retraction bands for oms bc

[Cyclops_Diver]

Yes.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.

Ok, I know it's been a year since the last post in this here thread, but this was the most information I could find on the Larry Green wing on the board. So I do apologize.

I'm looking to switch to a bp/w setup and i really liked how streamlined the Larry Green wing seems to be. What I was curious about was how this wing worked with single tanks? I've got a steel HP119 8"dia. tank at the moment and for some reason I was contemplating twin 119's in the future. Any thoughts?


P.S.
If my new to the board self needed to make this a new thread...perhaps a mod out there could help me out. Sorry for the hassle.

 

[PerroneFord]

I had a chance to use the Larry Green wing this spring. It's pretty streamlined but to be honest, I didn't care for it. I prefer my Halcyon 60# donut wing, and the Oxycheq 55# vertex wing to the LG wing. That's for doubles.

Honestly, don't buy this wing for a single tank. Its' the wrong size and shape, the hose is in the wrong place, etc.

 

[AZ Desert Diver]

Since I own the LG wing and sometimes dive with a single tank, I have to say that it is much more suited for doubles vs. a single. Will it work for a single tank; sure it does it is just a little big and has a lot of wrap around. However, it fits a set of doubles very nicely.

 

[Colliam7]

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. ... 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.

Jack, glad you have joined the fray. Certainly, bungeed wings do not receive what anyone would mistake for 'compliments' in most SB posts. I am curious about your comment about the 100# wing. Given your presumed access to a variety of equipment, I am interested to understand why you choose a 100# wing (vs a 60#, for example) as you primary wing. Not a veiled criticism or anything like that, just interested to better understand.

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).

I suspect that, as with many aspects of scuba gear, there are theoretical concerns (about the bungees forcing more rapid gas loss in a puncture situation, for example) that are not necessarily observed in actual use with any discernible frequency.

 

[grazie42]

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
I currently dive a 60lb recwing without the "cord" (or whatever it´s called). I like it (except for the elbow which I´ve replaced). It is a good wing and withstood the abuse of a few hundred dives inside wrecks and caves. The "cords" make it an "ok" single´s wing but I have gotten a venture wing for singles and felt it was worth the expense.
2. if you have used the banded wings, do you notice a difference in drag compared to a bc without the bands?
No.
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?
I find it easier to dump air without the "cords". I also have a 90lb OMS-wing (that I started out with), it too dumps air better without the cords (it also has more lift then I´ll ever need which is why I don´t use it).
4. if you've dove the banded wings, have you EVER had any issues with them that made you say "screw those band thingies!"
Yes. Dumping air while remaining horizontal was harder for me (using both DR & OMS), so I did remove them.
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?
Yes, with the "cords" (or the OMS "bands"), it is possible. It actually works ok but after having tried diving without "restrictors" (and a correctly sized wing), I won´t go back.
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?
No. The venture wing is "donut-like" but no better than other non-donut wings that are of the correct size.
7. or if anyone has ever had any issues with oms wings that made them never but them again
The wing I have from oms and the material seems very good and took a whole lot of abuse without issue before I retired it...I also have friends with thousands of dives with theirs (bungeed) that swear by them...not using the OMS is about size for me, not quality...

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!

I started out with a bungeed OMS-wing that I used for all my diving. I then bought a smaller "corded" wing from Dive-Rite for all my diving. I then bought a single´s wing for singles and removed the cord (and all the "bits"). I wouldn´t have gone thru that process unless I felt that the aditional costs of each step were worth the "benefit". That is my perspective. I would recommend that you start out buying and using a wing for doubles, without "restraints", and use your bc for single-tank diving until you feel that you can afford an additional singles wing.

ymmv...

 

[race890]

Hi tech-diver. I am trying to get a good understanding of what OMS Wing combo's I can use with what cylinder set up.
There are 4 set-ups I use:
1). Wetsuit & Single Tank, a 32lb wing is ideal; but 45lb Bungee'd will be as streamlined. I am assuming that an OMS Bungee'd 45lb Wing is more suitable than non-Bungee'd for SINGLE Tank diving; as the Bungee'd Wing will be more streamlined & not Taco like any non-Bungee'd will with a Single Tank ?

2). Wetsuit & Twin tanks, 45lb Bungee'd will be ok, but Dual Bladder is best. (Bungee'd a bit more streamlined)
3). Drysuit & Twin Tanks, 45lb Bungee'd will be ideal
4). Drysuit & Single Tank. a 32lb wing is ideal; but 45lb Bungee'd will be as streamlined.

Please correct me if any of my above/below assumptions are wrong.

But rather than buy too many (3) wings; 32lb, 45lb & Dual Wing; costs too much, I was hoping that a 45lb Bungee'd could be fine for Single Tank & Twin tank diving with wet & dry' suits; untilI can afford to add a Dual Wing; which I have noticed is a requirement of a strict group of divers when they do a 20dive trip at Bikini Atoll; deep overhead deco dives in wetsuits, using twin 12litre (300 bar) tank set-up.

Later on I might add a Dual Bladder for Wetsuit diving with Twin tanks. I am assuming that with a Drysuit you do not need the redundancy of a Dual Bladder wing; as the Drysuit can provide that.
Also, I currently have a Dive-Rite ALUM BP (it is the very typical/generic/universal BP design out there); the main holes do line up with the OMS Wing centre holes.
But are the series of holes along the perimeter just inside the Bladder are of the Bungee'd wing; there just for Retraction Bands or are they also for bolting the Wing to the BP along the edge of the BP too ? (although I do not see how each hole can be used for both purposes)
Looking forward to understand this better so I can choose the right wing setups.
Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[TONY CHANEY]

Hi tech-diver. I am trying to get a good understanding of what OMS Wing combo's I can use with what cylinder set up.
There are 4 set-ups I use:
1). Wetsuit & Single Tank, a 32lb wing is ideal; but 45lb Bungee'd will be as streamlined. I am assuming that an OMS Bungee'd 45lb Wing is more suitable than non-Bungee'd for SINGLE Tank diving; as the Bungee'd Wing will be more streamlined & not Taco like any non-Bungee'd will with a Single Tank ?

2). Wetsuit & Twin tanks, 45lb Bungee'd will be ok, but Dual Bladder is best. (Bungee'd a bit more streamlined)
3). Drysuit & Twin Tanks, 45lb Bungee'd will be ideal
4). Drysuit & Single Tank. a 32lb wing is ideal; but 45lb Bungee'd will be as streamlined.

Please correct me if any of my above/below assumptions are wrong.

But rather than buy too many (3) wings; 32lb, 45lb & Dual Wing; costs too much, I was hoping that a 45lb Bungee'd could be fine for Single Tank & Twin tank diving with wet & dry' suits; untilI can afford to add a Dual Wing; which I have noticed is a requirement of a strict group of divers when they do a 20dive trip at Bikini Atoll; deep overhead deco dives in wetsuits, using twin 12litre (300 bar) tank set-up.

Later on I might add a Dual Bladder for Wetsuit diving with Twin tanks. I am assuming that with a Drysuit you do not need the redundancy of a Dual Bladder wing; as the Drysuit can provide that.
Also, I currently have a Dive-Rite ALUM BP (it is the very typical/generic/universal BP design out there); the main holes do line up with the OMS Wing centre holes.
But are the series of holes along the perimeter just inside the Bladder are of the Bungee'd wing; there just for Retraction Bands or are they also for bolting the Wing to the BP along the edge of the BP too ? (although I do not see how each hole can be used for both purposes)
Looking forward to understand this better so I can choose the right wing setups.
Thanks in advance for any advice

You might want to just combine everything and go with an OMS Tesseract BCD: I love mine and if you want to go side mount you can buy the Profile very cheap. I can use mine for my double 104's with a 45 steel deco up to my double 120's with the 45 steel deco. It is also a double bladder. If you do go with it it might be a little too much for a single Alm. tank but I have dove it with one without any trouble. Also if you use the Jocassee method of bungees it will not taco. OMS Technical Dive Harness Backplate Systems http://www.OMSdive.com

 

[RJP]

But rather than buy too many (3) wings; 32lb, 45lb & Dual Wing; costs too much, I was hoping that a 45lb Bungee'd could be fine for Single Tank & Twin tank diving with wet & dry' suits; untilI can afford to add a Dual Wing;

RJP's Axiom of Design: Anything designed to do TWO things will do NEITHER of them well.

There's not a wing on the market that does a good job at both singles and doubles.