Aqua Lung Recalls Scuba Regulators and Adapters Due to Drowning Hazard

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #08393) was formally reported on September 10, 2008. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Aqua Lung USA, of Vista, Calif. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 6,000 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: Over-tightening of the DIN retainer by a technician during installation can result in the retainer breaking under pressure, a rapid escape of air from the scuba cylinder, and the regulator detaching from the scuba cylin… Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled diving regulators and DIN adaptors and return them to any authorized Aqua Lung dealer for a free replacement DIN retainer. — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 18 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.