The Mission-Essential Functions of a Scuba Regulator

Adam Schwarze is a US Navy lieutenant who holds officer-in-charge responsibilities with the Navy SEALs. One area in which Adam Schwarze has an extensive personal and professional knowledge is scuba diving.

One of the critical pieces of equipment when diving is the regulator. Held in the mouth, this complex device has a primary role of allowing air to be breathed at the correct pressure. But it also has a number of other functions. Acting as a hub, it attaches to the tank valve and decreases pressure to an intermediate level before routing air through multiple hoses.

One hose connects to the demand valve, or mouthpiece that provides air when one inhales at the pressure required for comfortable breathing. A second hose connects to a spare mouthpiece, which allows air to be shared in situations when another diver needs assistance.
A third low-pressure hose connects to the buoyancy control device (BCD) inflator. The alternate air source for sharing oxygen may be set up as part of the BCD as well.

Finally, the regulator feeds the submersible pressure gauge through a high-pressure port. This provides accurate, real-time information on the amount of air pressure left in the tank. Given these mission-essential uses, purchasing or renting a quality regulator that will not fail is a must for any diver.