Hi everyone. First post. I’m new to scuba and am researching the heck out of equipment at the moment. I turn 40 this year and thought it a great time to start a new hobby. I’m also an engineer(my apologies) by trade and have been surprised I haven’t been able to find some sort of standard for scuba regulators. I’m probably overanalyzing this, but, is there not some governing agency that either makes a spec for the regs or certifies them before they hit the market? I’ve done a fair amount of research already, including calling a few, confused, dive shops, so I’m pretty sure the answer will come back as a “no,” at least for the US. I have seen a few that claim to meet CGA V9 standards and some that claim to meet EN250 standards(1st stage). Even the tanks are DOT rated. Why no standards on the regs? If there was a standard, even if there’s only EN250 as a widely recognized industry standard, I’m thinking that’s where I would begin my search for my regs. Is this a logical viewpoint?
Ultimately, is brand reputation alone what would lead most of you to have confidence in 1st/2nd stage regulators?
Ultimately, is brand reputation alone what would lead most of you to have confidence in 1st/2nd stage regulators?