Mares Abyss 22 Navy II Regulator

Follow the interval in your regulator's manual, since manufacturers commonly specify an annual inspection or a set number of dives and many warranties depend on it. A regulator is life-support equipment, so service belongs with a factory-trained technician rather than being attempted at home. Have it looked at sooner than scheduled if you notice increased breathing effort, free-flow, bubbles, or water in the second stage.

Make sure the dust cap is dry and firmly seated over the first-stage inlet before the regulator goes anywhere near water, because water inside the first stage is the leading cause of internal corrosion. Rinse in fresh water without pressing the purge button, since purging while depressurized can draw water back into the second stage. Shake out the water and hang it to dry with the hoses in wide, gentle loops rather than tight bends.

Regulators travel well and are usually best carried in hand luggage where they will not be crushed or lost. A regulator holds no gas of its own, so there is nothing inherently problematic about it on an aircraft, though the airline and security screeners always have the final say. Pack it dry with the dust cap in place, in a padded regulator bag or wrapped in soft gear.

Many modern regulators are supplied as suitable for nitrox mixes up to 40 percent oxygen, which is the widely used recreational industry standard, while anything above that requires dedicated oxygen-clean equipment and procedures. Confirm what your specific regulator's manual states, and follow your nitrox training and your fill station's requirements. Never assume a regulator is oxygen-service clean simply because it looks clean or is new.

A yoke (A-clamp) fitting clamps over the tank valve and is the most common connection across much of the recreational world, while a DIN fitting screws into the valve and is standard in much of Europe and in technical diving. DIN captures the o-ring inside the threads, which many divers consider more secure, but yoke is often what rental cylinders provide. Adapters exist in both directions, so check what is used where you dive before deciding.

The octopus is your backup second stage, carried so you can share air with a buddy who is out of gas, or breathe from it yourself if your primary fails or free-flows. It is normally on a longer, brightly colored hose so it is easy to find and hand over under stress. Secure it in the triangle between your chin and the bottom of your rib cage so it is instantly accessible and not dragging through sand or coral.

Store it fully dry, out of sunlight, with the dust cap in place and the hoses in wide loops rather than tightly coiled. Avoid hanging it by the second stages for long periods, which stresses the hose fittings; laying it flat in a padded bag or hanging it by the first stage is kinder. If it has sat unused for a long stretch, have it checked before your next trip rather than assuming it is ready to dive.

Yes. The Abyss 22 Navy II ships with a special kit designed for diving in extremely cold water, which pairs with its balanced diaphragm first stage and nickel-plated brass second stage to resist icing. Mares also states the Abyss 22 Navy II meets NEDU cold-water standards and is used by the U.S. military.

DFC optimizes airflow through designated low-pressure ports for consistent breathing performance across recreational, expert, and technical diving. VAD uses an air bypass tube in the second stage to create a vortex and low-pressure center at the diaphragm, giving sensitive, natural breathing at all depths.

Yes. Mares states the Abyss 22 Navy II meets NEDU (Navy Experimental Diving Unit) cold-water standards and is used by the U.S. military, reflecting its focus on reliable performance in extreme and frigid diving conditions rather than general recreational use alone.

The DIN first stage weighs 685 g (24.2 oz) versus 850 g (30 oz) for the INT (yoke) first stage. With the same 269 g (9.5 oz) second stage, total weight is 1,172 g (41.3 oz) for DIN and 1,337 g (47.2 oz) for INT, so the DIN version is the lighter of the two.