Yet another review of the Oxycheq Mach V...

[BikerManiac]

I came back from Little Cayman yesterday. I had 12 dives with my new gear and I have to say it's AMAZING!!!!. My previous BCD was a Seaquest Balance and now I used an Oxycheq Mach V, Dive Rite BP, Deluxe Harness, Atomic SS1, XS Scuba Pockets.

So here are my thoughts:
1.-Perfect Buoyancy!!! My god, I cannot even begin to compare with my previous BCD. It was so effortless to hover in the water horizontally to take pictures or just take a nap. I have never had it so perfect. Specially when the Dive Instructor and a former tech/cave diver gave me props about my buoyancy control. I can hover 3 inches away from a Seahorse without moving an inch!!!. My buoyancy/trim improved two fold with the Wing+BP plate; something I could not achieve with the Dive Rite Venture Wing.

2.-I only require 4 pounds of lead maybe a little less. I felt I was a little too heavy by one pound.

3.-Crotch strap. It makes such a big difference in keeping the gear in place. The tank does not shift positions.

In the picture below, the tank was place too high and the 1st stage was bumping me in the head. Ouch

 

[realdiver7]

I dived Cayman Brac and Little Cayman a couple of months ago with my Oxycheq Mach V Extreme 30, and enjoyed every minute of it! My wife and I are both very satisfied with our Mach V Extreme wings, and there was practically no learning curve when we first started using them.

We don't use a crotch strap for single tank diving, and have never found it necessary to use it for that type of diving. Glad your experience was as nice as ours. Great choice!

 

[shekes]

Maniac,
Which harness exactly do you have?
What can you say about drag?

I am buying the Mach V etc this week, bit I am still not decided on whether to get a Hog+BP or the A-Pack. I took note of the buoyancy. But what about the drag?

 

[realdiver7]

Shekes....I have used the deluxe harness before, but I can tell you, the simple one-piece Hog harness works best for many reasons; one being that you can put accessories on your harness anywhere you want, etc. Also, buckles and other danglies get in the way and cause clutter and drag. The Hog is infinitely adjustable as well.

The BP/W/Hog is superior in my opinion over the A-Pack, or any other pack, which are all compromises between designs. I have known many divers to start with a pack design, but get rid of it for a BP/W/Hog harness later. You can save yourself money by picking what's right for you the first time (wish I would have done that).

Glad to see you're buying the Mach V and still researching. If I can help, just let me know.

Good luck!

 

[RJP]

Maniac,
Which harness exactly do you have?
What can you say about drag?

Can't speak for the OP, but I can tell you that in terms of streamlining, diving an AL 80 with a Mach V on a plate threaded with a Hog harness is about as close as you can get to diving naked. The first time I dove in the Caymans with this rig I stood up on the boat and thought for sure I forgot to put my gear on! (Of course my comparator was my typical rig of double steel 119's, two wreck reels, a can light, a catch bag, etc, etc...)

 

[Scubastud16]

Biker;

Glad you like! Is this the signature series?

Also, SS or Aluminum plate?

Thanks!

Danny

 

[shekes]

Can't speak for the OP, but I can tell you that in terms of streamlining, diving an AL 80 with a Mach V on a plate threaded with a Hog harness is about as close as you can get to diving naked. The first time I dove in the Caymans with this rig I stood up on the boat and thought for sure I forgot to put my gear on! (Of course my comparator was my typical rig of double steel 119's, two wreck reels, a can light, a catch bag, etc, etc...)

Thanks a lot!
(with a hog=BP) Where do I put the weights and any additional gear though? (Weight belt is not an option!)
And do I need an STA?

I did read read the "STA versus no STA" thread and many others. My head is spinning and I still have no clue.

 

[RJP]

Thanks a lot!
(with a hog=BP) Where do I put the weights and any additional gear though? (Weight belt is not an option!)
And do I need an STA?

I did read read the "STA versus no STA" thread and many others. My head is spinning and I still have no clue.

Where to put weights: most manufacturers make weight pockets that can be put on the harness straps, typically on the waist back by the plate. Sort of where you'd expect weight pockets to be. There are also weights that can be added to the plate itself as well as pockets that can be put on the tank cam bands if needed. You have plenty of flexibility to carry the amount of weight you need and to distribute it as needed to get your trim nailed down.

Where to additional gear: depends on what type and how much gear you're talking about, as well as whether you're diving a dry/wet suit that has pockets. There are many pockets available which can be added to the BP/W harness and/or plate. I dive a pretty standard DIR set-up which means I've got a back-up light clipped to d-ring on each shoulder strap held down with a loop of shock cord on the bottom end, a can light on right side of waist belt and a knife on left side, a z-knife under my computer wrist strap, a whistle on my inflator hose, a lift bag in the storage pack of my BP, a wreck reel clipped to my butt d-ring, and in my pockets I have a back-up mask, a safety spool, a safety sausage, wetnotes, tables, and a strobe light. Sounds like a lot but still amazingly streamlined and haven't needed more "storage" room than that. When vacation diving I don't have drysuit pockets available, but don't need three lights, wreck reel, etc, etc so I simply clip the safety sausage and spool onto left hip d-ring, leaving one back-up light on shoulder strap as needed.

Need for STA: Depends. May not need it for tank stability or to attach single tank to BP. I like my Halcyon STA with optional 6lb weight as it's a way to carry needed lead without putting it on a belt, allowing me to put it right where it's needed: in line with my lungs.

 

[dkatchalov]

Thanks a lot!
(with a hog=BP) Where do I put the weights and any additional gear though? (Weight belt is not an option!)
And do I need an STA?

I did read read the "STA versus no STA" thread and many others. My head is spinning and I still have no clue.

Shekes, FWIW, I dove with the oxycheq mach V this weekend on an OMS plate with no STA.

The "built-in STA" of the mach v wing did a fantastic job of keeping the tank secure. No roll, no nothing. The tank is basically part of the wing/plate. I no longer see any reason to use an STA.

By the way, I used the diverite cam bands and used the sta wing nuts to secure the wing to my plate. Also used a plastic book-screw to put through the wing, uppers part of the harness and the plate to keep the whole lot from moving.

 

[dschulte]

I agree with the kudos to OxyCheq. I own a Mach V 18lbs for the Caribbean and a 30lbs for my local recreational and a 45lbs for my cold water technical diving. They are excellent performers and the company backs them.

A little story...
I returned from the Caribbean with my new wing and found that small tear on the inside near the STA mounts. Not sure how I caught it or what happened but OxyCheq had me send it back to them and said if they could not fix it they would replace it! That is customer service.

:monkeydan