Sherwood Avid BC Tank Strap Brackets Failed

[bobfmdc]

I hope you have, on consideration, absolved TSA of any responsibility in breaking your BCD. If they could do something to cause what happened, then it was gonna happen anyway.

Sherwood's reaction to this is to not respond, although your LDS might have some luck if it is fairly new and they sold it to you.

So how old is it? One of my buddies has been diving with his maybe 4 years. I would like to give him a heads up on how long it will be before he has a similar experience.

 

[iamrushman]

I'm in the same boycott sherwood group for the same reasons....i switched to the bp/w with single tank adapter with much more confidence when diving.

 

[DestinyAnna]

Did Sherwood ever do anything about this serious safety issue? Anyone know?

 

[iamrushman]

don't know....i think they redesigned the tank bands but they are still similar to the old ones... haven't used Sherwood products in years.

 

[divad]

This all sounds too bad to be true.................**** Sherwood!

 

[JackD342]

You can add me to the list of formerly happy Sherwood Avid owners. The bottom tank mount totally failed as I was making a safety stop. I was pretty confused as to why my tank was floating next to my head. I was not so confused when I got on the boat. When I got on the boat and inspected the BC, I saw that the bottom tank mount had totally failed (part of it was missing) and the top tank mount was 80% - 90% compromised as well. A diver who was below me saw a broken part falling and grabbed it, so I have most of the pieces. I have not had a chance to visit my LDS to see if they had seen anything similar. They were using Avids as their rental BCs when I bought mine, so they may have ran into the problem before and gotten something out of Sherwood. I would love to blame this on the TSA, who just love to hand inspect SCUBA equipment and had been in my bag this time as well, but I don't think this one is their fault.

I happened to be on the phone with the Sherwood US service manager, and I brought up the Avid issue that crops up here from time to time.
He said that yes there was a vendor supplying problematic materials for the Avid from Sherwood, (and also some other models from other brands) at one time. He thinks it was about 5-6 years ago that the vendor was replaced, so it sounds like current product is okay.

It also sounds like he has accommodated several customers on this problem in the past in some way. So I would suggest trying to work through your LDS to see what they/will do, or PM me and I will send you his email address. If it is a well worn item with a thousand dives bought on eBay, don't expect anything. But if it is in virtually new condition but just an old item, you may be pleasantly surprised. Yes, that leaves a very wide spectrum between those two descriptions of condition, to which I can only say "it doesn't hurt to ask."

 

[iamrushman]

Thanks for the info but i hope the newer clients can get redemption from this information...All i have left now is the D- Rings i cannibalized from my Sherwood Avid BC...

 

[Fastmarc]

Hmm, I wonder if the Avid I bought in September 2016 is one of the bad ones?

 

[Jonny Wishbone]

Avid BC / Broken strap holder (lower)
Don’t know if I linked this correctly but if not you can search it by the first line. This issue is all to do with outsourcing for max profit.

 

[Damselfish]

My husband bought one of these about a year ago, then learned of the issue before diving it. The local distributor said the problem had been fixed but was fortunately willing to take it back, if a bit grumpily. He was never going to be comfortable diving it. Even if the material was improved, it just looks like a horrible design.