Choose our Dive Regulator

  KARAPAT DIVE

  Centro buceo  Gran  Canaria

How to choose your best diving regulator




Finding a good diving regulator can be a complicated task because there are many different models and specifications that can confuse us when choosing the most suitable one, so with the aim of facilitating this work, we have written this article that we hope you Help a little in your choice.

There is no doubt that having our own diving equipment will help us improve our underwater experience because it will always fit us better and diving will be much more comfortable. We have previously advised on how to choose and which are under our

Our first recommendation is that the diving regulator be simple. We have to think about where and how we are going to use it and what characteristics we would like it to have. We do not recommend buying one because it is the one with another partner, or the most expensive model on the market, believing it will be the best option.

Aspects to consider when choosing the best diving regulators

We all know that the diving material is very wide and diverse with a wide variety of prices, offers and qualities, so from our experience we want to leave some tips to buy the best regulators to dive into the water from a professional perspective:

Temperate or cold waters

The first thing we have to consider before choosing a regulator is the water temperature where we usually do our dives.

For warm and tropical destinations, almost any regulator is suitable. However, if we plan to dive in cold waters, we would need a regulator sealed in our equipment, since at low temperatures the water could freeze within the first stage, blocking the air flow. An environmental seal also keeps salt, sediments and other contaminants in the first stage.

Membrane or piston

The first stage may have a membrane or piston fabrication. For recreational diving both are fine, although some aspects have to be considered. For example, early stage piston regulators are manufactured with fewer moving parts and that makes them more reliable. It is the preferred option for deep divers, but they tend to be more expensive than diaphragm models.

With or without balance

A regulator with balance has constant air flow, regardless of the amount of air left in the tank or the depth it is in. With a scuba regulator without balance it will be more difficult to breathe as we go deeper or stay Less air in the tank.

In a regulator with balance it is easier to breathe so diving will always be more pleasant, so we always recommend this if we have a budget for it.

DIN or Stirrup Valve

There are two different accessories to connect the regulator to the tank: DIN and stirrup.

With the DIN system the regulator is screwed directly into the tank. This creates a stronger seal, widely used by cold water divers and more common in Europe.

With the stirrup valve, the regulator clamp slides over the tank taps. It is also called A-clamp and is more commonly used worldwide. This option is very easy to screw.

If we finally decide on a DIN system, there are adapters to use these in a tank with stirrup valve, thus providing us with greater flexibility of use with any type of tank valve.

Number of ports

Most dive regulators come with 4 low pressure ports and 1 (maybe 2) high pressure ports. The more ports you have, the easier it will be to configure our equipment comfortably.

Having 2 high pressure ports can be useful if we have or plan to have a diving computer with a transmitter in the future, since we will need an additional port to attach it.

Comfort

Being comfortable during diving is the best way to enjoy our time underwater. When buying a regulator we will have to think about some aspects such as How much do we have to press to keep it in the mouth? Will the bubbles come out in front of our face when exhaling? Is the hose too short that pulls us back when we turn our heads?

These problems are usually solved by replacing the various accessories such as getting a mouthpiece or a longer hose, but we can avoid it by keeping these issues in mind when choosing the best diving regulators that suit our needs.

Parts of a diving regulator

As always, we must know our diving equipment, so nothing better than providing an illustration:
Share by: