the bottom or center of the valve outlet, depending on what first stage I'm using. In your picture, the wing is much lower on the BP than mine. I don't want that.