Apeks/Zeagle NX-3000

[jonesor]

Hi all,

I have just acquired an Apeks NX 3000 wing (made by Zeagle, rebranded by Apeks I think). It looks really good and sturdy but I was wondering if any of you have any reports of using it, good or bad.

I have read that it has plenty of lift (60lbs?), but I can't find the specs written on the wing itself. Has anyone used it with a twinset (12l)? I will be using it with a single 12 in the first instance but would like to use it with a twinset when I get it.

The label on the built in soft backplate seems to suggest that max tank volume of 19litre (in a single or twin) is the maximum I should be using. Any advice on this, I was hoping to use it with 12s?

Cheers,
Owen

[DAFFY]

:D Hi Owen,

I use a NX3000 and have found it to be a nice piece of kit (although must admit it is the only wing I have used so have no experience of other makes). I don't use twins at the moment (I use 15L+pony) but my buddy borrowed the wing during the summer and dived using twin 12's and a 7ltr stage with no issues. Only issue I have found was during training, I had to go in with a trainee SD who was doing his CBL and tow, I was going to the "victim". James brought me up to the surface, did his stuff then started the tow which he found extremely hard work as it was like towing a bed:D . Did not bother me ofcourse as I just layed back and had a sleep;)

[Katie Webb]

I used to use this for a few years.

I initially bought it to use with single cylinders because I disliked the fit of a stabjacket. However, after a season of use with single cylinders, I moved to using it with a 10l twinset, and continued to use this wing for about 3 years.

For single cylinders, I found it had three main problems:
Firstly, it holds large amounts of residual air, which means either contorting yourself to get it all out, or having to use an extra kilo of lead to counteract.
Secondly, beacause it isn't bungied, it tends to flap a bit.
Thirdly, if you use the integrated weights (which was one of the reasons I bought the jacket in the first place), it becomes incredibly hard to handle e.g. lifting back into a rib, because there is little to grab onto.

With a twinset, it becomes a much better option. The residual air is still there, but this gets counteracted by the weight of the cylinders. The flapping becomes less of an issue as there are more cylinders behind it. There is more to grab onto with a twinset than with singles. I have used it with a 12l twinset and it worked fine.

With a twinset, I started off using bands to attach to the cylinders, but after a few months I removed the soft padding from the jacket and bolted the cylinders straight onto the wing. Although there are slight signs of wear and tear, the wing easily withstood the weight of the cylinders for approx 200 dives over 2.5 years.

I no longer use this piece of kit because I have moved back to using a wing and backplate (I tried using a similar system when I first used a twinset and couldn't get on with it) and have a diverite wing with harness, which I would also recommend.

In summary, the NX3000 is a good piece of kit, which I would recommend, but I think you need to be specific about what you want it for.

I don't think it really works well for a single cyliner (single + pony may be ok).
It works fine for a twinset, but it is designed to be used with bands rather than by bolting on a backplate. If you intend to use a backplate, there are other cheaper wings on the market.

I have one for sale if you're interested!

Hope this helps
Katie

[access]

I have had the Zeagle Tech wing for about 14 years now and can't fault it. I mostly use it with twin 12's held in place with cambands, no need for a hard back plate. The integrated weight pouches have loops on them that makes it easy to take them out and hand them into the boat leaving it a bit lighter to lift aboard.
Here is a link to the data sheet
http://www.zeagle.com/clientuploads/datasheets/Tech.pdf