Help with choosing a doubles wing

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7inch tanks get a ~40lb wing, 8inch tanks get ~55lb wing.

Done and done

I have seen numerous posts in the past that say that wing capacity needed is based on two things: The weight of the gas carried, and the maximum amount of buoyancy one could lose (e.g. due to wet suit compression or dry suit seal failure).

If those posts were correct and IF I understood them correctly (always the thing most in doubt), then I don't understand why you change wing size based on cylinder diameter. I dive HP120s, which are 7" and carry more gas than some 8" cylinder options. So, I don't understand why I would use a 40-ish # wing with double 120s but need a 55 # wing if I were to use, say, double LP95s.
 
So, I don't understand why I would use a 40-ish # wing with double 120s but need a 55 # wing if I were to use, say, double LP95s.

I do not know I would be as cut and dry either but I will say that my 55# wing taco's bad enough on my LP95's. I would imagine that on HP120's it would almost wrap around - figuratively....
 
I do not know I would be as cut and dry either but I will say that my 55# wing taco's bad enough on my LP95's. I would imagine that on HP120's it would almost wrap around - figuratively....

I tried a Halcyon Explorer 55 wing with my 120s and had a lot of trouble controlling my buoyancy and had terrible trim. But, with my OMS 60 # wing, I don't have trouble diving my 120s. I don't know what it looks like in use, as far as taco-ing goes. Actually, I have some video. I'll have to go back and look at that. Regardless, taco or not, it seems to work just fine, so far. I went with a wing in the 55 - 60 range (versus 45-ish) because that's what my Tech instructor told me to get. He said it would save me buying a new wing later, when I eventually go onto to Trimix and then Adv Trimix.
 
when you get into trimix you actually tend to need less of a wing because your backgas bottles become less negative with the added helium :)

regarding AJ's comment. E7-120's are the biggest tanks for 7", they carry 20lbs of gas, plus about 15 or so pounds between the backplate, bands, regulators, etc etc. 35. Gives you a 10lb buffer with a 45lb wing and that will cover a pair of stages and a deco bottle. It's cutting it super close, but that's why you would only ever dive that configuration in a drysuit and why it is unsafe to do it in a wetsuit....
With 95's, they carry about the same volume of gas, but the 45lb wings are usually a little narrower so they can't fully inflate which is a problem, and with tanks like the 104's, you have to add an extra 5lbs to their negative buoyancy, as well as another 5lbs of gas, so that puts you in the range of a 55lb wing.

With wetsuits you have instant buoyancy from the suit, and guaranteed buoyancy loss because of it. With a drysuit you have a pretty fixed min-gas inherent buoyancy, but it is very unlikely for that to ever be 100% lost. Everything except a torn leg/foot will allow it to hold some air. That said, those rigs are also so incredibly heavy that I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually put extra lead on when diving with a drysuit, so you just make sure the whole rig can be supported by the wing, and in the event that your drysuit floods, it's no big deal, just one big bubble instead of two somewhat smaller bubbles. Very manageable.
 
I have a 40lb, 50lb, and 65lb wing. I use the 40lb or 50lb for my LP85s (7.25") depending on how many stage/deco tanks I'm carrying and extra weight for exposure suit. I have a spreadsheet that calculates how heavy I am at the beginning of a dive to let me know which to use.

For my HP130s I use my 65lb wing, which is good for pretty much anything I'm going to strap to myself.
 
I am now Sidemount diver, however I learned to cave & wreck dive using a Halcyon double wing Evolve 40 lb with LP 85's, LP 95's and HP 100's. I am selling it since I no longer am using it. PM me if you are interested at all.
 
The choice in wings is downright dizzying. It is possible to own the equivalent of a store's inventory and match the wing you use on a given day to the specific gear you will be using. If you are like me and end up with a lot of variety over the course of a year, you will be making a lot of decisions. Most people prefer to have only a few that they use for given ranges, as several people have suggested here. You want to make sure you have enough buoyancy, but you really don't want that taco effect. I remember one very distinctly annoying set of dives with double AL 80s in Mexican caves when my wing was too big. I was happy to be able to borrow a smaller one.

One suggestion would be to try to find a place with good options from which to choose and good advice on those choices. Try not to be in a position where someone is trying to make sure you buy that one that has been hanging on the wall for two years and is screwing up the inventory management.

Obviously, we'll be more than glad to help.
 
This leads me to possibly the Dive Rite Rec wing which has 45lbs of lift. I'm open to anything and don't be afraid to correct me if i missed things.

I have this wing, specifically the dual bladder version of it - I bought it to get through the AN/DP class redundant buoyancy requirement. I'm really not thrilled with it - it's supposed to be usable for both singles and doubles, and in the process it seems like it does a slightly mediocre job of both. While it manages to lift my much more buoyant LP85s, I don't think it has the full 45 pounds of lift it's advertised as having. A portion of the inside part of the wing is pinned between the backplate and the tanks, preventing it from inflating fully. Additionally, the top two corners are rounded off and don't provide the lift I need around my upper torso, where a more square shaped wing would - even on the surface with the wing fully inflated, the back of my head is usually underwater.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd pick the DR Classic wing based purely on shape and not lifting capacity.
 
I am now Sidemount diver, however I learned to cave & wreck dive using a Halcyon double wing Evolve 40 lb with LP 85's, LP 95's and HP 100's. I am selling it since I no longer am using it. PM me if you are interested at all.

This is an awesome wing. Since switching to SM mine is hanging in my gear room. I dove the Evolve 40 with up to 108s, no issue with lift when paired with drysuit for redundant lift. Routinely dived double 80s wet. All around solid piece of kit. Plus it has the coveted blue 'H'.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
I'm looking into doing some tech courses (AN/DP) in a year or two, and I want to go ahead and get my equipment squared away and dive it as much as i can before i start the courses so I'll be super comfortable in my gear and i can really focus on the class. My question is regarding wing size for doubles. I plan on diving double Faber FX HP100s as i already own one Faber HP100 and will buy another one to match. Anyway my question is regarding how do i know what wing size to get for my setup? So far I've calculated the total negative buoyancy for my rig, and I've got that both tanks total will be -16lbs, -5lbs for bands, -6lbs for bp/w, -5lbs for regs/SPG, and probably an extra 5-10lbs for other gear and an AL-40 stage for an estimated total of 35-42 lbs. This leads me to possibly the Dive Rite Rec wing which has 45lbs of lift. I'm open to anything and don't be afraid to correct me if i missed things.

Call me. 626-799-5074. I'm around most week days 9-5 ish California time. I'd be happy to spend a few minutes detailing how we size wings. Once you understand the basics, and the assumptions they are based on you will be equipped to select a wing for pretty much any set of conditions.

Some of the info in this thread is first rate, but it's easy for the new diver to get overloaded too much "help"

Tobin
 

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