Craigslist ad in Roanoke, VA - DSS Backplate and wing for $35

[Lorenzoid]

One of the things I like about DSS is that he wants your rig to be *perfect*. However, I'd dive your current BP/W without hesitation both cold and warm.

Exactly. Size Large may be ideal for a diver over six feet tall, but Medium will probably feel just fine. As for the LCD 30 wing, when I was choosing a DSS wing with Tobin's help, he told me that for my warm-water diving I could go with the 17 or size up to the 28 or 30. A 28 or 30 is probably more lift than truly needed, but the only potential disadvantage is that you are swimming around much of the time with it only partially inflated, meaning it's sort of floppy and adds drag. Drag is bad. Streamlining is good. A 17 is probably a joy to dive in the tropics when you're wearing a thin suit, keeping you nice and streamlined. But a 17 is not going to be sufficient if you also want to dive in cooler water with 5-7 mm of neoprene, as I do on occasion. So I chose the Torus 28 to give myself some flexibility. And it works just fine. If I am less than perfectly streamlined sometimes, it is hardly noticeable to me. Also, some people (perhaps divemaster or instructor types) have commented that they prefer a larger-than-necessary wing so that they can have extra buoyancy in case they need to assist another diver at the surface or to enable them to carry a couple of extra weights to hand off to a diver underwater who finds he's underweighted.

 

[stuartv]

Exactly. Size Large may be ideal for a diver over six feet tall, but Medium will probably feel just fine. As for the LCD 30 wing, when I was choosing a DSS wing with Tobin's help, he told me that for my warm-water diving I could go with the 17 or size up to the 28 or 30. A 28 or 30 is probably more lift than truly needed, but the only potential disadvantage is that you are swimming around much of the time with it only partially inflated, meaning it's sort of floppy and adds drag. Drag is bad. Streamlining is good. A 17 is probably a joy to dive in the tropics when you're wearing a thin suit, keeping you nice and streamlined. But a 17 is not going to be sufficient if you also want to dive in cooler water with 5-7 mm of neoprene, as I do on occasion.

I will also be diving near home, in a 7mm suit, so I figured the 30 would be good as a do-it-all wing.

I was wondering about getting some bungee cord and wrapping it around the wing, or fabricating some kind of net or something, to compress the wing down when it's not full (i.e. in the Caribbean). Any thoughts on that?

The only downside I can think of is requiring me to pump in a little more air to get the same amount of lift. But, I would think it could done so that there would be some benefit in reduced drag with the air penalty being pretty much negligible.

 

[Keith.M]

I'd just dive, dive and dive that set-up some more!

You got one hell of a smoking deal!

Obviously the guy on CL did zero research. His loss, your gain.

 

[djtimmy77]

I don't think you'll notice a lot of drag from the LCD30. Also it will allow you to dive big steel tanks if that ever strikes your fancy.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I was wondering about getting some bungee cord and wrapping it around the wing, or fabricating some kind of net or something, to compress the wing down when it's not full (i.e. in the Caribbean). Any thoughts on that?

There are some BCs out there that have just that sort of bungee arrangement. It's totally not necessary. You will immediately realize after your first few dives with the new rig that it needs no such junk. You won't notice any drag.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Agreed. I used a lcd30 wing for six years until I switched to HOG wings. The 30 was fine in bonaire, Puerto Rico, and the Keys with a skin, 3 mil, and 5 mil. It worked well under the ice in Indiana as well. I always tell students that unless you are trying to use a doubles wing with a 72 drag is not that big of a deal. I don't try to set speed records under water. While a 17 or 23 lb wing may be fine for me I want enough lift also in case I have to assist someone as well. I sell a 23lb wing and only recommend it with an al plate to people only diving warm water with AL tanks who are unlikely to have to come to the aid of some overweighted vacation diver. Otherwise 30-35 lbs of lift is not going to add any negative impact. I do believe in minimalist principles but not to a degree that it gets a little silly.
Take Joe vacation diver who was trained on his knees and planted on the bottom with 20 lbs of weight in a 3 mil. Seen that first hand. He's got 10 in his bc pockets, 10 on a belt that is not easily ditched because of the over kill poodle jacket he's in. Has a problem with the pull dump inflator. He's just pulled the damn thing off. Trying to stay afloat and yelling for help. He's dropped the bc pockets but still having trouble. Can't find the weight belt release and is starting to freak. You decide to help. By supporting him at the surface while he tries to undo the belt. Do you want 17 or 18 lbs of lift or 30. I know what my choice is.

 

[stuartv]

Thanks for all the reassurance.

I bought a PDC and reg set today. Still need to get the BPW setup to fit me.

The (other) good news is I found a LDS (not my regular one) that has the local pool this weekend, so I can pay them 20 bucks and go get wet with all this new gear before I go to Mexico next week. Yay!

So, if this BPW will probably need 4-6 # of weight (in a 3mm, in salt water), I figure I will need no weight in the pool (in the 3mm)?