New BP/W suggestions please. 18lb wing in tropical waters - any concerns?

[scubaNYC16]

I have the DGX aluminum BP and their 30lb wing. I mostly dive steel tanks and don’t use any extra weight. I was just in Socorro also diving with steel and we surfaced to rolling 6 foot waves and it was great to have the extra lift to keep my head above the water.

 

[tbone1004]

Folks, this isn't a one size fits all question. The OP is in a specific place (Malaysia) with specific needs (tropical water single tank). The Apex 18 is a great choice for the OP's dives and gear and comes with local dealer support.

I'd still go with the WTX D30 instead of the D18. Even in tropical AL80 diving I much prefer the 30lb wing because the wings are typically the same width and just a bit longer. This allows you to get some lift down at your hips with normal diving configuration which makes flat trim easier, and allows for a lot more comfort if you're at the surface for an extended period of time.

 

[Altamira]

Although I am not a cold water diver, I chose a HOG 32# wing for the reasons outlined by @tbone1004 and @RyanT. From my perspective, it is better to have and not need, than need and not have, especially when it comes to helping keep a buddy afloat if necessary.

 

[KenGordon]

I have the Apeks 18lb wing and it is lovely. It is narrower than the Frog 30 I have but the same length as far as I have ever noticed. The purpose is for diving the tropics with next to no suit, although I have taken it in U.K. lakes in a drysuit.

 

[lowwall]

You don't need 30# of lift to keep two people afloat at the surface. Worst case is 10 pounds negative and that's with full tanks where you should be keeping the reg in your mouth anyway. But normally you'd be at the end of the dive, so around neutral and 18 pounds will be more then enough. If it's a true emergency at the surface, then ditch some weight.

 

[johndiver999]

You don't need 30# of lift to keep two people afloat at the surface. Worst case is 10 pounds negative and that's with full tanks where you should be keeping the reg in your mouth anyway. But normally you'd be at the end of the dive, so around neutral and 18 pounds will be more then enough. If it's a true emergency at the surface, then ditch some weight.

I'm unsure how you can make this statement without knowing the gear configuration of both divers. I can envision divers using negative steel tanks and/or having no ditchable lead and rough sea conditions and it could be a real problem with too little excess buoyancy.

Also, the REAL danger might be bringing up two divers from depth when their suits are compressed. In that type of situation, I can imagine 18 lbs of lift being completely inadequate.

I see pretty much zero practical benefit of selecting a wing with such a small amount of lift, unless maybe you are diving solo in a bathing suit with an aluminum tank.

 

[lowwall]

Malaysia. AL80s and 3mm or less suits.

Worst case is 12 pounds negative if you plunge straight to bottom. 24 pounds negative for you and buddy. Add 18 and that leaves you 6 negative. Remember this is absolute worst case with full tanks, no ditchable weight on either diver and no lift from your buddy.

If you can't swim up 6 pounds for the minute or so it would take to get to where suit expansion would render you and the buddy neutral, you aren't fit to dive with a buddy.

 

[Celt]

Plenty lift in 18pound with a 3mm wetsuit, I’d use weight I could dump at the surface. The most you should have to compensate for is the loss of buoyancy in the suit about 12 pound depending on how big you are. Of course if you do what a lot of divers do and use the wing to compensate for overweighting by carrying a heap of extra gear then you need a larger wing.

 

[dsvs]

Thanks for the input. Glad to see there's a consensus!
To clarify a little on things here: steel tanks are rare. Surface conditions are generally pretty calm but there are of course exceptions. The vast majority of divers are in jacket type BCDs rather than BP/Ws.

How much does wing lift relate to lift out of the water on the surface? Isn't that more a function of the shape of the wing and how it sits on you rather than the amount of lift available? How could I optimise this (even with a larger wing, for example in choppy surface conditions)?

I'm struggling to see the benefit of a steel backplate in my situation. I may well be negative with a steel BP, so in case of a wing failure I become the worst case scenario for rescue by a buddy - no ditchable weight and negative. In any case a lot of diving here would be accessed by flight so a lighter rig is definitely preferable for me.

Valid points on both sides of the wing size argument it would seem. If the Apeks W30 was available I'd definitely go for that, but unfortunately that's not likely to be available any time soon according to the distributor. The Mares XR single backmount set seems to be the next best thing available but is more expensive and not from the official dealer; warranty support if needed may be patchy. Same goes for HOG, although it's actually cheaper than even the Apeks set. The Apeks is from the official distributor and has a lifetime warranty (I do realise there isn't much to go wrong apart from the wing valves and inflator). The DGX setup ticks all the boxes but I'd have to buy 2 to qualify for free expedited international shipping, and even that is listed as taking up to 4 weeks and may not be trackable, which would be a bit of a concern.

At the moment I'm leaning towards the Apex 18 wing. If I find it's a problem at least with a modular system I can swap it out easily. One thing I have noticed, I haven't read any negative feedback from anyone who actually uses an 18lb wing... of course they could all be stuck on the bottom!

More feedback is very welcome, I am not rushing to make a decision.

 

[AJMiami]

I dive in similar conditions as most of my diving is on Southern Florida USA. I also use about 4kg with 3mm shorty or .5 mm full suit + shorty.
I just ordered my first bp/w setup. I considered SS bp, but went with aluminum as I would like to preserve having the ability to ditch weights at the surface to deal with emergencies.