inflator length (aka where it sits on your shoulder), inflator shape (some of them really have ****** form), in water profile (obvious), dump positions (obvious), snagging points (obvious), air distribution (obvious again). Basically exactly what I have already mention earlier.
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Bubblesong
Contributor
Thank you Patoux for both pictures and items to condsider on these wings. I don't want to dive with bungees wing-of-death! I've read that people bungee a 40 wing when they need a 18 wing worth of lift, and they want to use one wing to work in very different conditions. Bungees can snag-= death. Curious what might bungee of life be? Non-bungee redemption is my fave!
a useful type of bungied wing.....
notice it doesn't completely wrap/constrict the wing like the aforementioned b-w-o-d.....
notice it doesn't completely wrap/constrict the wing like the aforementioned b-w-o-d.....
Actually the bungee'd wing of death (BWOD) come from the supposed (true? **** if I know, I have no need for them) fact that the bungees will empty your wing if you puncture a bladder. I remember someone mentionning a wing just like the BWOD but with bungees inside the shell, makes it a bit better.
Bungee of life would be a bungee'd wing that doesn't kill you. Such as Subgravity or I believe Dive Rite.
DevonDiver
N/A
Sometimes there is a cost difference that's hard for a casual user to define.... like the quality of LPI, OPV, corrogated hose etc....
Sometimes there's a tangible cost difference... materials... stitching quality etc....
But there's quite a few brands that sell very good quality at economical prices. Their rivals tend to sell in the belief that people buy based on brand name... and that their brand name carries enough exclusivity to warrant obscene price inflation.
That's the world... you can buy an great white t-shirt for $10.... or you can buy a Prada white t-shirt for $150...
(and sometimes the expensive ones aren't actually even that great....)
Sometimes there's a tangible cost difference... materials... stitching quality etc....
But there's quite a few brands that sell very good quality at economical prices. Their rivals tend to sell in the belief that people buy based on brand name... and that their brand name carries enough exclusivity to warrant obscene price inflation.
That's the world... you can buy an great white t-shirt for $10.... or you can buy a Prada white t-shirt for $150...
(and sometimes the expensive ones aren't actually even that great....)
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that is actually a very important question.
Do you go back and forth between singles and doubles and need/want to use the same backplate? Use something that has an STA since it is much easier to swap back and forth without having to unthread cam bands.
Do you travel a lot? If you do, then you probably don't want to get a wing that requires the use of an STA since it is extra weight and bulk to carry. I.e. don't buy Halcyon, DRiS Trianta, etc.
If you travel a lot you may also not want to get a wing that is really stiff to pack like the Oxycheq's.
wet/dry doesn't matter, but travel vs. local may
I think some of y'all are confusing "why are some wings so expensive" with "are there important differences between wings".
Yes, there are important differences between wings. But, there is not a correlation between a "better" wing and a more expensive wing. The most expensive wings are not, generally speaking, any better than other wings. They're just more expensive. That could be because the brand chooses to charge an exclusivity tax. Or it could be because the manufacturer has very limited distribution, a low volume of sales, and has to charge more to cover their overhead.
I have owned 7 different wings that I can think of. Horseshoe and donut. Singles and doubles. The thing that is most important to me is that it not fall apart from normal use.
After that, the most important thing is whether it allows me to have good trim without using a weighting configuration that is inconvenient. I have had several doubles wings that would have required using a tail weight in order for me not to tip head down. Fortunately, I have found some other doubles wings that do allow me to hold good trim without a tail weight, so those wings stay and the others go or have gone.
Beyond that, different factors that apply are where the inflator and dumps are. On a single tank wing, I would prefer an inflator that is slightly offset to the left to avoid any interference with the 1st stage reg. On a doubles wing, I prefer the inflator elbow to be in the center.
On any kind of wing, I want the butt dump to be down very low and towards the outside. I've seen some wings that have the butt dump well up the side of the wing. I'm not sure how well that would work to dump that last bit of air in the wing if you are in any kind of head down orientation (or horizontal). E.g. that picture of that SportXS wing that was posted a page back in this thread.
When all those things are good, then I look for a donut shape, as I prefer that to a horseshoe, and a zipper, to let me access the inner bladder, in case I need to do a field repair of a puncture or pinch flat (which I have needed in the past), or actually change out the bladder.
The actual inflator and corrugated hose are not that important, to me, as those bits are so cheap and easy to replace. A $17 inflator and a $14 hose, both from Dive Gear Express, and that problem, if it exists, is sorted.
Fortunately (for me), I have found wings that I'm very happy with that give me everything I want. And they are FAR from being the most expensive wings out there.
Yes, there are important differences between wings. But, there is not a correlation between a "better" wing and a more expensive wing. The most expensive wings are not, generally speaking, any better than other wings. They're just more expensive. That could be because the brand chooses to charge an exclusivity tax. Or it could be because the manufacturer has very limited distribution, a low volume of sales, and has to charge more to cover their overhead.
I have owned 7 different wings that I can think of. Horseshoe and donut. Singles and doubles. The thing that is most important to me is that it not fall apart from normal use.
After that, the most important thing is whether it allows me to have good trim without using a weighting configuration that is inconvenient. I have had several doubles wings that would have required using a tail weight in order for me not to tip head down. Fortunately, I have found some other doubles wings that do allow me to hold good trim without a tail weight, so those wings stay and the others go or have gone.
Beyond that, different factors that apply are where the inflator and dumps are. On a single tank wing, I would prefer an inflator that is slightly offset to the left to avoid any interference with the 1st stage reg. On a doubles wing, I prefer the inflator elbow to be in the center.
On any kind of wing, I want the butt dump to be down very low and towards the outside. I've seen some wings that have the butt dump well up the side of the wing. I'm not sure how well that would work to dump that last bit of air in the wing if you are in any kind of head down orientation (or horizontal). E.g. that picture of that SportXS wing that was posted a page back in this thread.
When all those things are good, then I look for a donut shape, as I prefer that to a horseshoe, and a zipper, to let me access the inner bladder, in case I need to do a field repair of a puncture or pinch flat (which I have needed in the past), or actually change out the bladder.
The actual inflator and corrugated hose are not that important, to me, as those bits are so cheap and easy to replace. A $17 inflator and a $14 hose, both from Dive Gear Express, and that problem, if it exists, is sorted.
Fortunately (for me), I have found wings that I'm very happy with that give me everything I want. And they are FAR from being the most expensive wings out there.
I have a 25 lb wing that trapped air. It was noticeable and annoying. The manufacturer uses the same bladder in their 35 lb and 25 lb wings. Difference is the outer shell size. An oversized bladder inside a small shell leads to air trapping. Some manufacturers do similar, others use smaller bladders for their smaller wings. It costs less to use 1 bladder for 2 different wings.
For me, some wings work better than others.
StefinSB
Contributor
Following that logic you should still drive a Model T. After all it has 4 wheels and an engine ......
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