oms vs. dive rite harness

[Scubaroo]

3500PSI once bubbled...
I was going to ask the same question!(oms iq pack vs dive-rite transpak 2)I was at my lds today and they persuaded me out of buying the halycon bp/wing setup. His main points were the 2 inch webing cutting into your sides by your armpit and the lack of d-rings to attach stuff to. I dont really care about the d-rings but i tryed one on and he was right....i could see how the webbing could cause discomfort.

And you're diving this with a 7mm wetsuit?

Is the guy feeding you this BS actually a diver or just a dive shop employee? The "lack of D-rings" comment should be a warning! Check out my profile photo - I have 3 d-rings, and there's plenty of room for all my gear.

If 2" webbing "cuts into your sides" don't you think the folks who lug double LP104s around in Florida might have noticed? My single tank rig easily weighs 55lb or more, and I don't notice any "cutting" from the webbing in either a 7mm wetsuit, trilam drysuit, or the three times I dived it with a 3mm suit. Try it on over your wetsuit, not street clothes! I've only dived light double 85s, but they still weighed around 80lb, and there's no "cutting".

Sheesh.

 

[scubahubby]

buff once bubbled...
Some of those high tech divers complain that bands can get you caught up on stuff-wrecks mostly. This sounds logical.

Have you heard this from anyone who actually dives wrecks with the OMS Bungie wings? I am not being snide, this is a serious question. I would love to find a legitimate reference to an incident where this actually ocurred.

I have heard the same comment made but only from people who have never dived the wings. Or who heard it from someone else (who didnt dive the wings or could not be identified). I have never heard this from someon who actually dives the bungie wings.

Those I know and have talked to that do wreck penetration with the bungie wings have all said it never happens, they are too streamlined. Its not like they are big loops dangling around, they are tight to the bladder. You are just as likely to have your harness snag on something, or the manifold. And much more likely to have your hoses snag (or a big floppy wing).

 

[buff]

The fear of catching a bungie cord on a wreck is a great fear. I don't know if it's reality based.

I have heard it many times from divers on this board. Many, many times from many, many DIR divers.

I agree your chances of hooking something else like a hose are much greater-but it is a debate that rages on between the bungied and non-bungied divers. I have never dove a wreck with a wing on so I can't say if it's real or not and that's why I said it "seems" logical.

I have trapped a lot of air in a bungied BC. And that is hassle enough for me to be skeptical for the need for bungy cords on a BC.

The other rap against the bungies is the story that a diver would not be able to orally inflate the BC at depth since the bungies would offer considerable resistance. I have inflated my bungied BC orally at 150 feet with no problem. I would think that if you couldn't inflate a BC with bungies you should see a pulmonologist.

Many of these fears are based on supposition or anectodal evidence. "Logical conclusions" must be ammended when empirical evidence dictates otherwise.

 

[scubahubby]

buff once bubbled...
The other rap against the bungies is the story that a diver would not be able to orally inflate the BC at depth since the bungies would offer considerable resistance. I have inflated my bungied BC orally at 150 feet with no problem. I would think that if you couldn't inflate a BC with bungies you should see a pulmonologist.

I have to agree.

I dive the OMS dual bladder bungie wings when I dive doubles but have not done any wreck penetration yet.

I have also heard fears that if there was an inflator valve failure the bungees would force all the air out and make the BC useless. Ignoring dual bladders and using the drysuit as a backup, I have found this to be an overblown concern in practice. The bungies are not that tight when properly installed. They will vent at the surface in any orientation if you open the valve, but at depth the pressure differentals work for you. Even in a heads up orientation (so the shoulder valve is the highest point on the wing, with the inflator open the bungies do not exert enough pressure to vent the wings unless the opening of the inflator is near shoulder height . Just to avoid danglies I keep the inflator attached to my harness with some shock cord. And that is all it takes to keep the valve in a position so it will not vent at depth even when held open (unless I roll on my back and float with my shoulders just a few inches above horizontal).

My only issue with the bungie wings is getting the air out! I had to play with the bunge tensions several times before I got rid of the trapped air problem (mostly, I still get small pockets at the verry bottom of the wing by the lower dump valves. And I had to modify the handles of all the dump valves because they are a bit hard to find by touch with 7mm gloves.

 

[Rickoz]

So you all know I have a DR TPII.

I know a diver who loved his OMS IQ pack but sold it for a TPII Why (I guess) coz he's a dive shop owner who sells DR equipment
but he loved the IQPack.

Now I have a question. RE: 35 v 45 lb wings

If a diver uses a steel tank with some lead weights to say @ the 3m mark for safty stop, then uses a ally tank with even more lead to stay @ the 3m mark for a safty stop then why does he/she need a large wing with the steel tank ?
can anyone help me with this one

 

[curtmdavis]

Ive only been diving my IQ for a couple of weeks now, but after getting it all set up the way I felt was best for me, I found it to be the most comfortable and streamllinr BC I have ever dove in. As far as your long walks in full gear to shore line dive sites, I feel you there. Yesterday my partner and I made a nasty hike down a pretty burly trail to the bottom of the Narrows Bridge in Tacoma.
Presently my IQ has the no sag pockest with 30 lbs of lead, the bungied dual 100# lift bladder. ( i didnt opt for the 100# but got a ripping deal on it so I snatched it up!!) and an aluminum back plate. Ive dove with smaller wings, and still found there to a minimum of drag with this system. I had heard a lot of guff on these threads about the pockets as well, about how they "clap" together and slide around, but the way I rigged mine, was to move the waist mounted D rings to the front of the pockets, nad secure the bolt snaps to the rings near the rear of the harness instead of to the shoulder straps. I also agree that if you cant orraly inflte the bungied wings, then you should probably consider seeking some sort of medical attention.
Alot of the dives we do up here in the PNW require that we somtimes make 2 trips from the trucks to the shore line, often that means carrying our outfitted rigs, tanks lead regs, down to the enterance point while wearing only a t-shirt, and then a second trip with drysiuts first aid kits and the like. Anyhow, not to turn this thread into a debate over webbing and padded harnesses and the lot, but since I understand the long treks to your dive sites, CHEERS to the most comfortable and streamline IQ harness, because thesre an ice cubes chance in Hell your gonna catch me hiking around with bare webbing!! (maybe Ill change my mind if my buddy buys a boat)

 

[marco]

If I understand the question correctly the answer should be that you need the same wing size, this is assuming you need additional weights on your weight belt to descend. To descend you need to be negatively buoyant so if the only difference is the steel vs alloy tank then the difference in bouyancy between the two will have to be made up with lead weights.

Of course if you don't need any additional weight to descend with alloy tanks, then with steel tanks you will be more negatively bouyant and therefore the wing lift capacity must increase to overcome this.

And when dive in warm GBR waters in Australia with DIR rigging i can feel the webbing cutting into me under my arms especially when diving 5 times a day. 1 or 2 dives a day with a drysuit or full wetsuit is no problem but i have incorporated a chest strap into my harness due to this so now it is DIR4ME!

 

[The Chairman]

100# is probably too much. Although, only a stuck open regulator that was not attended to would be any cause for real concern.

Bungeed wings are not bad. My second BC was an IQ with the dual bladder 100# wings and I still own it.

The argument about snagging a bungee is bogus as they are way below the rest of the BC. You have as much chance as snagging your jock strap on a football field.

The argument about run-away wing deflation due to a leak is eaqually as bogus. Been there, done that and I hardly noticed a thing. Finished the dive and my buddy pointed out where the wing was punctured on the dive.

On that note... I don't reccomend BP & Wings for single tanks. Too much of the taco effect going on (even with the 35# wings). I made a spreader plate to keep this effect at bay. It has been vilified without them ever even seeing it. Those that have used it love it (yes, I have loaned it out).