Doubles wing with a single tank?

[Offshore]

Right now I am in the middle of my buyer's analysis paralysis, this time for buying my first BC. So far, my best understanding is:

1. One-piece (hogarthian style) harness is the simplest way to go.
2. Stainless steel backplate, given that I'm a Medium-large guy who will mostly be diving dry or in saltwater
3. Halcyon and Salvo seem to have the sturdiest wings according to the LDS's I have talked to; OMS seems to be very common here in wreck valley, but I don't buy into the bungee "bondage wing" concept, and I've heard similar limitations about the Dive-rite systems.

The biggest bit of confusion I have right now is which wing will best serve my needs; one LDS says I will need different wings for single vs. double tanks, while the other says I can use a ~55# doubles wing (I think he was showing me the Halcyon evolve) for both single and double tanks; when diving a single tank, the extra-wide wing will simply flap up around the tank, but the only dissadvantage of this will be strange looks from other divers (again, more in the carribean than the northeast). It does sound as though anything less than a 40# wing up here might not be enough given that my most common diving in the forseeable future will be a single 120cf steel tank with H-valve and a 40cf slung pony, which I understand should be enough for most Atlantic reck diving shallower than 130'.

I'd like to rent both and try before, buying, but would also like to here everyone else's thoughts, theories, experiences, and mistakes...

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Right now I am in the middle of my buyer's analysis paralysis, this time for buying my first BC. So far, my best understanding is:

1. One-piece (hogarthian style) harness is the simplest way to go.
2. Stainless steel backplate, given that I'm a Medium-large guy who will mostly be diving dry or in saltwater
3. Halcyon and Salvo seem to have the sturdiest wings according to the LDS's I have talked to; OMS seems to be very common here in wreck valley, but I don't buy into the bungee "bondage wing" concept, and I've heard similar limitations about the Dive-rite systems.

The biggest bit of confusion I have right now is which wing will best serve my needs; one LDS says I will need different wings for single vs. double tanks, while the other says I can use a ~55# doubles wing (I think he was showing me the Halcyon evolve) for both single and double tanks; when diving a single tank, the extra-wide wing will simply flap up around the tank, but the only dissadvantage of this will be strange looks from other divers (again, more in the carribean than the northeast). It does sound as though anything less than a 40# wing up here might not be enough given that my most common diving in the forseeable future will be a single 120cf steel tank with H-valve and a 40cf slung pony, which I understand should be enough for most Atlantic reck diving shallower than 130'.

I'd like to rent both and try before, buying, but would also like to here everyone else's thoughts, theories, experiences, and mistakes...

1. Yep
2. Maybe. Depends.
3. Those are pretty "sturdy" wings. Of the two that you mentioned I believe the Agir (Salvo) MIGHT be a little more "sturdy". That's my opinion... I realize that others will disagree. The OMS that you mentioned is also very "sturdy" and is very similar to the Agir. (They make 'em in singles and doubles with and without bungees.) As far as being "sturdy", I believe the Oxycheq Sig Series might lead the pack. Golem might even be more "sturdy" but I haven't actually touched one of those.

I would suggest that you not try use one wing for singles and doubles. BP/wings are great but they aren't so great if you make too many compromises. If you are going to do a variety of diving be prepared to get At LEAST two plates and two wings.

A 30-35# wing will be fine for singles and 40 to 55 wing for doubles wil be OK. More typically you will see the 55s used with steel doubles but there are several very good divers around here that do just fine in their smaller wings... and it seems like more and more folks are doing the same. These comments are meant to be very general. I suggest that you figure out just what you will be doing before picking a wing/plate. Then, spend some time here and do some research on the topic.

 

[SangP]

Offshore,

I would second Stephen Ash's advice on getting different wings for different purposes and even getting different plates for different situations. I would also recommend that you ask for someone who is more familiar with this sorta setup to help you with it,

The good thing is you know most of what your diving is going to be... single 120cf steel tank with H-valve and a 40cf slung pony, which I understand should be enough for most Atlantic reck diving shallower than 130'..

A oxycheq 30 signature wing is a very good choice as it's a dual bladder wing which is tough enough for wreck diving and you won't need more lift if you carry a smb or redundant lift bag. As such, the Oxycheq SS combo or a DSS Torus setup would be ideal.

When you do go into doubles, a 50lbs wing would be great and if you decide to travel to dive, an Al plate coupled with the 30 wing is real nice.

Since you might be diving dry, this setup should be fine:
SS Oxycheq plate
Lightweight STA
30 Signature wing
SS cam bands
Hog harness with soft crouch strap.

The DSS SS setup is great too.

SangP

 

[spacemanspiff1974]

I posted this question before buying my oxycheq 30 lb wing. Was considering a dive rite 50 lb that could be constricted for use with singles.

The gist of the replies indicated that while it can be done, it is not optimal in terms of drag etc.

 

[TSandM]

It sounds as though the guy who was recommending one wing for both may not dive a BP/W himself -- Although I have not encountered this problem myself, I understand that the "taco" effect of too large a wing can make it difficult to vent the wing effectively, which makes intuitive sense.

I haven't seen the Salvo wing, but Tobin's (DSS's) new heavier bladder looks pretty sturdy to me. And with both of those, there are no questions about the function or maintenance of the inflator.

 

[double80s]

Stay away from using a doubles wing for single tank diving. It just not what it was designed for. Most of the singles wings on the market are good. Generally, a 30# lift wing will suit most single tank divers, however, some people go smaller and some choose larger.

The Agir wings are very durable and well built. Like the Oxycheq Sig wings, they cost a bit more. Don't discount the standard Oxycheq wings either. My 30# "Razor" has traveled with me on many a trip and hits the water 2-3 times every week in harsh beach diving conditions. It had held up perfectly and cost less than the signature series wings. If you feel you need the extra reassurance of a heaver shell or dual bladder then look at the Oxy Signature or Agir wings. Both my single & double wings are standard Oxy and no issues cave or wreck diving over the last 2 years.

 

[Vayu]

Salvo does not make a wing. They sell wings from other companies and these include the Agir and the Golem. The Golem is hands down stronger than the Agir and the Halcyon, however the Halcyon has donut style designs whereas the Golem is a horseshoe.

As others have said, it would be totally ridiculous to dive a single tank in a 55# wing. If you are diving wrecks at depth you might as well ditch your H valve and pony and get a good set of doubles. Then you can dive doubles with your doubles wing and not need a pony. Don't listen to the guy trying to sell you stuff... diving with sub-optimal equipment configurations is something that will get you more than just strange looks.

A steel plate is a good solution and will take about 6# off your belt. If you are in steel doubles this may not be necessary. I hope you are wearing a drysuit if you decide to put steel tanks on your back.

Good luck finding the right wing(s) for you. If you decide to go Golem it will be easier to buy them straight from the owner of the company rather than Salvo (who btw does not even have them in stock).

http://www.golemgear.com

 

[wunat]

I would second Stephen Ash's advice on getting different wings for different purposes and even getting different plates for different situations.

I couldn't agree more.

I have a DR RecWing which was designed to be able to be used with both doubles and singles. With 51lb of lift, it is way too big for single setups with the gusset control cords. It will wrap around the tank when using with singles and trapping air is certainly a factor here.

I then used the RecWing for my doubles AL80s and it works pretty well. In fact the narrow channel on the upper part of the horse shoe RecWing is good for my hose routing since I am using Apeks DS4s for my doubles AL80 and the short tank neck of the AL80 can make the hose routing pretty tight.

So what I ended up leaving my RecWing solely for the doubles setup and just went out and order an Eclipse wing so I can use it for singles dive. And yes, in the end, I ended up having 2 BP (AL and SS) and 2 wings.

P.S. For some reasons, couldn't post pictures................got some on the tank-wrapping effective to give you a better idea. Will try again some other time.

 

[BSea]

I also agree with Stephen Ash. 1 of the biggest advantages to a BP/W is the versatility. Start with a singles wing, then when you aready for doubles, get a doubles wing. Of the wings I've seen, my Oxycheq is by far the most sturdy. But I've only looked closely at DiveRite, Zeagle & Apex wings. But I doubt you can go wrong with any wings mentioned so far in this thread.

 

[cecilb63]

I don't think you need to two wings unless you dive wet AND dive very often with a single tank and often with double tanks.

My bet is, however, if you have a doubles setup you will probably be diving doubles mostly so the larger wing will be fine for those rarer single occasions.

But that's strickly for wetsuit divers. If you dive dry then you need only one wing, a larger doubles like wing. You won't be putting air in it anyway, it's simply for redundancy.

Frankly I think we are victims of marketing for the most part on this single vs doubles question.