Wisdom, quick-release diasappointment

[amc]

I went ahead and purchased a Sherwood Wisdom Comp with the factory compass and quick-disconnect (Grabbed the last one thru E-bay/ Scuba.com, before the price jump; Whoosh ) ... The only complain I have is that the quick-disconnect seems a little too easy to disconnect accidentally ... The way it connects is by pushing it up and to one side then spring tension brings it back down and is locked ... Too disconnect you just follow the steps in reverse except that the spring tension is so soft that it seems too easy to disconnect ... I understand that in order for it to disconnect you have to go thru the motions and accidentally disconnecting might be difficult, but I don’t see it impossible ... Now I don’t have any experience with any kind of quick disconnect except the one on BC inflator (which I thought it was going to be the same) so maybe I might be a little paranoid ...
Now I fixed the problem by inserting an O-ring to fill in the gap between the quick-disconnect, so in order to remove I now have to use more force to squish the O-ring and then it will disconnect ... I figure that in the long run this might cause some premature ware and tare on the quick disconnect, but I rather replace the quick disconnect then risk damage by an accidental disconnect underwater (BYE, BYE WARRANTY )...
Anybody with the same or similar set-up have any comments or suggestions post them up...
Thanks in advance, you guys/gals are the best ... AMC

 

[PurduEE]

The spring may be relatively soft now, but I would imagine once you put pressure in the line, it will be impossible to disconnect. The Suunto QDs on the Cobras I own are like this. The chances of disconnecting it under water while the line is pressurized are probably slim to none.

 

[amc]

Well that shows what a rookie I'm ...LOL... The High pressure never crossed my mind (Duh :huh I have yet to air it up but I can see what you are talking about ... Thanks for clearing that up PurduEE, O-ring will be removed immidiately ...

Well while the thread is still fresh any pros/cons on the wisdom?

 

[scuba_star]

I am currently diving with the Wisdom and have the quick disconnect and once you apply pressure you can not easly disconnect the unit. I have 20+ dives on my wisdom with no problems.

 

[PurduEE]

Well that shows what a rookie I'm ...LOL... The High pressure never crossed my mind (Duh :huh I have yet to air it up but I can see what you are talking about ... Thanks for clearing that up PurduEE, O-ring will be removed immidiately ...

Well while the thread is still fresh any pros/cons on the wisdom?

We've all been there. I asked this same question to the guy at the LDS when I got the QDs for my Suuntos... It's the kind of explanation that's intuitively obvious, but only after you've heard it...

I don't have a Wisdom, so take my advice with a grain of salt, since it's most hearsay. Everyone I know that has a Wisdom seems to like it quite a bit. These are pure recreational divers though, and other than neglecting to clean equipment, they probably aren't very tough on their gear.

 

[scubatoys]

As everyone else pointed out... yes, it will not come apart under pressure... and over and above that... even if you were strong enough to push against 3000 psi and disconnect it underwater... it wouldn't hurt anything. This unit is made for Sherwood by the guys at Aeris and Oceanic... Same unit with a sideways display (I prefer the Aeris display... but that wasn't the topic) so anyway... if you pop apart your QD, you will see the little pic in the hose end is actually spring loaded and will seal if the computer is not attached. So you could air up without the computer hooked up - and no air will come hissing out... and the computer end is also set up so it will not get hurt - the transducer for pressure is water tight in there...

So yes... Now worries!

 

[scubatoys]

So yes... Now worries!

Ooops... that was supposed to be No Worries... typo..

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I had about 80 dives on an early production Wisdom this year when it failed (some of the early models had a glitch). Sherwood replaced it under warranty in about a week. I put another 50 dives on it this season and it is holding up very well.

Overall I like the computer. It has great simulator and planning modes and is fairly liberal on bottom time but with the added expectation that you will make a 3 minute saftey stop at 20 ft on any dive deeper than 30'. It also has a gauge mode that makes it very functional as a bottom timer for extended range diving. The display is easy to read even at depth and in the dark. It is very flexible with adjustable reserves and tunr pressures and while it has an over abundance of both visual and audible alarms, they can all be turned off which is a plus.

I do not use the Sherwood QD but rather one from Scubapro. A basic concept with HP/QD designs is that they will seal both ways if disconected. This keeps the computer safe and prevents air loss but also creates the potential to trap pressure in the computer causing it to give an incorrect SPG reading. Not a big deal if you watch your SPG and note that the reading is not decreaeing as expected, but it could lead to a nasty surprise if you don't notice the erroneous reading.