retraction bands for oms bc

[PerroneFord]

Ok,

I own a DR 60# wing. I do not own, nor have I ever used a wing with retraction bands. I have done some dives with a diver who had a 60# OMS wing with bands, and a diver who used a 60# OMS wing without bands. With that said:

1. My Dive Rite classic is an excellent wing for use with 8" diameter steel tanks. No tacoing, good shape, good trim (for me), because I do not wear a weight belt. What I disliked about the wing is that the corrugated hose that comes STANDARD on the wing is far too long, it comes with a pull dump instead of a simple elbow, and it is not centered in the back

2. N/A

3. My new wing is the DSS Torus 45. It is tougher in construction, the connection is an elbow, the corrugated hose is the correct length. However it has too much lift for my needs at the bottom. Other than that, I like it very much.

4. N/A

5. I have watched the OMS Banded and unbanded wing being used with a single. In both cases I felt it was too large for the application. Just my opinion.

6. Air trapping has been an issue for me, though more minor as I became more experienced. I still prefer the donut design.

7. The OMS wings that I have seen all seem to be of very high quality. Unfotunately, they are a very expensive option for me, and few are offered in a shape optimal for my diving. For some, they are a great choice I suspect.

I have never been to the great lakes (though I hope to do a lot of diving there in the future), so I cannot offer advice from having been in that or a similar environment.

Good luck,

-P

i am going to be purchasing a 60lb wing in the near future and trying to decide on whether or not to go with a oms wing with retraction bands, the same wing w/out bands, or a dive rite wing. i dont wish to get in any theoretical debates here about retraction bands and the issues they may create. what i would like to know is:

1. for those who have dove with any of the wings listed above, what they liked/disliked about them
2. if you have used the banded wings, do you notice a difference in drag compared to a bc without the bands
3. if you've used the wings above and switched to another brand or different style, what do you like better or worse about the change
4. if you've dove the banded wings, have you EVER had any issues with them that made you say "screw those band thingies!"
5. has anyone dove wings this big with a single (like something as big as a lp108) - how did it work? any major issues with tacoing?
6. if youve used these, would you recommend a brand that uses a donut design instead of the horseshoe, or in other words, was air trapping ever an issue for you
7. or if anyone has ever had any issues with oms wings that made them never but them again

btw, i will be using these mostly in the great lakes on wreck diving so if you have any pertinent experience using these wings in a similar environment, all that much better. input on any or all of these questions is greatly appreciated. thanks!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hello Scubaboard,

As the OMS rep, I guess it's time for me to stop lurking and jump in. I get the bungee question all the time and I hear life and death arguments on the issue both ways.

First, my standard disclaimer, OMS is not a training agency. We build advanced equipment for advanced divers operating in a wide range of environments. All divers should know that you gear up appropriately for the specific environment. We build sport bladders, bungeed, non-bungeed, cave bladders, dual bladders etc. All of our equipment evolves from working with top people in our sport.

I've used a lot of different configurations and I have enough gear so I can dive whatever I want. Believe it or not, my main bladder is a bungeed dual #100 even when sport diving. The bungees prevent tank taco and while deflated it's the size of a single #60. The only down side I found is the prescence of the extra inflator which I keep lashed down.

I have personally never had any type of problem that some say bungees cause. The diver's at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab put literally thousands of hours on bungeed bladders (they like the compactness of the bungeed wing).
Non-bungeed wings seem to be the choice of cavers. In recent years, cavers have moved to very minimal rigs and they prefer the clean lines of a nonbungeed wing.

The question really becomes, whats right for you, just like picking an instructor, dive site, charter boat or a pair of fins.

Welcome to the board, Jack ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[xiSkiGuy]

My observations as the owner of three different OMS wings (60lb bungee, 32lb donut, and Larry Green Signature wing):

The 60lb bungee wing, while much better for doubles, can be used for singles with a minimal taco effect. A non-bungeed wing of that size would be silly on singles. So the bungees offer some versatility.

However, a far better wing for a LP108 would be the 32lb donut. It's perfectly sized for a large steel tank and so easy to move air to the lower dump valve. The donut shape makes for a narrow and streamlined wing. There is no substitute for a dedicated singles wing for singles. Anything else is a compromise.

The Larry Green 60lb non-bungeed doubles wing is definitely my favorite wing. It's longer and narrower cut makes it streamline just as well as a bungeed wing, but moving air around in the bladder is easier and smoother. I feel that somehow I can better regulate how much air I dump from the Larry Green than the 60lb bungee wing. I also prefer the Larry Green when carrying a deco bottle. I can get a little more air on the deco bottle side of the wing and balance out a touch better.

OMS makes some great wings, so do yourself a favor and buy two. Get a singles wing for singles and a doubles wing for doubles.

 

[AZ Desert Diver]

i am going to be purchasing a 60lb wing in the near future and trying to decide on whether or not to go with a oms wing with retraction bands, the same wing w/out bands, or a dive rite wing. i dont wish to get in any theoretical debates here about retraction bands and the issues they may create.

Take all of the fun out of this thread why don't you.

 

[jrockosaurus]

Ok,

I own a DR 60# wing. I do not own, nor have I ever used a wing with retraction bands. I have done some dives with a diver who had a 60# OMS wing with bands, and a diver who used a 60# OMS wing without bands. With that said:

1. My Dive Rite classic is an excellent wing for use with 8" diameter steel tanks. No tacoing, good shape, good trim (for me), because I do not wear a weight belt. What I disliked about the wing is that the corrugated hose that comes STANDARD on the wing is far too long, it comes with a pull dump instead of a simple elbow, and it is not centered in the back

2. N/A

3. My new wing is the DSS Torus 45. It is tougher in construction, the connection is an elbow, the corrugated hose is the correct length. However it has too much lift for my needs at the bottom. Other than that, I like it very much.

4. N/A

5. I have watched the OMS Banded and unbanded wing being used with a single. In both cases I felt it was too large for the application. Just my opinion.

6. Air trapping has been an issue for me, though more minor as I became more experienced. I still prefer the donut design.

7. The OMS wings that I have seen all seem to be of very high quality. Unfotunately, they are a very expensive option for me, and few are offered in a shape optimal for my diving. For some, they are a great choice I suspect.

I have never been to the great lakes (though I hope to do a lot of diving there in the future), so I cannot offer advice from having been in that or a similar environment.

Good luck,

-P

Thanks for all your info. 90% of my diving is with the same person who is also looking to make the jump in to more of a "tech" setup so I don't get to see a lot of different configurations. I'm also not a big fan of the shoulder dump, another one of the reasons why I'm leaning more towards oms. Where is "The Cube" by the way?

 

[jrockosaurus]

My observations as the owner of three different OMS wings (60lb bungee, 32lb donut, and Larry Green Signature wing):

The 60lb bungee wing, while much better for doubles, can be used for singles with a minimal taco effect. A non-bungeed wing of that size would be silly on singles. So the bungees offer some versatility.

However, a far better wing for a LP108 would be the 32lb donut. It's perfectly sized for a large steel tank and so easy to move air to the lower dump valve. The donut shape makes for a narrow and streamlined wing. There is no substitute for a dedicated singles wing for singles. Anything else is a compromise.

The Larry Green 60lb non-bungeed doubles wing is definitely my favorite wing. It's longer and narrower cut makes it streamline just as well as a bungeed wing, but moving air around in the bladder is easier and smoother. I feel that somehow I can better regulate how much air I dump from the Larry Green than the 60lb bungee wing. I also prefer the Larry Green when carrying a deco bottle. I can get a little more air on the deco bottle side of the wing and balance out a touch better.

OMS makes some great wings, so do yourself a favor and buy two. Get a singles wing for singles and a doubles wing for doubles.

I was looking pretty hard at the 32 lb wing too. I'd just rather spend that money on getting in to some doubles though Thanks for your input on using the bigger wing with a single. Is the 32 lb wing a donut? It's hard to tell from the oms site picture. Do you prefer the Larry Green wing to the regular one? Is there anything else different besides the more streamlined/tubular design? Thanks!

 

[jrockosaurus]

Hello Scubaboard,

As the OMS rep, I guess it's time for me to stop lurking and jump in. I get the bungee question all the time and I hear life and death arguments on the issue both ways.

First, my standard disclaimer, OMS is not a training agency. We build advanced equipment for advanced divers operating in a wide range of environments. All divers should know that you gear up appropriately for the specific environment. We build sport bladders, bungeed, non-bungeed, cave bladders, dual bladders etc. All of our equipment evolves from working with top people in our sport.

I've used a lot of different configurations and I have enough gear so I can dive whatever I want. Believe it or not, my main bladder is a bungeed dual #100 even when sport diving. The bungees prevent tank taco and while deflated it's the size of a single #60. The only down side I found is the prescence of the extra inflator which I keep lashed down.

I have personally never had any type of problem that some say bungees cause. The diver's at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab put literally thousands of hours on bungeed bladders (they like the compactness of the bungeed wing).
Non-bungeed wings seem to be the choice of cavers. In recent years, cavers have moved to very minimal rigs and they prefer the clean lines of a nonbungeed wing.

The question really becomes, whats right for you, just like picking an instructor, dive site, charter boat or a pair of fins.

welcome to the board and thanks for your input. its good to know that there is a rep here. in your opinion, do the bungees help much in deflation of the wing? any problems with uneven inflation? thanks

 

[xiSkiGuy]

Is the 32 lb wing a donut?

Yes.

Do you prefer the Larry Green wing to the regular one? Is there anything else different besides the more streamlined/tubular design? Thanks!

I much prefer the Larry Green to the bungeed wing. Aside from a better overall "feel", I like the shorter inflator hose and the position where it attaches to the wing vs. bungeed wing. I also like that the Larry Green doesn't have the extra overpressure valve/shoulder dump. At first I thought I'd like that feature, but I never use it. If you have good trim, you'll probably never use it either.

 

[Splitlip]

If you buy the bungeed OMS wing, you can remove the bungees. I would assume the wing is the same as the unbungeed wing with the exception of unused grommets.
Maybe someone else can comment.
So if I were considering the bungees, I would get them. Take em off if someone tells you you're gonna die.
As for the DiveRite, you can order without the pull dump. And changing the length of the corrugated hose is no big deal Matey.

 

[PerroneFord]

Where is "The Cube" by the way?

The cube is currently in N.FL. cave country.