Scuba Diving Tanks
Probably the most important piece of equipment required for scuba diving that will undoubtedly cause you the most distress because of its weight, is your scuba diving tank. You need a controlled air supply when you go scuba diving. There’s no way around it. Human lungs are designed to breathe air and not water. Although it may seem to be an easy process, how a scuba diving tank works is somewhat involved.
If you were to view a scuba diving tank, you would see a regulator on the top. As the name implies, this part of the scuba diving tank regulates air pressure that flows from the tank. It also provides the air you need. There are two handles on the regulator connected to a single hose. The two handles provide two stages of air supply. The first stage refers to the valve that is fastened directly to the scuba diving tank. The second stage refers to the handle that lies just beyond your mouthpiece. The first stage is important because it manages the amount of air that is supplied to you. Before each dive you will need to make sure that your tank is full of air. This amount is generally 3000 psi. The regulator manages this air supply so that you have what you need to breathe while under water without putting too much pressure on your lungs. If the air pressure is too high this can cause damage to your lungs.
The valves within the first stage will automatically adjust the air pressure as your depth changes. The air pressure amount dictates the amount of air that is delivered to your mouthpiece in the second stage of the regulator. The two stages operate in tandem to create a continued balance of air pressure and air supply. The first stage only has to handle one-way air compression while the second stage is responsible for managing both the air content when you inhale and exhale. Each time you exhale a valve in the second stage of the regulator allows the air to flow from the area.