I think you have a serious overweighing problem, dude, if you can't come up
100' or whatever with a 27# wing and a wetsuit. I will have to agree with
Marvs succinct evaluation of your scenario.

   Jim
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Learn About Trimix at http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/

> From: "Scott" <scottk@nw*.co*>
> Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 07:47:26 -0800
> To: "Metcalfe Kevin  J COCA" <kmetcalfe@ns*.na*.mi*>,
> <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
> Subject: RE: Halcyon wing recommendation
> 
> Kevin,
> 
> I have found (and I have dove every one Halcyon makes) that the 27# will
> work, but its definitely a bad idea in a wetsuit with cold water weight
> needs. You will run out of lift around 100 fsw as your suit collapses due to
> pressure. I had to swim mine up once at that depth. It was fully inflated,
> blowing the OPV, and I was still dropping. Also, the Halcyon wings *don't*
> provide the actual amount of lift they are rated at. Don't get me wrong,
> they are the best thing going, but a 27# wing wont float 27# of lead. A
> number of divers up here don't like the 27# wing as it floats you at about
> nose level. Some people like to be lifted a little higher out of the water
> when floating on the surface. Also, there are the issues of floating your
> rig if you have to don/doff to get in or out of an inflatable or other small
> boat.
> 
> The difference between the 27 and 45# wing is the side panel. Under water,
> pressure squeezes any of them flat as a sheet of paper, so the difference in
> drag is not an issue *when diving a dry suit*. With a wet suit, you are
> going to be using the wing to offset compression and buoyancy loss of the
> wetsuit with depth, so you have to balance your lift needs and the drag
> issues.
> 
> The weighted STA and the stainless plate put a total of 12# right along your
> spine. This does two things:
> 
> It allows you to take weight off your belt, and put it right along your
> spine to trim out better, and if you are unconscious at the surface, it will
> make it *much* easier to roll you over onto your back so that your airway is
> out of the water. Many people who first dive a BP wing notice immediately
> that the back inflation tries to put you face down. The weighted STA
> eliminates this issue. It is very simply a balance issue.
> 
> Ditchable weight is an issue at the surface. If you have an incident, you
> get the diver to the surface and dump weight to get them absolutely
> positive. People have to get rid of the idea that dumping your weight on the
> bottom, and rocketing to the surface is a reasonable self rescue option. It
> has been the cause of more than one fatality.
> 
> Scott
> 
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Metcalfe Kevin J COCA [mailto:kmetcalfe@ns*.na*.mi*]
>> Sent: Monday, February 12, 2001 3:58 PM
>> To: 'techdiver@aquanaut.com'
>> Subject: Halcyon wing recommendation
>> 
>> 
>> I'm a recreational diver in Northern California.  I dive in a 7mm wet suit
>> and use a PST 95 tank.  I recently acquired a SS back plate and
>> am close to
>> purchasing a Halcyon wing and a single tank adapter.  Will the 27 lb wing
>> provide sufficient lift for my diving and equipment?  I demoed a Halcyon
>> system in September with a 27 lb wing and used 14 lbs of lead if
>> that helps
>> any.
>> 
>> To compound the previous question, the STA that I'm going to buy is the
>> steel one that Scott Koplin makes.  I am considering getting the
>> one that he
>> melts the lead into and weighs about 6 lbs.  That leaves me wearing only 8
>> lbs of ditchable weight.
>> 
>> So I guess the first question is, Is 27 lbs enough lift for me
>> with a normal
>> STA?  Second, If yes to question one, then would the 6 lb STA push me over
>> the edge.
>> 
>> And yes, I know that it would be better to dive dry, but one thing at a
>> time.
>> 
>> Thank you,
>> 
>> 
>> Kevin Metcalfe
>> kmetcalfe@ns*.na*.mi*
>> 925-246-5938
>> DSN 350-5938
>> 
>> 
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