The regulator represents one of the most important pieces of gear for recreational and advanced scuba divers. This self-contained device converts high-pressure air in the diver's tank to a breathable pressure. According to marinebio.org, Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan invented the first modern regulator in 1942. Rather than supplying a continuous flow of air like earlier regulators, Cousteau and Gagnan's device supplied air to the diver only when he inhaled. Modern regulators continue to function this way.
Open-Circuit Regulators
Standard open-circuit regulators remain the most common and popular type of regulator for recreational divers. These regulators have a "first stage" that attaches to the diver's tank and four hoses that connect to the mouthpiece, safety second mouthpiece, Buoyancy Compensator vest and pressure gauges. The phrase "second stage" refers to the mouthpiece through which you breathe. According to "Aquaviews" online magazine, the first stage reduces the air's pressure from 3,000 psi to about 140 psi, and the second stage reduces it to a breathable pressure that matches the pressure of the water. The mouthpiece contains an exhaust valve through which the air you exhale passes into the water. Thus, these regulators function on an open circuit, as the water passes out of the regulator system rather than returning to the tank.
Rebreathers
Rebreather regulator systems function on a closed circuit. Instead of expelling your exhaled air into the water through an exhaust valve, these devices return your exhaled air to the tank. These systems allow you to get longer dives with a single tank of air. According to Big Blue Tech, one full tank can last up to six hours with a rebreather regulator. Rebreathers produce no bubbles, allowing you to have a quieter dive. The lack of noisy, disruptive bubbles also enables you to get closer to fish and other sea creatures without scaring them away. Rebreather regulators have certain risks, however. You might not be able to detect a rebreather failure as quickly as an open-circuit regulator failure. For this reason, you need specialized training to dive with a rebreather. You must constantly monitor your pressure gauges to make sure a problem hasn't occurred with the regulator. Rebreather systems also have more weight and bulk than open-circuit regulators. Because of these drawbacks, rebreathers remain more popular with military and technical divers than with sport divers.
Cave and Technical Diving Regulators
Cave diving and technical diving require more specialized regulators. In these advanced diving situations, you need a regulator with a much longer house between the first stage and the mouthpieces to allow for buddy breathing in single-file cave or wreck passageways. Many advanced diving situations also require additional backup regulators in case the first regulator and safety second malfunction.
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