Regulators

[JD'sMom]

Being very new to the sport and not having had my first class yet, I feel a little dumb asking this but I'm too curious to wait for an answer. While purchasing my start up gear, I got a snorkel but no regulator. Is a regulator part of an advanced form of diving?

Thanks!

D

 

[do it easy]

No, a regulator allows you to breath air from the tank while underwater and is pretty standard as far as scuba diving gear is concerned. A snorkel only allows you to breath with your face in the water at the surface. If you were only freediving or skindiving, you wouldn't need a regulator.

Some classes require you to buy your own mask, fins, and snorkel, and will provide a BC, tank, and regulator if you don't have your own for the class. Some divers start out with a BC and regulator as their first gear purchase after the class, if they choose buy their own gear instead of rent it.

 

[pacchill]

The regulator is part of diving. It's what you use to breath, so no reg, no dive. You will lean all about it when you take your class. Advanced diving in terms of brething underwater would be...say a reabreather.

 

[ZzzKing]

A regulator, very simply, is the thing that goes on the air tank and allows you to breath the compressed air at a pressure that won't blow out your lungs. It has two pieces, or stages, that are connected by a rubber hose. The first stage screws to the vave on the tank and the second stage has a mouthpiece and goes in your mouth.

Scuba tanks are filled to a pressure of 3000 pounds per square inch and would explode the little sacs in your lungs if you breathed off of them directly. The first stage has a demand valve that steps the pressure down to about 125-140 psi above the ambient pressure around you. Still too high to hold the mouthpiece in your mouth. The second stage has another demand valve that steps the pressure down even further and gives you just enough pressure and air to breath comfortably.

I'm sure you'll get guys on here that can explain it better but that's more or less what one is. If you are scuba diving, you'll be using a regulator.

 

[ClayJar]

To look at it from the other side, regulators are "expensive" (compared to snorkels and such), so you rent one for the class. If you had to buy it, the class would be too expensive.

That said, I bought my own personal regulator as soon as I finished the class, as I found that I liked diving too much to justify the inconvenience of renting.

 

[goodeatsfan]

I'd hold off on a regulator purchase until I was sure I'd really get into the sport, the costs of gearing up can at times be prohibitive to new divers. but that's just my opinion.

 

[Tigerman]

Fins, snorkel and mask is referred to as "ABC" gear and is usually the gear youre required to have yourself when attending the course. Sometimes gloves and shoes will also fall in this cathegory.
The rest of the gear such as wet-/dry-suit, regulators (Yeap, youll be using two. One for yourself and one backup for emergencies), BCD and so on is normally provided by the instructor for the course. If you where required to buy a full set of scuba gear rather than just the ABC equipment, the class would cost like 2000 USD, which obviously would put off a lot of people taking up diving...

 

[ClayJar]

To completely split hairs (and infinitives... but I just *had* to), you need at least one regulator set when you dive. Generally, this includes a "first stage", which attaches to the tank on your back, and two "second stages", which are the things you breathe from and are attached to the first stage by hoses.

In more advanced diving (such as cave diving), you'll actually use two regulator sets -- i.e. you'll have two first stages attached to your air supply in one manner or another, with one or more second stages attached to each. You won't see that sort of redundancy in a basic class, however, except in the book (and perhaps, on the instructor).

 

[PePaw]

"D"..just curious, have you signed up for a class ?
You really need to get the instructional materials and "start there".

Mask, fins, snorkel will be your first purchases.
Get the mask and fins from your LDS to check for fit.
And before you buy the fins, you'll need to decide if your going to wear booties.

Good-Luck to you.
Mike

 

[Scotty g]

A regulator, very simply, is the thing that goes on the air tank and allows you to breath the compressed air at a pressure that won't blow out your lungs. It has two pieces, or stages, that are connected by a rubber hose. The first stage screws to the vave on the tank and the second stage has a mouthpiece and goes in your mouth.

Scuba tanks are filled to a pressure of 3000 pounds per square inch and would explode the little sacs in your lungs if you breathed off of them directly. The first stage has a demand valve that steps the pressure down to about 125-140 psi above the ambient pressure around you. Still too high to hold the mouthpiece in your mouth. The second stage has another demand valve that steps the pressure down even further and gives you just enough pressure and air to breath comfortably.

I'm sure you'll get guys on here that can explain it better but that's more or less what one is. If you are scuba diving, you'll be using a regulator.

Excellent Post IMHO

Scotty