OXYGN A3 Discontinued

Name: OXYGN A3
Brand: sky systems
Rating: 2.3 (16 reviews)

wyattoil · August 1, 2011

I had a terrifying experience doing RW with my friend who was wearing an Oxygn helmet. Soon after we exited, the lens ripped off from one hinge, so it was flapping around (thank goodness he was also wearing tight sunglasses underneath or his eyes could've been injured) I spent the whole jump holding this sharp piece of torn plastic away from his face. When we broke off, he had to track and cover his face w/ his hands.
Having read about incidents like this before, I bought a Cookie G2 last year. Now that I've seen what can go wrong first-hand, I am so glad that I did not buy the Oxygn for myself.

48Crash · October 23, 2010

My friend bought an Oxygen A3 the same day as I bought my Z1.
We've had pretty much the same amount of jumps on each. The Z1 is still fine. We've just this minute replaced the Oxygn's visor.
It looks like it's been badly sun damaged, but I know my friend has looked after it the same way i've looked after mine. It really shouldn't have to be replaced after only 80-100 jumps.
My recommendation is to go for the Z1 or the new Cookie helmet. Both helmets appear to have great visors with longevity and virtually no chance of flipping up during freefall.

aaroncosbey · July 15, 2010

Cant help but feel its built for round headed people as its tight on my forehead and the chin guard is touching my chin! I have a narrow shaped 59cm head.
New visors are extremely tight to fit when new.... let them stretch for a night before trying to 'flip it'.
Skylatch is excellent and audible port on the outside means easy access to the pro dytter.
Looks cool with a dark visor :)
It cost me £99 a few days old - so cant complain!

spootch · October 1, 2008

I purcased my oxygen helmet at the beginning of this year. I put on about 20 jumps before my helmet decided to transform itself into a hood scoop in freefall. It is hard to describe the feeling of having your head snaped back in freefall at 120 mph, other than being in a car accident....backwards. Call me a coward, but the second time I had this happen (it opened twice on the same jump, two jumps later) I started to duct tape it closed. This worked fine until the tape started to wear out and the visor opened one last time in freefall, breaking right down the middle. Nothing like a jagged piece of plastic fluttering in front of your eye before pulling!
Doesn't need snaps?
Don't need tabs?
I think Sky Systems needs to re-think what kind of a product they are putting on peoples heads. These helmets are dangerous. Put a snap or tab on them before someone really gets hurt! I don't care that it has one, if it stops my helmet from "blowing apart".
And then there's the small issue of my replacement lense, which i've been waiting for, for the last two months......
My sympathies to the people who own one you've now spent 300$ on a helmet that has a high malfunction rate. Put the duct tape on and change it often....and if you're not sure where to put the tape, just have a look at the front page of last months Skydive Magazine (the 4 way team jumping out of the porter)all the pros are doing it!

Maratets · October 4, 2006

I've been jumping Oxygn A3 for a season, and I do rate it as an exceptional helmet for RW. I think the best way to describe it is to compare it to another (and, perhaps, the only other) great choice for RW - Z1 fullface from Parasport. They're both about the same weight - i.e. very light - and give an equal amount of protection and warmth. Oxygn is way better when it comes to the field of vision - the only part of the picture it cuts out is a small bit around your nose. Every other angle is superb, which is a very important thing when you have to see what's happening 360 degrees around you. Another great advantage of Oxygn is the fact that it's extremely easy to put on/ take off. No need to press the button and tighten the string on the back, then clip the chin-strap like in Z1, just pull and tighten the velco strap on the side of the helmet (which is quite easy to access) and you're all set. This is a really nice feature when sitting in a fully loaded plane at 3000 meters, trying to get your equipment together simultaniously with 5 other guys on board.
In the beginning the main drawback to me in comparison to Z1 was a bit too much air penetrating the helmet in freefall. However, I got used to it in a matter of first couple of jumps and this didn't bother me ever since, whatever the weather conditions are. Maybe someone will find it hard to get over, though. In return, however, the ventilation is great, and I've never seen my A3 fog yet.
Another thing usually noted as a drawback is opening the lense. It requires more force and skill, than Z1, but with putting the entire helmet on and taking it off being that easy, there's no particular need for that anyway. Instead, I can just wait until they open the airplane door for spotting,
and put my Oxygn on in the last moment, since it will take me only a second to do anyway, while folks wearing Z1 has have to put it on beforehand and get the needed amount of fresh air by flipping the visor up (which a lot of people tend to forget to close before exit occasionally).
It has also been noted many times, that Oxygns have trouble with lenses opening and helmets flying off the head in freefall. Never had anything like that, and I didn't make any additional modifications to the helmet (some people use additional clippers for the velcro strap and duck-tape their visors to the helmet).
I beleive the audible clip in A3 was initially made for ProTrack measurements, so it's too loose for smaller models (I use an Optima). However, they usually come with additional fixation strings, so it's not really an issue as long as you don't forget to use those.
To sum it all up, I'd say in the realm of RW helmets Oxygn A3 could only be rivaled by Z1, but I personally would not trade Oxygn's ideal field of vision, ease of putting on/taking off and exceptional ventilation for Z1's easier to flip-up visor.
The only additional feature I'd really like to see in Oxygn A3 is that soft-touch finish, available as an option in Z1, that does a great job of protecting the helmet from minor scratches and dents.

AnotherGoodin · January 1, 2005

I Finally got my first Oxygn Helmet this year for Christmas. As soon as I get it I put it on my head and notice the width is way to wide. I tried putting my hair up in different ways in hopes that it would give me (a female) a better fit. Well, nope it still doesn't fit.
Another problem I am having with it is that the darn shield is already cracked and I have only had it for two weeks. Although it is only a little crack near the bottom it still sucks because I see people with 2-3 year old helmets that have clear visors. The visor also gets finger prints and foggs easily. You can only clean it with water, but when your in the plane about to exit and you put your shield down (trying to to make it crack) you get prints everywhere! No sinks in the plane when you need them..
Okay so you say don't lift up the shield, except for the fact we paid over $300 for a helmet that is supposed to! I would have gotten a Factory Diver for a whole lot cheaper in that case!
Ok so females you want to look hot in this helmet? Good luck.. it makes my head look so big with all that extra space in it, but yet they "don't have any small's in stock because the average jumper is a medium or bigger." Well this is true and there smalls are too small in length ..but width it probably would fit great it you want your nose shoved down where your mouth should be.
I wish I could give this a better review, but I am just aggervated because that was my "big" gift and I couldn't afford one on my own. It's the thought that counts but I don't we should have got ripped off.
So Merry Christmas to you too Sky Systems.......... :(

December 2, 2003

I've had my A3 for 4+ years, and put probably 500+ jumps on it.

I disagree that there's a big problem with visors opening in freefall. Sure it may be happening to some people, but it's only once happened to me, and don't think Steph's (regular Oxygn) has ever opened in freefall. Others I know have the same experience. People with regular problems either have a bum helmet, visor or ratchet, or it isn't installed or closed correctly. It's really easy to put the ratchet in wrong, which may also explain some people's difficulty in closing the visor. I know a number of people with the Z1, and have made a few jumps with a demo myself, and the Z1 has worse problems opening in freefall. The Oxygn visor is easy to open and close with one hand, even under canopy. I did have to work it a bit with one of the visors, but it didn't get progressively looser after that.

What does suck about the visor is how easily it gets scratched to the point of translucence. Even the water-only washing they recommend does not work after a while, and you end up replacing lenses fairly regularly. Part of this is probably due to how hard you have to push and having to push right in the middle to close it. I'm working on making my own visors to solve the scratch issues. I'll probably have to use an anti-fog spray, but I might be able to get a more scratch-resistant Lexan or something.

I like the Velcro tension strap neck closure or whatever it's called. Easier than chip straps used on other full face helmets, tightens around your whole neck (and therefore holds on better) and keeps the wind out better. Downside is that the loop/pile/female part of the Velcro does eventually wear out just like any other application of Velcro. Shouldn't be too hard for a rigger or other sewing-machine-capable person to replace. Again comparing to the Z1, a friend of mine lost a Z1 in freefall (they later found it). I don't know anybody to lose any model of Factory Diver.

For those who have had fit problems: There is no reliable standard for measuring a head to fit a helmet. You need to try on the helmet. That goes for any kind of helmet.

In hindsight, I really don't like the idea of mounting my audible outside. Even though some A3s have a cover for the audible, it's still pretty vulnerable. The inside pocket is better, and actually easier to get the audible in and out.

Somebody made a comment about wanting to take it off under canopy. I assume the complaint is that there is no way to hang it from your chest strap, since there is no chin strap. Well, you could undo then reconnect your chest strap. However, given that landing accidents are more common than canopy collisions, you are better off wearing the helmet until you land.

I agree that the "documentation" is pretty weak, including incorrect sizing info and no useful info on mounting the audible (but they give all kinds of micro-bungee and ties).

I didn't deal much with support, but when they dinged my credit card twice when I bought Steph's helmet, Kira (Sky Systems) was very helpful and got it straightened out pretty quick.

Another really cool thing is that my MP3 player sounds really great in freefall in a full face, and the Factory Diver neck closure holds the cable nicely.

So in summary, don't buy the A3. Buy the regular Oxygn.

narcimund · December 13, 2002

My boyfriend and I each got one. His was too small and he sent it back for a bigger one. All three helmets had INCREDIBLY stiff visor action. They were so tight we had to strain to pop them open or closed. It took all ten fingertips pushing hard before the visors would SNAP! into place. We seriously wondered if they would open and close or break first. After a 1/2 hour visor loosening session ("Up! Urgh... {snap}. Down! Grunt!... {snap}. Up....") they finally loosened enough to use them. They're still loosening every time they go up or down. We wonder if we have more than a few dozen jumps left before they loosen TOO much and start popping open in freefall.

(By the way, Sky Systems includes an instruction sheet that warns that all the visors have this problem and suggests loosening it this way. If I were Sky Systems I'd fix the problem, not document it. Speaking of documentation, Sky Systems really ought to update the instruction sheet. Terribly confusing stuff for what should be a simple product.)

My boyfriend's helmet had another (possibly related) visor problem as well. The visor has become misshapen. The lower edges bow inward now, so it can't be closed just by pushing downward on the top edge. He needs to use his thumbs underneath to push the edges into position and his fingers to pull it down.

Finally, their sizing chart is wrong. We both know our head sizes and their chart said I'm at the smallish end of "extra large" so it should be slightly loose. Instead it's extremely tight, but bearable. He was supposed to be at the upper end of medium and literally couldn't get it on his head. He's wearing an extra large now and says it's great.

Now seriously, none of this is going to break us. We're adaptable. But who needs extra challenges like this in freefall or under canopy? Equipment should help, not complicate things. And who decided two-handed visor operation was a good idea?

For over $300 each, we expected them to function better. I'm reminded of the BMW brand motorcycle helmets. One button pops the whole front of the helmet open (snick}. One finger pushes it back {snick}! That's elegance. If only BMW made sport helmets...

Added several months later...

Well, my Oxygn did what it was supposed to do - it saved me an injury. I got someone's foot in the face on a jump and the faceplate was shattered. I ordered a new one and it came with an instruction sheet for a different model, so I had to figure it out on my own. When things didn't fit together on reassembly, I called Sky Systems for help. The customer abuse agent who answered seemed to think it incredibly funny that I was having trouble with a simple problem. Even after I told him I didn't appreciate him making fun of me he kept doing it.

In addition, the new visor came with weird white streaks all across it like someone had smeared mayonnaise on it then let it dry. I assume that's an antifog coating but I'd rather have fog.

What a terrible company!

Added yet a few months later (12/02):

OK, yet another problem. Now my boyfriend's A3 lost a faceplate in freefall. Just popped open and snapped off. 60 seconds of terminal wind into his eyeballs.

webracer · November 11, 2002

I love my A3. I have used it for two seasons and nearly 500 rw jumps. My only problem... each of the 4 replacement lenses I have installed did not fit well (too much radius makes them harder to close with one hand), and the top trim on the lens has to be super-glued. It will come off the lens immediately. Every other aspect of this helmet is tops.

johnfulk · August 12, 2001

I bought an A-3 about 1 year ago but before I bought the helmet I read all the reviews on this website. and the ones that say the visor comes open in freefall are wrong. I have put about 100 jumps on my A-3 and the visor has not given me any trouble. The visor is also very easy to open after youre under canopy. I really think the A-3 is great helmet.

airjeni · June 3, 2001

I've been jumping the Oxygn A3 for around 150 jumps and I love it. This is by far the best helmet I've had, and I've had a few. It's light, it's comfortable, and the flip-up visor is the most practical I've experienced. I highly recommend this helmet to all who want the best for their money.

February 19, 2001

I have had my Oxygen A3 for about a year and a half. I normally only wear it on larger RW dives and high risk dives like tubes and cats. While I prefer open air, I must say I really like the fit and feel of this helmet. I have never had the visor come open in freefall. In fact, the seal is so good it is difficult to close. Wind noise is almost non existent but I have to really pay attention to hear the exit count.

While I have never had any trouble hearing my Pro Track audible, I must say I am nervous about it being on the outside of my helmet. They are a touch expensive to leave out in the open air like that but it fits so perfectly in it's port, there isn't much wind noise around it.

Overall, I am very pleased with this helmet. I just wish I could take it off under canopy for the increased hearing that allows. I really love it on those cold days though. Now if I could only find some gloves this agreeable! Blue skies.

March 19, 2000

I bought an A-3 about two months ago. So far I've been very pleased with it. I've had no incidents, yet, with the lens flying open in freefall, although I have heard that there are problems with the lens ratchets on some (maybe all) of the helmets. I like the ability to easily open the lens once under canopy. It opens pretty easily considering how tightly it seals when closed.

I would warn any purchasers that it seems to take Sky Systems a very long time to ship. My order was for a standard A-3 helmet, standard colors, etc., but it took forever to get it shipped to the local gear shop. So if you want one, and it has to come from Sky Systems, be prepared for a wait.

December 10, 1999

The OXYGN A3 is a great looking helmet and most of what I've heard is generally good. I bought one and started jumping it at the start of this year. Everything seemed great until the lens FLEW OPEN in freefall! No big deal, I thought it was just a fluke. So I continued to jump it paying special attention to making sure it was properly closed all the way. After a few more jumps it happened again. This time the lens flew up and broke off. After that time I was sure it was not my fault and I wanted some answers. The next day I gave Troy a call. At first he started going through all the questions I had already been through like- are you sure you had it all the way down?- are you sure you didn't hit it on exit?-and so on. We talked shortly, but he seemed really uninterested in what I was saying.

It was summer so I just figured I would jump it without the lens and try again to talk to somebody from SKY SYSTEMS at WFFC. When someone finally showed up they replaced the ratchets and gave me a new lens! Cool huh? Ya Right! It stayed down for about twenty jumps then it went back to the same old stuff, about one out of ten jumps I'm reaching up and closing my lens while trying not to REALLY screw up the dive. I guess what I'm trying to get across is that I do believe I have gotten one bad helmet out of many and I am not happy. I paid $300 for the helmet and then put $100 in a really cool custom paint job [ obviously before this started happening]. Now I'm stuck with a helmet that functions as a flip visor at all the wrong times! I just thought people ought to know how some of us are being treated. I'm going to try one more time with them to help me out and take care of their customers like they should! I'l write back be sure to let EVERYONE know I was or was not taken care of.

November 1, 1999

I've been jumping the Oxygn A3 for only a few dives. What a difference. Jumping in the NW exposes us to a bit of cold at altitude this time of year. With the Oxygn, the cold is no longer a problem. I did my first night jump and Murphy struck, it was REALLY cold and my chem light came off my altimeter within a second or two after leaving the Otter. Body was chilly but my head was nice and warm. Heard my Pro-Dytter fine which was especially nice as my wrist mount was effectively useless. With proper breathing there was no fog on the lens. If you do RW in the cold, get this helmet. You will be warm and happy.

October 14, 1999

I have been jumping a Oxygn A3 for about a hundred dives, and I must say that I really like this helmet. The fit and quality are very good, the flip up visor works great, and I have had no problems with it staying sealed. I have a Pro Dytter in the port provided on the helmet and it fits perfrectly, the only thing I noticed about the Dytter in the port is it seems to go off a couple hundred feet lower than if I had it mounted in my leather hat. The other thing I noticed was that the visor had some marks on it . I called skysystems about this and they told me this was a normal situation as the marks come from the manufacturing process. Anyways I do not notice the marks when using the helmet. Also I really like this helmet as it gives me that little extra protection and provides some warmth on those cooler days at high altitudes. All in all this is an excellent product, and Troy and the folks at skysystems are doing a great service for providing such a great product line!

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