Are scuba regulators life-support equipment?

[Akimbo]

It depends on how you choose to dive. Is it life support in water shallow enough to stand up in? Is it life support if you dive deeper than you can make a free ascent? Does your training and skill limit you to drowning if your regulator fails?

A regulator [-]is[/-] “should be” PART of a life support system in hard and soft overhead environments.

 

[Splitlip]

Rut roh. I said yes in past threads and pretty much got hammered. Still yes!

 

[cmulvaney]

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

 

[Splitlip]

I like Akimbo's reply.

 

[cmulvaney]

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.)

 

[Akimbo]

My personal opinion is if “A” regulator is life support to you then you are poorly trained and should never dive in water deeper than you can make a free ascent… or in some cases stand up in.

 

[Steve_C]

I understand what Akimbo means but think this all is a bit of quibbling.

A regulator is not life support in the sense that if one regulator fails you should have other options and you will live although the dive may soon end. However, it is part of the equipment that provides direct support for continuing the mission underwater. That does not mean there is not a backup.

 

[Vegan Shark]

Just depends on how you define "life-support equipment," doesn't it?

When PADI and other agencies describe regulators as life-support equipment they aren't implying that if the regulator fails you're going to die. They clearly detail what you're supposed to do in case a regulator malfunction happens, so it's obvious they aren't using the term that way. It isn't life-support equipment in the medical sense, but more literally: it's equipment that supports (aids) your life underwater.

 

[Nemrod]

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

Well, that settles it.

N

 

[Superlyte27]

The only people that you will find spouting the whole "life support" thing are the ones that are making money off the sale or repair of regulators. And they will tell you it's for your own good.

I don't make money off of the sale or repair of regulators... And IMO it is life support at least for me.
5000' back in a cave under water, can I live without the presence of regulators? Nope.... my life depends on them being there.

---------- Post added January 25th, 2014 at 11:03 PM ----------

For those of you that say it isn't life support...
Let me see you start a 60 minute dive without any regulators. Can you do it? No of course not. Well, if you can't do a dive without it, why not? Because it's providing you the ability to breathe, aka living.