So first off, I'm a cold water DIR inspired, Bp/W diver. So it generally takes a real lot for a stock BC to impress me. Just getting that out there in advance.
The Sherwood Ventura is marketed as a travel BC. And would not be suited for anything other than warm water in my opinion.
Ok so overall I'm not impressed. The good is this BC REALLY fits me, which is the first stock BC of it's kind to pull that off. The waist strap wraps perfectly around me and really is just as good as a waist strap on a Bp/W. Without a crotch strap though I'm sure it would still ride up, but that's a different story.
I tried on a Small, I have a 28in waist, and it fit snugly with a little bit more room to cinch down the strap. So the sizing isn't super big like the way most BC's I've seen are heading.
It has no rigid backing at all, the tank plate is a very small concave 2inx2in (estimate) plastic piece that holds the tank very secure w/ the camband. The camband is set very low on the BC, which is a first I've seen in any BC.
Because of the placement, you can really roll this like a sleeping bag.
There is very little fabric, just the middle of the backpad; the rest is a vinyl-like material that would pretty much dry with a quick shake. I do not believe the vinyl-like material soaks up water at all. I'm sure it would collect scuffs and scraps like crazy though, so if you want a stellar
looking BC throughout your life, this one might not be it. That's not to say it feels like the material would rip easily, it's just shiny and smooth. So usual wear and tear scratches would really show up, IMO.
The weight pockets hold 8lbs per side and come with separate bag holsters like Zeagle has done. You can load them in from the top via zipper, so installing them yourself when your kit is on is super easy. To dump you pull the cord which yanks the clips undone. You do not need the bags to load weights into the integrated pockets though. It does help to keep say, your 8 1-pounder weight all in one unit though. That's the idea behind the inner bag.
Very sturdy connection clips on the weight pockets; I do not see them coming undone unless you want them to.
There are NO trim pockets at all however, so the total integration of this BC is 16lbs total; it is a travel BC after all.
Every size of the Ventura is rated for only 16lbs total. 8lbs in each BC weight pocket. So keep that in mind.
I did not check the lift capacity for each size of BC; which come to think of it, isn't on the website. So let me get back to you on that. Might have to be till next Fri.
Now what I do not like is the deal breaker; for me.
The tank strap is set real low, I guess so you could fold it up practically. The carry handle is on the inside of the BC backing. It will press into your neck if you don't sling it over your tank, which you should be doing anyways. You can see what happens in the pictures, if you don't connect the carry handle to the valve. For me, this wasn't intuitive at first for some reason, which is why I mention it. That in itself isn't the problem.
What is the problem is because the tank strap is so low, I can imagine there being stability issues with the tank rocking off the BC. Normally this happens with the bottom of the tank on traditional 1-strap BC's. But here it's reversed. All your top stability comes from the carry handle, so I can imagine the tank rocking the top part of your BC back and forth off your back if you're on a rocking boat; because there's a less rigid connection there as opposed to the standard BC where your tank strap is on the shoulder of the tank, not at the base. Didn't try this out because I didn't want to put wear on the new BC.
I do not imagine this being a huge issue; as long as you cinch up the carry handle around the tank valve, it's not going to rock off and tip off you. But I'm sure it will feel "different" when you're standing on the rocking boat all geared up.
There is only 1 shoulder D-ring, which is size 1in and plastic. You will only be able to fit 3 bolt snaps on it, and that's pushing it. There are no pockets to speak of, so if you have many accessories to clip off, it's either on the waist or in wetsuit pockets.
There are 2 waist D-rings that are size 2in, so no problems there. They are all plastic though, and like I mentioned before, I do not prefer plastic simply for lifelong durability VS metal. Metal will always win out.
They are sewn in very sturdy though, so you won't have to worry about ripping them out over time.
Corrugated hose is 16in, standard length on stock BC's; standard diameter size as well so you can connect a generic inflator if yours ever craps out. Or an Air 2.
Shoulder dump, pull dump, and butt dump.
Let me know if you have any specific questions.
