Wing choice?

[Scubastud16]

I'm slowly piecing together a BP/W. I've been shopping around for the past week or so, trying to figure out where/what to get, etc.

I dive mainly in saltwater, usually Ft. Lauderdale, Key Largo, etc. I also do diving on cruises with the family.

While at school here in Orlando (UCF), I've been introduced to freshwater diving in springs. I do that a fair amount as well.

My heaviest (and main) exposure suit is a 3/2 mm Henderson Hyperstretch. I wear a 5/3 mm hood in the springs. On unusually warm days, I wear a rashguard/board shorts in the salt water. I almost ALWAYS (99.9%) dive with an AL 80 tank. I've figured I'll need around 10-11 lbs of lift (usually wear 8-10 lbs of lead). I do OCCASIONALLY dive with a HP 100, but it's once in a blue moon.

My question is this...what wing?

My options include:

Oxycheq Mach V Razor #18
Oxycheq Mach V (normal) #30
Dive Rite Venture Wing #30 (pretty sure on that?)
DSS Torus #17
DSS Tropical Travel Wing #17

After seeing Floater's thread, I'm really leaning towards the Mach V Razor #18.

If you don't see something good up there, lemme know!

Thanks guys!

Danny

 

[giles45shop]

My choice was the 30# Mach V. It's only a little larger than the 18#, but gives you a little more margin if you need it. This is good if you ever get the chance to dive colder waters, and/or larger tanks. Also, if for some reason you need to have a little extra lift when your buddie's BC develops a leak and you need to have enough bouyancy for two people.

I have the 30# Mach V and have successfully used it with a varirety of combinations from an AL80 and shorts all the way up to a 7mm full/5mm hooded vest, 25 # of lead in the cold, deep SoCal waters. I typically dive w/ a HP100's or HP80's and a 5/4 Bare wetsuit.

When I did my selection, I looked at a variety of 30# wings, and chose the Mach V because of it's much narrower profile than the other 30# wings which were shorter and wider. The one thing I disliked about the Venture wing was the trapezoidal shape.

Any of your choices are very nice wings, I just think that the 18# is fairly limited in it's versatility, compared top the 30#.

John

 

[Nemrod]

I should think you would be ok with the 18 pound wings but I would probably get an aluminum (Hammerhead) or abs plate and the 30 pound Oxy Mach V (any of the three versions--Signature, Extreme, Razor). The reason is that the 30 pound Mach V is very compact already, packs nicely and an aluminum plate will give a touch of weight without affecting portability and the 30 pound wing is more versitle should you chose to venture north at some point---ie--it is a better all around choice. But, that is all an opinion.

N

 

[JCDdiver]

I dive the Venture wing when diving a single tank. I really like it, but it comes down to personal preference.

 

[shellbackdiver1]

I am by no means a wing expert. I use a 30lb Eclipse and sell alot of 18lb Oxy Razors. If I were strickly going to dive a 3mm or 3/2mm wetsuit in salt water with a AL80 tank then I would have no issues with any 18lb wing. I can tell you that the 18lb Oxy Razor wing is extremely tough and light.

Have had complaints about improper lift from customers trying to use heavier tanks in colder water (<~20C) using an 18lb wing. Not the wings fault, just divers trying to get their configuration to do something that it was not meant to do.

 

[docmartin]

why would you not consider the DSS torus 26 when you are looking at the torus 17 (so apparently you do consider a torus) and the Mach V 30? that's the one i got. i am sure they all dive great. i prefer torus because you get the stability of an STA without one and i like the convenience of the quick disassembly (w/o removing tank straps) that you get with all the DSS wings. makes it also easier to slosh the water around in the wing and rinse after your dive because you only have to deal with the wing, not the bp. admittedly, those are reasons for the lazy.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

why would you not consider the DSS torus 26 when you are looking at the torus 17 (so apparently you do consider a torus) and the Mach V 30? that's the one i got. i am sure they all dive great. i prefer torus because you get the stability of an STA without one and i like the convenience of the quick disassembly (w/o removing tank straps) that you get with all the DSS wings. makes it also easier to slosh the water around in the wing and rinse after your dive because you only have to deal with the wing, not the bp. admittedly, those are reasons for the lazy.

That's another great thing about STAs... they keep your wing dependably secured to your BP even when the rig is removed from the cylinder but also allow easy removal of the wing when its time to do that.

 

[xiSkiGuy]

I'm slowly piecing together a BP/W. I've been shopping around for the past week or so, trying to figure out where/what to get, etc.

I dive mainly in saltwater, usually Ft. Lauderdale, Key Largo, etc. I also do diving on cruises with the family.

While at school here in Orlando (UCF), I've been introduced to freshwater diving in springs. I do that a fair amount as well.

My heaviest (and main) exposure suit is a 3/2 mm Henderson Hyperstretch. I wear a 5/3 mm hood in the springs. On unusually warm days, I wear a rashguard/board shorts in the salt water. I almost ALWAYS (99.9%) dive with an AL 80 tank. I've figured I'll need around 10-11 lbs of lift (usually wear 8-10 lbs of lead). I do OCCASIONALLY dive with a HP 100, but it's once in a blue moon.

My question is this...what wing?

My options include:

Oxycheq Mach V Razor #18
Oxycheq Mach V (normal) #30
Dive Rite Venture Wing #30 (pretty sure on that?)
DSS Torus #17
DSS Tropical Travel Wing #17

After seeing Floater's thread, I'm really leaning towards the Mach V Razor #18.

If you don't see something good up there, lemme know!

Thanks guys!

Danny

For the minimal lift requirements you have, you can't really go wrong with the 18# Mach V Razor. I love that wing. Here it is at work in Bonaire:

 

[Scubastud16]

Great shots!

Are those SP Jet fins?

 

[BSea]

i prefer torus because you get the stability of an STA without one and i like the convenience of the quick disassembly (w/o removing tank straps) that you get with all the DSS wings.

The new Mach V has the Build in STA, so you can use it with or without a conventional STA.