regulator standards

[dadbod]

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?

 

[Centrals]

EN250 reg is pretty common eg. Apeks.

 

[GF99/99]

Most of your reputable manufactures follow EU standards this is where you will get the CE or EN250 certification or hence where we even get the commonly used phrase DIN which is actually just a German standard in its self (Deutsches Institut Für Normung) . Check there websites they have Declarations of Conformity Certificates available for download. Or give the manufacture a call and they can supply you with them.

Also many rebreather manufactures have gone to getting CE certifications for there units as well.

Examples:
Downloads

https://www.scubapro.com/declarations-conformity

 

[Bigbella]

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?

EN250 certification is seen as fairly stringent, in terms of approval for cold-water regulators; and I would seek that out as a bare minimum, in any decision dealing with the purchase of equipment.

That said -- in terms of "brand reputation" -- when I first began diving, some four decades ago, Poseidon and ScubaPro, dominated the commercial / scientific diving market, in which I was later employed; and had not the local ScubaPro rep been such a colossal dick, I may well have used them, in lieu of the then-more costly Poseidon, which I have since used, without fail or regret, since the late 1970s -- from freezing waters to the tropics . . .

 

[Centrals]

Big market in EU so EAN250 is the min standard if any manufacturer want to sell anything to them.

Therefore reputation is the next consideration.

 

[greeniguana]

Big market in EU so EAN250 is the min standard if any manufacturer want to sell anything to them.

Therefore reputation is the next consideration.

Like the term "mil spec". Most people don't realize "mil spec" is a low bar, not the high bar....

 

[runsongas]

EN250 is also problematic in that it requires a specific first and 2nd stage to be tested together in order to be certified, but not all combinations will be submitted for testing. case in point is that the mk17evo/g260 and mk19evo/d420 are both EN250:2014 certified, but if you happen to swap to a mk17evo/d420, that is not currently EN250 certified. but it does give some general idea that both parts of the combination likely will perform decently.

 

[CuzzA]

Like the term "mil spec". Most people don't realize "mil spec" is a low bar, not the high bar....

My Scuba Pro Air 2 5th gen was the first to get the EN certification for an octo/inflator. It breaths good, but still not nearly as good as my primary reg.

Go with a common brand from a US or EU company. Most are all manufactured in Taiwan with good quality control. Don't buy a Chinese eBay reg set.

OP, being that you're an engineer (hint, hint) you might appreciate a brand that will sell you service kits (Hog, Deep6) so you can learn and know exactly how each part of the regulator works and how to replace and service it.

 

[HKGuns]

Like the term "mil spec". Most people don't realize "mil spec" is a low bar, not the high bar....

That seems quite broadly negative. Mil-spec is a specification toward an intended application. The good or bad of it is mostly how it may or may not align with your use case.

 

[Centrals]

All my Apeks reg have CE or EN250 on them and still manufactured in UK.