doubles/BP+W assemble question

[Colliam7]

A couple of additional comments:

Adding a spacer to move the tanks away from you just increases your profile in the water. Buy a proper wing if your current wing cannot float your doubles.

Yes, a spacer will add to your profile. However, adding a 0.32 inch thick hex bolt will not materially affect your profile, at all! I have used hex nuts as spacers on a few doubles sets and they work fine, and you don't notice any difference in the water. But, it will increase the space between the cylinder wall and the wing by that small amount, which may make a difference between pinching the bladder, and merely constricting it at one point. If your wing can float you and your rig, you are probably OK with a restriction.

Perhaps this wing is not optimal for my setup, but should be OK. I'm just going to switch out the SS plate for my Al plate and hopefully find some time to test it out soon.

Switching the plate is really not a solution. It may be a quick fix.

BUT, keep in mind (and I say this as the owner of TWO Rec Wings), the Rec Wing is not optimal for either a single cylinder, or a doubles set, even though it is marketed as a versatile wing which can be used for both. For a single cylinder it has more lift than you need (In fact, the older Rec Wings had 51 lbs of lift, and were even more inappropriate for singles, although they can be, and are, used. Fort doubles, on the other hand, it may have too little lift. I seldom dive double cylinders, be they AL80s or HP 130s, with less than 50 lbs of lift, and usually I have at least 55.

 

[PfcAJ]

Then what happens when you rent doubles some where? Gotta bring your little spacers with you?

Just get the proper kit in the first place and voilà! All your problems disappear.

Magic.

 

[OkByMe]

If you put nuts on the bolts to keep the back-plate from making contact with the cylinders, the cylinders will wobble and shift around the bolt hole. That is a singles wing that can be used as a small doubles, but only with the transpack. The soft back-plate makes contact with the cylinders along the entire length of the back plate. The contact is on the inside between the cylinders high point. The metal back plate-makes contact at the cylinders high point. That can be a difference of 2 inches. The Classic wing is wider and has more lift. That would work with your back-plate better and the cylinder size you are using.

 

[jcaplins]

Thanks for the responses, all.

Just to be clear, I'm not switching to the Al plate to solve this issue. The whole rig is too heavy for fresh water, and that is the only reason for taking off the SS plate. Sorry for the confusion.


I'm also not going to add any spacers. I think the plate needs to contact the tanks to provide rigidity to the whole system.

I'm going to try the wing as is, now 15lbs lighter, and see how it goes before investing in a new, proper doubles wing.

 

[OkByMe]

The aluminum plate will surely help put the buoyancy close to the range needed for those cylinders. There is another option if you are going to commit to the wing and the aluminum plate. Bolt the plate to the cylinders without the wing. Mark the plate along the contact point with the cylinders using a felt tip pen, dragging it along the length of the clinders. remove the plate and take it to a sheet metal shop and have them break a bend toward the harness side. 15 degrees aught to do it. I made a 14 gauga aluminum plate that was stupidly light, but had to put a couple of chines in it at the contact point to stiifen it. Had to weld an additional 10 gauge piece over the bolt area for reinforcement. Loved that plate, someone stole it and have not gotten around to building another since I do like the transpac.