Halcyon

[Tibbs]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Gavin Yates @ Nov. 21 2003,00:52)]Cos I use an undersuit (yes it's one of those and I'm more than happy with it) that compresses.

I might need to lift another unconscious member of my dive team who might be OOA or has had another suit/wing failure.

Also, if my wing has been holed then the extra capacity minus leakage will get me home.

and if you can't effectively dump from a 55lb Explorer then there's something seriously wrong with your technique I would hazzard.

The compressablility of your undersuit should make no difference. You're still going to be putting gas into your drysuit and if you put just enough in to take off the squeeze, you will always have the same amount of lift in your suit. Or am I wrong?

The 55lb wing was designed for high capacity cylinders in mind, specifically the Pressed Steel 104 or larger. 104s are 8" in diameter as opposed to the Faber 12L cylinder which are 7" in diameter. This lack of width means that there is more wing sticking out of the side of the cylinders which then 'wrap' around the cylinders. It makes the rear dump higher up and harder to reach, and because of the wrapping it can mean that the gas in the wing can be higher than the top of the wing where the corrugated dump is, making it hard to dump there as well.

If you are diving properly horizontally the wrap of the wing will make it very difficult to dump from the corrugated dump of the wing. If you're seahorsing it's easy as the top of the wing is the highest point, so one could argue that you have to have good technique to make it difficult to dump from a 55lb wing on twin 12s...  

As for lifting a diver - weren't you taught to always use their buoyancy? That way if you let go of them you aren't going to go up like a polaris missile and they aren't going to sink. The chance of a buddy falling unconcious and losing both buoyancy compensators is so unlikely as to not really be worth putting up with the inconvenience of the 55lb wing for.

Regards,

Chris

[Diving Dude]

l read your post before you changed it.
 
The edited version is much more suitable

[Davey Willo]

Hiya Gav

What is it that GUE have changed?? what does it have to do with wing size?? just curious mate..

Dave.

[Davey Willo]

Whoops looks like you've removed all of your posts on this one Gav.... Ah well never mind...

[Bob Cooper]

You need the 40lb wing for European 12L steel cylinders and for AL80's.  The 55lb works, but it's not optimal.  I just got back from a trip diving double AL80's and my buddies hired 40lb wings in preference to the 55lb wings they took with them.

The 55lb wings work really well with the big steel tanks like 104's.  You don't need all that lift with the smaller tanks we use here.

Hope this helps.

Bob

[Phil Ennis]

<font color='#810541'>This doesn't make sense now that Gav has removed his posts, never mind.

I now know the reason why I don't like my 55. I have been saying for ages that I have to make very strange manouvers to Bum dump and I have to go into upright position to dump via the hose. Oh no you don't has been the reply from certain people till now.

So I am not as crap as I thought I was then.

Anyone want to buy my 55

I overweighted today and yes then you have extra air in your wing and it is easier to dump. Well I will have to get a 40 or can anyone lend me one for 1st 2nd 3rd Dec for fundamentals.

[Davey Willo]

Phil don't be overweighting mate... remember.. 'balanced rig' you'd be better off having to come off horizontal to get the last of the air out rather than carrying more lead than you need.. tut tut.. shame on you!!