Newbie questions

[NJMike]

Hello, everyone. I'm sure someone will be able to answer these questions, so thanks in advance!

First, what does it mean when it is said that a regulator "breathes dry (or wet)"? The answer seems obvious but since I am planning to purchase a regulator soon, I'd like to be sure. Second, with reference to a BC, what is a "wing"?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Meng_Tze]

Breathing wet means that a bit of water comes in the second stage when inhaling. Some regs do this more than others, some only when upside down.

A wing is a BC that sits on your back and provides lift only from underneath the tank (look at pic on the left). There are horseshoe shaped wings and donut shaped wings. The BC's you see most and jacket style ones that have the big (cumberband) across the stomach and most of them also have some buoyancy bladder in there to help divers stay upright at the surface.

Hope this helps and welcome to the board.

 

[TSandM]

Just to add a little . . . BCs basically come in three flavors. A jacket has an inflation bladder that wraps forward around your body to some degree. A back-inflate is a integrated system (it doesn't come apart) but the inflation bladder is all behind you. A backplate and wing is a modular system (it comes apart). The inflation bladder portion of that system is referred to as a "wing".

There are endless arguments on this board about which sort is superior and why.

 

[NJMike]

Thanks to both of you. The picture and TSandM's explanation filled in the blanks!

 

[asaara]

Breathing wet simply means you're sucking on an AquaLung...

*ducks and runs, hopefully faster than all the Apeks fiends out there...*

 

[anakin]

BAHAHA

agualung....oh man. im probably going to get one of there regs....shoot me now

 

[Ice9]

BAHAHA

agualung....oh man. im probably going to get one of there regs....shoot me now

Aqualung Titan LX here, and it works just fine, even upside-down..

 

[plot]

BAHAHA

agualung....oh man. im probably going to get one of there regs....shoot me now

I have an aqualung legend... it's awesome no matter which direction you're facing.