DIN vs. International or Stirrup

The basis of a safe scuba dive is to do it with good diving equipment. It is a practice in which details cannot be spared, so it is advisable to let yourself be guided by those who know the most about this practice, especially as far as diving regulators are concerned, as this is what we It allows us to breathe underwater.

Although it is not usually that simple, especially if you do not usually dive regularly, it is advisable to have your own regulator if only to avoid using the same mouthpiece as another person who has rented the diving equipment before. at the school or center with which you are going to dive.

Therefore, whether you are going to buy your own diving equipment or rent it, knowing the parts and stages that it consists of is essential for a safe practice, in which you only have to have a good time.

You will learn all this in your diving course, not in a baptism. Hence we recommend here some of the best diving schools and internationally recognized titles that you can find in our country to learn to dive with all the guarantees you need.





In the diving course there is a part expressly focused on the operation and placement of the diving suit and all its components. In the first stage you will learn to decrease the air pressure in the bottle through one piece so that the pressure is intermediate. But in order not to make a mistake regarding where to connect the pressure gauges, LP for intermediate pressure and HP to maintain the same pressure of the bottle , the type of connection varies.

It will be at this point where you learn that there are two types of connection to the oxygen bottle: DIN and International or Stirrup. Both present significant differences although they serve to regulate pressure so we have given you a summary of their main characteristics so that you know which system to use for each dive.

• The DIN system is one in which the first stage is threaded inside the faucet, that is, in the place where the core is housed, That is why the DIN system has its own O-ring, similar to a screw.

• The fact that it has its own O-ring means that it can be replaced whenever desired without having to change anything else.

• The first stages in which the DIN method is used you will directly screw the regulator to the bottle.

• The DIN is the safest way to regulate pressure and the most used by technical divers since it can load bottles up to 300 bars. But that doesn't mean it's the easiest to do.

• Once screwed on and with the required pressure, it is practically impossible for it to move due to the pressure in the circuit.

• The Stirrup or INT is the regulator clamp that slides over the faucet.

• It is much easier to use, which is why it is the most common in recreational diving where the most common thing is to use 200 bar bottles.

• Safe and manageable, the Stirrup is placed directly on the bottle, simply tightening without having to screw.

• Bottles purchased with the INT system already have the O-rings in place.

In principle, both are safe, but perhaps the DIN stands out in some things above the stirrup, since the DIN withstands pressures of 232 ATM and 300 ATM (they differ in the thread length) while the stirrup only supports 232 ATM, but be careful! To work at 300 ATM, the faucet and the bottle must be prepared for that pressure.

Another important fact is that the DIN, since it does not have a tightening knob on the faucet, runs less risk of becoming entangled with a net, roots or laminaries... or any element that may appear during the immersion.

The DIN also has the advantage that you control the condition of the O-ring.

As you will see, the DIN stands out in some things, which does not mean that the stirrup is worse, it is as safe in its operation as the DIN, since it only changes the coupling to the bottle, but not the operation of the first stage.