Sherwood Equipment... how??!?

[Born2Dive]

Hi all,
I'm currently hunting for my first set of regulator and BC. After many hours of research, i have narrowed it down to a few, with the Sherwood Oasis and Avid Bc. I do not see much said about these two pieces of equipment though, about actual real life usage, not what the reviewers say.

So I would like to hear experiences with these two sherwood equipment.

Another regulator system that interests me and fits into my budget is the SP MK2/R380. Any input if anyone has tried the oasis and R380 system would be very appreciated.

I have also heard the servicing for SP regs is pretty costly and thus have put me slightly off. *sigh* Choices... choices... choices.

btw; I'm a rec diver that is doing a dive leader course to recoup some cash back in the future to support my narcotic hobby.

Thanks thanks thanks in advance for any opinions.:drown:

 

[Dryglove]

Born2Dive once bubbled...
I have also heard the servicing for SP regs is pretty costly and thus have put me slightly off. *sigh* Choices... choices... choices.

btw; I'm a rec diver that is doing a dive leader course to recoup some cash back in the future to support my narcotic hobby.

My scubapro regs usually cost the same or cheaper than my apeks regs. I think it mostly depends on the dive shop and his mood at time of servicing...lol.

Most guys i know involved in dive leadership programs spend way more than they make. They do get some decent discounts on gear and free air fills but spend way more on the course, gas and insurance to make it worth while for making money. They do it for the love of the sport. Personally i dont see how one could love kneeling on the bottom of a pool or the ocean performing skills but hey they love it.

 

[ZoCrowes255]

Sherwood is pretty inconsistent in regulator quality. You will get one that will breathe excellent at almost any depth and then you will get another reg that is the same model that makes it seem like you are sucking a beach ball through a garden straw. The upside to them is the fact that they are EXTREMELY durable. Truly a workhorse reg.

The Avid BC is a very nice peice of equipment. Lots of nice little features and the 1000 Denir Nylon is very durable. However it is sized a little oddly. The sizes to run a bit smaller than most of other BC brands.

I have used both systems that you are mentioned and I prefer the Scubapro because the quality is more consistent. The Mk2 is one of the oldest tried and true designs in the industry and you can't go wrong with it. If you are going to buy the reg off the net (which I don't like but there is nothing I can do about it) then service of the Scubapro will be much more expensive than a Sherwood reg. Sherwood parts kits are $5-$8 per stage while Scubapro's are almost double that. If you buy from an actual dive store the parts for the Scubapro are covered by the lifetime warranty.

In the end: I prefer the Scubapro. However if you are that concerned about the cost of service then go with the Sherwood. It's not a BAD regulator it's just not a great one

Born2Dive once bubbled...
Hi all,
I'm currently hunting for my first set of regulator and BC. After many hours of research, i have narrowed it down to a few, with the Sherwood Oasis and Avid Bc. I do not see much said about these two pieces of equipment though, about actual real life usage, not what the reviewers say.

So I would like to hear experiences with these two sherwood equipment.

Another regulator system that interests me and fits into my budget is the SP MK2/R380. Any input if anyone has tried the oasis and R380 system would be very appreciated.

I have also heard the servicing for SP regs is pretty costly and thus have put me slightly off. *sigh* Choices... choices... choices.

btw; I'm a rec diver that is doing a dive leader course to recoup some cash back in the future to support my narcotic hobby.

Thanks thanks thanks in advance for any opinions.:drown:

 

[ZoCrowes255]

lal7176 once bubbled...


Personally i dont see how one could love kneeling on the bottom of a pool or the ocean performing skills but hey they love it.

Because you get to show people how cool it is to be able to breathe underwater (and you get to look cool while doing it)

Plus the sense of satisfaction you get from knowing you did a job well done

 

[resqdivers]

I dive a Blizzard (Sameas the Oasis, just different faceplates)from Sherwood, along with an AGA mask, it is the best breathing reg I have ever dove. It has to be set up correctly though. Something you will not get buying online. This is done somewhat on purpose I believe, so the bottom feeders at leisure pro don't get all the biz. I haven't dove the Avid so I couldn't tell you about that, I dive the Genesis ReCon and really do like it alot...I know it isn't the BPW of HOG lore, but, I don't give a crap what they dive, I use what is best for my conditions, (rescue-recovery).

 

[Born2Dive]

lal7176 once bubbled...

Most guys i know involved in dive leadership programs spend way more than they make. They do get some decent discounts on gear and free air fills but spend way more on the course, gas and insurance to make it worth while for making money. They do it for the love of the sport. Personally i dont see how one could love kneeling on the bottom of a pool or the ocean performing skills but hey they love it.

yeah yeah i know i know,... at least i can try to recover a bit back. Anyway i believe any instructor who puts himself into the ITC has gotta really love diving if you know what i mean.

Cheers

 

[Born2Dive]

ZoCrowes255 once bubbled...
Sherwood is pretty inconsistent in regulator quality. You will get one that will breathe excellent at almost any depth and then you will get another reg that is the same model that makes it seem like you are sucking a beach ball through a garden straw. The upside to them is the fact that they are EXTREMELY durable. Truly a workhorse reg.

I have used both systems that you are mentioned and I prefer the Scubapro because the quality is more consistent. The Mk2 is one of the oldest tried and true designs in the industry and you can't go wrong with it. If you are going to buy the reg off the net (which I don't like but there is nothing I can do about it)...

Ok... thanks about the input, but i have a couple of questions,

1) when you talk about inconsistancies, do you mean that the setup changes after diving a while with the reg, or the inconsistancy of two different new products??

2)I'm not sure if i should invest slightly more for a balanced piston first stage(MK25/R380). Would it be worth the investment compared to say the MK2/R380?? I'm assuming that you have tried the Mk25 too...

yup,... thats abt it. Oh yah i do not intent to get the equipment over the net, as i can just go down to a dealer that is pretty close to where i live.
Thanks again for your input.
Cheers.:boozer:

 

[Born2Dive]

resqdivers once bubbled...
I dive a Blizzard (Sameas the Oasis, just different faceplates)from Sherwood, along with an AGA mask, it is the best breathing reg I have ever dove. It has to be set up correctly though. Something you will not get buying online.

Hi, a question, what do u mean by correctly setup? Does it mean trying it on in the shop and fine tuning it to flow preference or something even more technical than that?? Thanks.

btw, i'm not getting any gear online.

Cheers.:boozer:

 

[ZoCrowes255]

Born2Dive once bubbled...

Ok... thanks about the input, but i have a couple of questions,

1) when you talk about inconsistancies, do you mean that the setup changes after diving a while with the reg, or the inconsistancy of two different new products??

2)I'm not sure if i should invest slightly more for a balanced piston first stage(MK25/R380). Would it be worth the investment compared to say the MK2/R380?? I'm assuming that you have tried the Mk25 too...

yup,... thats abt it. Oh yah i do not intent to get the equipment over the net, as i can just go down to a dealer that is pretty close to where i live.
Thanks again for your input.
Cheers.:boozer:

The difference between two new products. You could have two Maximus regs straight out of the box and the difference in between them (even after being properly setup) is like night and day. One guy I know has a Maximus that is probably one of the best breathing regs I have ever used. My Maximus (backup) is a complete POS. It's collecting dust along with a Mares I took on a trade-in.

If you are looking to save a bit of cash I would look into investing in the Mk16 as opposed to the Mk25. The Mk 16 is balanced diaphragm first stage. On an unbalanced first as the tank pressure drops and ambient pressure increases it becomes harder to breathe. On a balanced first stage you don't have to worry about that. A diaphragm first stage is completely sealed by a diaphragm which compensates for ambient pressure. A piston first stage allows water into the pressure chamber to compensate for ambient pressure. The piston first stages have different flowrates HOWEVER you would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

I dive a MK25/S600 and I am very very pleased with it. I had one grow legs and walk out of the storage room where I work so I immediatly bought another one.

If you are interested in a balanced secondstage as well and are not looking to bust your pocketbook I highly recomend the MK16/S550. It's the same guts as the more expensive G250 and S600 second stages at a fraction of the price. It only lacks the second stage adjustment.

 

[WVMike]

I have a MK2 and have used MK25. The reason I bought MK2 was price. MY two sons dive and we need two or three of everything.

The MK2 works well but, the hose configuration makes it awkard to pack and travel with, the hoses come off at about 120 degree angles, so it takes up allot of space. The MK25 has HP and LP seperate and the first stage rotates so it is more compact.

The second stage on MK2 has a min/max valve which can be a pain. If it is in max on the surface it will freeflow if you purge it or when you first enter water. If you forget to set it to max before you descend then it is hard to breath. You are quickly reaching for it. I have also had mine slip back towards min while under water and had to fool with it.

The MK25 second stage does not have this problem and has an adjustment knob for breathing.

I wish I had got the MK25, next reg will be.