Finally Got my BP/W setup, umm...now what?

[cool_hardware52]

Nothing wrong with that. I think the responses (mine included) were merely intended to point out that you CAN, if you wish, dive the Rec with single tanks without problem, and lots of people do. (I am a bit amused by the hoopla across a number of threads over the 'dreaded taco'. Among the list of things that divers should worry about in refining bouyancy and trim, it is not particularly close to the top.)

Sure people can dive with a tacoed wing, but as you point out buoyancy and trim are more important. What is often not well understood, particularly by the newer BP&W users is how a "tacoed" wing impacts trim.

To vent a wing you need to move the gas from the side "pontoons" into either the top arc of the wing to vent via the fill hose, or through the top arc of the wing to bring gas from the right side to the left side to be exhausted via the OPV.

The top arc of the wing is lower than the "side pontoons" for a horizontally trimmed diver. More taco means a greater difference between the position of the gas in the side pontoons and the top arc of the wing.

Gas will flow to the high point in the wing.

The great the difference between the height of the gas in the side pontoons and the top arc the more the diver will have to "break trim" and go vertical to move gas from the tacoed sides and into the top arc.

This act alone can induce buoyancy challenges for the new user. In addition it is not uncommon for divers to carry extra ballast because they cannot effectively fully vent.

Both of tend to negate main advantages of the BP&W, i.e. less ballast and improved trim.

In my experience divers move to a BP&W because they want to be able to maintain trim, and want to be able to fully vent. Starting out with a wing that compromises these advantages can be counter productive.

Tobin