bp/w advice - OxyCheq, others..

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

haha, I would like to know too

I have seen Oxycheq double wing. The center part is much wider. So I don't think the single 40's bladder is used in their double wing. If the bladders are unique for each size, I am really curious to why they made such a choice, using such a overy size bladder for the 40
 
Without weighing in the Oxycheq bladder mystery, I'm also looking at getting bp/w set up primarily for travel (I've got a wing for twinset diving in the UK but haven't been home home in a couple of years now and rental kit is getting old) and I'm very tempted by Oxycheq. Partly price (I can get it from the US for about the same price as buying a heavily reduced Frog wing locally in Malaysia) and partly I'm a sucker for bright colours. I also appreciate easy to identify dive buddies, especially since I'm now mostly holiday diving with unknowns instead of in a club.

I'm just wondering how difficult they are to compress. Is the material actually too thick to make folding possible or do they simply not remain folded without compression i.e. sticking things on top of them in a bag? Size wise I'm hoping a 30lb model is a reasonable size to fit in luggage otherwise may have to reconsider.
 
The 30 is, compared to most other wings of the same lift capacity, quite small. It's more long and narrow. I travel with either the 18 or 30, I don't roll or fold them I just lay them flat between wetsuit, clothes etc. In years of travel diving I've never had an issue transporting them this way.

---------- Post added February 24th, 2015 at 10:11 AM ----------

And no, they won't remain folded without compression, they are quite rigid/stiff.
 
Okay it's snowing outside and my plans for today have been cancelled so I took my backplate and wing apart unzipped it and took a look. I have the Oxycheq Mach V 30. I also pulled out the Hog 32 and compare them side-by-side.

As advertized, the Oxycheq has a very small profile, long and narrow as buddhasummer noted. But it is also deeper, more dimensional, with a wider side panel. The material is notably thicker and so is less pliable.

Bladder. The bladder deflated does curve up the side panel of the wing but does not pleat or fold on the sides. At the bottom and top there is some creasing of the bladder but no true overlap.

Inflated, the bladder enlarges to fill the contour of the wing nicely. The sides of the bladder are only large enough to completely fill the diminsions of the wing. There is absolutely no folding or creasing. It is a near perfect fit. The ends do have a small crease but nothing that should impair deflation. The bottom corners also have a crease where the bladder makes a fairly sharp turn to the sides but again, nothing that looks like it would trap or impair deflation. This test was done with no plate or tank attachment. There is no way this bladder was made for a different wing. Inflated it is almost perfectly sized for the wing.

As for folding the 30, again buddhasummer is right on target. The best way to travel with the wing is lying flat. It can be folded vertically then held in place with ties or objects but there is no point to this. It is narrow enough to just fit flat in almost any type of luggage, checked or carryon. Interestingly, while the Hog wing material is thinner and more pliable, there is a rigid center panel that also negates almost any benefit to folding.

image.jpg

image.jpg

image.jpg
 
Last edited:
Awesome, garishly bright colours are in my near future then!

They have a very nice black on black wing also.

---------- Post added February 24th, 2015 at 03:47 PM ----------

I'm just wondering how difficult they are to compress. Is the material actually too thick to make folding possible or do they simply not remain folded without compression i.e. sticking things on top of them in a bag? Size wise I'm hoping a 30lb model is a reasonable size to fit in luggage otherwise may have to reconsider.

A few years ago I was looking for a travel wing and purchased an Oxycheq 18. I was disappointed with it. The build quality was top notch but the shell is coated urethane so it is very stiff. The wing does not pack down well. I also ordered a Zeagle Express Tech. I was disappointed in it also because it was a PITA to break down. The best solution for a travel BC is the DSS. The wing packs flat and it is easy to attach / detach the wing from the plate.

The Oxycheq is a great wing, I recommend it highly. However it is not the best for travel. If you do decide to get it, I would recommend the soft backplate to make it more travel friendly.
 
As I said, I'm mostly diving with unknowns and appreciate the difficulty of buddy identifying when everyone is in near identical kit. For that reason I like the idea of the Oxycheq as a very clear identifier underwater and making me a tiny bit easier to spot on top of the water. The light travel plate was the other main reason for going with them (as well as cost), if I have it in carry on it will attract less attention than a full Alu backplate (although regs attract enough on their own anyway I guess).

Thanks for the input and thanks as well for the comparison pictures!
 
I was very disappointed to discover Mares don't do pink Quattro's in my size. Pink wetsuits likewise are difficult to get as well. For some reason manufacturers assume if you're 185cm with size 11 feet you won't want to wear pink :dontknow:
 
Back
Top Bottom