mrmonk7663:
Oh, a quick quesiton about the backplates. I will be diving one tank to start off with obviously, and two tanks down the road. How do I know what weight to get for the wing? Is there a formula for this or what?
I'm sure someone else can answer this better but I'll try. You'll have to figure out what you're diving with first:
For example, you know you'll be 15 pounds negative with no air in bc, at depth, with your wetsuit compressed. You'll want atleast 20 lbs of lift, probably 30 to counter act emergencies or picking up something.
The only problem is you don't want too much lift. If you have trouble with your inflator sticking, the more lift your bc has, the more you'll have to release while you're panicing.
From what I've gathered on the boards, 18 lb wings are for travelling. When you're in the warm tropics with minimal weight and no suit. 30 - 40 is for single tank (depending on the tank) and 45+ would be doubles. I've yet to see anyone give a valid example of where you'd need a 100 lb wing.
The other thing is the size of the wing. The higher lift wings are bigger (wider) and will form a "taco" shape around a single tank. They're designed to be used by double tanks, which would hold them against your back and keep them from splitting around the tank.
They also make wings with dual bladders, which have two inflators. I haven't heard any thing good about these, they're too much for a diver to handle. If the both inflators stick, you're probably screwed and will launch from the depth like a submarine missle. Just remember dual bladders/inflators is bad, I'm blabbing again.
