The First Pneumatic Scuba Regulator That Eliminates Springs
Mares Planet 88X is the first pneumatic scuba regulator to replace mechanical springs with a pneumatic valve, delivering self-balancing airflow with only three core internal components.
Photo source:
Mares Planet 88X
The Mechanical Spring Has Been Inside Every Scuba Regulator for Decades — Until Now
Every second-stage scuba regulator manufactured
in the modern era has relied on the same core mechanism: a mechanical spring
that controls how air flows from the tank to the diver's lungs. Springs work.
They have kept divers breathing safely across millions of dives worldwide.
However, they also introduce resistance, wear down over time, and require
regular tuning by trained technicians to maintain consistent performance. Dr.
Sergio Angelini, Chief Technology Officer at Mares and the inventor of the Airmatic
system, spent over two years developing an alternative that removes the spring
entirely.
The result is the Mares Planet 88X, the first
pneumatic scuba regulator to replace mechanical springs with a pneumatic valve
system. Founded in Rapallo, Italy by Ludovico Mares, the company has been
manufacturing diving equipment since the late 1940s. Angelini describes the
Airmatic system as a fundamental shift in regulator technology, stating that it
delivers perceivably higher breathing comfort combined with simplicity,
reliability, and ease of maintenance. The internal structure of the second
stage has been reduced to just three core components: a seat, a rubber sealing
pad, and a single O-ring.
How This Pneumatic Scuba Regulator Delivers Air Differently
Traditional regulators use a spring to hold a
valve closed until the diver inhales. The strength of the spring determines how
much effort the diver needs to initiate airflow. Over time, that spring
fatigues, changes its tension, and needs to be adjusted or replaced during
servicing. The Airmatic system inside the Planet 88X replaces that spring with
a pneumatic valve powered by intermediate pressure from the first stage. Air
pressure itself controls the valve rather than a mechanical component. This means
the system is self-balancing. It does not require a venturi lever or a
resistance knob because the geometry of the valve automatically adjusts to
deliver stable airflow regardless of depth or conditions.
Mares pairs the pneumatic valve with Vortex
Assisted Design, which directs airflow in a pattern that keeps it unobstructed
and responsive to the diver's breathing demand. The second stage is constructed
entirely from metal using Mares' All Metal Technology, which makes it suitable
for extreme cold-water conditions where plastic components can become brittle.
An upstream design adds a safety layer: if the first stage releases excessive
intermediate pressure, the second stage seals automatically instead of free-flowing.
A manual override button allows the diver to continue breathing through the
sealed second stage while ending the dive safely.
Exploring the Practical Benefits of This Pneumatic Scuba Regulator
Divers who tested the Planet 88X in conditions
ranging from near-freezing water in Malta to warm tropical water in the
Maldives reported the same observation: the breathing felt as though the air
were simply there. There was no perceptible resistance at any depth, no need to
adjust settings between dives, and no change in performance across sessions.
This consistency comes from the self-balancing pneumatic design, which
eliminates the variability that springs introduce as they age or shift during
travel and handling.
The maintenance profile is equally simplified.
At the recommended service interval, a technician replaces only the sealing pad
and the O-ring using basic tools. There is no spring to calibrate, no tension
to tune, and no complex disassembly required. The side-mounted pivoting purge
button is easy to locate and activate underwater. A lightweight Superflex hose
connects the second stage to the first stage without adding drag or stiffness.
For divers who want reliable, consistent airflow without thinking about
adjustment knobs or worrying about spring degradation between services, the
pneumatic scuba regulator removes those concerns from the equation entirely.
What Powers the First Stage Behind the Planet 88X
The 88X first stage uses a proprietary
twin-piston system enclosed in a metal body with a Pearl Chrome finish. The TBP
Dry Kit environmentally seals the first stage, preventing water and
contaminants from entering the internal chamber. This sealed design improves
performance in cold-water conditions where ice formation inside a conventional
first stage can cause free-flowing. Mares' Auto Sealing Technology keeps the
first stage dry and free from dirt whenever it is disconnected from the tank,
eliminating the need for a separate dust cap.
Natural DFC technology on all low-pressure
ports ensures maximum delivery of air to the second stage. The first stage
features four low-pressure ports mounted on a swivel turret for flexible hose
routing, plus a fifth in-line low-pressure port. An Overpressure Valve provides
a safeguard in the unlikely event of an increase in intermediate pressure,
ensuring uninterrupted regulator functionality. Two symmetrical high-pressure
ports with a ten-degree port angle allow for clean hose positioning. The Hexagonal
DIN Wheel provides a firm grip even in wet conditions or when wearing thick
gloves, preventing slipping during tank connection.
Where Springless Regulator Design Fits in the Diving Industry
Scuba regulator engineering has been remarkably
stable for decades. While materials have improved and manufacturing tolerances
have tightened, the fundamental mechanism inside the second stage, a
spring-loaded demand valve, has remained essentially the same since the
earliest modern regulators. The Planet 88X represents the first commercially
available departure from that architecture. Whether other manufacturers follow
with their own springless or pneumatic designs will depend on how divers and
dive professionals respond to the technology over sustained real-world use.
The pneumatic scuba regulator concept does
introduce questions that only long-term deployment can answer. How does the
pneumatic valve perform after thousands of dives rather than hundreds? Does the
simplified internal structure hold up better than spring-based systems over
multi-year service cycles? Do dive professionals find the reduced maintenance
requirements commercially significant? The field testing Mares conducted over
more than two years and thousands of dives provides an initial answer, but the
broader validation will come from the global diving community putting the
Planet 88X through the full range of conditions it was designed to handle. For
an industry built on trust in equipment reliability, the transition from a
proven spring-based mechanism to a pneumatic alternative represents both the
most significant technical shift in years and the kind of change that earns
adoption through demonstrated performance rather than marketing claims.
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