First Stage Regulators

First Stage Regulators: The Heart of Your Scuba Air System

The first stage regulator is the critical starting point of your underwater life support, attaching directly to your scuba cylinder valve. Its primary function is to take the high pressure from your tank and reduce it to a stable, intermediate pressure that is then delivered to your second stages (what you breathe from) and inflator hoses.

Choosing a first stage involves understanding a few key design aspects that influence how it operates:

• Internal Mechanism: You'll generally find two main types:
  
  • Piston Designs: Often noted for their straightforward internal workings and capacity for high air-flow rates.
  • Diaphragm Designs: These typically isolate the internal components from the surrounding water, which can be an advantage in preventing internal contamination or freezing in very cold conditions.
• Balancing Technology:
  
  • Balanced First Stages: Engineered to maintain a more consistent intermediate pressure to your second stages, even as your tank pressure decreases or your depth changes.
  • Unbalanced First Stages: May exhibit slight variations in intermediate pressure as tank pressure changes.
• Environmental Sealing: Some first stages, particularly diaphragm types, are environmentally sealed. This feature further protects the internal mechanism from water, sediment, and ice formation, making them a consideration for diving in challenging conditions.
• Tank Connection: Ensure compatibility with your cylinder valves. Options include:
  
  • DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung): Screws directly into the tank valve, often preferred for higher pressures and technical diving.
  • Yoke (A-Clamp): Fits over the standard post-style tank valve, common in recreational diving.
• Port Configuration: First stages have a specific number of High Pressure (HP) ports (for your pressure gauge or transmitter) and Low Pressure (LP) ports (for your second stages and inflators). The placement and angle of these ports can affect how your hoses route.

Our selection includes a wide array of first stage regulators from leading dive equipment manufacturers, featuring these different design technologies and port arrangements. This allows you to find a first stage that aligns with your type of diving, the environments you explore, and your overall equipment configuration.

Select the foundation of your air delivery system. Explore our collection of First Stage Regulators today!