doubles wing thinking - input desired

[BabyDuck]

ok, guys, i've started diving doubles. i borrowed some 95s from a friend (thanks, jason) but when i get my own i might go to 85s - we'll see.

i've rented (or borrowed from another friend - thanks, bob) a classic so far. for singles, i had a pioneer. i know i'll be more comfy with a horseshoe if i keep diving it, but shifting air to dump it so far is just something extra to have to think about.

how do those of you with doubles doughnuts like them? do you miss the ability to purposefully trap air? what other thoughts do you have?

how about those of you who use horseshoes? what do you like or wish was different?

does anyone have experience with the wings of different manufacturers? i'd be interested in personal comparisons. i was at beneath the sea this weekend & there was a lot of info from folks about how 'those other dudes' products suck' that i think was smoke.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Horse shoe diver

love it! Have a doughnut (eclipse) but only when doing rec dives. For me personally hores shoe is best.

 

[BabyDuck]

what do you like? what do you not like? what should i take into consideration?

 

[lamont]

how do those of you with doubles doughnuts like them? do you miss the ability to purposefully trap air? what other thoughts do you have?

Everyone over here loves the Evolve 60# doubles donut wing. I haven't heard a single complaint that it was difficult to use stages with it.

"donuts... mmmmmm...."

 

[cool_hardware52]

ok, guys, i've started diving doubles. i borrowed some 95s from a friend (thanks, jason) but when i get my own i might go to 85s - we'll see.

i've rented (or borrowed from another friend - thanks, bob) a classic so far. for singles, i had a pioneer. i know i'll be more comfy with a horseshoe if i keep diving it, but shifting air to dump it so far is just something extra to have to think about.

how do those of you with doubles doughnuts like them? do you miss the ability to purposefully trap air? what other thoughts do you have?

how about those of you who use horseshoes? what do you like or wish was different?

does anyone have experience with the wings of different manufacturers? i'd be interested in personal comparisons. i was at beneath the sea this weekend & there was a lot of info from folks about how 'those other dudes' products suck' that i think was smoke.

BD,

I think your premise is a bit wrong. Donuts dive very much like a horeshoe. When horizontal in normal use there is zero air in the bottom cross over in a donut wing. You must be "butt up" to get gas to shift through the bottom connection. If your config is imbalanced side to side it's not hard to balance either style wing.

If you are diving Dry, you will have to go slightly heads up to vent the suit. It's a rocking motion, slightly butt up to vent the wing, slight heads up to vent the suit. When you are venting the suit the gas in the wing will equalize from side to side through the top arc of the wing, just like a horseshoe.

Having a wing that is no larger (higher lift) than the application demands seems to have the biggest effect on ease of use, at least for me. In others words if need 40 lbs of lift and I'm using a 70lbs wing, I'll notice I need to make a greater effort to vent. If I need 45 lbs of lift and I'm using a 45 lbs wing, donut or horseshoe it's easier to use.

I can provide a direct comparison between a DSS horseshoe and a DSS Torus. The Torus has slightly less drag, and I can start descents from the surface simply by tipping forward and pulling the rear dump. I almost never use the hose to dump even on the surface. It's makes it just a bit easier to see the rest of team.


Regards,



Tobin

 

[Hoosier]

Just either Evolve or Torus.... You won't regret either one....

 

[TekDiveGirl]

My vote is for a Torus -- but then you knew that already!

PINK -- it's the new black!

 

[Tom Winters]

I use an old Classic for doubles. I'd love to have a DSS or fancy wing, but the Classic works ok. They can be had for pretty cheap too.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

ok, guys, i've started diving doubles. i borrowed some 95s from a friend (thanks, jason) but when i get my own i might go to 85s - we'll see.

i've rented (or borrowed from another friend - thanks, bob) a classic so far. for singles, i had a pioneer. i know i'll be more comfy with a horseshoe if i keep diving it, but shifting air to dump it so far is just something extra to have to think about.

how do those of you with doubles doughnuts like them? do you miss the ability to purposefully trap air? what other thoughts do you have?

how about those of you who use horseshoes? what do you like or wish was different?

does anyone have experience with the wings of different manufacturers? i'd be interested in personal comparisons. i was at beneath the sea this weekend & there was a lot of info from folks about how 'those other dudes' products suck' that i think was smoke.

Marci,

I have two doubles wings, both of them are Abyss. I have a single bladder for dry suit diving and a double bladder for wet suit diving. Both of these wings are horseshoe designs. Joel at Tech Diving Limited played a role in the design of each of these wings if I remember correctly.

I like a donut shape for single tanks and a horseshoe for doubles. You could PM Joel and ask if he has any of the 55 pound lift Abyss wings still in stock, you might get a really great deal. I got both of mine from a different shop but they were on close out at a fantastic price.

Mark Vlahos

 

[Rick Inman]

My experience in doubles is limited (maybe 20 dives), so take it for what it's worth.

My singles wing is a donut, and my doubles wing is a horseshoe. The only real difference I notice is, with the donut there seems to be less shifting of air - which, with my limited experience in doubles, is a plus. Also, using the rear dump on the horseshoe takes a little different movement since you can't shift the air over to the dump side from the bottom of the horseshoe. Minor stuff, though.