BP/W- question on size of wing

[granolatree]

tomorrow we are going to buy our bp/w's. After much research we decided to go with the 32lb wings.

I do have one more question for you all, is the weight for a SS back plate worth the extra $80 (over the aluminum back plate) rather than an extra 4lbs of lead on my rig/belt?

 

[Doc Harry]

Don't do it!

Stay away from OMS gear. Their customer service is notoriously horrible. THere are plenty of other options out there besides OMS.

Friends don't let friends buy OMS.

 

[granolatree]

I've heard that, but I heard that their CS in the 90s was pretty bad. I hear it's alright these days.

We have seen/tried their products and they seem to be pretty top notch. What would you recommend other than OMS?

 

[whoji]

You could try:
Halcyon, Dive Rite, Oxycheq and Frog to name but a few.

 

[TSandM]

Personally, I would recommend Deep Sea Supply. The kind of helpful answer you got from Tobin above is an example of the kind of customer service you get from DSS. And the products are very high quality, with some nice little features you don't see in other plates.

And it's worth it to buy the SS plate, because putting the weight up on your back balances you in the water so much better than putting it all on your belt. In fact, if you're carrying a lot of weight with your dry suit, buying one of Tobin's plates with the add-on weight plates is a very elegant way to get some of the weight you need in a comfortable and well-trimmed fashion.

 

[S&V]

Concur with TSandM. I just bought a BP/W/Harness rig from DSS and the entire process -consultation on my requirements, decision, purchase, delivery, and setup question/answer - was 100% positive for me.
I have no purchase or use experience with the other manufacturers mentioned, although I did get a good, comprehensive answer from Dive Rite to a question on their gear.

 

[treasurehunter]

you might want to consider a 45 wing if one day double tanks might be in your futur.
they are decent for singles and will have the capacity to grow with you. Of course you would have to pick doubles that a 45 can handle like steel 100 would probably be the max depending on your other gear.

 

[cool_hardware52]

you might want to consider a 45 wing if one day double tanks might be in your futur.
they are decent for singles and will have the capacity to grow with you. Of course you would have to pick doubles that a 45 can handle like steel 100 would probably be the max depending on your other gear.

I do not agree.

Singles wing and doubles wings are shaped differently.

To handicap ones self with a "too big", "too wide" doubles wing when diving singles is not money well spent or money saved. Why negate the advantages of a BP&W in the hope that you MIGHT have the right wing for doubles, if you ever proceed to doubles.

The transition to doubles is not cheap. You need:

A couple sets of doubles, tanks, bands and manifold 2 x $900
A Dry suit and undies $2000
A few sets of regulators 3 x $600
Training $2500 ???

Not to mention deco bottles and rigging, spools and reels, and lift bags and smb's and and and and.

Trying to save the cost of a ~$300 doubles wing is just not significant in the over all scheme of things.

In addition, without knowing what exposure suit and tanks will be used for doubles it's really not possible to know what wing will be appropriate. Very few divers end up using the same exposure suit for ~45 minute single tank dives vs 120+ minute dives on doubles.

Tobin

 

[Teamcasa]

Sound advice Tobin - as always.

 

[HenrikBP]

Personally, I would recommend Deep Sea Supply. <snip>.

I 3rd or 4th that recommendation. Solid, well designed and manufactured gear, sound advice and personal service. Can't go wrong with that.

Henrik