The Apeks WSX-45 Sidemount System arrives fully equipped, including the bladder, harness featuring a crotch strap, D-rings, bungee, and a supplementary butt pack.
Crafted from ArmoguardTM, an exceptionally resilient material commonly employed in public safety diving and military applications, the bladder boasts extraordinary durability. This sleek substance surpasses standard CorduraTM (typical material for sidemount harness bladders) in abrasion resistance by a factor of ten, rendering this wing tailor-made for demanding sidemount diving scenarios.
Introducing the innovative Apeks "SlideLock" sliding D-ring, a proprietary design that revolutionizes sidemount diving. This advancement empowers divers to effortlessly adjust cylinder positioning as buoyancy shifts during the dive, eliminating the need to repeatedly clip and unclip cylinders. The D-ring's position can be easily modified while underwater.
The harness incorporates a two-piece plate system that can be tailored to accommodate various torso lengths, resulting in a universal fit for all divers. Unlike a single continuous webbing piece threaded through the harness, the WSX employs individual webbing sections. This ingenious design allows rapid and hassle-free adjustments to the entire Apeks WSX-45 Sidemount System.
Apeks WSX-45 Bladder features
200N (45lbs) lift
Armoguard protects the bladder against abrasions in confined spaces.
Reversible inflator can be mounted on left side, right side or the upper left shoulder.
Grommets at lower corners allow for mounting bungee to keep the bladder streamlined to your body.
WSX-45 Harness features
Solid 5cm (2”) webbing comes pre-assembled.
Removable crotch strap made of 2” (5cm) soft webbing.
4x 5cm (2”) stainless steel D-rings (2 angled on shoulders, 1 angled and 1 flat on the crotch strap).
2x “SlideLock” sliding stainless steel D-rings on waist strap allow for easy adjustment of cylinders throughout the dive.
2x stainless steel drop D-rings along the lower back are for connection to the included butt pack, or for marker buoys, reels or other accessories.
Heavy-duty stainless steel waist buckle.
Two-piece stainless steel plate allows the torso length to be adjusted to fit any diver.
Zippered Butt Pack with stainless steel snap hooks included.
Weight pouches are mounted on the spine strap.
Comes complete with two sizes of bungee and five stainless steel bolt snaps.
Two grommet strips allow the diver to adjust the weight pouch and bladder based on their specific requirements.
Sidemount wings are a specialised type of buoyancy control device (BCD) designed for sidemount scuba diving configurations. Unlike traditional back-mounted BCDs, sidemount wings are attached to the diver's sides, providing buoyancy and control while allowing for the carrying of cylinders under the diver's arms. This unique placement offers several advantages, including improved streamlining, easier access to valves, and the ability to carry multiple tanks without significantly increasing the diver's profile in the water. Sidemount wings are typically designed with a wing-like shape that wraps around the diver's torso, ensuring even distribution of buoyancy and enhancing maneuverability and comfort underwater.
The development of sidemount wings has been driven by the growing popularity of sidemount diving, particularly among technical divers exploring overhead environments such as caves and wrecks. These environments often require divers to navigate through tight spaces, where the flexibility and reduced size of the sidemount configuration can be significantly advantageous. Sidemount wings come in various sizes and lift capacities to accommodate different diving conditions and the number of cylinders being carried. They are often made from durable materials capable of withstanding harsh diving environments, featuring redundant bladder systems for added safety. As sidemount diving continues to evolve, so too do the designs and features of sidemount wings, with manufacturers constantly seeking to improve comfort, safety, and efficiency for divers in all types of underwater explorations.
