Buddy/ Wings

[Who, me?]

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum which I am most impressed with. Lots of friendly sensible advice by the look of it.
I am a not very regularly instructing, Instructor based in East Yorkshire and been diving for about 15 years now but always open to learn from others.
I have until now always dived a standard jacket but am now looking at possibly a wing to use upto 12ltr independant or manifolded twins in addition to singles.
I have read lots about the Buddy Tekwing and jackets taking both quite happily and quite like the look of their Trident. I am not sure whether going their route will allow me to future proof myself sufficiently or whether I should look at a more modular system like the DiveRite, the new Poseidon BeSeas also look very nice.
Any advice most welcome!

[Conor]

Best thing to do is try them out. Get yourself on a YD gig and borrow said wings

[vid]

Originally Posted by Who, me?

I have read lots about the Buddy Tekwing and jackets taking both quite happily and quite like the look of their Trident. I am not sure whether going their route will allow me to future proof myself sufficiently or whether I should look at a more modular system like the DiveRite, the new Poseidon BeSeas also look very nice.
Any advice most welcome!

Hi & welcome

Buddy trident is great - but like seaquest raider and other "wing BCDs", some hate them - others love them. My raider was great, but the lift is only 50lbs
Buddy Tekwing has a lot of fans - and there have been some threads on this very wing in the last few weeks.

Shame you don't live in the south - wraysbury (a muddy puddle near heathrow) hires out Tekwings - so you can play with one to your heart's content. Otherwise, there's lots of YDers who will let you try theirs.
A tekwing (with over 50lbs of lift) will allow you to dive with 12L twins and a couple of side slung 7L steel stages - so unless you think you're going to dive with more than this in the next 2-3 years, there's no need to consider a more traditional modular system like OMS, diverite, dirzone, halcyon etc etc etc

vid

[Nick Kay]

How about buying a buddy redwing and adding that to your existing kit?

1. Not that expensive - esp if you buy 2nd hand

2. Adds the required lift and redundancy

3. Smaller "learning curve"

4. If you discover that wings/twins isn't for you, sell it and back to where you were

[MATTBIN]

Watcha
I have a Buddy TekWing, I have used it on single/pony, twin 10's (inverted) and indie 12's. Works fine with all of them. I have replaced the abs b/p and harness cos I wanted to, nothing much wrong as was. The single was buddy banded on, pony side slung, the 10's inverted and used s/s bands with CD mushroom bolts for the abs plate and then ordinary bolts on ali plate, the indie 12's buddy bands again. I replaced the plastic plate as I found it a little too flexible in-water. I also wanted to put a new harness on the plate, a single one piece job. I think the ali plate and single harness is loads more comfortable, personal choice really. When run with single/pony it can if fully inflated tip you forward on the surface. Be a bit carefull what plate you put on it as some squash the wing and reduce its lift capacity making it struggle with twin 12's. Mine seems OK with 12's but I have only dived it this way once so it may be too early to say, others (Digger) has used it with twin 12's and stages, but beware of him he's mental He must be he built his own Rebreather.

HTH
Matt

[Who, me?]

Thanks for all the info and suggestions, really appreciated.