Rec XT hybrid wing

[Domovoi]

Hey everyone, I'm trying to decide on a good doubles wing and I've heard dive rite is pretty good. Has anyone had any experience with this wing? The doubles wing is really all I need to start down a tech path. I saw the other post but I'm not really looking at a dual bladder config since I dive dry.

The shop I'm wanting to do TDI courses through actually recommended twin AL80s so all I need is a wing since I've got my AL80s un-manifolded(is that a word?) Any help would be appreciated.

 

[CaveSloth]

Rec XT is great! I use it with 2 LP85 steel cylinders doubled together.

 

[Domovoi]

Is there anything you don't like about it? I saw in a demo video that you can actually clip it off for use with a single tank when not diving doubles. Have you tired that? Or is it a bit gimmicky? For background, I dive dry with DSS SS backplate w/ added weight plates, a 26lb wing, and 8lbs on a belt. I need to fine tune my personal buoyancy from the handy excel sheet here, and it's saying a 36ish lb wing would work great. I've also been considering a halcyon evolve 40 since it'd be a similar size.

 

[DiveTucson]

To be honest it will taco and not work super well as a singles wing. At this point you are really trying to get something to be ok at everything but great at nothing.

Diving out of San Diego and diving dry with AL80s would not be my choice for backmounted doubles. I would look at something a little heavier with less of a bouncy swing so I wouldn’t have to add weight. Lots of folks in that area dive LP85s or HP100s as you can most likely get away with little to no ballast in a drysuit with appropriate under garments.

That being said if I were diving steal tanks with a stage bottle or two as I progressed further down the tech road I may consider a 55/60lb wing.

 

[MichaelMc]

I'm happy with my Rec XT. Mine is dual bladder but all that adds is an extra hose and dump. Though I just use it with AL40 doubles, with normal valve separation.

I've not clipped it off for single use, but it just involves shortening up the exterior bungee a bit. Very easy to do or undo. I think it is primarily a wing for modest size doubles that can do a single if really needed. As you have a singles wing, that seems not an issue. See its DGX page for tanks for it Dive Rite Rec Wing | Dive Gear Express® "double 85ft3/12 L".

Buoyancy swing is entirely from gas volume. It has nothing to do with diving aluminums. Steels might help serve as weight for drysuit buoyancy, but AL may be easier to keep above you by being lighter.

 

[divezonescuba]

Nothing wrong with banded al80s except for the reduced gas volume, if you can live with that. A number of heavy tec facilities like Buddy Dive in Bonaire and any of the Dahab Egypt facilities like Deep Blue Immersion use banded AL80s.

I have seen beginning tec divers who could not use hp steels, but could use AL80s. The issue was stability. So, it is possibly easier to begin tec diving a backmounted set of AL80s for many people. That may be why the diveshop recommended it.

Tacoing with the diverite rec can be addressed by using double sided Velcro tape to pin the bungee on the bladder to the plate. We generally use eight six inch long strips. Works great.

You can even use the rec bladder and a plate for sidemount without tacoing if you set it up correctly.

I once discussed doing this with one of the Hires. The response was it could be done but not as effectively as a dedicated sidemount rig. The analogy that he came up with was using an suv to haul firewood in comparison to a pickup.

Since I use an xDeep stealth tec when I know I will only be sidemounting, I suppose I agree with that. The problem is I sometimes backmount double, backmount single, or sidemount on an extended trip. In that case, I take a rec wing and a plate.

Don’t take this as advice, just my experience as a trimix instructor. YMMV.

 

[Domovoi]

I appreciate everyone's responses! As I already have a singles wing, the ability for it to be used as a single doesn't matter too much I guess. I was just curious and may try that velcro trick out of curiosities sake should I get this wing. I will have to continue research I guess, DiveTucson makes a good point about the stage bottles.

I do like the idea of it being modular if set up right. I wish I could borrow a 45 and 55 to try out. I need to find more divers in my area I guess. Most my buddies just use a jacket BC, I did run into a GUE diver while gearing up for a night dive. I gotta dive at different times to find new people.

 

[divezonescuba]

I will take some pictures tomorrow to show how it is done.

you basically roll the two sided Velcro tape onto itself around the slots on the edges of the plate. The restraining bungee is on the inner most part of the each roll. On each side we use one roll on the top thru the shoulder strap slot, two on the vertical side, and one on the bottom thru the waist belt slot. Each six inch section yields four or five rolls which is very secure. The total of eight loops / rolls holds the wing tightly to the plate. No tacoing.

I suppose you could use the tabs that the bungee goes thru instead of the bungee itself, but that would not offer as many fixing points.

Since the tape has little bulk, you cannot feel the rolls against your back.

the only downside is it takes a few minutes to undo and redo if you need to completely separate your wing from the plate for travel purposes.

 

[Domovoi]

That would be super helpful, thank you! The visualization will really help piece it together.

I understand you will probably be biased in this question but how are the PADI tech courses? I know it's more about the instructor, but I ask because there are a couple TDI shops near me and I'm wondering if curriculum wise, there is a benefit to one over the other.

I will take some pictures tomorrow to show how it is done.

you basically roll the two sided Velcro tape onto itself around the slots on the edges of the plate. The restraining bungee is on the inner most part of the each roll. On each side we use one roll on the top thru the shoulder strap slot, two on the vertical side, and one on the bottom thru the waist belt slot. The total of eight loops / rolls holds the wing tightly to the plate. No tacoing.

Since the tape has little bulk, you cannot feel the rolls against your back.

the only downside is it takes a few minutes to undo and redo if you need to completely separate your wing from the plate for travel purposes.

 

[divezonescuba]

Here is a photo of the setup. The Velcro on the top is a bit hard to see. The velcro on the bottom is out of the frame.

I originally tried a number of things before I settled on the double sided Velcro tape. It had to be easy to take off and on, not be uncomfortable, and look ok.