Wing made from PVC pipe.

[Rich Keller]

I was looking for ideas on making a light travel BP/W for a single tank and someone suggested making the wing out of an 8" PVC pipe. I was wondering if anyone here as done this? If I am understanding this suggestion right it would involve two 8" sections cut to the length of the backpack with a cross section at the top to connect both pipes. If you added caps at the bottom of the pipes you could also us it to store small items you do not want damaged in transit. If the basic premise works then how can you inflate and deflate this type of wing? My original idea involved attaching either Oxyquen 18lb, DSS 12 or 17lb wing to a commercial diving harness like this. The original problem I wanted to solve was finding a way to attach the wing other then along the center line of the harness.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

Looks very well done but why not a single piece of webbing? Looks like the rivets would not allow on the fly adjustments when using different suits. I am still a fan of quick release buckles but overall it looks very well made.

 

[Rich Keller]

I did not make the harness, this is a standard commercial diving harness. I have a couple left over from when I was a commercial diver and was looking for a way to make use of them now. This would be used for warm water trips only so I only need it to fit one type of suit.

 

[rhwestfall]

I think venting a rigid body will be difficult as you must displace air with water, rather than it just compressing. Why not just make a PVC STA, and sandwich the wing (which could even be an old horse-collar) between the STA and the harness panel?

 

[Dsix36]

I don't know how you can use PVC pipe for a wing. For a wing to work it needs to be able to expand and collapse with the air inflation. This is what changes your buoyancy.

 

[spectrum]

I don't know how you can use PVC pipe for a wing. For a wing to work it needs to be able to expand and collapse with the air inflation. This is what changes your buoyancy.

Flood and purge, there were a number of attempts in the 1960's. I keep toying with the idea myself. If you can make it work as valved system then the BC displacement would not be subject to depth changes and that would be a nice feature.

 

[Dsix36]

Flood and purge, there were a number of attempts in the 1960's. I keep toying with the idea myself. If you can make it work as valved system then the BC displacement would not be subject to depth changes and that would be a nice feature.

OK, he is wanting to use the PVC like a ballast tank rather than a wing. That makes sense even if it will be difficult to accomplish.

 

[Mitchell Teeters]

This a good idea if one could create a valve system in which the water and air could be exchanged easily.


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[JahJahwarrior]

You want to make a travel 8" PVC pipe wing?

Other than for theoretical demonstration, why would this be better than the easily flattened and stuffed in luggage fabric wings sold by so many companies?

 

[Akimbo]

There was a product in the late 1960s that used rigid plastic tubes that may provide some inspiration. I have a review from Skin Diver Magazine that I can scan into a pdf file if you want it.