Doing the Wing Roll - Dumping Wing air through one dump/relief valve

(I did some searching through the forums, so if this question gets repeated, sorry in advance>)
I have a 38lb OMS wing on a Dive Rite SS backplate, it has served me well and we've become
old pals. Sometime though, I wish there was a second dump valve on the right wing. There are times
I need to dump air fast, and I have to "do the Wing roll" that is, roll onto my right side to force the air
bubble to the left wing, then nose down, left arm twist to grab plastic knob on string to release it.
The jacket BC people wont understand this, the have like 3-4 dumps with nice routed release plastic knobs
to pull on at their leisure.
I don't like to stop, go vertical, grab inflation/dump hose and yank it to the sky, push release valve, if
I can help it.
So, besides the "minimize points of failure" is their a reason behind only one wing valve on the left side?

The design with the wing dump on one side goes back to doubles wings, where you may want to have different amounts of air in either side of the wing to counteract an unbalanced load (such as a deco tank on one side). The training I've had specified certain gear on a particular side, and the system with wing dump on the left is actually designed around that.

What I've found over time with singles diving in a BP/W (the vast majority of my diving today) is that I've just adapted to the wing dump on the left and inherently roll that way if I'm going to need to dump air. Though 99% of the time I'm dumping air because I'm ascending and, in that case, using the dump on the inflator works just as well.

At one point I was sold on the circular/donut wings, and i still have one I regularly dive with, but I find they don't always let the air over to the other side when the wing is only partially inflated. (At least not without some underwater acrobatics.)

YMMV, but probably not.

Is your wing a horseshoe or donut? I have two Halcyon wings, both donut. and while I go a little nose down and roll a bit to the right, it's not exaggerated and doesn't take any time at all to do. The only time I ever dump from the inflator hose is at the beginning of the dive on the surface.

Practice makes perfect - both for the skill of dumping air efficiently and also the skill of ensuring you never have to "dump air quickly".

I've never found it to take that much movement to get air from one side to the other. The upper arc of my wings is big enough so that just a few degrees head up will allow air to pass from one side to the other, and if I'm up like that, I generally use the inflator hose to dump. If I'm perfectly horizontal, I can let a little air out of the left side if I need to, but it won't be enough to unbalance me significantly.

I think the reason there's only one is that most people find that's all they need, and the fewer you have, the fewer can come off or leak or get the "toggles" stuck under the tank

rongoodman:

Is your wing a horseshoe or donut? I have two Halcyon wings, both donut. and while I go a little nose down and roll a bit to the right, it's not exaggerated and doesn't take any time at all to do. The only time I ever dump from the inflator hose is at the beginning of the dive on the surface.

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Its a horseshoe. I'm think I'm suffering a little from the "taco" effect, but for the most part I can achieve a good balance. I have to do the "quickly dump air" when drift diving rivers when the profile changes quickly, eg getting shallower, and the air in the bladder that kept me from doing the hand dance on the rocks, is now surfacing me. I go nose down, reach back to grab the toggle to release air and discover its all on the right side, thats when I level out, roll and I'll hear and feel the air move, then I can dump- and get neutral again.
Im on the right, the picture is at an angle, just tilt your screen.

---------- Post Merged at 08:58 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 08:49 PM ----------

DevonDiver:

Practice makes perfect - both for the skill of dumping air efficiently and also the skill of ensuring you never have to "dump air quickly".

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Thanks Andy, I have learned a lot by reading your articles and watching your video's at your web-site. Ive been meaning to send a thank you.