Which wing to choose

[Cds1785]

So over the past several months I have obtained 3 wings (two hogs 23, 32 and a zeagle 44) and I’m really trying to decide which to keep with future uses in mind. I’ve used a few of the calculators and have determined, in general, I require about 15 lb of lift. With that in mind the 23 will probably find its way onto my AL plate for warm water use.

I’m struggling to decide which of the larger wings to keep for my SS plate. I know both are larger than I really need but I’d like to have the ability to have a cold water setup or if more lift were needed for some reason. Basically i want to “future proof” things short of going doubles, in which case a new wing would be needed.

I’m hard pressed to really think up a scenario where I’d require >32 lb lift. I’m curious who’s been in the situation where a wing in that lift range was insufficient. I guess by hearing those scenarios I can better judge if it would be a situation I could foresee myself in and could aid in making up my mind.

The only other thing that is kind of throwing me off is the fact that both the 23 and 32 are donut wings. The 44 is a horseshoe style which I have always used. Having never used a donut style I don’t know if it’s better than the horseshoe first hand and only have opinions and experiences of others on here to go by.

Both the 32 and 44 are almost brand new so that further complicates my decision. Both are a bag in bag design which I like for the serviceability. The inner bladder on the 44 seems to be a little more heavy duty than the 32 but I can’t foresee many scenarios in my diving where that would become a significant factor.

Having always used the horseshoe style wing I haven’t noticed any air trapping or taco-ing despite its size (at least not to a point it’s bothersome). Those issues aren’t really things that overly concern me and would be far down any list of cons.

Just looking for any first hand experience where 32 wasn’t quite enough and seeing if going bigger might in fact be beneficial.

As far as my diving goes I may have an opportunity to do a little salvage work on the side but other than that 99% of my diving is basic and AOW depths. Not super interested in cave diving. Could be interested in wreck diving down the road. I initially started out with the end goal of public safety diving but that’s kind of been put on the back burner. I still enjoy the training of it but don’t foresee it being utilized much real world.

Any info or suggestions are appreciated. It’s definetly not a life or death decision as both will work I’m just looking for some first hand experiences that could help me pick one over the other, I hate good equipment sitting around unused so I’d hate to keep both and really only end up using the 32 or vice versa the 44.

Thanks!

 

[runsongas]

is the zeagle 44 the ranger bladder? if so, i would just sell that and dive the hogs. could just use the 32 all the time.

 

[JohnnyC]

Realistically you could dive the 32# all the time and it will just be a little less streamlined when you’re diving an al80 in the tropics.

I dive an 18# wing in the tropics with my double hose because that’s the only single tank configuration I dive. Anything else is doubles or a rebreather. If I were diving wet&dry, al&steel, or whatever combination thereof, I’d probably have a 30ish wing and just use that for everything.

 

[Cds1785]

is the zeagle 44 the ranger bladder? if so, i would just sell that and dive the hogs. could just use the 32 all the time.

It is, that’s really the direction I’m leaning at this point. I actually started diving with the ranger bladder so it’s all I’ve really ever used/ known. I’m more concerned aboit finding myself in a situation were that 32 just wont cut it but, like I said, I’m hard pressed to really come up with one in my mind.

 

[Cds1785]

Realistically you could dive the 32# all the time and it will just be a little less streamlined when you’re diving an al80 in the tropics.

I dive an 18# wing in the tropics with my double hose because that’s the only single tank configuration I dive. Anything else is doubles or a rebreather. If I were diving wet&dry, al&steel, or whatever combination thereof, I’d probably have a 30ish wing and just use that for everything.

That was another thought I had, I just figured that “he’ll ive got two backplates, might as well have 2 wings”. Plus it gives me one I could loan out if need be.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I use a Dive Rite Voyager 36# wing all year round.

At home I run 15l (HP120) steels and I preferred the "perceived feel" on the surface in chop of this wing to a 30# Note I said It feels better with higher head position - all very subjective.

Anyhow - I also dive it on AL80 The shape of it means it doesn't taco too badly - but in the real world the amount of difference it makes vs the faff of having another rig just for AL 80 for me isn't worth it.

In my early days, I did carry the exact weight to the nearest 1# and worked out precisely the amount of lift I needed - but in the real world the effect were so negligible that I preferred having a bit extra.

But this is just my point of view, and what works for me I switch between Steels and AL 80 a lot depending if I'm fun diving or teaching. The only changes I make is a SS plate for the winter and no plate for the summer.

 

[rhwestfall]

I dive the Great Lakes. My cold water wings are 30-32#, and work fine for diving a dry suit, a 16# plate, HP120 tank, and a pony. As to a preference of your selection - neither. While I own and dive wings from DSS, HOG, Deep6, OxyCheq, & VDH, I'm a fan of the narrower/longer profile wing (OhyCheq & VDH). I don't like the elbow location on the DSS, and the HOG is wider than I like.... Not terrible, but given a choice it is my preference.

YMMV

 

[Colliam7]

I’m hard pressed to really think up a scenario where I’d require >32 lb lift. I’m curious who’s been in the situation where a wing in that lift range was insufficient. I guess by hearing those scenarios I can better judge if it would be a situation I could foresee myself in and could aid in making up my mind.

I have never been in a situation, across a reasonable number of dives, diving a single cylinder rig, where a 30lb wing failed to provide adequate lift - wet or dry, fresh or salt water, steel or aluminum cylinder.

The only other thing that is kind of throwing me off is the fact that both the 23 and 32 are donut wings. The 44 is a horseshoe style which I have always used. Having never used a donut style I don’t know if it’s better than the horseshoe first hand and only have opinions and experiences of others on here to go by.

A good diver can manage a donut and a horseshoe with equal efficiency (just as they can handle a jacket and a back-inflate BCD with comparable efficiency). So, beyond the lift capacity, the issues are primarily a matter of personal preference. So, what most of us who respond to your question can do is share our personal preferences, and the reasons for them.

Over time, I have come to prefer donut wings, and I have come to prefer smaller wings (e.g. a 30lb, which is my primary single cylinder wing), because they 'feel' more streamlined in the water, and appear to be more streamlined on video taken of me by colleagues. FWIW, I started out with a Zeagle Ranger, and a 44 lb wing, so I evolved from that to a smaller donut. I also confess that I have too many wings. But, I like having two sizes (an 18 and a 30 are my two) and multiple wings, just in case one has an issue that would otherwise cause me to miss a dive.

 

[rhwestfall]

in the "doughnut vs. horse shoe" impending debate, IIRC, Tobin (DSS) actually did an experiment where he welded the bottom of a doughnut wing closed, and in a blind comparison, nobody detected the difference.

YMMV

 

[Cds1785]

in the "doughnut vs. horse shoe" impending debate, IIRC, Tobin (DSS) actually did an experiment where he welded the bottom of a doughnut wing closed, and in a blind comparison, nobody detected the difference.

YMMV

Interesting. I haven’t had an issue with the horseshoe personally and have only read the experiences of other pertaining to the donut. I do appreciate the input. Like I said I’ve always had the ranger wing on various setups so it’s really all I know. Going to a smaller wing is really more of a mental thing than anything. I’ve dont a handful of searches as well and the 30lb range seems to really cover any scenario I could foresee myself in. I’m was just looking for insight into something I maybe hadn’t thought about but others may have experienced. The more input I’m getting the more it’s confirming my initial thought of keeping the 32 and 23.