Older Sherwood Blizzard vs. newer Sherwood Magnum?

[CoasterFreak]

Howdy all! I currently dive with a newer Sherwood Magnum regulator, but recently picked up an older Blizzard set as part of a larger set of gear. Other than getting the Blizzard inspected and/or serviced to have as a backup, I am considering using it as my primary instead. But I have a few questions.

1. What kinds of benefits can I expect to have in the Blizzard over the Magnum, considering that most if not all of my dives will be "warmer water" dives.

2. I usually suffer from dry-mouth during my dives. Should this regulator help with that? And if so, is that due to the first stage, the second stage, or both?

Here are stock pics of the specific models I have, Blizzard on the left, Magnum on the right.



Thanks in advance!

 

[spectrum]

I don't know what the deal is with the newer Magnum.

The Blizzard you are showing is as rock sold as they come. We have a number of the Blizzards and Oasis sister models dating back 2005. Enviornmental sealing is done via Sherwood's unique dry bleed syttem meaning there will be a tiny fizzy of bubbles adding up to several breaths over a dive.

The Oassis and Blizzard are close sisters with identical first stages.

Starting with the Oasis there is a condenser fin in the second stage that accumulates exhaled moisture so you can aspirate the lost moisture and aleviate dry mouth. Hence the name!

To make the Oasis a Cold water regulator they added Teflon plating to the demand valve lever to make it frost resistant. You also call the condenser fin a heatsink to retain exhalded heat. The strain relief at the second stage is eliminated so the ribbed inlet fitting is fuly exposed and can act as a heat sink to the cold air that just expanded coming out of the first stage. Even in cold water this can be a relative warming situation. And of course the purge cover changes for the right branding.

In the end there is no need for the Oasis to exist except to placate the warm water wusses that would rather die than be seen with a regulator called the Blizzard!

The Magnum model aname lso goes back to the old line. I believe that it was just an Oasis without the fin! Life was pretty simple back then.

For the older models rebuild kits can be found on Ebay and at Northeast Scuba. Of course any servicing dealer also has parts availability.

All are totally suitable for warm water diving.

Pete

 

[Fishpie]

As Spectrum said both of your regs are very similar.
The 1st stages are identical except the one specifically for cold water will be adjusted to have a slightly lower intermediate pressure.
The Blizzard has a couple of fins screwed onto the 2nd stage internals.
The Blizzard and Oasis are identical except for the IP setting of the 1st stage (a couple of plastic washers under the spring added to the Oasis to bump the pressure a bit).

 

[CoasterFreak]

So can I get the "moistening" benefits by putting the Blizzard Second Stage on my Magnum First Stage (if I wanted to)?

 

[spectrum]

So can I get the "moistening" benefits by putting the Blizzard Second Stage on my Magnum First Stage (if I wanted to)?

Yes, subject to 2nd stage retuning. Or you can just use the Blizzard as a set.