Dear Sherwood,
Please read this in its entirety before coming off the launch pad. My remarks were based on a phone conversation with your reps in sunny Socal around the August 4th time frame. From your last rebuttal,
"The cause of the air leakage is associated with the assembly process. No design change was necessary, but manufacturing procedures have been altered to eliminate the assembly issue"
Now, if what I was told was not a design change, but an alteration to the manufacturing process, so be it. It has fixed the problem.
Please note that I have many pieces of Sherwood gear and like all of them. My issue was to hold Sherwood to its level of making great gear that they have done so since 1955. You rose up and answered the why part and have faithfully fixed the problem and have taken care of the customer base. Thank you.
As for the SR1 in general, I waited for it to come out, and I'm NOT disappointed with it at all. In fact, I like my SR1s, because they breathe as great or better than some regs that cost a whole lot more, and there are many Sherwood dealers to service them. I WILL continue to support the SR1, as a great reg because believe in it. I think it is a truly sweet reg. In fact, a friend just purchased a SR1 as a primary reg for tech diving.
As for my reg that you replaced, 16 dives, 130+ ft, salt and fresh water, and I put it through the paces. It is working fine; thanks Tom!
It takes a company a BIG BRASS PAIR to publish a W.O.B. of 0.65 and then deliver on that promise, and Sherwood did it with the SR1.
Please understand my position on equipment as an instructor. If I seem anal, well the safety of my students and other divers comes first, just the way I was taught.
Thanks Guys for building a flagship regulator.
JimmyC