Wing Choices?

[cool_hardware52]

Can the DSS wings be used with a STA if the routing is difficult?

Yes, all our single tank wings have grommeted holes in the center panel at 11 inch centers. This allows use with a STA.


Tobin

 

[BigTuna]

...the DSS wing is built like a tank...[/url]

Even so, it's not bullet proof. I just repaired a leak in the bladder of my LDS 30. I suspect it got pinched when I stacked my DSS bp/wing with my buddy's stuff in his car.

It was a pain to get at the leak, which was on the same end of the horseshoe as the over pressure valve, but facing it. The case's zipper only goes halfway down the horseshoe bladder, so I had to carefully turn the thing inside out to do the repair (the OPV was cranked on so tight that I couldn't remove it to extract the bladder).

I do like the wing a lot tho. System-designed not to need an STA, slim and low profile, easy to pop off to rinse and drain or pack in a suitcase (or a buddy's car!).

 

[cool_hardware52]

Even so, it's not bullet proof. I just repaired a leak in the bladder of my LDS 30. I suspect it happened when I stacked a load of gear with my buddy's in his car.

All wings can be damaged. Most often the damage occurs in transport, when there is no tank mounted. What is different about BP&W compared to a typical BCis the inflatable is in close contact with 5-6 lbs of hard, narrow edged Stainless steel. The typical jacket BC does not have any heavy, hard components.

Almost all bladder puntures that I see, and it's not many, are pinch flats, where the wing has been caught between the edge of the plate and a hard surface.

When the bladder is removed and layed out flat, and a backplate is layed on top almost without exception the pinch flat lines up with the edge of the plate.

This is why our BP&W's are designed to be very easy to disassemble. The wings come off the back plate in seconds without tools. Keepeing the wing away from the plate in transport is a great help in reducing accidental damage to the bladder.

Regards,


Tobin

 

[TSandM]

I had a pinch leak in my DSS bladder, too, but I just got a new bladder from Tobin that's made out of the heavier urethane, and man, it really looks sturdy!

I liked the feel of the new torus wing that Bob let me demo yesterday, but it doesn't work with my plate. I might end up buying a plate and the new wing from Tobin for my singles rig, and using the existing plate with a different wing for my doubles. Decisions!

 

[PerroneFord]

Or you could just get an STA and be done with it...

 

[MHK]

It's pretty likely that a Drysuit will be more buoyant than a wetsuit. Not guaranteed, but most people moving to a DS add weight. This means potentially you might need more wing in a DS. No real way to know exactly without having the undies and suit to test.

Tobin,

My sense is that if divers follow our recommendation(s) and use a shell drysuit, then the above statement is likely inaccurate. Take for example the typical So Cal diver. If they dive wet it's normally along the lines of a 7 mil westuit, possibly with a vest added for warmth. Juxtapose that against a shell drysuit and C-4 undergarment. I think you'll find that the 7 mil diver is notably more bouyant then the shell suit, and thus require additional weighting. Moreover, most wetsuit divers need to weight themselves for the 10' stop when the neoprene is at it's most bouyant. As a result of this dichotomy, more often then not divers tend to be over weighted for the vast majority of the dive to allow for the ability to hold the 10' stop.

I do agree with the rest of your analysis and believe that it is important for divers to appreciate the kind of diving they are likely to do and purchase equipment that compliments that choice.

Regards,

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Or you could just get an STA and be done with it...

Nah ... if you're planning to dive both singles and doubles, it's better to have two plates and set them up as completely separate rigs. Swapping out plates and wings all the time is a pain ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[xiSkiGuy]

Nah ... if you're planning to dive both singles and doubles, it's better to have two plates and set them up as completely separate rigs. Swapping out plates and wings all the time is a pain ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Agreed. And that second plate and webbing are a small cost compared to what it costs to start down a path that involves doubles.

 

[PerroneFord]

Or, for those poor souls like me who can't quite afford another plate and harness at the moment, the STA allows me to swap back and forth between my doubles and single tank in 2 minutes.


But I agree that if you can have two completely seperate setups, that is ideal.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Or, for those poor souls like me who can't quite afford another plate and harness at the moment, the STA allows me to swap back and forth between my doubles and single tank in 2 minutes.

Compared to the cost for cylinders, regulators, and doubles wing ... the backplate is chump change. And don't even get me started on the cost of helium once you decide to put them to good use.

But I agree that if you can have two completely seperate setups, that is ideal.

Two rigs are good ... four rigs are better ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)