Which Wing? Bungeed or Not?

[Digger]

<font color='#000080'>Right then guys, I'm thinking about getting the bungees off my OMS wing. I'm seeing a lot of downsides to it now, and not a lot of upsides.

So, someone convince me that bungees are a good idea. I've got a couple of reasons why they're on there, but I want to hear it from some of you uys that dive bungeed wings as to why. Because the why I should is a smaller pile than the why I shouldn't.

Thanks in advance guys. I'm going to play devils advocate where possible, because once I'ev made a decision, that's it done. They're a bugger to take off without damaging them, so it's no going back if I take them off!

Digs.

[Digger]

<font color='#000080'>God. I'm almost going DIR. If anyone sees me put my tanks the wrong way up just take me to one side eh?

[Mark Chase]

1: Bungies keep the wing neet and out of the way when crawling through ship wrecks

2: Bungies allow you to deflate the wing on the rib for a negitave entry into the water &nbsp;without asistance from others

3: Bungies make a very neet and conveniant way of storing stuff like redundant inflation hoses and long hose.

4: Bungies make a neet way of tempoary clipping off somthing when your kitting up. You can then pull it forward on the elastic and un clip it for cliping in the corect place. This alows for solo kitting up rather than ere M8 can you pass me my torch head.

5: Bungies stop the wing flaping arround

6: Bungies stop the wing wraping around the tank if your using a smal twin set or single rig with the wing.

7:A single 50lb+ bungeed wing will be usable for everything from a single tank to twin 18's thus preventing the expence of getting three wings to do a full range of tanks.

8: Its not DIR. This is obviously a big plus

But apart from that what did the bungee ever do for us?


Down sides of a bungied wing:

Entanglement hazard? I have crawled through a lot of wrecks without this being a bother but if it ever did its not that dificult to cut / snap the bungiee.

Air pockets traped in the wing: ??? cant say I have noticed this as a problem but then i dont feel the need to remain perfictly horizontal on ascent. If i am having a problem dumping &nbsp;will go heads up and twist to the right and that will normaly sort it.

Restricted manual inflation: Total rubbish. If you cant blow up my wing in the water your lungs are buggered and you shouldent be diving.

For me its simple I have one wing and I dive a big range of tanks and stages. Therefore I have a bungied wing.

ATB

Mark Chase

[Bob Cooper]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Mark Chase @ May 03 2004,08:04)]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]1: Bungies keep the wing neet and out of the way when crawling through ship wrecks

2: Bungies allow you to deflate the wing on the rib for a negitave entry into the water &nbsp;without asistance from others

3: Bungies make a very neet and conveniant way of storing stuff like redundant inflation hoses and long hose.

4: Bungies make a neet way of tempoary clipping off somthing when your kitting up. You can then pull it forward on the elastic and un clip it for cliping in the corect place. This alows for solo kitting up rather than ere M8 can you pass me my torch head.

5: Bungies stop the wing flaping arround

6: Bungies stop the wing wraping around the tank if your using a smal twin set or single rig with the wing.

7:A single 50lb+ bungeed wing will be usable for everything from a single tank to twin 18's thus preventing the expence of getting three wings to do a full range of tanks.

What a load of old tosh!

[And]

<font color='#000080'>Hi Digger

Although I would normally say that bungees are crap, as I think they are, unfortunately you may find that the OMS wing will be too big when you remove them. You may have to keep them on to make it manageable. What size is the wing?

Andy

[Steve S]

<font color='#000080'>Hi Digger,

I would leave them on for the reasons Mark said especially I find them invaluable for tidying up the inflation hose etc on the inverts

Safe diving,
Steve.

[Fathoms Down]

I think this is a case of looking at the individual case rather than making up a blanket rule and making all rigs conform to it. I use a DiveRite SuperWing and the bungies are used to fold the outer edges back on to the wing so make it smaller and less prone to wrapping and snagging. The OMS bungies are a lot more 'agressive' when it comes to the way they fold the wing so they offer a different things to think about but personally I would leave them on. Hundreds of people dive bungies OMS wings every year with no incident so perhaps they aren't the death trap people make them out to be? &nbsp;

[Digger]

<font color='#000080'>OK, I'm seeing both sides of the argument here. It's an OMS 50lb wing, so it's not too big for the job.

Steve, my inflator hose comes up between the backplate and tanks in the centre. It keeps it out of the way, and I find it works well for me. So no bungees needed there.

The one thing I find it useful for is having my gauge through the bottom bungee, as it then sits right in front of me. It also makes the hose just the right length so it doesn't get in the way of anything, and I like that. But with a piece of bungee attatched to the hole where the bungee would have been, I can get the same effect.

Mark, I can't agree with points 1,2,4, I don't do 6, and (7) If I need a bigger wing, I'm going to have to get one. I think 2 wings would cover almost all the diving I ever do.

On the ferreting in shipwrecks, I didn't have an issue with my TekWing, and the OMS has seen the inside of a few wrecks, and I can't see a little extra coming out being an issue. I'd be more worried about the bungees catching than the wing being a problem. It's quite neatly round the tanks, I can see your point with some of the batwings out there though. I wouldn't want to take them inside a tight spot.

If I need to enter the water negative I just don' inflate the wing after I've done my checks. It's normally empty and I have to remind myself to put some air in just before I jump in!

On kitting up, I've not used the technique, but not needed it really. I find it reasonably easy to get my kit on and go, especially when there are others about. They might as well help me, then I'll help them.

I don't think bungees are a death trap, I just don't see why I need them.

I've never had a problem with trapped air either.

One issue I do have, is not knowing how much air is in the wing based upon how fast the air is coming out. I can tell with unbungeed wings that the wing is nearly empty because deflation slows down (just a bit) and with the OMS it keeps chundering out until it's empty.

The oral inflate I find easy enough for the first bit, but by the time the wing's near-full, it's much more difficult. This may be a failing in the way the wing is setup, but I don't like this feeling too much. I know I don't need it full to get me going up, or to keep me neutral, but I'd rather be able to inflate it all the way with my little lungs. The design of your wing is slightly different Mark, so that's probably why it's easy for you.

So, opinions please ladies and gentlemen! I'm still thinking the bungees are coming off this afternoon, but you've still got a few hours to convince me not to!

Digs.

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Bob Cooper @ May 03 2004,10:23)]

What a load of old tosh!

Dont you just love him  

OK OK I am scratching for ideas as to why bungies are good apart from the obvious one that they alow you to use one big wing for a whole range of tank configurations.

Digs: The bit about entering wrecks is with my set up the wing is kept tightley wraped inside the profile of the twin set. With an un bungied wing of 40lb + the wing is wraped around the outter edge of the set. I would have thaught this moor likley to get dammaged / punctured due to the way its so exposed.

The negitave entry bit was discovered last week in the red sea. Ling could not empty her wing on the boat without me physicly pushing the wing against the tank whilst she held the inflator open. This became aparant when she failed twice to do a negitave entry from the rib. She got stuck at the surface and had to use the water presure to pres the last of the air from her wing. Doing it manualy on the boat we had no further peoblem. I had no problem with my bungeed wing.

Personaly I would have thaught the OMS is too big a wing to have flaping arround twin 12s. I would bin it and go for the 40lb Halcyon if your that bothered. It looks very neet and compact in the water and WL reckons it copes with 12's OK. IMHO with UK multiple steel stages and posably larger tanks you would have to have the bigger 50lb wing as an option and a nice little 25lb Halcyon for single tank use.

This is a pic of my wife in her new single tank OMS unbungieed wing. See how even this tiny wing lifts off the back plate and wraps around the tank. This exposes the bladder to any sharp object that might outewise hit the side of the tank. My wife loves her new wing but she is not the type of diver who has to be draged backwards out of the ship wreck having got wedged in a hole like I am.

ATB

Mark Chase

[Lawrence Debono]

I have to say, I agree with Mark. I've been in places where I simply have to struggle to get trough. If I had pinched the wing between the tanks and the entry paint for sure I would have damaged it.

I also use the right side bungies to stow my long hose. Ye I could se how you avoid a lot of flap if the thing is wrapped nicely.

Then again I'm not going to persuade to keep them because if you take them off I might ask you to send them over for me. &nbsp;

Take care

Lawrence D