VDH wings in stock!!!

[Eric Sedletzky]

@Eric Sedletzky,

These things you describe, I have thought about, too. What I have concluded is that, when people were diving without a BC, they were finning continuously, angled slightly upward, so that the resulting vectors (from gravity and forward motion through water) had these divers traveling horizontally (more or less). Stop finning (with a full cylinder), and the diver would sink. As the cylinder empties, the angle would have to change, necessarily, I think. DH regs are located optimally per the illustration (and tuned) for this swimming position, I think.

I think that with the can located as per the illustration, a diver can angle a bit up and a bit down from that angled-slightly-up to angled-slightly-down swimming position, and still enjoy very good performance from his/her DH reg.

Since you and I both learned from "The New Science of Skin and Scuba Diving", we both know that when buddy breathing with a DH reg and traveling horizontally, the donor assumes a left-side down, right-side up position for best DH reg performance, as the buddy pair fins face-to-face.

I have no illusion that my 1st gen PRAM will ever breathe as nicely as my Scubapro Mk 10 Plus + Balanced Adjustable, or G250, or (especially) D400. My interest in diving a DH reg really has to do with the how relatively quiet it is (bubbles routed behind my head rather than beside my ears), and by how fish, not frightened away by bubbles passing near my face, much more readily approach my faceplate. And I am hoping that my DH reg will be a better regulator for me to use when I am photographing U/W wildlife and structure with my new-to-me Nikonos III (a Christmas present to myself).

Being a solidly senior citizen now, I expect that I will mostly use my DH with relatively lightweight, moderate-capacity cylinders (e.g., steel 72, Faber LP66, Luxfer Al 63, etc.) solo, at moderate depths, using a thin- to medium-thickness wetsuit. Consequently, I expect to use my BC sparingly--like I was originally taught (using a steel 72 and a 0.25" farmer John and long-sleeve shorty)--you know, using it for dives that might otherwise be done without a BC. My DH + relatively tiny Argonaut 23" wing worked perfectly (except for its too-short corrugated inflator hose) for me this past weekend during its inaugural open water dive, a very shallow dive.

I am looking forward to diving this rig a bit deeper, and eventually to moderate depths, soon, once I receive and install the longer corrugated hose I ordered.

And then using my double LP50's + solid-bar, single outlet, J-valve manifold.

And then adding, finally, my Nikonos III, for both the single-cylinder configuration and the manifolded doubles configuration.

rx7diver

One of the features that I really love about double hoses is the bubbles coming out from behind you. I have never been able to get to fish that close with a modern single hose.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

You could adopt Cousteau's eventual solution and front mount the regulator.

I just found this which gives a lot more info, only some of which is contradictory

Chest mounting a double hose | Vintage Scuba Diving Community Forum

Quote from New Mistral Thread: "Fourth, and most intriguing, is the potential for front-mounting the second stage of the new Mistral. This would completely eliminate the water pressure differentia

vintagescuba.proboards.com

I have been thinking about ways to back mount the reg can doing something similar as front mounting it except it would be mounted off the tank valve actually on the plate and fed by a hose from a balanced modern first stage on the tank valve. This would set the tank free from positioning limitations.
It would probably be easier achieved by using a set of baby doubles too, it would give the can more room to sit lower. The problem would be getting DH hoses long enough to compensate for the added distance.
I would remove the 1st stage on the DH can and cap it off, that would make the can profile a lot shallower. The the reg would be fed by a hose connected to the hookah port which would go to a modern balanced 1st stage on the tank.
Then I would just need to figure out a way to mount the can onto the plate, maybe even cut a circle hole in the plate so the face if the can will flush mount. Then the shoulder straps on the plate can where they need to be.
Sorry about the hijack.

 

[Nemrod]

You could side mount with the double hose body affixed to a block in the center of the plate. Then use the LP or Hookah ports for running in your LP lines from your side dangled tanks. Then you could be in hogfish heaven hooking up a plethora of check valves, on/off valves, quick disconnects, Y and T fittings and a half dozen SPGs to back up an equal number of AI transmitters. With all the goings on you could be the first side dangled back or belly mounted DH supplied primary with another half dozen single hose seconds and backups and for multi-buddy sharing, uh, diver (have to come up with a cool acronym for that rig, like Hog for Hogarthian which such a thing it would never be!). All would be in awe of your mix-mush tri-mash side DH dangler rig until you banged the dangling tanks into the knees and $6,000 Zen dome ports of your now less in awe dive buddies. But then, what are buddies for if you cannot destroy their domes and knees! Oh, and yeah, lest we forget, you will want to work a FFM in there just to complete the complication.

On subject, I still love my 23# VDH wing. More compact than my Oxy 18# that I still dive and lighter. And while perhaps not quite as robust the VDH wings are still of superb quality and I like the fabric bladders and the internal bungee that keeps the wing compact. One thing, I note between my Oxy 18/30 wings and my VDH 18/23 wings is that the Oxy wings get pinched with flat plates restricting somewhat fullest inflation and the VDH wings do not. Also a con perhaps, for me with the VDH wings is that it trims me a little head high and the Oxy wings trim me more nearly level or derriere slightly up which I prefer. Really, the 23# wing is the perfect warm water size for the occasional solo diver who carries a real camera and mounts up a rigged 19/30 pony. The 18# wings fall a bitsy bit short on lift and the 23 is just right. Consider that in warm water I might not have on but a rash guard and swimsuit or other non-buoyant attire so then the wing is doing all the lifting.

Both my 5-4 wife and my 5-11 bodies find the supplied corrugated hose about perfect, just over our shoulders between the shoulder and breast. Of course if you are doing an Air II or such then I can see wanting it longer, but who can foresee all the possible concoctions divers might be of a mind to create .

I am glad to see VDH with a few of the wings, so others can enjoy possibly the best BC wing ever . I got mine, now y'all get yours .

James

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I had an 18 lb VDH wing that was one of the first out with the narrow cam band slots, before Bryan caved into customer pressure to elongate the slots to fit all the different plates out there.
I ended up selling it along with a large thin stainless FP fully rigged to my steroid injected nephew-in-law who pestered me for months about it. He never called me to say thanks, F-U, nothing!
It was my personal rig I was saving for a dream warm water vacation some day. I’ll never do that again!
Bit it sounds like I should consider getting a VDH 23 or maybe even the VDH 35 next time. I’m using an almost 20 yo Oxycheq Mach V 40# now but I can’t seem to kill it. It just keep going.

 

[rx7diver]

Thanks, @BalekFekete and @rob.mwpropane.

I actually debated purchasing a replacement corrugated hose (from somewhere) that has the common accordion/telescoping function--so that a little additional length could be had simply by pulling gently on the power inflator. (The VDH corrugated hose doesn't "stretch.")

Ultimately, I decided to order the longer VDH hose--mainly because I have never liked the idea of pulling on an inflator hose (since you just might pull apart something!).

Thanks,

rx7diver

UPDATE: My 19" VDH corrugated BC hose for my Argonaut 23# Wing arrived today. It looks soooo long! But, I installed it on my Wing (replacing the 16" that shipped with the Wing), and wore my rig around the house a bit. I think it will work perfectly with my PRAM and VDH Classic Back Plate and OMS/Faber LP66.

Can't wait to take it diving to see for sure! Have to wait until the LP66 returns from hydro, though, since my PST 72 is back to wearing a Y-valve, and my HP80's are 300Br.

rx7diver

 

[John C. Ratliff]

A couple of points need to be made here. I have been using the military harness most of my life, it seems. I have done all sorts to experiments too an positioning. The positioning of the double hose regulator box is critical for lowering the cracking effort of the regulator. It needs to be low on the back, between the shoulder blades. Once cracked though, the Venturi of the regulator takes over (except for the DA Aqualung, which has no Venturi). Here’s two photos of me using the DA Aqualung, and then doffing it in the river to experiment with various positions.

Broxton Dive 8-10-2015-2 by John Ratliff, on Flickr
Here the regulator is low on my back, using the military harness.

Broxton Dive 8-10-2015-3 by John Ratliff, on Flickr
This is a photo taken off my GoPro video showing the tank/regulator held out in front of me after doffing. Note the regulator is below the mouthpiece, which would allow the mouthpiece to free flow if I took it out of my mouth. But it is a closed system in my mouth, and reacts more to the suction effort in the back of my throat or center of my lungs (there is a long discussion of this in another forum here).

Now, about the J.Y. Cousteau photo in the above post; that happened with ConShelf III, where Cousteau was testing a brand new system. That is not a scuba system, but a push/pull airline system meant to conserve the helium/oxygen gas and bring it back to the ConShelf habitat. It cannot be duplicated on any scuba today. But, Cousteau, due to his smoking over decades, developed lung problems and had to have a positive air system, and so used a La Spiro Mistral regulator mounted on his chest for some of his final dives. Here’s what that system looked like:

Screen Shot 2020-04-17 at 5.44.52 PM by John Ratliff, on Flickr
Note that this was a scuba, with the tank‘s regulator mounted on the valve in back, and feeding the La Spiro Mistral regulator on his chest. This was a three-tank system, specially built for Cousteau.

More a bit later…

SeaRat

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Here's a better view of the Cousteau front-mount La Spiro Mistral setup. Cousteau also apparently used this setup with the back-mount Mistral too.

SeaRat

 

[SubseaSports]

I put together a chest mounted DH reg a few years back...solely based on the pictures out there of JYC with his.
Obvious advantage is the back mounted tank can be anywhere, hi, low, modern. You can enjoy all the modern goodness too, wing, octo etc.
It took a bit of tweeking to get the DAAM to work right. It still has to be positioned on the chest just properly.
It is an extremely easy breather this way.
I used a Conshelf XIV as the first.

 

[rx7diver]

I put together a chest mounted DH reg a few years back...solely based on the pictures out there of JYC with his.
Obvious advantage is the back mounted tank can be anywhere, hi, low, modern. You can enjoy all the modern goodness too, wing, octo etc.
It took a bit of tweeking to get the DAAM to work right. It still has to be positioned on the chest just properly.
It is an extremely easy breather this way.
I used a Conshelf XIV as the first.

This is so neat, @SubseaSports! Did you run the IP through the DAAM's hookah port, or did you use a different solution?

rx7diver

 

[rhwestfall]

IIRC - There is a blanking plug for the first stage, and then you feed it via the hookah with a first stage from a single hose.