WTB Stage Bottle and Regs

[Rhino]

I happen to love Sherwoods. In more than 15 years using them, I have never heard any report or heard of any report that a Sherwood first stage user has mistaken a more sinister leak for the designed dry air bleed. For many years, the Blizzard was my sport-diving goto emergency pony bottle reg, including sub-50 degree water and 100' dives, as well as shallow water ice-diving, and the Brut was my everyday reg (except for the diving). Plus, if anyone had a first stage vs. hammer contest, those Sherwood 1st stages would do pretty well. The problem with using them in cave diving is educating buddies and others about the bleed. Certainly they are not a choice for everyone, nothing is. Call it a leak, but a dry air bleed by any other name, still serves the same function it successfully has for decades.

[Red Hat Jef]

I own an SR1 and can't seem to get it serviced and working. Took it out of my cave diving circulation after it blew a first stage twice in two dives just after servicing both times.

[whodunit68]

I own an SR1 and can't seem to get it serviced and working. Took it out of my cave diving circulation after it blew a first stage twice in two dives just after servicing both times.

Ive owned an SR1 for years. In fact, it was the first reg I purchased right after they were released. After 2nd stage covers twice blew off (we still don't know how though know what/why), my friends at The Scuba Connection in NJ got it sorted out for me. Mike, the tech, tore it down and found an HP seat issue. It turns out, in spite of lots of difficulties with the Sherwood rep, TSC got it replaced. There was a batch of SR1s that had a similar issue. The rep fought us on it but when it started popping up in many places, there was little they could do.
I've not had the confidence to return it to primary reg status but for me, it is hands down the best breather I own (includes HOGs, Atomic Z2, Atomic M1, ScubaPro mk25/s600, SP MK25/G250, DiveRite 1208, and others.) so, I used it as a stage reg without issue several times and my confidence is returning.

[a64pilot]

Only advice I have is have different feeling / looking regs for your stage bottles. Makes it more difficult to inadvertently be breathing off the wrong reg, or easier to confirm your not depending on how you look at it.

[gulfdiver]

I have a New never used Dive Rite 2500 that I'd let go for $200. I bought 3 a while back and don't need all of them.
And a al80 for $80.
Call me if interested at 251-747-6563

[TracyN]

I have a New never used Dive Rite 2500 that I'd let go for $200. I bought 3 a while back and don't need all of them.
And a al80 for $80.
Call me if interested at 251-747-6563

I am interested in the AL 80 depending on when the last hydro and vis was

[TracyN]

After reading through all the advice I think I will go with new regs. I don't want to have to rebuild a reg shortly after buying it. I'm leaning towards HOG since they do appear cheap and easy to work on. I was able to take the second stage from my HOG deco reg apart easily to clean out the sand from the o-rings and other parts. With the right training it would be nice to be able to work on them myself.

I do have a question about using AL 63's as stage bottles. I've never seen anyone use them but I hear about people using AL 72's. I know AL 72's are skinny but are nearly the same length as an AL 80. These 63's hardly have any dives on them as I bought them because I thought I was going to be doing alot of reef and shore diving. Now that I started cave diving my desire to get into salt water of any kind has drastically decreased. It's going to take an act of God and Congress, blown out caves, or a very persistent dive buddy wanting to go to a cool ship wreck to get me into the salt. These tanks are essentially collecting dust and I'd like to use them again. I am a small person with a good RMV and SAC rate so might I be able to get these to work as stage bottles. The only thing that might give me grief is the length of the tank. Any opinions or has anyone tried to use them as stages and failed?

[gschaut]

I happen to love Sherwoods. In more than 15 years using them, I have never heard any report or heard of any report that a Sherwood first stage user has mistaken a more sinister leak for the designed dry air bleed.

+1

Dove Sherwood Blizzards for 20+ years. Traded them in only because I needed turret swivels for side mounting.

The Sherwood has a very clear and identifiable bleed exhaust point. I always pointed it out to my (non-Sherwood) partners and told them if they DIDN'T see a small air stream from the exhaust, thumb my dive, the reg is malfunctioning. Very reliable and bullet-proof regulator.

[Mark Vlahos]

Whatever size cylinder you use as a stage will have an impact on your total gas supply, just like small back gas cylinders limit total gas supply. Cylinder matching is important for BOTH back gas, and stages.

Cylinder match with the other members of your team, figure where the limits on your gas supply are and plan the team minimums accordingly. Make sure you add an appropriate reserve and that will be what every member of the team should consume at a maximum.

I am very lucky, my regular cave buddy has an alarmingly similar SAC rate, and he and I have the same size back gas and stage cylinders, so for us cylinder matching is REALLY easy.

Mark Vlahos

[a64pilot]

I've got two 63's, they were my Daughters until she out grew them. I use them as portable air tanks to fill airplane tires etc. never tried staging them. They may make better stage bottles than 80's though, at least being shorter maybe the back ends of them wouldn't float up as much? Your shorter than average, might be just the ticket, why not try?
I need / want bigger stage bottles than the 63's would give me.
I couldn't get Rob's method to work, must have been doing something wrong.