Comments about Sherwood Tortuga CQR2 BCD:

I was looking for a hybrid back inflation BCD and am very pleased with the Tortuga. I found it easy to trim for horizonal but also fine for on the surface. It's easy to adjust and put on and take off in the water. In fact, that is what I do now. Its comfortable, fitting well and does not slide on my body when I turn head down. It seems very well made. It has pockets for trim weights 2/3 of the way up the back under the bladder. For its intended use, with a back mounted tank, it fits my needs. The inflator is easy to seal for manual inflation and works nicely for tank inflation. The BCD has plenty of purge options that can be used depending on the attitude of the diver.

Ratings for diving type and best uses are just based on my use, not what the BCD could be used for.

Potential improvements:
It does not have a handle for lifting the BCD. But there is a strap intended for the tank neck that can be used. Also I personally would like 4 more D rings spaced around the sides and back at the bottom of the BCD. It has two in the front which you can see in the pictures.

Comments about Sherwood Tortuga CQR2 BCD:

I used this BC on 3/26 for my first drysuit dive. It worked great and I did use it more for my bouyancy than my I used the suit. Water temp was 37F and air temp was 16F. I had no problem with the BC we dove for over 30 minuntes and the BC did not take on any excess water. It is my first back inflation and I love it. My instructor told me that he and his wife just got 2 of these too for their recreational diving.

Comments about Sherwood Tortuga CQR2 BCD:

I just completed my Open Water certification, using this BC for all but 2 of the 6 indoor and 4 open water dives.
This BC is well made, fits great and has a lot of accessory points. This is considered a hybrid back inflate since it has a small air cavity that fills across the lower chest. The weights are easy to add and ditching could not be simpler. I added the Akona accessory pack to this BC which includes knife, light and computer retractor w/o using a single ring. Underwater, it is easy to take off and put on.
The problem I have with this BC is that it is difficult to keep it neutral. A reviewer of the last model commented that his fills with water during venting - so does mine. Once you are down for 30 or 40 minutes, the bouancy gets difficult to control as you need to compensate for water in the vest. I am still experimenting to see if this is operator error or defective design. Will post again after my trip to FLA in a few weeks.

Comments about Sherwood Tortuga CQR2 BCD:

I was initially looking for Genesis OMNI BCD but it was really outdated. Then got this one for the very good price and happy about my purchase. It is really blend of traditional and back inflated BCD's. Very comfortable and has a lots of futures. Adequate lift in 50 degrees water. Like the soft trim around neck. Trim wight pockets located in unusual place but works just fine. I was very stable on the surface. No problem to move from side to side or up and down.