DiveRite Transpac with Venture wing for coldwater diving?

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archaeology22

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Messages
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Location
Hollywood, Florida
# of dives
50 - 99
I will be moving to the New England area soon and I was hoping for some equipment advice for coldwater diving. My favorite diving is wreck diving, which is what I plan to do most. I'm leaning toward the DR transpac and venture wing and was wondering if the lift capacity of the venture would be suitable for cold water diving with a 7mm wetsuit. I don't know how much weight I would use for cold water, but here in Florida, I dive with a single aluminum tank with a full 3mm and use about 12 lbs. Does anyone use this setup for cold water diving? Thanks!
 
I dive a brigade with a 7mm wetsuit and I'm 210 pounds. I carry about 18 - 20 pounds for freshwater and maybe another 3 for saltwater of weight and my 35 pound bladder more than meets my needs with an alum 80. My guess is you'll be fine.
 
I do. 7mm full suit and 22lbs of lead and a steel tank HP100.
Works fine for me.

Dave
 
it's what my wife uses/used- she now has a BP to go with her wing. The transpac works just fine in her opinion, she went to the BP to get some weight off her waist. If you're looking for a small transpac harness PM me...
 
I'm guessing you're fine too. I, too, use the Transpac + Venture wing in new england, for mostly shore dives in fairly calm waters (it is great for warm water like FL too). I use 25 pounds of weight in 2-piece 7mm wetsuit and AL80 tank. The Venture has 30# of lift, which gives just adequate lift for me. If you're anticipating rough seas in open water or stage bottles, you might need a slightly larger bladder such as the Trek (40#) or Rec (50#).
Have a good move and Dive safely.
 
Eval, if I'm going to be doing any wreck diving, then I can surely expect rough seas out there. Unfortunately, although the Trek and the Rec wings say they are suitable for singles, they are primarily for doubles and work best only when diving doubles. Thanks for your info; by the way, I'm also going to be living in the Boston area. Anyone out there that can vouch for the transpak/venture in rough seas (wreck diving)?
 
If you're going to be doing wreck diving out of the Boston area you're going to be in diving heaven. But if you are very serious, and especially serious about doing nearly year-round diving, then scrap the 7mm wetsuit and go for a good drysuit. This would almost be essential for wreck diving, and it would also drop the amount of weight you would carry (if it's a trilaminate or compressed neoprene drysuit). Also, I would seriously consider a SS backplate/wing--and if you're diving a steel tank you would then need to carry very little and possibly even no weight (for some of the better and deeper wreck diving in NE you likely won't be diving an aluminum 80). The Transpac/Venture wing would also work, but once you move into a larger tank I think you would find a backplate much more stable and comfortable. The 30lb of lift of the Venture wing would be enough, especially if you're diving a drysuit, but in very cold and rougher seas you might appreciate something a bit more robust, if not with a bit more lift as well--esp if you begin carrying lots of stuff down there (lights, reels, etc.)--but technically 30lbs of lift would work (but maybe not if you persist with a 7mm wetsuit and have to carry close to 30lbs of weight). Keep in mind as well that with most operators you will need a side mount or pony tank for deeper wreck diving.
 
I use a transpac and venture wing in Lake Tahoe (44deg drysuit diving) 26-28#'s and still ok. I like it...
 
I dive a 7mil with hood, gloves and boots here in idaho. 18 pounds with a steel 120 and the venture does fine. I would think twice with 30+ pounds in rough water.
 
Just switched my singles rig to an Oxycheq Mach V - much more streamline than any DR wing.

I'd also say ditch the transpac and just go to plain ol' hog harness and a regular plate.

Oh yeah - and dive dry! Otherwise your dive season is gonna be SHORT!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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