Tips needed for pinch flat avoidance

[John Bortle]

I was wondering about ways to attempt to avoid pinch flats on my wing.I dive a lot of cattle boats and just the unload and the off load give me nightmares. Everyone's gear piled onto the boat in boat bags and such.I never worry about my Express Tech obviously because of the soft plate. Any tips or tricks would be appreciated.

 

[mbs]

First would be to stay off those cattle boats With my DSS its trivial to pop the wing off of the plate. Then you could carry it separately if you are really concerned. Otherwise wrap your wetsuit around it to avoid any sharp edges. When I'm lazy I just make sure the plate is facing down with the wing on top and wetsuit over it, which probably doesn't make a difference, but makes me feel good. But I always carry my own stuff on/off the boat. Last trip was valet service. First day I did not put the wing in my bag and installed it on the boat. The DM's were a little panicked that I wanted to dive without a wing I would think it would be relatively difficult to get a pinch flat laying down in your bag. More likely while swapping tanks. For me, so far so good...

 

[tbone1004]

I just pop my DSS wing off of the backplate for travel/storage. Being super careful to make sure the plate is always down and never plate on top of wing tends to go a long way with it as well.
If you are using your personal tanks, a few buddies have STA's on each of their tanks and move the plate and wing that way. It's the expensive way to do it, but it's quite nice on the boats because you don't have to slide anything up and over

 

[Lorenzoid]

One tip is to be mindful of those boats where the tanks are retained in wells, as the wing could get caught between the bottom of the plate and the rim of the well, depending of course on the well depth and where your plate is positioned on the tank. Just be mindful of getting the bottom of the wing out of the way when you plop down after the dive and drop into your spot, that's all.

I have never had my wing in a bag that got tossed into a pile on the boat, as I generally just carry the backplate and wing onto the boat already assembled. In Cozumel, where the dive op takes care of storing my gear, it has indeed ended up in a bag, and it has given me a bit of concern; however, they seem to be very careful with the gear. Also, on a major trip like that I take a spare wing! A great feature of DSS single-tank wings is how compactly they fold up.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I always keep some air in the wing so it acts like a pillow.

 

[SOFDiver]

Aqua-Andy has it right. After my first and only flat pinch on my DSS wing I always made sure that I always kept it and my other wings inflated at least 25%. Never a problem since.

 

[The Chairman]

I never worry about my Express Tech obviously because of the soft plate. Any tips or tricks would be appreciated.

You answered your own question!

There is not a single advantage to a traditional BP&Wing over a hybrid when it comes to single tank diving. Need weight? Add weight pockets! The converse is definitely not true. A hybrid system (Zeagle, OxyCheq or Dive Right) is lighter to pack, infinitely more flexible (until you add the tank), more comfortable, usually easier to set up, usually easier to adjust, usually easier to doff and don, just as stable and I bet the list could go on. Hybrids are to BP&Wings what BP&Wings are to poodle jackets.

 

[Anthony A.]

I wrapped the edge of my plate with 1/4" flexible tubing from homedepot. Its the tubing you use for furnace drains. I then wrapped thin bungee cord every other hole to secure it. Makes the plate edges softer if it drops. That combined with 25% air in my wing is enough protection.

 

[tbone1004]

You answered your own question!

There is not a single advantage to a traditional BP&Wing over a hybrid when it comes to single tank diving. Need weight? Add weight pockets! The converse is definitely not true. A hybrid system (Zeagle, OxyCheq or Dive Right) is lighter to pack, infinitely more flexible (until you add the tank), more comfortable, usually easier to set up, usually easier to adjust, usually easier to doff and don, just as stable and I bet the list could go on. Hybrids are to BP&Wings what BP&Wings are to poodle jackets.

I wish Dive Rite hadn't discontinued the Hunterpac.....

 

[The Chairman]

I wish Dive Rite hadn't discontinued the Hunterpac.....

Me too... I still dive mine. Some are still available!

I wrapped the edge of my plate with 1/4" flexible tubing from homedepot.

It's a lot of work when a hybrid solves the issue rather elegantly.