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I've just bought my third Sherwood Magnum regulator since 1986. This one is a current-model SRB 9310: I've got a couple questions that the Sherwood web site doesn't cover... First, this has a venturi assist second stage; my older Magnums didn't. I've never had a reg with this kind of...

We (wife, son, daughter, and I) did one night dive when we were at Sunset House last August, on their house reef. Daughter (17 at the time) was freaked out by the swarms of critters in the water, attracted to our dive lights. There were (I realize I'm using technical zoological names here)...

We're heading back to Grand Cayman again this summer, end of July. Staying at Cobalt Coast this time, as opposed to Sunset House last summer. I was looking forward to diving the USS Kittiwake last year, since it had originally been scheduled to be sunk the week we were there. It was delayed...

I'm trying to understand how our Sherwood regulators (four in the family now) work. Or rather, how the features work that make Sherwoods unique. I took two regulators in to the LDS for service today -- a 1985-vintage SRB2100 Brut that we've been using occasionally, and a newer SRB7100 Brut...

While doing some post-dive maintenance today, I noticed that the BC fabric around my shoulder dump valve is coming away from the hard plastic of the valve body (see photo -- the damage is at the top of the valve flange). The BC happens to be a Triple-L Stratos dating from 2005, but I imagine...

My beloved Henderson 0.5mm Microprene front-zip suit is showing its age -- stretching out. They've discontinued it, and they mean it this time -- I can't even find it on closeout anywhere anymore. The Microprene back-zip suit seems to have been discontinued too. What alternatives do I have...

As I wrote in Post 19 of this thread, I need a replacement backpack for my son's old Triple-L Stratos BC. ScubaL, as they're called now, have the replacement backpack on their web site here, for $16. But the web site gives me a Fatal Error when I try to place an order. And they're not...

I recently sent out the family's four regulators for annual service by a very reputable dive shop. One old Sherwood 3300 Magnum, one newer Sherwood SRB5900 Magnum, and two entry-level Mares Axis R2. The shop was good enough to report back the test results. I'm comparing them now to the...

My wife, 17-year-old daughter, and I have no problem with motionless horizontal trim. Our 19-year-old son is a different story. He's extremely lean; and although neutral, it seems that he's very foot-heavy -- as soon as he stops finning, his feet drop down until his body is at a 45-degree...

I've seen several references here recently about an apparently new rule of thumb, that you shouldn't plan a dive deeper in feet that the capacity of your cylinder in cubic feet. So with an 80 CF cylinder, you shouldn't dive deeper than 80 ft. Where did that originate? Using that guideline...

How fast do Nitrile or Viton o-rings deteriorate when just lying around in a save-a-dive kit? I've got a bunch of Nitrile o-rings, the oldest of which date back to about 2005. They've been out of the sun, and haven't gotten too hot. Realizing they're dirt cheap, I'd still hate to just pitch...

Our family are going for a week of diving at Sunset House this summer. For a variety of reasons, we haven't been diving in three years. Sunset House requires a "refresher" or "refresher course" for people that haven't been diving in two years or more. They offer a refresher for $100 per...

Okay, you old-timers... We haven't used our own weights in about 25 years, and spent the last decade using kilograms in Europe. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. We're going to the pool next weekend to do some equipment checks and drills, and I want to take the weights we've had since...

My family is going to start diving again this summer after a three-year break (moving back to the States from Europe, with resulting shortage of leave time and money :depressed:). Planning a trip to Grand Cayman in late July. Starting to get the equipment into shape now. We got our daughter...

We've got two Dacor Viper octo's in the family, and two Mares MV's (which looks like a re-badged Dacor Viper). I like the design very much, but... My daughter's Dacor Viper has a repeated tendency to hiss slightly. We've noticed this for a couple of years, with annual service in between. We...

See previous thread here for a report on the Dahab Hilton. The on-site dive operation is Sinai Divers. We spent two weeks diving with them, 17-31 July 2007. Very, very satisfied. Almost all the diving in Dahab is, of course, shore diving. You and your equipment are transported by jeeps/Land...

On Mania's insistence, here's a report from our recent trip to Dahab, 16 July - 1 August 2007. I'll cover the dive operation (Sinai Divers) and dive sites here; and start with the hotel, the Dahab Hilton: We were very happy with the hotel overall. It's apparently the poshest hotel in Dahab...

We just got back from two weeks in Dahab. Yay!!! No significant stomach problems for me this time!!! Better than I can say for my wife. But Imodium is a very, very good thing. :D (Sorry Mania, we didn't have any good Polish vodka along.) They still miss us Yanks in Egypt. When we were in...

Anybody ever hear of differential pricing at Egyptian Red Sea hotels, based solely on the nationality of guests? I'm not talking about the fact that hotels there offer much cheaper prices to their own Egyptian citizens, than they do to foreign tourists... I can understand that. We're arranging...

As we know, upon reaching 15 years old, a Junior Open Water diver can be "upgraded" to normal Open Water by getting a new c-card issued. But is it necessary to get a new card (for $30 through PADI, in this case)? Or will a kid who had gotten his JOWD, and is now over 15, be recognized as an...