Wings and Fings

[Lou]

Well, I did it.  Yesterday I went and played with the backplate and wing (plus single 12 & usual side-slung pony) art the St*n*y place (shhh!!)

It was a very weird day.  I can honestly say that I experienced the worst dive I have ever had!!  

First dive was planned to be a plop down to the Stanegarth, swim around a bit and then practise SMB deployment, me hovering off the bottom and Caroline however she felt happy.  Unfortunately it was not a happy dive from start to end as for some reason the demons got a hold of Caroline and she spent most of the dive looking terrified.  Neither of us have any idea what caused it but her old fear of wrecks came back (to a woman who has loved wrecks since I dragged her onto the Thistlegorm) and everytime something loomed out of the gloom (the viz was dreadful) she was close to panic.  So I spent most of that dive baby-sitting in the nicest possible way and not really thinking about the wing.

Second dive and we were going for a long shallow swim for me to play about seriously with the wing and this was the one.  It was horrible.  I was too heavy full-stop, plus the weight was all too far forwards and all I wanted to do was to plough a furrow in the shale with my nose!!  Have you ever seen a purple –clad woman having a serious temper tantrum underwater – if you were at Stoney yesterday you would have done!  I struggled for 40 mins and then gave in and surfaced.  I was so mad with myself for feeling like a total novice again, so we gave it a reasonable SI then went back in.  I was 2 kg lighter and the tank was moved lower.  That dive was much better.  Trim still isn’t right but I did feel something of what the wing should feel like and it was good.  

The major conclusion is that I need to adjust the harness to sit it further down on my back – I think the harness is too tight making it sit too high.  I saw a site from a link once that showed where it should sit (is it the second vertebrae down?).

The second thing is that it needs a crotch strap adding.  We bought it second hand and the crotch strap had been removed.  This meant that there was a tendency for the wing to ride up and that exacerbated the “head heavy” feeling.

Finally I need to work out where I am putting the damn inflator.  The previous owner obviously had it under his arm as it now appears preshaped to want to go there.  That’s fine but it clashes a bit with my pony so I will need to “bungee” it, and that then means I can only dump by pulling it.  I couldn’t really reach the “arse dump” with any ease – this might improve when I move the whole lot down?

Anyway, I thought I would share my experiences so all you guys who are in the same boat and just getting a wing won’t feel quite so bad if your first experience is a shite as mine!!  Plus of course, I will accept grateful any handy tips to remedy my problems from the experienced users on the forum!

Cheers all

Lou

[Mary]

my sparkly fairy wings look beautiful on my tank and they don't affect my weight or trim at all

[daz]

   

Sorry Lou I'm laughing with you not at you...  And suddenly it brings to mind my first dives with a wing and harness.

Deffo on the crotch strap,  I found the wing had a tendancy to lift everything out the water except me on the surface,  nothing like seeing most of the harness and wing bobbing on the surface with just half my head clear of the water.  Under water it also keeps the whole package held lower down so stops it riding up higher and making everything top heavy (ala nose furrowing)....

As for the "damn" inflator,  I bungee mine just above the chest area,   I initially tried bungee lower down the harness but like you could not lift the inflator to dump.  With the bungee higher up I can still lift it to dump but it stays where I can find it and does not try to play hide and seek behind me.

I try to avoid using the arse dump as much as possible, it is bad enough with me adjusting my crotch strap without rummaging around my arse area as well  

Keep at it, it is worth it in the end....  

Daz

BTW: I made my crotch strap out of normal 2" webbing and two metal 3 bar weight retainers.  I had to fold it at the back in on itself to get it through the crotch strap slot,  then unfold it once it was through so the weight retainers would hold it.  looped over at the front and held with the second weight retainer.  Then the waistband of the harness just threads through the loop at the front.

[Gavin Yates]

<font color='#000F22'>The crotch strap is the most important one.

It holds the rig in place, it moves weight to the centre of gravity and takes pressure off the shoulders above the water.

Just experiment with your weighting 'til you get comfortable.

It will take time but it'll be well worth it.

Remember this might have to be adjusted - in fact it will - when you pop in the sea.

Stick at it matey

[Lou]

I don't blame you for laughing at all. &nbsp;I must have looked an absolute pillock (although I did feel better when I got to the quay again and whilst ascending watched a guy trying to fin himself up. &nbsp;Ok, he had a slow ascent but he also dug a hole halfway to Australia in the silt!!).

It was just all so different - and anyone who says I should have trekked down to the coast for that experience can line up against that wall over there.....



Ho hum, looks like some more trips to devil's pits to get it all sorted before I'm brave enough to try it in the briney.

Thing is, I've now lost my BCD to Caroline as she much preferred it to hers when she used it yesterday (I'd nicked the camband off hers to use on the wing) so I am stuck with it ..

Cheers for the support everyone...my name is Louise and I am an epileptic hippo/diver in new wing...*sniff*

Mary - stick with the fairy wings in public!

lou

[Dominic]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]The major conclusion is that I need to adjust the harness to sit it further down on my back – I think the harness is too tight making it sit too high. &nbsp;I saw a site from a link once that showed where it should sit (is it the second vertebrae down?).

The DIR sites all show it with the waist strap around your stomach.
There's a clue in the name tho - waist straps go around the WAIST. I don't want a stomach strap
My bp sits at about the top of my hip bone. It was massively uncomfortable and awkward when I tried having it higher.
But hey, that just shows what a stroke I am, right?

[Wacker]

<font color='#0000FF'>Hi Lou
Stick with it girl
I also found that if you arn't carefull (with twins) when you turn in the water the rig trys to flip you on your back.
I personaly think you should be able to use the bum dump, especialy if you are having a tendancy to nose dive. &nbsp;
I had to use my old rig (buddy comando) the other day. The imidiate difference and sence of restriction leads me to thing that the wing will be my preferd choice in the future.
wack &nbsp;

[daz]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Wacker @ Aug. 13 2003,18:47)]I also found that if you arn't carefull (with twins) when you turn in the water the rig trys to flip you on your back.

Wonder why that is Wack &nbsp;

Could it have something to do with having 2 x 300bar 12's &nbsp;

I'll stick with my 232 10's

Daz

Actually I noticed that as well even with my puny 10's but can't say I notice it any more.

[Wacker]

<font color='#0000FF'>actualy daz
it was quite scary on the first dive doing an impresion of a dying fly on the bottom pinned down by two great big lumps of steel.
I had to inflate wings to sort out the predicament and then use ass dump in anger to dump air quick enough.
&nbsp;
wack

[Mark Chase]

Hi Lou

Which wing did you settle on by the by?

I did the bull dozer bit when I first started. I spent the entire dive waving my hands about trying to keep level trim. Just droping the set lower did the trick for me but others used V weights low down on the twins. Strangly I have never noticed it on a single tank I just tend to bung that any old where.

And hey, your a tec diver now kid. We will have none of that lifting the inflator hose above the head and dumpung milarky. Pull to dump is the cool way to go

I rout my one under my arm and have it in a bungy loop on the lowest D ring. That way it is always where i put it. Others put two loops on the top and botom chest D rings and have it over the sholder. I never use the bum dump the stage is always in the way.

I dont use the crotch strap either as my ample tummy keeps the wast belt low and so keeps the rig in place. Oh yes, and I dont have hips to contend with

I realy strugled at first but I would never go back to a jacket BCD now.

So keep it up, it will be worth it in the end.

ATB

Mark Chase