wide BP/W with single tank vs. jacket BC

[freedc]

I happen to own a nice simple Dive Rite BP/W but i think it's wide enough for doubles so looks a little funny with a single tank. I also own a couple of jacket style BCDs, which I'm used to. There seem to be a lot of virtues with BP/W, but is it worth it if it's a little too wide?

I'm not looking to buy any more equipment so I'd like to use something I already have. The BCDs are a lightweight Cressi travel and an old Scubapro.

Thanks.

 

[tbone1004]

which wing is it?

 

[freedc]

I'll have to check. It's pretty old. Red. Basic. I found one on google images that looks like it but i don't recognize that thread through the eyeholes in the middle.

 

[tbone1004]

@freedc that is a doubles wing and a big one at that. It is WAY too big to be used with single tanks. Keep it for doubles, and/or sell it and get a regular single tank wing. They're not that expensive

 

[Addicted2H2O]

Obviously I can't see the BP, but I would think that just the wing being a little too wide wouldn't be much of an issue. Reason being because with a single tank it's not going to be fully inflated (or anywhere near that if you're properly weighted) and the air in it is going to go to the highest point, which is likely going to make the outermost edges of the wings "roll" upward around the tank. So in all actuality it's really not going to be all that wide when you're diving it. And it should still help you maintain a better horizontal position in the water column that a jacket style BC would. I personally haven't yet dove a BP/W kit so I don't know for certain. But just thinking about it, it seems that's how it would work out.

 

[tbone1004]

@Sh0rtBus that wing is wide enough that the top of the wing when taco'd will be well above the tank. It will wrap all the way up and be very difficult to dump gas.

This is a classic wing mounted to doubles for scale. It's huge

 

[Addicted2H2O]

@tbone1004 Thanks for the info! I'll definitely take that into consideration if I ever decide to go BP/W, which I'm sure at some point I will to dive doubles.

 

[tbone1004]

@tbone1004 Thanks for the info! I'll definitely take that into consideration if I ever decide to go BP/W, which I'm sure at some point I will to dive doubles.

there really aren't any wings out there that do double duty properly. If you dive doubles 99% of the time and randomly have to dive singles once in a blue moon, then some will use a doubles wing in a pinch if they can't borrow a singles wing or something else, but it's a less than ideal solution

 

[freedc]

Any tips on finding a good single tank wing that's not expensive? The doubles one i found used (which the diver had been using with a single tank) was pretty cheap but that was luck.

 

[tbone1004]

Any tips on finding a good single tank wing that's not expensive? The doubles one i found used (which the diver had been using with a single tank) was pretty cheap but that was luck.

be patient. check ebay, fb marketplace, here, etc. Alternate is just buy a singles bp/w system that's about $300. Sell your existing wing for $100-$150 and call it a day