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Vinny, Without all the hoopla and yaya, there is only a couple of things to consider. A buoyancy device should only be used to "fine tune" your trim. If your configured properly, that is all it will be required to do. However, it should have the ability to provide enough lift should you or a buddy require a little extra because of any number of other unforeseen problems that can and do arise. Something that seems to be overlooked these days is that you should ALWAYS be able to inflate your BC orally without the power inflator. If you cinch down the full wrap type, you will not be able to orally inflate against the restrictive force. If your overinflated against this same force (to maintain neutral) and have a failure, the loss of buoyancy will be immediate with obvious results. You are already overweighted and now you have an immediate and mostly complete buoyancy loss. This would even be hard to overcome in a drysuit, it would require too much addition, resulting in suit seal failure or carotid squeeze etc. The OP valves are exactly that, to prevent damage from overpressure, not to gauge lift ability or a maximum lift capacity when they blow off. Since I work for Dive Rite, it would be biased for me to recommend a brand so I'll avoid that altogether. That may not be the answer your looking for, but hopefully you will consider these points when you make a choice. Redundancy is important, but it does not always require two of everything if you look at the whole setup ;-) (I prefer a classic wing and drysuit, even in tropical waters because at depth your almost sure to hit thermoclines). If you choose a dual bladder design, treat the backup for what it is. You only need a power inflater on the primary bladder. The other should ride down your side and out of the way, not over your shoulder. In this way it is not even evident and stays out of the way unless you need it. Best of luck and safe diving. Dell Motes Dive Rite 117 W.Washington St. Lake City, Fla. 32055 www.Dive-Rite.com -----Original Message----- From: vpg <vpg@li*.ne*> To: techdiver@aquanaut.com <techdiver@aquanaut.com> Date: Thursday, November 19, 1998 2:47 PM Subject: Bondage Wings and things >Hello everyone, > >Im pretty new to this but willing to learn, Im looking for some advice on >equipment, initially a good set of wings. > >My first thought was the Dive-rite superwings but a couple of guys at my >club are using OMS wings and swear by them ( Im based in the UK and Im >interested in wreck diving ). The concept of the bungee cords seems good to >me, the guys who dive with them think they are great and have had no >problems but I get the feeling from you guys that they are not such a good >thing???????? > >Im reviewing my set up and approach to equipment and believe that you should >be primarily self sufficient, to be able to deal with all emergencies >independantly and that your buddy is effectively a bonus. I base this on the >fact that if equipment is not 100% predictable, your buddy 50 metres down is >less predictable and if something happens to him then your solo anyway. Dont >take that the wrong way, I know in practice you can rely on the guy you dive >with but Im talking in a worst case analysis or risk assesment. > >I can see the value of streamling or simplifying but I believe you still >need backup systems. To argue against that goes against logic, equipment >fails.period. How you recover from that is the next question, this goes >beyond diving ( Im an engineer by profession ). > >Ive diversed slightly, what I was after was logical, fact based reasons why >bondage wings are at best useless and in somecases fatal. What I dont >understand as an engineer is that someone can say the bungee cords restrict >the wings ability to inflate underwater? if I can inflate them fully at the >surface then I can do the same underwater, if the relief valve doesnt open >on the surface it wont under water. The increased pressure required to >inflate the bladder underwater is offset by the increased pressure on the >relief valve before it opens ie, ambient pressure - that is an engineering >fact not an irrational theory. > >Im not saying OMS is great or bondage wings are great, Im trying to make an >informed choice, some of what Ive read goes against the experiance of OMS >users I know, how many of the guys here with violent opposition to these >wings have used them to any extent? Im very interested in your comments but >please respond in an intelligent manner, Im not interested in some of the >personal insults flying around :) > >Best Regards, > > > > > >Vinny. >England. > >-- >Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. >Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. > -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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