View Full Version : Any advice on wing systems
big nick
24-03-2008, 00:56
looking for general advice on wings! tried a Zeagle Ranger in Sharm last year and loved the comfort and the significant difference in lift. Where can i purchase in the UK? Also someone mentioned Dive Rite.
i am looking for something of an allrounder I guess, so far i cram in lots of red sea safaris but am looking for more uk experience this year and will possibly want to dive on twins at some stage?!
Any advice greatly recieved,
Nick Dunning DM
steven matthews
24-03-2008, 08:24
looking for general advice on wings! tried a Zeagle Ranger in Sharm last year and loved the comfort and the significant difference in lift. Where can i purchase in the UK? Also someone mentioned Dive Rite.
i am looking for something of an allrounder I guess, so far i cram in lots of red sea safaris but am looking for more uk experience this year and will possibly want to dive on twins at some stage?!
Any advice greatly recieved,
Nick Dunning DM
JamieG was asking about wings in this thread, http://www.bsacforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=11645
and a quick search in google uk came up with www.zeagleuk.com hope this helps
bakerstreet
24-03-2008, 11:37
looking for general advice on wings! tried a Zeagle Ranger in Sharm last year and loved the comfort and the significant difference in lift. Where can i purchase in the UK? Also someone mentioned Dive Rite.
i am looking for something of an allrounder I guess, so far i cram in lots of red sea safaris but am looking for more uk experience this year and will possibly want to dive on twins at some stage?!
Any advice greatly recieved,
Nick Dunning DM
Well worth having a look at the Zeagle range. I have had my Tech for 4 years now and it hasn't skipped a beat apart from the inflator, but that was a smiple replacement. One of the eyelets for the stainless camberbands has popped out, but it isn't much bother to me.
Soft back plates make for a very comfortable fit. It does mean that the tanks can move a round a bit, but you soon get used to it. I like the twin buckles on the cumberband as well. Lots of D-Rings in the right oplaces too. My Tech has 8.
Up till recently the UK importers were actually a danish company. However I undertstand that they have now appointed a UK Sales office.
Drop them an e-mail and ask the danish guys. They are very friendly and helpful. I met the head guy on a day boat in SHarm a few years ago.
http://www.zeagleuk.com/shop/
Zeagle arent very common in the UK and its jnoce to have something different. I have only ever seen two other Zeagle Wings at Stoney Cover and that is quite a feat.
Because they aren't that common, I managed to get my Tech for £250 from Runnymead Dive Centre. It had been sitting on their shelf for the best part of two years, so I managed to get a bargain. 27Kg of lift for £250 brand new!! OK I did have to fork out for an extra long pair of tank straps and a pair of stainless twinning bands, but you can get away with using pair of budding twinning bands, which is a lot cheaper.
Having just got back into this game I have been looking at wings (researching to the obsessive degree;) )
For me (single tank recreation stuff) I have decided on one of these after listening to peoples advice and reading up:
Halcyon (http://www.dirdirect.com/astro/Halcyon_Eclipse_Full_System_4778.htm)
HTH
AndyDavis
26-03-2008, 13:06
ditto with the halcyo...i love my Eclipse.
neilcharlton
26-03-2008, 15:21
i know a couple of people who use the Halcyon and they love them . i bought a diverite rec wing and harness a few months ago to dive in sharm (again single tank ) . Didn't like it at all the wing was too large for a single tank which didnt help but i didnt like being flat all of the time , even with trim weights. Also was a bit of a pain to dump air at times.
Richard Whitcombe
26-03-2008, 16:26
More than happy with my frog indigo wing.
Same shape and materials as the halcyon, works in the same way but £100 cheaper :)
Further to my first post I got to compare both the Frog and Halcyon side by side today (Not to dive in them though)
My conclusion is they are bothe good pieces of kit but for me (Personal opinion here) the extra £100 for the Halcyon is worth it.
All in all its really down to personal preference and realistically I would be happy with either wing.
One thing is though I am now 100% sure I could not make my mind up from just looking on the web.
Richard Whitcombe
26-03-2008, 20:48
My conclusion is they are bothe good pieces of kit but for me (Personal opinion here) the extra £100 for the Halcyon is worth it.
I'd love to hear exactly why?
Given its an identical design,size,shape and identical materials in construction.
I'd love to hear exactly why?
Given its an identical design,size,shape and identical materials in construction.
Richard,
I'm not looking for an argument mate you were very helpful when we spoke on PM.:)
As I said in my post it is purely personal choice here and that they are both good pieces of kit.
At the end of the day my preference is to spend the extra £100 and buy a Halcyon after having a (dry) play with both wings. That is not to say I think one is better than the other like I said its just my preference.
Best wishes.
Jamie.
Richard Whitcombe
26-03-2008, 21:52
Not trying to get in an argument just very curious what reasons you had for deciding the extra £100 is worth it.
You must have some sort of thought process/decision making to come to the conclusion.
Not trying to get in an argument just very curious what reasons you had for deciding the extra £100 is worth it.
You must have some sort of thought process/decision making to come to the conclusion.
Richard I have sent you a PM to keep things tidy for the OP.
looking for general advice on wings! tried a Zeagle Ranger in Sharm last year and loved the comfort and the significant difference in lift. Where can i purchase in the UK? Also someone mentioned Dive Rite.
i am looking for something of an allrounder I guess, so far i cram in lots of red sea safaris but am looking for more uk experience this year and will possibly want to dive on twins at some stage?!
Any advice greatly recieved,
Nick Dunning DM
I've got two Zeagle Tech's and TBH the Tech is much better than the Ranger.
Pick the basic unit though and not the one with intergrated weights.
The Zeagle is really versatile as with a quick change to some buddy bands,
I can use singles, single with pony and indies twins. All with two fully
threaded straps, so really secure.
If I go bolted/manfolded twins, still no probs as I can bolt through onto the
semi-rigid webbing matrix. If you want you can even use a backplate :D
Reason the Zeagle is so good in my book, is that it really is suitable for
almost every variant. I can use the same wing in the pool doing training
with a midget 6lt cylinder and still use it for twin 12's the next day.
I dont use weights, because for me they defeat the object of having an
uncluttered chest area. Besides if i'm on a single, its mostly a RIB and i'm
handing up a belt, if its twins i'm on a hardboat and need almost no weight
anyway.
Only thing I would say is that most of those I know who have Zeagles, dont
like the inflator. Worth changing to a nice scubapro and keeping the other
as a holiday spare.
bakerstreet
28-03-2008, 10:23
Only thing I would say is that most of those I know who have Zeagles, dont
like the inflator. Worth changing to a nice scubapro and keeping the other
as a holiday spare.
Is that a polite way of saying its crap?? ;)
Its a common problem. I threw mine away after it started inflating its self underwater with no input from me. Thankfully I was in the farnes at about 5m at the time :D
Watching it inflate its self on the boat was quite comical.
I replaced my one with an AP Valves unit . Wasn't that expensive IIRC.
STEVE MC
28-03-2008, 10:43
Nick,
The important issue with 'wings' IMHO is to get one with the correct amount of lift for the diving you are doing, a wing with 100lbs of lift will be overkill and a nuisance on a single ali cylinder in the Red Sea. If your diving singles a 30lb wing is fine, if your using steel twinsets & stages then go for something a little larger (40lbs plus). My reason for saying this is that to get the best out of the wing you need to use that for buoyancy not your suit (lets not start the bcd/suit for buoyancy debate....again!).
I myself have one backplate and harness and then simply swap between wings depending upon what I'm diving.
Safe diving
Steve
Is that a polite way of saying its crap?? ;)
Err Yes :rolleyes:
I put a scubapro one on the first Zeagle beacause they are ballanced units
and soooo well made and ergonomicly designed. Since then ANY BC/wing etc.
of any make gets one fitted. Got 6 BC/wings systems of one type/brand
or another and they all have the same inflator.
Further to my first post I got to compare both the Frog and Halcyon side by side today (Not to dive in them though)
My conclusion is they are bothe good pieces of kit but for me (Personal opinion here) the extra £100 for the Halcyon is worth it.
All in all its really down to personal preference and realistically I would be happy with either wing.
One thing is though I am now 100% sure I could not make my mind up from just looking on the web.
Right I had a play in the water with both the Indigo and the Eclipse today (single 12l tank) and I have to say I was wrong!
Both wings and back plates performed well, both did the job exactly the same and to the same standard - to be honest you couldn't tell which was which.:o
Do I still have the opinion that the Halcyon is £100 better than the Frog NO I DON'T.
Just goes to show you (me) should keep my gob shut until I have actually field teseted the kit not just looked at it.
I was wrong about my earlier opinion.:o
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