DSS and Oxycheq Pics side by side

[acteg]

Hey guys,

I am new to the bp/w. I've done a lot of searches and a lot of reading. As I read more and more my ideal configuration kept changing. Finally I settled on a basic hog harness, a 30lb donut style wing, and a stainless steel backplate. I thought I was done, but then I did some more reading and I came to realize that for my typical diving, a 30lb wing would be overkill. My diving is south Florida / Keys / Florida Springs. Without a wetsuit I usually use 8lbs in salt water with an AL tank and standard BC. I think I could go 6lbs, but I like to evenly distribute the weight between my front integrated pockets and my rear trim pockets so I use 4 up front and 4 in back. In the springs I use 10lbs with an AL tank and a 5/4/3 wetsuit.

So I did some more reading to determine what my options were, and I settled on oxycheq or DSS. I liked the fact that DSS had different sized plates and that Tobin was an active participant on multiple scuba boards. His product seems well thought out. I also really liked the overall aesthetic of the oxycheq wings and the ruggedness (especially in the case of the extreme series).

My end state is to have a bare bones, simple rig, that does everything I need it to do and nothing I don't. I want it to be bulletproof (figuratively), non-proprietary (as much as possible), and of course extremely effective.

At the end of the day I bought 2 rigs. An Oxycheq 30# mach V extreme wing + oxycheq bp, and a DSS 17# Torus wing + DSS kydex backplate (their travel setup).

While not apples to apples, I took some side by side comparisons. The overall top down footprint of both wings is nearly identical. The medium DSS backplate seems to have the same footprint as the oxycheq standard plate as well. I also noticed the bend in the plate is not as pronounced in the DSS plate. Naturally, the DSS wing is much thinner when inflated. The 17# wing is barely there. Fit and finish seem to be similar, although the oxcyheq wing seems more robust (it is the extreme version and the price difference is fairly substantial). The oxycheq wing has a zipper, while the DSS does not.

If anyone feels like weighing in on which setup they recommend I go with, please feel free. Additionally, if anyone would like any additional pictures, just ask and I'll post them up.

The picture that shows the kydex backplate on top of the oxycheq wing, I have the backplate sitting on top of the oxycheq stainless backplate. They seem to be an approximate match dimensionally.

 

[fdog]

Personally, with what you're telling me about your weight, I would dive a stainless plate, because I can easily swim up 10 lbs. So, gas weight from a full cylinder, and the weight of the plate is tolerable for "non-ditchable weight". For me.

As for the wing, in warm water I use the smallest wing that would support my begining-of-dive negative (in this case, the gas load of 6 lbs) plus the weight of my head (about 10 lbs), for a total of 16 lbs.



...just curious why you posted this, when you obviously decided to sell the DSS setup before starting this thread?


All the best, James

 

[acteg]

1. because in all my searches I didn't find any good comparison pictures or pictures that really showed the size of the wings or the backplates in context to anything.

2. If I keep the DSS setup I'm still going to go with a stainless plate so the kydex plate is going either way.

3. In my searches I saw a lot of questions about interchangeability between the two, and since I have two common systems in my possession I thought it would provide a good opportunity for people who wanted pictures, measurements, weight, etc type information.

4. My question between the two relates more to the wing size than the plate. 30# seems like a good catchall weight for my type of diving, but I'm not sure if that limits me in any way. 17# seems perfect for tropical diving, but will it be enough for cold water single tank diving? Does having the extra lift of the 30# really hamper me in anyway, or at least enough to justify using the 17# wing instead?

 

[fdog]

That's cool.

I've been on a warm water trip where I couldn't find my (DSS) 17 lb wing in the gear pile while packing, so I took the (DSS) 36 lb wing instead. It worked fine, but I definitely noticed the larger floppy size both on the boat deck and in the water. It took a bit more exagerated motions to roll gas around in the wing, was easier to pinch on the bench when gear was set up and in the boats tank holder. Little annoying stuff like that, that I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't used to a smaller wing.

The 36 lb is perfect for cold-water drysuit singles diving. Since I the king of the cold weenies, though, I have switched to a 5 mil for tropical diving, and the 17 lb wing wasn't quite enough to lift the lead and gas load at 100'. So, I am now using a DSS 26 lb Torus for warm water diving and can't detect much difference between it and the 17 lb as far as floppiness or overall size.

If I was in your shoes I'd have the 17 lb and something bigger, mid 30's, for when diving with lots of insulation. ...But I'm not in your shoes, so all I can council is look at your majority use now and select you gear for that. As your diving changes, more than just the wing will change; and you'll be on the same treadmill that we're on of spending money.


All the best, James

 

[acteg]

James, thanks for the feedback. The idea of aquiring multiple wings for different diving conditions is scaring my wallet.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I did what James is suggesting, and I'm happy with it.

Basically, I started out with the idea that I would try to be "efficient" and to figure out how I could buy multi-purpose gear so as to avoid duplication and also spending more. After reading and asking questions here, I changed my mind and decided to buy the gear that would best fit my immediate future diving. In my case that was warm-water, single-tank, OW diving.

It didn't take me long to figure out that (eventually) "having" to buy another wing (if I dive colder water/different exposure protection/tanks) was the least of my "worries." There is quite a bit of gear and training to buy*, so in the grand scheme of things, I'm glad I went for "just the right" wing for my initial uses.

For my BC, I bought a DSS stainless plate and a 17# wing. I love that a smaller wing is trim and tidy.

*Granted, you can save money by buying used gear and you can dive with mentors instead of always taking classes; but in that case buying another (used) wing would similarly be a small outlay in the grand scheme of things, it seems.

Blue Sparkle

 

[j2s]

What size is the Kydex ??...If it's a Long PM me.....

 

[Blue Sparkle]

There is a link to the OP's "for sale" thread in post #2. There you can see all the details, price, etc.

 

[acteg]

Thanks for the feedback bluesparkle. I guess I was hoping there would be a one setup solution, but multiple wings seems more likely.

 

[blueseal]

acteg,

May I know please if the DSS backplate fits perfectly with the Oxycheq #30wing?
Particularly the slots function for the dual cam bands and for the Single Tank Adapter mounting slots, that all these align through their slots?
Thanks!

seal