Scuba Regulator

Divers Direct is your trusted source for Scuba Regulators.

A Diving Regulator you can truly depend on...

Reliability is the key factor in choosing a scuba regulator. This is the most important piece of Scuba Gear as it is your underwater breathing apparatus. You'll want to weigh a variety of factors when selecting a diving regulator, such as your intended diving environment, frequency of use, comfort, and your price range. Whichever factors are most important to you will guide your choice.

Nearly all scuba regulators are suitable for general recreational diving, either in your favorite lake or shallow ocean waters. Recreational diving is usually defined as no more than 130 feet in depth and in calm waters. More advanced diving such as cave diving, colder-water diving, extended-range deep diving up to 198 feet, and diving in rough water requires a more complex diving regulator.

Find the perfect diving regulators...

Finding the perfect scuba regulator for your preferred diving conditions requires basic background knowledge of how a diving regulator work. The first stage of a scuba regulator, which is the part that is attached to the tank, takes the pressure of the cylinder and reduces it to an intermediate or working pressure.

The 4 main classifications of a first stage are unbalanced, balanced, piston and diaphragm. Balanced first stages allow for constant breathing at any depth as your tank runs low. Balanced first stages usually outperform unbalanced first stages. Unbalanced first stages require harder breathing to maintain air flow at lower depths and when your tank begins to run low. Piston based scuba regulators are very simple, and provide better performance at depth. The simple design assists in the reliability of the scuba regulator. Diaphragm diving regulators are more complex and have more components. Diaphragm first stages in a diving regulator have an environmentally sealed design. They are ideal for those who dive in cold water or those working in water containing a high degree or suspended particles, silt or other contaminating materials.

The second stages on scuba regulators are located at the hose's end along with the mouthpiece. The second stage reduces the pressure in the hose to a breathable pressure. Balanced second stages on scuba diving regulators typically perform the best. Many second stages also include an assist, a venturi-like device that allows a diver to adjust the flow of air they receive.

Adjustable scuba diving regulators are a popular choice among divers. These scuba regulators allow scuba divers to adjust breathing resistance as well as prevent free flow when the scuba regulator is not in the diver's mouth. One advantage of an adjustable scuba diving regulator is that you can set them between servicing to maximize performance as your diving conditions change. Some scuba regulators do not feature adjustment options. The benefits are simplicity and ease of use as the diving regulator automatically changes with the diving conditions.

More advanced designs have led to more comfort in scuba diving regulators. As the demands of your diving increase, the ability of the scuba regulator to deliver air comfortably becomes more crucial. Manufacturers have increasingly built high performance regulators to meet the rigors of diving, even in models designed for general recreational diving.