Life Support Equipment - Regulators

[mattmexico]

yo all

While divers spend a great deal of money, time and commitment to get the best training possible it is amazing to see that there are a lot of dives out there who use inferior regulators and do not see the point of the regulator being life support equipment in a otherwise hostile environment. It is the regulators that deliver our breathing gas to us from our tanks and as we progress from recreational to advanced forms of diving with limited or no access to the surface, or changing diving environments from moderate to cold water diving we must reconsider our choice of regulators.

The full article can be read on our ProTec blog Protec Advanced Training Facility — Protec Blog

greetings
Matt

 

[redacted]

I'd much rather have a regulator fail during a dive than a tire fail as I drive down the interstate. Does that mean my cars tires are life support equipment?

 

[FishOutUvH2O]

I'd much rather have a regulator fail during a dive than a tire fail as I drive down the interstate. Does that mean my cars tires are life support equipment?

I'm confused. Is there a debate over whether a regulator is life-support equipment? I can understand the argument over how much importance a person chooses to give a regulator in making any one particular decision or argument. But I can't see how the argument that a regulator is not life-support equipment can be made. Maybe it's just a difference in how someone chooses to define life-support equipment?! To me it seems clear-cut. The human body requires oxygen to sustain life. A regulator is a primary device that is part of the system that delivers that oxygen in an environment where no other means of getting that oxygen is available. This makes it life-support equipment. What am I missing?

 

[RJP]

A regulator is a primary device that is part of the system that delivers that oxygen in an environment where no other means of getting that oxygen is available. This makes it life-support equipment. What am I missing?

So a snorkel is life support equipment?

Regulators are important, clearly. They should be maintained very well, of course. But saying a regulator is "life-support equipment" amounts to creating an overly-dramatic scare tactic phrase, pure and simple.

 

[dmoore19]

I'd much rather have a regulator fail during a dive than a tire fail as I drive down the interstate. Does that mean my cars tires are life support equipment?

Really? Maybe you should take a AAA course in what to do in case of a flat tire, I'm sure they have a card for that!

(just in case, this was an attempt at humor, not intended to be inFLAMEatory.)

 

[Tigerman]

Define "inferior regulators"?
What regulator you need depends on the site youre diving. Does my sealed cold-water reg make it superior over one thats not made for cold water diving in the caribbean? I think not..

 

[RJP]

While divers spend a great deal of money, time and commitment to get the best training possible it is amazing to see that there are a lot of dives out there who use inferior regulators and do not see the point of the regulator being life support equipment in a otherwise hostile environment.

Do tell which modern-day regulators are inferior to the point of presenting an actual "real life" problem situation. Sure, some regulators are "better" than others. But I don't believe that there's a regulator on the market that is "inferior" to the point of posing a hazard. (I'm not including here the idea that someone might choose the wrong reg for the job, such as using a reg designed for warm-water while ice-diving. That's not INFERIOR equipment, that's the WRONG equipment.)

Hell, I wish your premise were true: that people spent more on training than they did on their gear. We'd have much better, much safer divers. (Even if everyone dove the crappiest regs made.)

 

[Scared Silly]

Really? Maybe you should take a AAA course in what to do in case of a flat tire, I'm sure they have a card for that!

(just in case, this was an attempt at humor, not intended to be inFLAMEatory.)

Dmoore, I think he was speaking of a tire failing while driving not how to change a tire. Ever see the aftermath of blown tire at 70+ mph? It ain't pretty, especially when it is an SUV or other vehicle with a high center of gravity.

As for the life support label I have to agree that it is a bit over rated. People should keep whatever equipment they have in good working order, whether be a car, reg, or frig (gotta keep the beer cold least you die of heat exhaustion).

Also, a Yugo may be inferior to a Maserati but if you are a little old lady who just drives it to church on Sundays it is perfectly adequate. Here again, it is knowing how to chose the right piece of equipment for the job.

 

[Tigerman]

The beer going warm would be the worst incident ever!

 

[walke121]

Do tell which modern-day regulators are inferior to the point of presenting an actual "real life" problem situation. Sure, some regulators are "better" than others. But I don't believe that there's a regulator on the market that is "inferior" to the point of posing a hazard. (I'm not including here the idea that someone might choose the wrong reg for the job, such as using a reg designed for warm-water while ice-diving. That's not INFERIOR equipment, that's the WRONG equipment.)

Hell, I wish your premise were true: that people spent more on training than they did on their gear. We'd have much better, much safer divers. (Even if everyone dove the crappiest regs made.)

I agree. I would be willing to say that 99.99% of all regs on the market are more than adequate in normal diving conditions.