Regulator Venturi - Good or Bad? - Scuba Tech Tips: S06E15 

When you mix ton of charisma with years of experience you get Alec! Best scuba gear videos out there by far. Keep on good work! V

What a great video! As a beginner these videos have been extremely useful in making me understand the equipment, and making me a better diver in the process. Thank you for sharing!!!

As a “big” guy who has been diving for ever, this was very informational and helps make sense. Plus after watching your video on your training (I took my course in 1974!) I’ve decided to go back this Spring and take a refresher. Even though I’ve been rec diving for years, taking time off and coming back, it really made me think and decide, why not take a course and make sure I’m “up to date” with my training. Thanks for these great videos Alec!

You are the king of scuba! thanks for all the content!

I can't remember how many of your videos I've seen so far and I learned a lot from you some things I didn't know, I've been certified since 1989, and I learned your never to old to pickup something new. Thank you for sharing your passion I also have for diving. 🇺🇲👌🏼

Man, you cleared all my doubts like anything. Best video on how the regulator works. Thanks. ton.

Thank you Alec for all good advises..

Thanks ALEC for your explanation.I am 54 years and kind of the guy you just described even with the same regulator!!!! It is a very good help for all divers.Keep following yor tech tips

Great explanation again! Every time I watch your videos, even on a subject I thought I knew, you show me something I never knew before. I love your presentation style too, simple and to the point without any flashy green screens or animations, just a man in his workshop showing us the ins and outs with practical demonstrations. Thanks for your uploads, haven't found a single bad one yet! -Rob

I have found these videos so interesting. You go in great detail with all the gear and throw in some personal experiences while explaining which are very memorable and I can easily relate your suggestions to my own gear. Thank you so much for doing this and sharing you broad knowledge on diving!

Thanks Alec. What you presented provide me with lots of useful information to better understand the workings of the regulator.

Very informative! Always a little smarter after watching your videos. Keep them coming, Alec! Thank you..

Thank you Sir....for another information packed video. Your delivery of the material and attention to details...make it a great way to learn. Please keep up the amazing work!

You nailed the explanation of what i had diving this holiday against current. Had the Mares rover from dive center, but against the medium current it was a hard work for me and didnt give enough air for me.

always great to watch

Brilliant explanation, thank you! 👌

This has been one of the most interesting, educational videos I've seen. Thank you!

Alec, thanks for another great video. Keep them coming........

Alec, your videos are a blessing! Thanks again.

Hello Alec.Thanks for explaining that in laymans term. Short and concise, straight to the point..

I love your channel. I'm getting back into diving after 23 years, since I was a teenager, and your channel has brought me up to date. Thx you and keep em coming....

You, sir, are a mentor to a student like me. Thank you and Kevin for the time spent making these videos. Your contributions to all things diving are immeasurable.

Beautifully explained! Thank you Alec !

Great tech tip-While watching I actually took my regulator apart and cleaned the diaphragm area. Will add to my maintenance agenda. Thanks, Jim

Thank you Alec! Love the real demo of venturi and now I understand.

Just got a nice set of regs with these secondhand and had them overhauled. Thank you for making this.

I’ve only just discovered you and your tech tips. You are a revelation! I love watching your videos, you explain things in a way anyone could understand and you clearly have a LOT of experience. You also make me laugh a lot. Keep up then good work, I’m telling all my dive buddies about you!

great explanation and most importantly, demonstration of the venturi effect in a 2nd stage. I came to this video trying to understand what a venturi caused free flow is and I learned so much more than that, including how a 2nd stage works. TNX !!!!

Very detailed tip!

Your videos and explanations are priceless. Thank You !

Awesome presentation! Tons of charisma as well as expertise!

Finally I get it!!! Thank you sooo much for sharing your knowledge with us!!

Another very helpful episode. Thanks Alec!

I learned one more feature of my regulator. Thank you for your lesson.

Another great video. Thanks Alec.

Non-diver preparing to go into diving here. Absolutely love the explanation and humour in this video. I know understand how this works! Thanks

Thank you, Alec. I’m a new diver researching for my first reg purchase. This video explains well the need or not for venturi.

this has been the single most informative video I have ever seen, just watched it with my 12yr old boy who is doing his open water along with me, he now understands how the regulator works, what the parts are, and what a venturi does, brilliant video

Excellent information...love your videos...."your knowlege sails in a sea of experience...".😍😍😍

Wow Alec, great presentation. Very illustrative, mostly for somebody that is restarting to dive after more than 30 years of not doing it and needs to know how the equipment works nowadays. Keep on with the good work.

That was an awesome explanation and show and tell

Alec What an amazing video!! I bought a scuba pro MK25EVO and A700 reg a year ago and it has a Venturi on it. I found this Venturi useful on a dive on el um farod wreck in Malta, we were swimming back into quite a strong current and this Venturi helped a lot when I turned it on. I wasn't sure of the science behind it, I just knew it helped me. Now I know why!! Me and my 19 year old boy love your videos and think you're well cool, keep up the good work!! Kind regards Johnny Battiste

Thanks for the class on venturi I just bought a Brawn 1st, 2nd and octopus and they both came with this feature know I understand it a little better

Great explonation! Thank you Mr.Pierce!

Hi Alec, I just bought a new reg, a Scubapro MK11/C350. I just wanna say thank you, because I happen to watch this video just before my first dive with my new reg and could really understand about the venturi feature - and not panic when it easily freeflowed because I already know what made that happen - because of this video! Keep these useful videos coming!

Thank you. I love this video. Great job in explaining...

Great videos Alec! Thank you so much for your honest and sincere tech tips! Perfect! Wish you health and flexibility of your mind Thank you for sharing 60 years of experience this is priceless

You have a great talent for explaining things in a simple and understandable way. I'm very fit but you never know what condition you could run into under water that might exhaust you (like being chased by the Loch Ness Monster ..lol ) and having that venturi can save your life. Worth the extra bucks.

This is wonderful, love your explanation.

Very helpful explanation - thanks!

Awesome videos.keep them coming

Thanks a million, finally I get the idea.

Just excellent!

absolutely a thrill to watch and learn about the Venturi lever, thank you so much! now i know why my regulator acts funny 😂

As always great informative video

Thank you. Much easy to understand.

Thanks for the up-date Alex , life saveing air is to precious to be Liberal with it......... thanks for posting............................

Greetings from Orlando Alec, glad to see another video! Hope you are doing well.

I love love that vid Alec, really great and made me to understand even more the benefits and how to not have a free flow too easily ;) ... I have that exact reg 1st and 2nd stage except mine if the 50th edition bronze ...

Thanks, Alec, another great explanation. Your Tech Tips have saved me so much money, I was finally able to buy that ScubaPro G2. ;-) Well maybe not enough for the G2, but you have definitely decreased my annual expenditures significantly and increased the life and reliability of my gear. I really did get the G2 and love it, although I look a little odd diving with a G2 and twin steel 70s with a J-valve. Still looking for a twin hose regulator.

Hey Alec! That s a great video again. Thanks very much!

Hello Alec! Thank you so much for all your super informative videos. But this is one of my favorites! Wow, no one explains this as well as you do. This was a spectacular demonstration of the Venturi effect, which is basically the Bernounilli's principles of pressure differential in moving air ( the principle responsible for modern aviation). The rapid flow of air inside the diaphragm causing the pressure to drop significantly as compared to the pressure outside the diaphragm, and thus the diaphragm will continue to be "pushed" in as long as the flow is there. This principle applies to air flow within a narrow tube is called the Venturi effect allowing continuous air flow and thus helping the diver putting forth less effort on air-sucking. The manufactures called this Venturi-assisted, indirectly implying somehow they created this technology, but it is nothing more than the natural physics principle discovered by Giovanni Venturi in the 18th century. Closing the lever will partially close down the tube and slowing rate of air flow to the point the pressure in the chamber will rise enough together with the return force of the diaphragm back to its normally closed position, thus abolishing the Venturi effect. So the question is do we actually need this lever in the alternate second stage, commonly used only in an emergency? Probably not. Do we need the lever to prevent accidental free flow in the primary second stage when the purge button is struck, or when we need the Venturi effect to get more air with less effort? Probably. Your choice. It appears that the manufactures often charge hundred of dollars more to have this lever put in to their newest models, everything else being equal. Finally Alec, I am new to diving but watching your videos helped me learn a lot about this wonderful sports and save a ton of money at the same time, buy not purchasing unnecessary equipments!

That it fantastic! Thank you.

What a great video. Excellent explanation for a newby like me.

Lol😅. Dont get water on my 1st stage... Wow!! What more can i ask . A Million thanks Alec!!

a divemaster in my open water training didn't even know what the venturi was, thanks for the knowledge

You're the BEST! Thanks again for a great video and explanations! Houston TX

Alec again thank you. A few years ago I bought a new reg set actually a ScubaPro set and spent a bit more than $800.00 on them. They have the venturi feature and until now I didn’t really understand the function. The only thing I knew is that the lever had to be off and then pushed forward when I was ready to start my descent. I thought that spending the extra money on the regs that the first and second stage where just better quality but now I understand that maybe I didn’t have to spend that kind of money to get a good reg set. Well too late for that now. I am totally satisfied with them and hopefully they will last me years to come. Keep up the great work with these videos as I am learning so much from them and I am becoming a well informed diver because of them. Hats off to you Alec and your no nonsense approach to things.

Thanks a lot! Very helpful. Keep it up

Excellent vid.

Thank you for this info...

Thank you!

Love your videos

Thank you for this tip

Wow, great explanation!!! Thnxs

WOW you just explain this so great !!! Your should be a teacher.. now i see and hear how this works PERFECT !!! THX !!!

Great Video as usual. What you did not say in direct words (as you were talking to novices) was 'ease of breathing' although you certainly discussed it. In one article a tech diver said was that you can literally just take 3 breaths a minute (at rest) underwater. He was right. (7 second inhale, 7 second hold, 7 second exhale). I cannot do that on land! I attribute that to the light weightiness feeling in water and the EASE of breathing from the Venturi regulator. I have show students the difference in feel too, as you were showing on video with good, well maintained regulators vs some of the horrible ones I have seen used for pool use (and as rentals!). I do consciously try to do slow deep relaxed breaths while diving. As a result I have great deal more air than most of the group coming back. A venturi certainly helps. Full disclosure- I am a big guy and usually dive sidemount or with other gear/cameras- so more drag than most.

Wow that was informative Thanks Alec .

Alec, I have that reg. Mine on the venturi says surface or dive or something to that effect so I always thought it was just a free flow issue. It sounds like I am wrong from the video. Love the videos!

Great demo with taking the cap off the 2nd stage

Once again, you bring us a fantastic video. You truly are an awesome educator and presenter. Thanks! By they way, how is that video on painting or refinishing aluminum tanks coming along... (hint hint) lol. You are doing a great job!

Nice to read ur replies

Fantastic Video. Thanks for that :)

Thanks for another great episode. I know you have mentioned doing an episode or two on drysuits. Just wondering how that might be coming along. Thinking of taking that plunge soon and would love to hear your thoughts.

Very helpful

Great video again :)

I would love if you would talk about different types of full face masks and the pros and cons of using them!! I love the videos and I'm an avid watcher, keep it up!

Hi Alec, Love your videos. I recently got recertified and have been watching you tech tips on what a person really needs. My son and daughter wanted to get me a regulator first and second stage for Christmas which they did. MK 25 Evo with a A700 reg. I told them it was way to much and over the top, but they insisted. I now need a safe second and would really value your thoughts on what to get. I am from the PNW and cold water dive, but will travel to Florida and Hawaii in the future. Thanks again.Scuba Pete

Great feature it’s like having park assistant on your car.

Greetings from South Africa, Been scuba diver since 1986. Great and informative videos. Keep up the good work. Am of the opinion that most of these "features" are gimmicks and the average diver does not really derive a whole lot of benefit from the apart from a lighter wallet ;)

Great video my friend. Pushing forward with my training to become an instructor. Bye spring I hope. Suggest a video: Are LED lights better than the old bulb type. And service your light. Maybe a video on transporting your tanks.

Great video Alec! Thanks! Able to do a video about water resistance testing on dive computers and how they test it in pressure chambers?

Great informative videos and so well presented. Experience is priceless and thank you for sharing it. Like so many activities it does seem to me that buying the best you can afford is the only option, whether it's 2nd stage valves, face masks, BCDs and so on. Is there a range of equipment that competes with the very best in terms of functionality and performance without the flashy bits and what equipment do you use? Thanks again.

Nice video 😊

Alex Great job on explaining how the Venturi does and how it helps out at diver. Keep the video's coming I miss not seeing one a week from you about fixing them. We live down in FL and started diving over five years ago in upstate NY. Diving in Lake George very cold around this time of the year. I'm glad we live in FL now on the west coast side. Can you tell what a PADI or if NAUI tec course on maintaining your equipment goes through and is it worth it? Thanks Will

Excellent video Alec. One question, since you have shown us the way the assist functions, would you be willing to explain how/what is happening in the regulator when a diver uses the breathing adjustment knob as featured on your example regulator in this video? Best.

That i had to exp myself when got my A700 and had to do clearing on my mask😂 air won't wanna come out to my nose. You'll get used to🤔 had to adjust. Works great at depth, easy to breathe if got air yo spare.

Hi Alex. Thanks for the vid. Excellent, as always. Was wondering if you do a comparison between PADI & NAUI dive courses. It's been 30 years since I last went diving & I'd love to get back into it. We are in northern Australia. Cheers.

Great chapter!! Alec, is it usefull to have a venturi if you use a fullfacemask?

Thank you now i know the purpose of it, but does it consumed more air in my tank if i turned it on so i get a lesser time underwater...