Back from my dive. Basically here were his concerns.
1. It lacks a dump valve on the shoulder.
Good. You don't really need one - that is what your hose is for.
2. It is too light a lift (he feels it probably wasn't designed for open water use-probably for limited things like cleaning boat bottoms or pools)
Did you mention how much lift the wing has in this forum? I will assume that it is 30# and, short of diving a very thick and compressible wetsuit, that shouldn't be an issue unless your wife is very large or she enjoys being drastically over-weighted.
3. That idea of using weight belt material to make the straps from...not good as it is too uncomfortable. He suggested changing it all out for padded shoulder straps with buckle releases and a sternum strap. Also to make the waste strap not connected to the rest and have it be a separate part.
Been there and done that. Padded shoulder straps and a sternum strap are great for long hikes above the water. Under the water I have found them to be completely unnecessary since: (1) in the water your gear weighs much less; and (2) in the water the weight is pushing down on your back, not pulling down on your shoulders. I don't think that padded shoulder straps and a sternum strap will kill anyone, but I see no diving advantage to having them.
4. Remove the cutting device from the hip and place on the shoulder strap as it would interfere with the buckle.
Well, it does look cooler. I don't think that it will harm either way, but I can't see how it will interfere with the buckle. My knife is always on the buckle side of my belt and it has never been in the way of anything. How is the placement of the cutting device related to Oxycheq's wing?
5. Remove the integrated weight pockets and replace with weight belt.
There is an advantage to ditchable weight when diving a thick wetsuit as you may need significant weight to sink and, in the event of a total, rapid wing failure at depth when the suit is compressed and less buoyant, you may need but lack a redundant form of lift. If diving a drysuit this should not be an issue unless your suit and wing both fail at the same time. Personally, a belt doesn't work for me (it is too uncomfortable) so I have trim weight pouches on my gear, some of which I can ditch and some of which I can't.
After talking to him on the way out it was clear that he has a certain idea of how to dive and is not comfortable at all in deviating from it. I pointed out to him that I dive the exact same rig off of his boat all the time so if it was so unsafe how can he let me do that. That didn't really get an answer.
Regardless, he did admit that my wife would be a safer diver if she trained in the gear she was going to be diving with so she now has to demonstrate that she can remove the gear and put it back on both under the water and on top...and I will have to show her how to do it. I wonder if he is going to split the teacher fees.