A drag issue : to bungee wings or not to bungee

[The Chairman]

As to the whole "stupid" thing, come on Pete, the name "Bungee Wings of Death" adds huge Drama and FUN to our threads here on scubaboard...Its a great title! We could have a movie from this

As we have seen in the American Political Arena, pejoratives are best used to polarize an issue. In a debate/discussion, such statements are inflammatory and often derail the real issues.

When I first found ScubaBoard, I was diving an OMS dual bladder bungeed wing on an OMS IQ system. My tank of choice was a single and a friend and I devised a "spreader plate" to eliminate the taco effect from not having doubles. I had at least 850 dives on that BCD and pretty much wore it out. I punctured it on the Duane, fixed it and kept diving it. My trim was fine back then (commensurate with my experience) and when I moved to my first dedicated singles wing (DSS), the shift was one of the first things I noticed. I have since learned to use that shift to my advantage, much as I have learned to use my shifting tanks to my advantage while side mounting.

 

[Dr Wu]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/hogarthian-diving/327938-wing-oms.html

Still arguing this point in one way or another I see even though you were proved wrong. LOL

My post was simple, straightforward and easy to understand.

I'm surprised you had difficulty with it.


To dumb it down further:

There is no evidence this "test" has ever taken place. You may believe everything you read on the internet but I choose not to.

 

[The Chairman]

I don't understand this. I WANT to be able to park gas in one part of my wing rather than another; when I've got a couple of bottles hanging off one side of me, putting more gas in that side of the wing is how I avoid tipping over. Why would I want a wing that evenly distributed the gas?

Obviously, bungeed wings aren't for you! There are people who prefer the inherent stability.

To me, there is a fundamental flaw in the design.

What? Are they like a Pinto and explode when someone rear ends you? No. They operate as advertised (even with a puncture).

The wing is oversized, and the bungies are used to make it smaller. Choosing a wing with a very large capacity implies that, at some point, you think you are going to need that much lift. But when you have to use it, the bungies are most stretched, and therefore are most likely to exhaust gas from the wing in the event of a puncture. So when you need the most lift, the risk is greatest that you won't have it. Doesn't make sense to me.

I remember using my extra lift on several occasions. I have since moved on to using a lift bag, but there is a lot more harm in not having enough lift, than having too much.

 

[Tortuga68]

I have a bungeed 94# OMS wing, a 55# Halcyon Explorer and a 45# OMS Larry Green (no bungees). The bungeed wing is easily the most stable of the three, and isn't any harder to oral-inflate. My friend used a borrowed one during his AOW course and couldn't believe how stable it was compared to his 30# Halcyon Eclipse. It also inflates to it's full capacity, although I only do that when I'm washing it down after the dive

If I want low drag I'll use my singles rig

Shall we argue about redundant bladders now?

 

[Gombessa]

Shall we argue about redundant bladders now?

Let's not; I certainly don't want to have to install a second p-valve in my suit.

 

[Tortuga68]

No need - just install an isolation manifold!

 

[TSandM]

I remember using my extra lift on several occasions. I have since moved on to using a lift bag, but there is a lot more harm in not having enough lift, than having too much.

It really doesn't matter to me, one way or another, but I do want to clarify what I said before. It is not the extra lift to which I am objecting (that's another subject altogether). It's that, when you have to USE it, you have the most stretching force applied to the bungies, and therefore they are working hardest to collapse the wing. That means that, in that event where you have had to use all the lift, if you puncture the bladder, you will lose a significant amount of lift, no matter how you position yourself. Positing that the event where you need all the lift is likely to be an unusual and possibly stressful situation, having your gear work to increase the likelihood of losing that required lift seems to me to be counterproductive.

I can see a number of reasons NOT to dive oversized wings, and not to dive bungies. Not the least of which is that I don't ever want to be in the embarrassing position of a fellow who made the entry into Chan Hol with a leak in his bungied wing, and ended up splatting into the silt in the first chamber and crawling back out, and having to explain to the divers gearing up how he had totally blown the viz

 

[The Chairman]

It really doesn't matter to me, one way or another, but I do want to clarify what I said before. It is not the extra lift to which I am objecting (that's another subject altogether). It's that, when you have to USE it,

When I "had" to use my extra lift, it was always picking up something I could jettison. The most memorable were the mastodon ribs in the Wekiwa River.

Your friend (acquaintance) landing in the silt broke a cardinal rule: redundant buoyancy. I break that rule from time to time too, but if I get outed for it, I won't blame my gear.

It's like determining the "optimal" car. I love my Honda Ridgeline, but it's not for everyone. I even think it looks nice, but what do I know? Your idea of the optimal care might be a bicycle. To each his own. Both have different benefits and limitations and it's up to each of us to determine the ones that matter most to us.

 

[lord.harshil]

So I went out for dinner, came back, found this. lol

To me, I would stick with a un-bungeed wing.

Some of the pros & cons just end up flogging a dead horse.

But I'd like to see anyone deny that a bungeed wing presents a smaller chance of entanglement compared with an unbungeed wing.

Besides, I mean, unless you're super picky about parking air in one side of your wing or about godlike stability from bungeed wings, what does it matter?

Personally I'm trying to go DIR now but even if i wasnt, a spare bladder + extra inflation mech & an entanglement hazard just turns me away. Just seems like too much. Throw in OMS's err stellar reputation and my choice is clear.

To those like Doc & Wu who fiercely defend their choice, I'm glad you enjoy your bungeed wings, its always nice to find gear you like.

I just thought those who hadnt bought a wing yet & were considering getting one ought to hear about that email.

It doesnt at all seem dodgy or unbelievable to me. By the conspiracy theories some have thrown up, I might as well brand Dr Wu an OMS secret agent out to convert all of us since he gets paid $1000 everytime someone buys an OMS wing.

 

[Tortuga68]

Bungees and redundant bladders are really two seperate issues; it's not like you have to have both or neither

I wouldn't use a bungeed wing for overhead - even with the Jocasee rigging - but again you don't have to

Perhaps people who use certain equipment get a little tired of the same old red herrings being thrown up by people who, in many cases, haven't any significant personal experience with the gear in question