OMS vs Halcyon

[Manos]

>> and i am quite aware of the dangers of a larger wing if the inflater where to stick/free flow, <<

Ray Again you are confusing me now. If your inflator in some magic way sticks on a non bungee wing you have no problem
at all. You just Press the dinflate button at the same time.

This will buy you a few seconds until you close the right valve ,
switch to your backup reg and call the dive.
The remaing gas in your wing will keep your boyancy ( you can still orally inflate it , if is not an OMS piece of **** ).


Biger or smaller wing will not make any difference.

 

[Manos]

>> no i dont cave/rec dive yet, im quite new to the technical diving scene so im just playing on the ear of caution and asking around >>

Ok the excuse me for not taking thinks from the begining.

Let me repeat what you should avoid. I can also explain why but this will be a 22 pages message. probably you will learn much more from the right source wich is GUE ( www.gue.com )rather than from my single post.

No matter who is telling you how succesfuly he has done it over the years

DO NOT :

Dive steel doubles with wetsuit.
Dive steel stage tanks.
Dive Double inflators , double blader wings.
Dive Bungee wings.

This will also answer your initial question which was which Wing.

Rgds Manos

 

[DIR Tec Diver]

Manos is exactly right (as usual)

I have both steel 12s and steel 15s (the same ones as Manos in fact) and with steel 12s you need an explorer 40 and with the 15s the explorer 55, however if budget limits you then get the 55. It is a bit big for the steel 12s but not by much.

Never get a bungeed bcd or one with any type of quick disconnects.

This is regardless of whether or not you decide to get into some advanced or technical diving, it is just a smarter way to approach diving and the right equipment, and in case you do decide to go further you will already have the right equipment.

That does not change which is one of the benefits and nice things about DIR

 

[Marvintpa]

There are still plenty of people who dive bunjeed wings (like myself) that prefer them. They do work. I'm sure Halcyon's setup works too. I'm not saying one group or the other is wrong, just that there are options. You are part of a dive team, and if the people you are diving with are set up one way, you may be safer diving that way as well, as long as that configuration works for you and you feel confident and safe using it.

There is little reason to put your life in the hands of someone you don't know and have no reason to trust. Make your own decisions.

 

[BigJetDriver]

Manos once bubbled...
>> no i dont cave/rec dive yet, im (sic) quite new to the technical diving scene so im (sic) just playing on the ear of caution and asking around >>

Ok the excuse me for not taking thinks (sic) from the begining.

Let me repeat what you should avoid. I can also explain why but this will be a 22 pages message. probably you will learn much more from the right source wich (sic) is GUE ( www.gue.com )rather than from my single post.

No matter who is telling you how succesfuly he has done it over the years (sic)

DO NOT :

Dive steel doubles with wetsuit.
Dive steel stage tanks.
Dive Double inflators , double blader (sic) wings.
Dive Bungee wings. (Ed. note: "The infamous Great Bungee-ed Wings of Death!)

This will also answer your initial question which was which Wing.

Rgds Manos

I find it interesting that someone who is ADMITTEDLY new to any kind of technical diving then proceeds to hand out the "Four Commandments"!

As Caveseeker7, who is one of our more logical writers on this board, is fond of quoting: "What works, works!" Or again, in the words of Frans Vandermolen, of the International Advisory Board for IANTD, "If you have a good reason to make a change to your equipment or configuration, test it rigorously. If it works reliably and well, then go ahead and use it!"

 

[Jonathan]

why are you looking at American brands when one of the best is about 20 miles from you in Redhill....

Custom Divers wings are designed and manufactured by UK tech divers for their own expeditions. As a result the UK diving fraternity get one of the best products out there IMHO.

I saw some Halcyon wings this weekend for the first time 27,36 and 45 - to be honest I don't see what all the song and dance is about, I won't be trading in any time soon....

I hope that's a British dry suit you're getting too

Jonathan

 

[DIR Tec Diver]

Hi,

Manos is not new to tech diving, actually he has been doing it a looooong time. That was probably just a misunderstanding somehow.

Anyway, here is a bit of info. I dive steel 15l tanks, and found through my discussions with some GUE instructors that even my explorer 55 was too big for my 15s. Yesterday when I was doing some wreck diving, I switched over to my Explorer 40 to test it out. The difference was unbelievable. I always have used the 40 for my twin 12s but thought since the 15s were so much heavier I would need the 55. Wrong. When looking at the exact buoyancy characteristics of the tanks the 40 was the best choice.

Also to test to make sure that I have enough buoyancy to supply my buddy if needed, I did some tests at about 20 meters also. No problem at all there either. This weekend when I go to the mines, I will take a 10l stage and my Gavins to see how that goes, but I am sure no problems at all. Now my 55 can sit in my locker until I get those lovely 18s.

 

[Tibbs]

Pheonix,

There's no difficulty getting Ali cylinders. You just need to ask for them! Steel stage/deco bottles are simply vile and a nightmare to handle in the water. I've seen a diver safely using a 40lb wing with twin 12s, 3 stages (Ali of course) and 2 scooters, so a 55lb wing will be more than adequate with anything up to twin 20s. No idea where you are, but DDS in Poole has a load of Alis in. It would be great if Luxfer did Ali80s for the UK market, as they are by far the best stage bottles buoyancy wise. As for testing it's only the old alis that needed eddycurrent testing, the new ones are fine.

As for Custom Divers... Well I've been stung by the 'Buy British' bug before. All the stuff I've bought from Custom Divers has been shoddily designed and made, makes me shudder just thinking about it. The wing they produce is simply dreadful, though not as bad as their harness, which should be sold through S&M shops as it's that uncomfortable. Torches? Ick! My friend's dad used to buy British and wound up with a Marina, a Maxi and a Princess. Nuff said?

Chris

 

[Jonathan]

is try their new torches - the old ones were not very good admitadly but the new range is very good and I like mine a lot.

As to the wings and harnesses - I have no hesitation recommending them. Had mine for almost 3 years and I do not find it uncomfortable or shoddy.

nuff said

 

[Mike Wellsted]

Dear Manos

You say: DO NOT :

Dive steel doubles with wetsuit.
Dive steel stage tanks.
Dive Double inflators , double blader wings.
Dive Bungee wings.

I'd be gratefull if you would explain the reasons for the DO NOTS.

Thanks

Mike