custom divers W/BP

Hi there,

there is a backplate / wing combination on the market from custom divers. In this case it's the TCW. I believe it stands for technical cordless wing (no bungies). I'm interested in buying one secondhand, I can get it for a reasonable price.
Can anyone tell me:
-It is a dual bladder design, could I use it with one removed?
-Are the inflators any good? they look a bit fragile to me
-Are the lower dump valves working properly? (especially the one on the side facing the diver)
-Any comments about the harness (pinch clips etc)?
-I have difficulties finding any reviews on the net, any special reason?

Thanks, Ronald

"They're in front of us, they're on our flanks, they're even behind us! Heck, we've got em surrounded from the inside!"

Very nuch to my surprise I got no (yes, zero) reactions on the thread about a Wing system made by Custom Divers.
Please can anyone give me an opinion about this manufacturer and or the TCW Wing, Backplate and Harness Quality?

Any Info would be greatly appreciated. Maybe it's not a very well known product but surely someone must have used it?
The specific model I am interested in has a main and a redundant internal bladder (it's secondhand) and I'd be interested to hear if it is possible to use it with one internal bladder removed.

Here you go, good luck!

I have seen it only on the internet. I don't know where you are from but the company was in England. Somewhere I think I saw they stopped manufacturing. But there are forums like this one in England where you could probably get responses. I found those forums with a search thru Google.

I was looking at their backplate myself but couldn't find any for sale separately in the USA, only full rigs through Canada.

Thanks for the advice it's a tough one this!
Greetings Ronald

Try asking here.

http://www.yorkshire-divers.co.uk/forums/index.php?

I don't use CD gear myself but those I know that do deem to like it. AFAIK they are still in operation.

HTH

Yes you are quite right when you say Custom Divers is British. They are very much in business.

www.customdivers.com

If you've got questions about their products, you could drop them an email at info@customdivers.com

I do know that the owner is a very experienced current technical diver. He dives most weekends and being a trained engineer understands his products inside out and back to front. I hope that this helps you.

Hi Ron

Custom Divers are British and so every product they produce is CE marked. CE marking is a declaration by the manufacturer that the product meets all the appropriate provisions of the relevant legislation implementing certain European Directives. The initials "CE" do not stand for any specific words but are a declaration by the manufacturer that his product meets the requirements of the applicable European Directive(s).

In reality this means that every single piece of, say a wing, goes through a series of stringent tests to check that it does what is says on the tin. And key components that work together are then checked together, such as inflators and deflators. The US does not have anything like this in place at present.

In answer to your questions, I've not dived a Custom Divers wing. But I know a lot of people who have.

-It is a dual bladder design, could I use it with one removed?

Why would you want to remove a redundant bladder? A double wing system does not mean you use both wings at the same time. It is there just in case something goes wrong. Your lpi hose blows on your main inflator. Having a redundant bladder would mean that you just use the other bladder to control your buoyancy to safely abort your dive. I dive a double bladder system, and never use the second bladder. I like it there as it gives me peace of mind, should something happen to my primary buoyancy system.

-Are the inflators any good? they look a bit fragile to me
-Are the lower dump valves working properly? (especially the one on the side facing the diver)

See answers above regarding CE marking. If the inflators and dumps were no good, or didn't work properly there is no way that this BC would pass CE marking. It would be slung out of the testing system.

-Any comments about the harness (pinch clips etc)?

Go and check out their website, and then email them with questions. www.customdivers.com The owner is an experienced technical diver and engineer. He will give you straight advice.

-I have difficulties finding any reviews on the net, any special reason?

Custom Divers has been going eleven years. Their products are very popular in the UK and Europe, and they are now distributing in the US and Canada. I know for a fact that their equipment was used during two big scuba expeditons to dive the Britannic. (Titanic's bigger sister that was sunk in Greek waters). She lies in 120 metres. At these depths you chose your equipment very carefully. Custom Divers equiment was chosen by many of the divers on the team.

I hope that this helps you. Good luck with your wing!

Thank You for your replies. I haven't been watching for a couple of days but it's nice to hear from you. Well The reason I have for wanting to know if it's possible to remove one of the bladders is that in that case I'm always sure that I'm not carrying any trapped air in it, and more weight to compensate. But it's not really a big issue. More like a DIR thing, I was wondering if it would be possible.
About the CE marking I'm a little more cynical I'm afraid. I consider it more of a last line of defense against Chinese and other asian import. Come any threatening products... find a flaw... implement directives....product fails. (See the lighter issue. As soon as the Chinese flooded the european market with their lighters we told them that suddenly they had to be child-proofed, conveniently stopping the Chinese products. Anyway the Chinese sued us and won!). Beside the point but as in Quality assurance ISO certification is not a guarantee for high quality, merely for quality along predescribed production methods. (it is perfectly possible to produce egg shaped ping pong balls under stringent quality control).
Having said that I do believe that a CE certification shows that a company commits itself to their product. Boy did that sound grumpy? No offence intended!
Interesting point about the use of this equipment for the Britannic. It seems that if people trust their lives to this stuff at a professional level, it must be well designed.
I guess my judgement of the TCW is one through the eye of an inexperienced diver.
Thanks again for the replies. It's comforting. Maybe now I'll spend the money on it.

Greetings from Holland

Today I bought the Custom Divers Wing. It's under way by mail. I'll post a comment after I've tried it.
Thanks you all.

Greetings from Ronald K