Are scuba regulators life-support equipment?

[rhwestfall]

hijack (infomercial/PSA): Read Doppler's (Steve Lewis') "Staying Alive" - its discussed (certification of WOB ability) in one of the first chapters....

No, back to your regularly scheduled programming....

 

[nimoh]

It means just that its to perform to 165ft and <50f with unchanged breathing performance..

that's what I thought too. Still not sure what wedivebc is getting at

 

[cmulvaney]

Oh well, if PADI says it, then it must be true....


I have not read this entire thread so forgive me in advance if I'm repeating something.

Here are two points that I think are central to the issue:

1. What keeps you alive underwater is air, not a scuba regulator. All the regulator does is step pressure down so that it's convenient and easy to breathe. Air can come from a buddy, the surface, or even just the tank. Any diver that does not have access to an alternate source of air is taking a risk. This is dive behavior, NOT GEAR RELATED.

2. The use of the phrase "life support" for scuba regulators is not only wrong, it's specifically used to manipulate sales and service policies. In fact, that's it's only real reason for being. Do you enjoy the idea of perpetuating a fallacy that exists to up-sell gear and control the distribution of parts and service materials?

3. (Okay, a 'bonus' point) If regulators were truly responsible for our lives, there is NO WAY that the scuba service industry could function as is. One would need actual training and government licensing to work on these things, with demanding requirements and peer-reviewed examinations. You know, like doctors and even electricians and plumbers have. Not some BS weekend seminar that nobody fails and anybody who works at a dive shop can take. The hypocrisy is quite something once you get a glimpse at the way the dive gear industry handles this.

Funny that you didn't use my entire post. I also included the US Navy which states it IS Life Support Equipment.

Just found this...
PADI says it is life support

Scuba Gear Care and Maintenance Tips - PADI Scuba Diving Training Organization

And before the PADI Haters, start.... So does the US Navy.

Web Content - DLSsystems

I also included from the US Navy that there were different categories of scuba equipment. I will choose to take the Navy's side on this.

The US Navy actually has categories of scuba equipment.

CATEGORY I. LIFE SUPPORT DIVING EQUIPMENT (E.G., SCUBA
REGULATORS, BUOYANCY COMPENSATORS, LIFE PRESERVERS, SCUBA
MANIFOLDS AND TANKS, SCUBA/SPECIAL SERVICE FFMs,
COMPRESSORS)

CATEGORY II. NON-LIFE SUPPORT UNDERWATER EQUIPMENT WHICH IS
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS TO THE DIVER (E.G. EXPLOSIVELYACTUATED
TOOLS, DIVER ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT OPERATING ABOVE
7.5 V AC OR 30 V DC, LOW MU EOD ITEMS, DIVER PROPULSION
VEHICLES, DIVER HEATING EQUIPMENT.)

CATEGORY III. NON-LIFE SUPPORT ACCESSORY EQUIPMENT WHICH
ENHANCES MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT BUT IS NOT CONSIDERED
HAZARDOUS OR ESSENTIAL TO SAFE DIVING OPERATIONS. INCLUDES
FINS, MASKS, SNORKELS, WEIGHT BELTS, WET/DRY/HOT WATER SUITS,
WATCHES, SCUBA DEPTH GAUGES, DIVER'S KNIFE.)

I still find this discussion interesting and am glad to see the different viewpoints explained.

 

[redacted]

Funny that you didn't use my entire post. I also included the US Navy which states it IS Life Support Equipment.

Along with BCDs!!!!

 

[halocline]

(in reference to awap's statement that regulator failure is not life threatening)

Even at 230 feet in a cave?

I don't think you understand the basic principles of cave training, or at least that statement doesn't indicate it. A big part of any technical dive training is redundancy and teamwork specifically to deal with equipment failure.

A regulator is just a mechanical device, and as such can fail at any time, regardless of brand, price, or service history. If lives truly depended on regulators, there would be a lot more dead divers.

---------- Post added January 30th, 2014 at 10:38 PM ----------

Funny that you didn't use my entire post. I also included the US Navy which states it IS Life Support Equipment.

To paraphrase my earlier statement; oh well, if the Navy says so, it must be true....

 

[Tigerman]

Funny that you didn't use my entire post. I also included the US Navy which states it IS Life Support Equipment.
...

I kinda wont blindly follow someone who claim a BCD to be life support equipment..

 

[nimoh]

The problem I have with calling a regulator life support equipment is that I find it to be overly dramatic. However, if the definition of life support equipment is such that it includes everything, then it isn't so dramatic anymore

 

[KD8NPB]

I kinda wont blindly follow someone who claim a BCD to be life support equipment..

How many people drown per year because they aren't wearing life jackets (a device with permanent positive buoyancy)?

 

[nimoh]

How many people drown per year because they aren't wearing life jackets (a device with permanent positive buoyancy)?

not as many as die in car accidents.

 

[scubastingray]

I kinda wont blindly follow someone who claim a BCD to be life support equipment..

Are you serious? You need to get your bcd serviced semi annually! It's Life Support Equipment (TM). Isn't your life worth the $59.99 semi annual fee?!