Oxycheq vs. Dive Rite, help please!

[dafunkyv]

Hello Divers,

I have been thinking for a while about buying a BC and now am finally ready to take the plunge. I have been scouring the scubaboard for advice and have narrowed it down to four options. I hope that you can help me out with this.



My choices are:
1) Oxycheq BP/Wing complete system with 45 lb wing (since I am told it has the same trim characteristic as the smaller wing)
2) Transpac w/30 lb travel wing
3) Transplate w/30 lb travel wing
4) Dive Rite BP/Wing w/30 lb travel wing

I guess the Transpac with the possibility to add a plate to it later is another option.

Here are the vital statistics: I will be diving mostly in the chilly waters of San Diego, 2-piece 6.5 mm suit (full suit + shorty). I am female, 5'8" and about 130 lbs. I used 26lbs of weight during my last dive, but I know that is too much. Each dive I have been trimming weight.

I want something I can grow with, that is comfortable, stable, with good trim, and minimal. I have been having trouble with my buoyancy control (I just got certified this summer, but last dive I did MUCH better than all previous dives). I am a beginner and probaly don't plan to do doubles or anything too advance for a while.

I know that from some LDS's I can get the Transpac w/ travel wing for $340 and the Oxycheq system for $495.

I am pretty overwhelmed with the choice. All help will be appreciated. I don't know anywhere in San Diego where I can test these options first so that makes my decision very hard.

Help!

Thanks,
Sneha

 

[LUBOLD8431]

Oxycheq...

Do a search, and you will find alot of info on these wings, and some threads about comparisons...

I would say get the Oxycheq wing and BP....

I am very happy with mine...

Also, look at their new signature series 45# wing. For more info, check the website, www.oxycheq.com
...

 

[Scubaroo]

One of the backplate options would be beneficial, given that you get 6# of distributed weight in the backplate.

Given that you're diving two layers of 6.5mm neoprene, if you were using an aluminum tank, 26lb may not have been too much weight at all.

I'm biased so I can't offer a particular recommendation, except that if you need 26lb of lead, a 30lb wing may not be enough lift. At the beginning of the dive, if you descend to say 100', most of the inherent buoyancy of your wetsuit will be gone (especially as it gets older), and you'll need 26lb of lift just to offset the lead - add in say a full tank of air, which could be up to -10lb in some steel tanks, and you've suddenly found yourself in a situation where you're at depth and unable to get neutrally buoyant because your wing is full and you're still negative.

edit - latest info is that the Signature wings won't be available until January

 

[OneBrightGator]

I personally like Dive Rite's stuff and would highly recommend them. Go with a backplate (harness at the rec level is not an issue, but I would recommend a standard one), oh, and the Travel Wing does not work with a backplate, you will have to go with a Venture Wing instead and your option of STA or STA-less with this setup.

Ben

 

[raposarose]

I ended up going with the Halcyon BP/Wing when I was in a similar situation as you.

Out of those you have suggested I also heard that that Oxycheq is very good. Depending on your frame you might also look at a small backplate. A heavy sta might get some of that weight off your hips too, since the smaller backplate weighs a little less than the full size.

Still, if you are only doing singles I have heard that the Transpac is very comfortable and some divers use it for singles and a BP for doubles. The Dive Rite travel wing looks very compact but I haven't heard a lot about it.

Good luck!

 

[ColdH20diving]

Given the two choices, I'd go with the Oxycheq set up, I've never been impressed the Dive Rite line of wings. My friend went to an Oxycheq set up and she loves it. I use a Halcyon Eclipse wing with a FredT backplate.

 

[japan-diver]

From the suggestions and your description of the diving you do I would suggest a backplate set-up to get some of the weight off your belt and distributed. This will help your bouyancy problems a great deal.

Since you are planning on mostly diving singles now the 45lb wing is a bit of overkill the 30 would be plenty (unless you are planning on diving steel singles then a 45 might not be a bad idea)

I have both the OxyCheq wing and a Dive Rite Venture wing and both are awesome. The Venture has an inner bladder and outer shell, the OxyCheq is bladderless. You will not be disappointed in either wing.

Harness- I use a standard harness - single piece of webbing. Some people find the transplate harness more comfortable but again I don't think you can go wrong here either.

 

[Scubaroo]

dafunkyv,

Please read my post on the amount of required lift for your current configuration of 26lb lead before dismissing a 45lb wing as being overkill.

A full AL80 is about -2.5lb, so if you stuck to diving AL80s, you would be fine. But a full LP80 steel is about -6lb, and there's plenty of boats and stores around that use these as rental tanks. Once you've descended to a depth where your wetsuit is compressed to the point where you've lost all inherent buoyancy from the neoprene (generally around 100' or deeper), you're going to be unable to get neutral! A 30lb wing is cutting it too fine for your current configuration.

regards

 

[GoBlue!]

japan-diver once bubbled...
Since you are planning on mostly diving singles now the 45lb wing is a bit of overkill the 30 would be plenty (unless you are planning on diving steel singles then a 45 might not be a bad idea)

This keeps coming up...that is, that 45# wings are overkill for single tanks. I agree w/ Scubaroo's post that 30# may be cutting it too close, but even if one were to only dive w/ AL80s and a 3mm wetsuit at this time, why not get a 45# wing to allow for expansion to dry suit/steel tank diving in the future, if that may be part of a diver's repertoire?

I understand that with some wings, the profile of the wing is different between 30# & 45#, thereby creating more drag and/or more space for air to "travel" around the wing, shifting one's trim. But everything I've read (as dafunkyv pointed out when the thread was started) indicates that Oxycheq has this problem licked...that is, the 30# & 45# wings are identical profile, and expand in a way that one is not penalized for having a wing that some may consider "overkill."

Is there any reason (other than a small price difference) that one should NOT go with the 45# wing for single tank diving?

Jim

 

[rjens]

My dream system is the FredT Steel BP w/ STA and a 45# Oxycheq Wing.

I do all of my diving (so far) in Monterey with a 7mm full suit and 28lbs of weight. This setup would get a big chuck of your weight off of your belt and distributed, but still leaves enough in pockets or on a belt to drop if you have a need to establish bouyancy on the surface.

Let us know what you get, I'll be jealous, maybe next year....

Rob