regulator standards

[Mod63]

What if I bought one that wasn't EU approved then went on a trip to Europe and wanted to dive over there? Would the dive master not allow use of that reg?

Then you are fine. The rules that stuff has to be marked applies (simplified) only for manufactures or importers, not to individuals.
As for standards, EN250 is th only one that comes to mind when thinking recreational diving, comercial diving has it's own like Norsok U-101, and I'm sure someone here has the relevant US Navy standard stored away somewhere.

 

[Centrals]

You cannot import/sell fake but your can use it.

 

[Mod63]

You cannot import/sell fake but your can use it.

Nothing to do with fake, you could not sell a completely legit DOT marked tank in the EU.

 

[dadbod]

Thanks for the input everyone. Knowledge is power. Or as my childhood heroes the G.I. Joes used to say, "Knowing is half the battle."

 

[lowwall]

So to wrap things up; companies don't need to meet a standard to sell their regs in the US but it's still advisable to look at ones that are CE or EU approved? In Europe, they have to meet the EU approval. What if I bought one that wasn't EU approved then went on a trip to Europe and wanted to dive over there? Would the dive master not allow use of that reg?

As a certified diver, you will be responsible for your equipment choices*. No one will be checking for conformance with local standards.

Also, I think you have a misconception about divemasters (DMs). The title dive master is sort of misleading, they aren't really in charge of a dive. They have two primary functions. One is to assist instructors during dive training (Instructor is a more advanced certification level than DM). The other is to serve as an in-water guide for certified divers, primarily at travel destination dive operations. Most dives in Europe and the US are done without DMs.

* Some dive ops may require a diver to have certain equipment like a DSMB or, for advanced dives, even a redundant air source. But no one will be checking brands or standards compliance.

 

[lowwall]

Speaking of US military standards. the AMU (Authorized for Military Use) list of scuba regulators is very short. For non-full face single hose regs, you have 3 choices. The Poseidon Xstream Deep Mk3 and Mares Abyss 22 Navy II for use in all water temperatures and the Aqualung Conshelf XIV for temps above 38°F only.

 

[runsongas]

@Angelo Farina some of the lower end scubapro regs are manufactured by tabata.

@dadbod almost all regs will meet CE or EN250 standards these days, it isn't a very high bar to clear. really, just look for a reg with a balanced 2nd and then fully sealed if you plan to dive in cold/dirty water. the big brands are significantly more expensive in the US due to extra layers of middlemen/markup, so the imported regs from taiwan (dive rite/hog/deep 6) are a much better value at retail msrp.

 

[Wibble]

It's probably better to turn your question around: "Which quality regulators would you recommend and why".

I've got a pair of Scubapro Mk25s (used for sidemount; they're a better shape for that) and about 7 sets of Apeks regulators (for twinsets and decompression stages). MK25 regulators work well but are said to be more complex to service.

The Apeks DS4 (Dry Sealed 4 port) are excellent value for money and extremely reliable in cold water (therefore warm water too). These are simple, reliable regulators that are said to be easy to service. They're very good value for money.

The Apeks DST (Dry Sealed Turret - a twistable turret on the top to position the hoses with 4 ports and a possibility for a 5th port option) is a particular favourite for decompression cylinders and for use as a single cylinder first stage. Good value for money, but slightly more expensive than the DS4. They're also said to be easy to service.

I also have a pair of Apeks Tec3 first stages. These are just like DS4 regulators, but are optimised (a left-hand one and a right hand one) for twinset use. I got mine second hand and have done hundreds of dives. They're said to be easy to service.

For second stages, I cannot be bothered with all the expensive ones. I like the simple Apeks ATX40. It's reliable, works very well in cold (and warm) water and very good value for money. I also use those on my Mk25s.

I dive quite deep and completely rely on those regulators. I have no qualms in recommending them.

As a technical diver, I only use DIN connectors - yoke is a joke as it were. All regulators are available in both versions, you can swap them over in seconds (OK, a minute).

I don't really care about the standards. They just work. And they're CE + EN250.

Apeks do a range of shiny expensive regulators. Oooh. They're no better than the two I've mentioned, just three or four times the price! Don't get suckered in; it's all marketing fluff.

Warning: if buying second hand, do get them serviced. Whilst a regulator looks good on the outside, it can be awful on the inside. When they're serviced, they'll come back with a certificate and (certainly in my experience) a bag of the old O-rings, filters, etc. from the service kit.

 

[Zef]

What if I bought one that wasn't EU approved then went on a trip to Europe and wanted to dive over there? Would the dive master not allow use of that reg?

As a divemaster in Europe, I dont think a DM would care. I would not look at your reg set except from the standpoint of a quick glance while you are setting up your gear just to see if things look to be in order. I dont think any divemaster is going to inspect your reg set for certifications. The only time anyone would really give your reg set a 2nd thought is if you were doing some really cold water diving over here...first thing they will look for is 2 first stages and then they might look to see if they are coldwater certified.

-Z

 

[Nathan Doty]

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

Mil spec is the lowest possible cost to perform the bare minimum. It's not a yay! moment to be labeled mil-spec.