Oxycheq vs Golem vs DSS

[O.M.O.H.]

All:

I am on the market for a new wing. Currently i dive a Deep Outdoors 40lbs wing, which is great! But it is time to upgrade somewhat. After much research i am torn between these three:

1. Oxycheq Mach V Signature Series Single Wing

2. Golem Gear circular 35 pound wing

3. DSS Tautus 35

There are tons of reviews on this board as well as others but i couldn't find any direct comparisons between the three. All three seem like great quality, very similarly priced, although DSS is a bit more money, and all of them are made and distributed by highly trusted names in the industry. There are of course Halcyon and Agir Brokk, which are both excellent pieces of gear, but i am afraid i am not ready to spend ~$450 on a wing.

Thanks!

 

[cool_hardware52]

All:

I am on the market for a new wing.

Have you determined that you need a 35 or 40 lbs wing? You may need that much lift, but you may not.


I'd be happy to make a size recommendation, but I'd need more info about what you use for an exposure suit, cylinders and how much ballast you use now.

Tobin

 

[O.M.O.H.]

Have you determined that you need a 35 or 40 lbs wing? You may need that much lift, but you may not.


I'd be happy to make a size recommendation, but I'd need more info about what you use for an exposure suit, cylinders and how much ballast you use now.

Tobin

Tobin! Great catch. I thought i was pretty much set on 35 lbs (or 40 in Oxycheq case), although, i would love to get input from you.

1. TLS Drysuit w/250g thinsulate undies (Pinnacle EVO2)
2. Diverite SS backplate (6lbs) w/STA (2lbs) and Diverite Hog harness
3. 16lbs of lead in addition to BP and STA, of which 8lbs are tank mounted
4. Tanks are almost exclusively AL80, but most likely be moving to a XS Scuba steel HP100, X7-100 is it?

Thanks

 

[cool_hardware52]

Tobin! Great catch. I thought i was pretty much set on 35 lbs (or 40 in Oxycheq case), although, i would love to get input from you.

1. TLS Drysuit w/250g thinsulate undies (Pinnacle EVO2)
2. Diverite SS backplate (6lbs) w/STA (2lbs) and Diverite Hog harness
3. 16lbs of lead in addition to BP and STA, of which 8lbs are tank mounted
4. Tanks are almost exclusively AL80, but most likely be moving to a XS Scuba steel HP100, X7-100 is it?

Thanks

OM,

Looks like you are using about 26 lbs of total ballast. Plate, Sta, Reg, and 16 lbs of lead.

4 of those 26 are required to offset al80, which is about +4 empty.

That leaves about 22 lbs to overcome the buoyancy of your exposure suit.

Your rig, (assumes 8 lbs of lead on the rig) with an al 80 will be about -20lbs.
with a full bottle, and about -14 with an empty tank. That leaves about 8 lbs in a belt.

If you switch to an HP100 you will most likely remove the 8 lbs of tank mounted lead, and your belt may need another ~2 lbs. That will leave your rig about ~20 lbs negative.

With a Exposure Suit that's +22 and a Rig that' about -20 lbs you could use a smaller wing. A 26-30 lbs capacity wing would be a reasonable choice.

Tobin

 

[O.M.O.H.]

Thanks a lot Tobin, then 30 Lbs it is. 30lbs to allow for some accessories and 2 lights (1 canister and one backup both harness-mounted)

One thing though whatever lead i am using, besides what is on the tank, is integrated into harness with weight pockets (similar to halcyon ones). Does this change anything?

 

[Plug]

I can't speak about the Golem wing, but I have the DSS and have tried the Oxycheq. Check out this thread for my post on the two

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/buoyancy-compensators-bcs-weight-systems/219029-dss-torus-26-oxycheq-mach-v-wing.html

Brendan

 

[cool_hardware52]

Thanks a lot Tobin, then 30 Lbs it is. 30lbs to allow for some accessories and 2 lights (1 canister and one backup both harness-mounted)

One thing though whatever lead i am using, besides what is on the tank, is integrated into harness with weight pockets (similar to halcyon ones). Does this change anything?

Yes it does, and it's a key reason why I don't like having all my ballast on my rig in cold water.

If you add all 16 lbs of lead to your rig you will need a larger wing. If you keep ~8 lbs in a belt you can use a 26. With 8 in a belt your rig is about -20 lbs.

Add 8 lbs more to the rig and now it's -28 lbs. That makes a 26 too small and a 30 barely enough.

I suggest using a belt. A 8 lbs weight belt is no big deal.

Tobin

 

[giles45shop]

All three are good choices, you wouldn't make a mistake with any of them. I own a 30# Mach V, have tried a Halcyon Pioneer, looked at the Golem wing when I bought the Mach V and dive w/ SoCal buddies who have the DSS wing.

The Golem wing is similar in shape to the Halcyon, being shorter and wider than the Mach V. I believe the DSS Torus 26 is also a narrow profile wing. Personally I like the narrower profile.

Mine's been extremely versatile, I have a stainless Koplin plate and have dove a variety of combinations from AL80's to HP130's in exposure suits ranging from skins to 7mm FJ's and lots of combos in between. This includes both fresh and salt water, anywhere from caverns in N FL to SoCal & NoCal. The 30# wing was fine for all of it.

John

 

[O.M.O.H.]

Yes it does, and it's a key reason why I don't like having all my ballast on my rig in cold water.

If you add all 16 lbs of lead to your rig you will need a larger wing. If you keep ~8 lbs in a belt you can use a 26. With 8 in a belt your rig is about -20 lbs.

Add 8 lbs more to the rig and now it's -28 lbs. That makes a 26 too small and a 30 barely enough.

I suggest using a belt. A 8 lbs weight belt is no big deal.

Tobin

Unfortunately I am not 100% convinced i can get away with a 30lbs wing, only because (i hope i don't start a discussion on that) in the Northeast, especially for ocean dives, people tend to carry a lot of stuff with them. Canister lights, backup lights, cutters, reels, tools, etc... all that stuff hangs off the people's harnesses. Its a bit of the predicament, because the main thing is to keep the wing size to a minimum. Many people would say to go with nothing less that a 55lbs, which is a bit excessive in my view.

In any rate, huge thanks to Tobin and all who replied !

 

[cool_hardware52]

Unfortunately I am not 100% convinced i can get away with a 30lbs wing, only because (i hope i don't start a discussion on that) in the Northeast, especially for ocean dives, people tend to carry a lot of stuff with them. Canister lights, backup lights, cutters, reels, tools, etc... all that stuff hangs off the people's harnesses. Its a bit of the predicament, because the main thing is to keep the wing size to a minimum. Many people would say to go with nothing less that a 55lbs, which is a bit excessive in my view.

In any rate, huge thanks to Tobin and all who replied !

Here's how I like to set my weighting for cold water in buoyant exposure suits; Eye level at the surface with no gas in my wing and a full tank. I can rely on the compression of a wetsuit or compression of a drysuit undergarment at my shallow stop depth to offset the weight of the gas in a single tank. In practice this matches well with the "neutral at 15 ft with 500 psi" that is widely taught.

It's just easier to do a weight check at the beginning of the dive with a full bottle at the surface.

Q) If we assume that you are weighted as described above how much of your wing is available to offset cutters or prybars or other tools?

A) Virtually all of it is. Remember you are eye level with No Gas in your wing.

Q) Do you carry 30 lbs of tools? Are you unwilling to drop any of these tools if you suffer a drysuit failure?

Tobin