What's the Largest Size Wing You Would Ever Use?

[Vegan Shark]

My first wing was a Hollis with 60 lbs of lift--how much I thought I'd need to dive big steel doubles. But from the first dive I found it absolutely miserable to dive with. Tons of drag, air getting trapped everywhere, and a 4+ second delay on venting air, creating runaway ascents.

I soon switched to a 45 lb wing by the same maker, with the same design. And it was like light and day. Super easy to vent, less drag, perfect.

Anyone else find big wings awful to dive with? What's the largest wing you would ever consider?

 

[claymore]

To many variables. Warm, cold, tech deep tech, cave, wreck, wet dry with multiple combination possibilities

 

[tbone1004]

sometimes you need all 60lbs of that wing depending on what you are doing though.... Biggest singles wing I would dive is 30-35lbs, anything bigger and the dive is really starting to call for doubles.

Doubles wings I would, and have dove 60lb wings with no issues, and never experienced what you were talking about. Not sure who the mfg was, but it sounds like it had a bad lower dump placement or it was operator error getting your body positioned right for optimal dumping from the back

 

[underH2Oman]

I was using an 85lbs wing for my big steel doubles and stages. Never had any issues with drag or venting air.

 

[Vegan Shark]

Placement of the hose and dump valve on my 60 lb and 45 lb wings is identical, since they're the same design and manufacturer. Not quite sure why the 60 lb wing was so awful to use, especially to dump air--perhaps just an issue with that specific wing if no one else has issues with big wings.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Basic math for doubles wing: Weight of back gas (gas, not cylinders) + buoyancy of dry suit with minimum gas + 2-3 additional lbs.

As this value is exceeded venting can become more difficult and drag will increase.

Design plays a part in ease of use too.

Tobin

 

[Nemrod]

I dived for years using the Scubapro wing I bought in 1976 and later the SeaTec Seahorse which was a 45 pound lift horseshoe shaped wing. The 45 pounds of lift is way more than is needed for warm water diving but there were times it was nice to have. The SeaTec wing was nice to back swim with, very comfortable for long swims and I could take it off and inflate it and use it much like a swim board. Over time I added a bungee to it (I had two) retract the wing to reduce the taco effect and flutter in current. I also split the tank pad area, pulled it together, thus drawing the wing together and making it much more narrow which also reduced the taco issue. I still prefer it for long surface swims, horseshoe shape and larger lift, over my Oxy 360 degree wings (18 and 30 pound lift).

N

 

[halocline]

I use as small a wing as possible, usually my 18lb oxy or single tanks, and my only doubles wing is a dive rite rec wing, that I think is supposed to be 45 lbs but seems much bigger, and it's way more than I need with doubled AL80s. At some point I will get a smaller doubles wing. To me, the bigger the wing, the less fun and responsive it is to dive with. Someone who is so loaded down with gear as to really need a 60 lb+ wing is likely to not be very streamlined to begin with and probably not concerned too much about it.

 

[rongoodman]

My doubles wing is a 40# Evolve, but the largest tanks I've used with it are LP85s. My singles wing was a 30# Eclipse, but I'm going to try the 20# version on my Bahamas trip next month(using an Al 80, obviously).

 

[PfcAJ]

8" doubles get a 55-60lb wing

7" doubles get a 40-45lb wing

Singles get a 30lb wing.

Done and done.