bowsandreels:
I am a pretty new diver, I've decided to head the DIR route for rec diving (single tanks). I dive cold water with a 7mm/hood/gloves. When I get a chance I will have a drysuit. I just ordered a hammerhead SS backplate & STA. I am now a little baffeled at the choices for wings. My LDS sells Halcyon, but they seem to be on the high end of price. I am not against ordering from the internet. I would love to hear some brand recommendations with a few reasons why. Thank you.
First thing you need to do is determine how much lift you need. Once this is known you can narrow down the choices a bit.
Your wing needs to do two things; float your rig at the surface without you in it and compensate for the loss or potential loss of buoyancy of your exposure suit.
The weight of your rig can be estimated reasonably closely, add the weight of your tank and plate + regs, + what ever else you might have on the rig, can light etc.
In cold water it's almost never the weight of the rig that governs the minimum lift required unless you put 100% of your ballast on the rig.
The second data point needed is the initial buoyancy of your exposure suit. For a wetsuit you can rollit up throw it in the pool and add weight 'till it just sinks. This number represents the max buoyancy your wetsuit can loose due to compression. A full 7mil suit on a average sized person can be 24-28 lbs. More if you have layers. There are many variables on neoprene, type, age etc. Do the test.
It's pretty likely that a Drysuit will be more buoyant than a wetsuit. Not guaranteed, but most people moving to a DS add weight. This means potentially you might need more wing in a DS. No real way to know exactly without having the undies and suit to test.
There are a number of good quality wings available. My preferences are for wings with a sewn outer shell and and a welded inner bladder, streamlined shape.....of course that's the type I make.
Regards,
Tobin
