WillAbbott
Guest
NWGratefulDiver:I have to wonder about you guys who say a #45 wing is excessive. Wouldn't that depend on the diver, rig, and exposure gear? I ask because I have two wings ... a DiveRite RecWing (#50) and a DiveRite Venture (#30). I use the former in all my regular diving ... with a variety of steel cylinders (single tank config) and the Venture wing is for my pool rig. I wouldn't even want to consider taking a #30 out in the OW ... I doubt I'd be able to surface swim comfortably with it. I'm a fairly hefty guy (245 lbs) and dive a 22 lb weight belt with a 6 lb backplate.
I do like the Oxycheq wing ... it's most likely going to be my next purchase.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
You should EASILY be able to dive a 30# in open water, unless you are like signifigantly overweighted... I use an H 36# Pioneer with AL's (have used it with steels many a times though), drysuit, I weight 170-5, I wear 30lbs of lead.
I can NOT inflate the wing fully on the surface, I use the wing for inflation, not the suit, I keep the suit pretty compressed. If I were to inflate the wing all the way on the surface (which I have done before) I can't hardly surface swim... I float too high in the water, and end up creating too much drag, and can't swim for a dang. I've dove it with a steel tank, and the same weighting as an AL, so easily several pounds heavy, and never needed to inflate the wing very far (as near as I can tell), I reaced back many a times on that dive, as I felt like I was having to swim myself upwards to keep from sinking, as such it felt as if I had the wing fully inflated, however upon reaching back and grabing the wing, it was no where near full... in retrospect I think it was the fact I had a steel, and the weighting of an AL, it threw my trim way off.
As for the taco effect, I have no experience with it... however I would suggest a smaller wing than a 45... If I had the money, etc, I'd probably see about switching to a smaller wing... I think I'd also much rather have an STA style wing because I currently have to use a 4lbs weight on my cam strap to aide in trim.
Just my 2 cents, many a more people with much more vast knowledge than I have replied, I return the thread and your attention back to them