Thanks for the warm welcome the other day!

[Beachbum]

Thanks for the warm welcome a couple of days ago.

I tried to post a reply a couple of days ago, but it wouldn't "go."

I don't dive as much as I'd like, but that's my own fault. I honestly don't like wearing a wetsuit, so that pretty much limits me to tropical water. My wife agrees, so we dive mostly in Florida or sometimes the Bahamas.

She uses the Dacor 950 reg I bought new in 1982. I had been using a 1976 vintage USD Aquarius. So I went thru the minor ordeal of buying a new reg last year. I got a Sherwood Oasis based on all the good things divers and dive shops said about them. That was about the time Rodale's decided to review and pan Sherwood regs.

There was a lot of discussion about their ratings on the RSD board, and it seemed like the management enjoyed getting involved in many threads, defending the results of their breathing machine. I got kind of tired reading engineer types disagree with experience and common sense. But I guess controversy increases readership. It also increases advertizing revenue. I'll be interested to see how much the Sherwood regs improve now that Sherwood is advertizing in Rodale's again.

In any case, I like the Oasis fine, and I'm glad I found this board.

Now we'll see if this message posts.

See ya soon!

 

[Ladydiver]

Hi Beachbum,

I noticed in your post you mentioned that you were having trouble posting to the board the other day. It looks like the situation has been fixed, but if you can give me a little more information about what was happening, I will look into what happened so we can make sure it doesn't happen again.

Cheers,

 

[morgan]

Hi Beachbum:

I notice you have an oasis. I have one also. I did a lot of research. I have a problem with "cotton mouth". I hate that dry feeling you get in your mouth when diving. There were only two regs I found that said they could help to eliminate it and one was the oasis. I liked what I found so I ordered it. I have not had a problem with "cotton mouth" since and would recommend this reg to anyone. A few people "in the know" told me I would have problems with it because of the piston but this has not been the case. It has not failed me or caused me any grief even at 100 feet.

 

[Beachbum]

Hi again.

Lady Diver, the problem's fixed. It might have been the amt of traffic on the net, but I wrote a response (no new thread) and when I hit the post button, I got the message screen that said that site could not be accessed, retry, check settings, address, etc. (It's the message screen I get whenever I've made a mistake and typed a www address that doesn't exist, or if the web is "tied up.")

I had spent abt 20 minutes writing the response, and dinner was ready, and I didn't have time to rewrite and resend it. But all is well. If I have any more problems, I'll let you know.

And Morgan, thanks for the good comments about the Oasis. Everybody I have talked to who owns one likes it because of the moisturizing fins, and has no problems with it.

The adjective I have heard most often to describe Sherwood regulator design is "bulletproof." That was my main reason for getting the Oasis.



As far as piston problems, I have heard (from my dive shop) that even if the dry air bleed fails (because of gross neglect or lack of service) the first stage will continue to work.

The best advice my tech gave me was to leave the reg on a tank and pressurized while rinsing (ideally); otherwise, just take the same precautions as with any other reg and make sure the dustcap is in place, don't mess with the bleeder plug, and don't push the purge while rinsing/soaking.

The tech also said, as long as the first stage bubbles, you know it's ok; and if you ever notice it does not bubble, take it in for service.

It's fall here, and since I didn't get a dive trip in this summer, I may reconsider diving with a wetsuit!

More later.

 

[Sue-ba]

Welcome !

 

[Snowbear]

Welcome !

LOL! Better late than never, eh