First attempt at BP/wings

After doing a lot of reading and thinking I've decided to give the BP/wing setup a try. I hope I like it better than Scuba446!

Last night I set it all up and have a couple of questions...

First -- so the top of the plate is supposed to be at your second vertebrate, you're supposed to be able to reach back and touch the top of the plate. I have it set so its about and inch lower... I'm used to tight fitting harnesses (rock climber for 10 yrs). But I have a largish upper back and if I position it that high it won't rest on my lower back.

Second -- I'm still practicing horizontal ascents and descents. If I need to dump air in a head up position will bungeeing the the inflator to the left harness reduce its dumping capacity? I've been wondering if I should leave it unbungeed until I have the horizontal thing down completely. Of course I've never used a BP/wings before so I'm hoping it will be much easier!

I'm hoping to be able to try out this new toy this weekend! Any hints or suggestions I may not have thought of?

We shall see how this works...

No, the bungee won't reduce the ability to dump air.

In the correct horizontal position you can use the rear dump or the hose dump.

Dumping on ascent should be an occassional and controlled action. Lifting the hose up while you are horizontal will allow you to dump a small amount of air out of the wing each time. You don't want to dump the whole load and then have to inject more back in. Just take it easy.

On descent while horizontal you can use the rear dump or the hose dump. I usually start my descent vertical in the water looking at my buddy.... hold the hose up and dump enough to submerge and then assume the horizontal position for the drop adding air to the wing when necessary to slow the descent.

Tip: To find the rear dump string without using a dingle ball... incircle the whole dump with your left index finger and thumb... then close your finger and thumb and the string will be in your grasp.

your inflator hose should be run under the inner tube bands to hold it tight to the corrugated hose BUT do not pass the inflator hose under the bungee! Attach the inflator hose to the inflator mechanism AFTER you pass the corrugated hose under the bungee.

Reason: if the inflator hose is under the bungee too then the qd on the inflator hose can get snagged on the bungee and come undone... certainly not life threatening but are real pain... and it does happen.

If you need clarification on this ask.

Okay... I see. The coragated hose goes under the bungee. Then the inflator hose goes under the tube and over the bungee and into the snap.

That makes sense.

Thanks for the tips!

Uncle Pug once bubbled...
your inflator hose should be run under the inner tube bands to hold it tight to the corrugated hose...
If you need clarification on this ask.

Click to expand...

Uncle Pug, If I read this right, you have one (or more) inner tube bands on the corrugated hose.
I haven't heard of this before but it sounds like a good idea. I assume the tube would be above the bungee, correct?

As long as I learned something, the day wasn't wasted.

Dave

Kronos13 once bubbled...


Uncle Pug, If I read this right, you have one (or more) inner tube bands on the corrugated hose.
I haven't heard of this before but it sounds like a good idea. I assume the tube would be above the bungee, correct?

As long as I learned something, the day wasn't wasted.

Dave

Click to expand...

A picture (or a couple) is worth a 1000 words
Click Here

The Halcyon corrugated hose comes with two rubber inner tube bands already on it... but you can make some and add them to yours if you don't already have them... however you might have just missed them...look closer.

"If I need to dump air in a head up position will bungeeing the the inflator to the left harness reduce its dumping capacity?"

Ahh, and we begin to see some of the complications I experienced with the BP and wings rig....

Scuba446 once bubbled...
"If I need to dump air in a head up position will bungeeing the the inflator to the left harness reduce its dumping capacity?"

Ahh, and we begin to see some of the complications I experienced with the BP and wings rig....

Click to expand...

there is no problem dumping air with a bungeed inflator. That's why the inflator is shorter than a standard bc's inflator.... it's basically bungeed at it's highest point... just have to lift it slightly and maybe come heads-up for a second to allow the air to dump.


The inflator is always "right there" where you left it.... not flopping all over the place.

That wasn't MY experience. I had my D-Rings right near the clavicle. Many times I had to either get in a head-down orientation to dump air, OR, worse, roll onto my RIGHT side so that the LEFT side of the wings was UP so I could vent air out.

What was all that about NOT needing bungees on their wings - like OMS does?

Sure seemed like a good idea to me all those times. Many times I had air trapped in the wings that wasn't dumping out w/o a circus full of contortions by me...

Let's just put it this way - I wasn't left very impressed! I dove 100% better with that SP BC during all MY BOW instruction...I had a much easier time with buoyancy, head above the surface while on the surface. As an EMT and Rn student - one would sure be in a bad way with the head 'down' orientation that the wings encourage in the event of unconsciousness, I think

Bad move if someone has ever drowned or near drowned from an incident.