DR Rec Wing ?

[atlas750]

I am moving to a BP/Wing set up. I was at my LDS yesterday and was talking to one of the DM's about what type of wing to buy. He recommended the DR Rec wing. I dive an AL 80 and 3mm full wet suit most of the time and travel occasionally. Eventually I would like to learn to dive doubles. I have looked at single tank wings, but he said they were not very versatile. He said thew Rec wing was good because it has the bungee and could be used for doubles and singles. He did not try to have me buy it at the store. I think this was his true opinion. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[sclakediver]

My opinion is to buy the right wing for the job. I have not used the DR Rec wing, but would recommend getting two wings. A single tank wing for now, and a doubles wing later.

The price of two wings is very little compared to the cost of technical diving and training, if you go that rout. Just to name a few; doubles, stages, regs, dry suit, lights, training, and gas, will make the purchase of two wings seem cheap.

Alot of people get a dual purpose wing, to save money, only later to buy a designated wing for doubles and another one for singles, while the original sits in the closet collecting dust.

This is just one opinion, food for thought. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[rongoodman]

A simple 30 lb wing from DSS, Halcyon, or Oxycheq makes a lot more sense to me.

 

[amascuba]

Buy specific wings for your tank setup and your environment. Buy a singles wing now and then buy a doubles wing when you move to doubles. The bungies create a potential problem of deflating the wing if you have a wing failrue, it offers too much lift for an AL80, it's not nearly as streamlined as a properly designed singles wing, and the wing shape sucks. It has too much lift at the bottom of the wing, which will make you head heavy in an AL80 as the tank becomes more buoyant. Not to mention that the inflator hose is in a bad spot for doubles, which will interfere with gas movement in the wing because it will bunch up against your shoulder and tank.

 

[ArcticDiver]

This is the old argument about a garage full of cars, each for a separate kind of driving vs. one versatile family sedan. Most of us don't have enough money to squander it on specialized separates. So, we get a versatile product.

I own and dive a DiveRite RecWing. I've used it with a TransPac and a Stainless Steel Backplate. I've used it with single and double cylinders. I've used it with protection from a dive skin to a 3mm Wet Suit to a 7mm Farmer John to a Dry Suit.

I've also dived a sample of other wings. Some were better at one thing or another. But none were as versatile as the RecWing. As an only wing I want versatility.

I think you got good advice to buy the wing. IF you get into specialized diving later you can always buy an additional wing then. But, if you go that route you are also going to want to have separate complete rigs for each task.

 

[S. starfish]

Single tank wings aren't versatile, they're designed to be used with single tanks. You can't use them for double tanks because the tanks would not allow the wing to inflate.

Double tank wings aren't particularly versatile either. It is possible to dive a single tank with a doubles wing but there are usually issues with venting and air getting trapped due to the excess wing floating above the tank and all the dumps. Diving a single tank on an oversized wing is like screwing in a screw with the wrong size/shape of screwdriver, it is possible but not so effective.

As far as a hybrid wing like the rec wing goes, I'm sure it can do both but neither well. Also, the whole gusset control system seems a little gimmicky to me. If I were you I would seek out a single tank specific wing. You'll be much happier with it and when you make your eventual move to doubles you can get another wing more suited for the size of tank you will be diving. Two wings are cheaper than three.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Another vote to get 2 separate wings. While the Rec wing may do what DR says it does, it's not optimal in either situation. Check out the smaller wings. You can see the difference in the size of the wings - see it here. The smaller the wing, the more steamlined you'll be and the less drag you will create when moving through the water.

 

[micklock]

They have a wing retainer system for the rec and trek wings to keep the wing from wraping around the tank when using a single.

http://www.diverite.com/downloads/diverite_106.pdf

 

[DA Aquamaster]

In the distant past I used a rec wing as my only wing. It worked ok with 7" diameter doubles and worked ok with 8" diameter doubles - unless you used a plate that was comparatively flat - like the Dive Rite plate. The issue was that the comparatively narrow wing would get trapped between larger diameter tanks and comparatively flat plates, limiting the actual capacity of the wing.

In short it had pretty serious limitations as a doubles wing.

As a single tank wing it worked ok with the bungee tightened to reduce the taco effect, but the bungee also complicated dumping air in some positions as it interfered with the flow of the air from bottom to top. It was usable, but was a lot more work to manage than a good single tank wing.

So in short it is also not a great single tank wing.

That said, if you really want one, I'll sell you mine at a decent price.

Larry

 

[HowardE]

I also have a Rec Wing, and while I was about to post my story, DA Aquamaster pretty much posted it.

I pulled the bungee tight, and it didn't taco on a single tank, but this did make dumping air a little more challenging (but not unmanageable). I did use it for more than a hundred dives with singles, and for a few doubles dives as well without the bungee pulled tight. It certainly works better for doubles than singles, but I had no issues with either.

If you're looking for a solution for both singles and doubles, it will do the trick in lieu of having 2 separate wings, and it will save you money by doing that.

If money isn't an issue... get a singles wing, and a doubles wing.