Good Doubles Wing

[WreckDiver1321]

Hey guys,
Getting into doubles now, getting a set of HP100s. Dive almost exclusively dry. As I'm headed to the world of wreck diving, what are some good wings to consider for that sort of diving? I've been eyeing up the OxyCheq 55# Vertex, or maybe even the Vertex Extreme.
In a wreck environment, is the horseshoe wing any less preferable over a donut wing?
I'd love to hear thoughts, thanks

 

[Akimbo]

I have used an Oxycheq 30Lb MACK V Extreme on a single for about three years and got a 42 Lb Vertex Extreme Single Bladder Single Inflator for doubles mid last year. I have only used a horse-shoe wing once and didn’t like it. I can’t see any disadvantage to a donut. For activities like wreck or bug diving where you get in all kinds of positions to reach into holes, it is nice to to always have the bubble on the high side… but maybe that is just me.



I would definitely go with an Extreme for wreck diving.

 

[ajduplessis]

OxcyCheq make great wings and will do the job. I however prefer doughnut wings and will never use anything else than Halcyon.

 

[scubasam1212]

If you haven't looked at scubapros xtek line it might be worth taking a look at. high quality stuff with lots of options

 

[Akimbo]

OxcyCheq make great wings and will do the job. I however prefer doughnut wings and will never use anything else than Halcyon.

The Oxycheq MACK V and Vertex are donut wings. The crossover between sides at the bottom of the Vertex is small to reduce bulk, maybe 2" in diameter. They both use the same inflator, hose, and elbow. The Extremes have the toughest cover by a huge margin compared to anything else I have seen. Check the YouTube video above.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I have used the DSS LCD 50 and now use the HOG 58lb for doubles. It does depend IMO on the size tanks you will be using as well. For my 72's the 50 and 58 are a little big. I'll be switching to a 38 HOG for those and the al80's I'll be putting together. Either the 50 or the 58 works very well for my 85's and a set of 95's I had on. Think about how much lift you really need.

Now as for specific applications like wrecks I find most will work. The new HOG wings coming out in March will have fabric inner bladders of 200 denier as well as a rugged outer shell. They will also carry a ten year warranty against pinch flats.

 

[WreckDiver1321]

I think a 55# is about right for me, and I like all the features of the Vertex Extreme, especially how streamlined it is and how it pretty substantially lowers the chance of wing failure from abrasion or puncture. Akimbo, how do you like yours?

 

[Akimbo]

... Akimbo, how do you like yours?

The geometry is at least as good as any other doubles wing I have seen... but it is just a wing after-all. Like most doubles wings, you need to rig your own method to prevent the inflator hose from floating out of reach. The MACK V (single wing) has an integrated retainer. I use the "piece of bicycle inner tube about 1½" long on the left shoulder webbing above the D-ring" trick. Slip the LP inflator hose through the inner tube before connecting the QD. Somebody postage a photo a few weeks ago but I don’t recall which thread.

I am short/5'6" and try not to carry more than 200 Ft³ of gas so a 40 Lb wing is enough for me. The greater the displacement, the more wing will be flopping in the current most of the time. I don’t have much heartburn dropping my weight belt if a major drysuit failure occurs at depth.

 

[mahjong]

I have to believe that people like the doughnut wings because they are cut slimmer and trimmer. They are also longer. But unless your tanks are too short for the wing there's no downside to the doughnut (I dive double MP72s, so every doughnut wing I have seen can literally fold under my 20.5" tanks). But I don't believe there's any advantage to the fact that air can travel across the bottom of the wing because, in actual use, I don't see how any air to speak of can actually make it across. The bottom of a doughnut wing should pinch pretty firmly between your butt/lower back and your tanks. And if one is drysuit diving there is the added bulk of the suit further abetting the pinch, not to mention the fact that you really don't ever need much if any air in your wing at depth.

Again, it's the trimmer shape, esp on the sides, and the resulting reduced drag of most doughnut wings that make them preferable. But keep in mind that you will not get the full amount of stated buoyancy out of most doughnut wings, both because of the pinched bottom part and also because the wing might not be able to inflate fully on the sides, depending on your configuration and the particular wing. So you might need a larger lift doughnut wing than horseshoe wing for the same configuration.

 

[Akimbo]

I have to believe that people like the doughnut wings because they are cut slimmer and trimmer. They are also longer...

That’s not the case with the 42 Lb Vertex. One of the reasons I chose it was the portion below the backplate interfered less with my isolation manifold, which I wear valve-down. That is the case with the single tank MACK V version.

... But unless your tanks are too short for the wing there's no downside to the doughnut (I dive double MP72s, so every doughnut wing I have seen can literally fold under my 20.5" tanks). ...

Is there really a problem using a short cylinder and a long wing? I guess it can take a little more effort to right-yourself when the bubble is on the bottom part of the wing, but I never noticed it being an issue. For me, getting gas trapped on the low-side of a horse-shoe wing is more annoying — which most divers don’t do unless rolling head down a lot like brass-oholics and bug divers.