Just popping up to say thank you to everybody that posts here, the read is very pleasant and interesting for a beginner like me and helps with decision making. 31# lift will probably be my first wing (so far I can afford only one rig that can hopefully do a bit of everything from 36 to 76 Fahrenheit water temp diving).
Lowest profile single tank wings (with built in STA)?
- Thread starter tiburonarizona
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Woo....18lb wing! Where can I buy one? It is worth for collection!
I fully agree that we should keep weight to minimum and have been enjoying easy fully horizontal trim with the help of BP/W.
I recall during my dive trip in Galapagos a few years ago, during the first check dive, when I ascent in a fully horizontal trim keeping myself horizontal during safety stop, the DM gave me a " no no" sign indicating that I did it wrong. He insisted that I should be fully vertical when ascending. Initially, I ignored him but he repeatedly indicated that I did it wrong and insisting that I should keep my body vertical during ascent!.!!! I could do nothing but followed his direction because I did not want him to disturb me every time during my safety stop and ascending. Just couldn't believe this!
Also, he repeatedly requested me to slow down during diving but actually I was only finning using small ankle movement kicking a slow frequency and slow amplitude flutter kick! IMHO, just dived and moved in a very leisure manner.
Your dive master did not know what he is taking about. You should be horizontal during all diving operations except for, perhaps, the initiation of descent (to protect from underwater obstacles in poor viz) and again, perhaps, the last ten feet so that you can spin around to look for boats, overhead obstructions. Frankly, you can do all of that horizontal and you should, anything else is, well, poor technique.
N
I'm going to have to disagree with you here
With regard to weighting, I'm 2-4lbs negative at the stop on fumes, with a decent gas margin I can still hang out at 15ft, making a blue water stop, with no other assistance other than my computer, and maintain a constant depth of +/- 0.1m, so I pretty much think I'm fine on that front.
I've sat (in a lees),just behind a wall and watched my bubbles go down
I've launched my dsmb from depth, watch it take off with the current at an angle, then make a curve downwards before it broke free
I've pointed my scooter (Dive X) vertical and gone to max power at 30m, simultaneously inflating to arrest a down current descent - where the sand is 60m below me
Finally I've inflated and rock climbed around a pinnacle at 50m to try to get up and out of a down current, which it trying to take me to the sand some 80m below me.
So with the greatest respect, I'm going to decline your kind offer to experiment at depth with an 18lb wing because experience has taught me that more is better.
I was not my meaning to disparage you and yes, we can agree to disagree. The DSMB did go to the surface and if in the example you give, the bubbles from your exhaust were going down, then no wing or BC of any size short of a hot air balloon will go up in such a current. I wager, still to bet, that those bubbles that went down, did eventually go up same as the DSMB did in good time, go up to the surface. I guess we cannot always have instant gratification. N
Doesn't that mean you are 2-4 lbs over weighted? A "decent gas margin" would make you even more negative.
No, I'm slightly negative. Not over weighted. I'm full in control and its well within the lung capacity.
Its SOP for the type of diving we do, in the conditions we dive in. To clarify.
my 15l tank at 230 bar holds 3500l of gas. Generally I'l surface after 1 hour at the 90 bar mark so generally quite neg at the stop. The contingency allows us to perhaps stay deep longer or make some light deco if we choose (say a Mola Mola at 40m or want to hang with a whale shark etc.) Also conditions change, I've been right at the 35bar (500psi) minimum at 30 mins when things gate a bit sporty.
Up currents are not uncommon, also if its been a sketchy dive (a little to the left of scaring the crap out of yourself) you are anything but relaxed, thus have a greater lung volume. (weighting calculated normally relaxed) Conditions and currents frequently change during the dive
So having a bit extra is beneficial. Especially so that you can ascend the last 3m very slowly, to be recommended if you've had a bit of a roller coaster ride.
We tend to look at the bigger picture, and absolutely configure our gear and SOP to suit the conditions and environment.
You're right of course, everything did eventually go up. It's just my preference to limit the distance I go down before going up.
Unfortunately a large wing does seem to appear to take an interminable amount of time to fully inflate in times of need, but it does get there of course
The upside is that I get time to fully vocalise my extensive repertoire of profanities at mother nature whist the said wing is doing its thing. Silver lining and all that
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