Help!! 30 or 40 LB Halycon Eclipse Wing

[socaldiver65]

I am getting ready to buy a BP/W setup. I need some advise. I us 24lbs of lead now and I wear a 6M wetsuit. I'm currently diving with a LP95 and may buy a HP119. Any advise would be great.

 

[*Floater*]

I am getting ready to buy a BP/W setup. I need some advise. I us 24lbs of lead now and I wear a 6M wetsuit. I'm currently diving with a LP95 and may buy a HP119. Any advise would be great.

The PST 95 or 119 are about 10.5 lb negatively buoyant when full and 24 lbs of lead is about 22 lbs negatively buoyant and a reg is 2-3 lbs negative so about ~35 lbs of negative buoyancy. Your fins, lights, BCD and other gear (excluding wetsuit for now) may move that number up or down, but assuming it'll remain roughly at -35 lbs, then I'd still go with the 30# wing because even at deeper depths your wetsuit will probably provide a few pounds of positive buoyancy despite wetsuit compression and if not then you can make the rest up with your lungs (I assume you can generate at least 5# with a full breath). However, 30# wing is cutting it very close, so if you want to play it safe then go with the 40# wing. Also if you want to place all your lead on your BCD and still float it without you in it, then you'll probably need over 30# of lift at your current weighting.

 

[Scared Silly]

Try the calculator:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=158370

It will let you play with different cylinders, suits, etc.

 

[PerroneFord]

I don't understand your logic. Why are you including the weightbelt?

Let's try again.

10.5# for the tank
3# for the regs
5# for the plate

That's 18# negative. But lets round it to 20.

So unless he is planning to venture to 200ft, his wetsuit is going to give 3-8# of positive buoyancy. So looks like he'll be about 12-17# negative. This is easily covered by a 30# wing. The REAL question is, should the wing fail, could the diver swim the load up?

The PST 95 or 119 are about 10.5 lb negatively buoyant when full and 24 lbs of lead is about 22 lbs negatively buoyant and a reg is 2-3 lbs negative so about ~35 lbs of negative buoyancy. Your fins, lights, BCD and other gear (excluding wetsuit for now) may move that number up or down, but assuming it'll remain roughly at -35 lbs, then I'd still go with the 30# wing because even at deeper depths your wetsuit will probably provide a few pounds of positive buoyancy despite wetsuit compression and if not then you can make the rest up with your lungs (I assume you can generate at least 5# with a full breath). However, 30# wing is cutting it very close, so if you want to play it safe then go with the 40# wing. Also if you want to place all your lead on your BCD and still float it without you in it, then you'll probably need over 30# of lift at your current weighting.

 

[SparticleBrane]

30lbs should do you fine.

 

[anth]

I wrestled with the same choice. I went with the 30 lb and I dive in a drysuit (and occasionally a 7mm farmer john) most days of the week here in Maine, occasionally with a Worthington 119. Even when encumbered by a quadrat, bag full of samples, or suction sampling gear, the 30 lb wing has fit the bill. I have no regrets about choosing the 30, and at that size, it was still manageable when I was in Belize.

Remember that you only really need to compensate for suit compression and your tank's weight swing.

 

[*Floater*]

I don't understand your logic. Why are you including the weightbelt?

Let's try again.

10.5# for the tank
3# for the regs
5# for the plate

That's 18# negative. But lets round it to 20.

So unless he is planning to venture to 200ft, his wetsuit is going to give 3-8# of positive buoyancy. So looks like he'll be about 12-17# negative. This is easily covered by a 30# wing. The REAL question is, should the wing fail, could the diver swim the load up?

Suppose he drops down to 200 ft at the start of the dive. So tank is still almost full and suit has compressed near to zero positive buoyancy. So then he's carrying 10# in the tank + 22# worth in plate and weights + 3 for regs = 35# of negative buoyancy. Now he needs to add that 35# worth of air to his wing (and lungs) to be neutral and enjoy the dive.

But I agree 30# will be fine because his wetsuit will probably retain enough buoyancy at the depths he'll dive that he'll never be more than 30# negative.

And yes, I've seen people do 200 ft dives on a single tank (an AL80 no less).

 

[cool_hardware52]

I am getting ready to buy a BP/W setup. I need some advise. I us 24lbs of lead now and I wear a 6M wetsuit. I'm currently diving with a LP95 and may buy a HP119. Any advise would be great.

Sounds to me like you are currently overweighted.

LP 95 (full) ~-10
Regs ~-2
Weight belt -24

Current BC ~+4

Apparent Buoyancy of 6mm Suit 32 lbs

It would be odd for a 6mm suit to be 32 lbs positive. That makes me think you are overweighted.

When you are wearing a thick wetsuit you do not need to be overweighted by 100% of the weight of the gas you are carrying. In this case you have about 7 lbs of useable gas. A 6mm wetsuit will typically be a least 7 lbs less positive at 15 ft.

Lets assume your wetsuit is really 24 lbs positive (You can check you own suit by rolling it up and throwing it in the pool and adding weight until it just sinks, then weigh the lead)

Rig with a SS BackPlate:

Backplate and harness ~-6
Regs ~-2
Full LP 95 ~-10
Misc (reel etc) ~-2

Total rig negative buoyancy ~-20 lbs


Additional ballst required to overcome buoyancy of the 6 mm suit 24 - 20 = 4 lbs

You need about 4-6 lbs in a weight belt. (Based on 24 lbs positive 6 mm wetsuit)

A 30 lbs wing will float your 20 negative rig, and a 30 lbs wing provides more than enough to compensate for the compression of a 6 mm suit.

This is just an example, based on some assumptions, check your own gear.


Tobin

 

[prthd9]

I agree with Tobin.....I dive a 7mm wetsuit w/ HP100 (w/ and w/out a hood) and I use fourteen lbs. and have no problem getting down or staying down at the end of the dive.

 

[socaldiver65]

Thank you all for your feed back. I am going to pick up my BP/W tomorrow. My LDS said they would let me borrow the 30LB wing for the weekend so I can try it out. I think the 30LB wing will work fine. I'm looking forward to getting my rig dialed in. I hope to drop some weight in the process.

I have another question. My LDS is also going to lend me a weighted and unweighted STA's. I will try the weighted STA first then the unweighted one.

Does anyone have any advise on weighted or unweighted STA's?

Thanks in advance.