Your scuba regulator is the only thing standing between you and a lung full of seawater, yet most divers treat maintenance as an afterthought until something goes wrong. In this episode, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and technical equipment specialist Marcus Okafor shares hard-won lessons from a decade of testing gear across six continents—including a regulator failure during a frigid wreck dive that could have ended much worse. Whether you're a newer diver wondering what you can safely check yourself or an experienced diver looking to build better maintenance habits, this guide breaks down exactly what to do after every dive, what to inspect each quarter, and when to hand things over to a certified technician.

• The most common regulator damage happens during rinsing, not diving. Spraying water into an unpressurized first stage for ...