Regulator Saavy: A Scuba Geeks Fantasy Book
Even if you are never going to repair or rebuild a regulator this book can make you intimately aware of the inner workings of your most important piece of scuba gear. “Regulator Savvy” by Peter Wolfinger is available from ScubaTools (http://www.scubatools.com/c-23-regulator-savvy-book.aspx). The book reveals the authors passion for details and the safety. Unlike service manuals and books, this book teaches the fundamental functions of regulators. You learn what the parts are, how they work, and how each is effected by or effects the pressure differential. It is divided into two sections. The first section gets down to the nuts and bolts of basic regulator function. The second section applies this knowledge to the “art” of adjusting the regulator for optimum performance. This book is for any diver that wants to really understand how his/her regulator works. The book comes in two versions. A spiral bound copy for $29 and a three-ring binder edition for $50. I reccommend this book to every serious diver know.
After reading this book you may find you want to hover over the shoulder of the repair technician the next time you get your annual regulator services, both to learn more and to make sure he/she is taking good care with your life protecting equpment. At the very least you will find a good reason to make sure that service shop at your local dive shop is orderly and clean before you allow them to work your regulator.
I only have one criticism of the book. The author, while clearly a expert in regulators, should have stuck with the adage “play the note you know” when it comes to book design. He made three common mistakes which make the book hard on the eyes to read. He used a san serif font. The serifs on fonts help you eye follow long strings of text. He also used right justified text which creates uneven spacing between the words. (I suppose I should take my own advice on the former and switch my own font used for this blog 