Regulators Presentation
History • Technology • Evolution
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Time: 17:00
Location: DIVENESS – 165 Kalyvion Avenue, Lagonisi
How many times have you put your regulator in your mouth, taken your first breath and started your dive?
And how many times have you wondered what exactly happens inside it?
How did we go from the first self-contained breathing apparatus of the 19th century to the regulators we use today?
How do they work?
What different mechanical designs have been used throughout their evolution?
What should a diver really check before entering the water?
And, ultimately, how well do we know the equipment on which our breathing underwater depends?
On September 20, DIVENESS welcomes Ioannis–Stylianos (Stelios) Papazoglou for a presentation that is not intended only for “technical” divers.
It is for every diver who wants to know a little more about what they carry on their back and what they put in their mouth when they dive.
And the title he chose says a lot:
“Towards Preventing Oblivion…”
Because the history of diving, the people who lived it, the equipment that was used, and the knowledge accumulated over decades should not be lost.
⚙️ What We Will Explore
The presentation will be developed in five sections:
1. Historical Overview
The evolution of the open-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus, from the mid-19th century to the present day.
2. Breathing Regulators
Technical characteristics, mechanical designs and operating principles.
3. Diving Equipment Checks
The proper inspection of the entire open-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus, both at the surface and during the first few metres before the dive.
4. The Diver’s Own Responsibilities
Maintenance, hygiene rules, servicing and everything the user of their equipment should know.
5. Open Discussion – Questions
Time for questions, discussion and exchange of experiences.
🏛️ Museum Exhibits Will Be on Display
And there is something that makes this presentation even more special.
During the presentation, we will have the opportunity to see equipment from different eras up close:
- Breathing regulators
- Buoyancy compensators
- Closed-circuit systems
- Dive computers
Not just photographs and theory.
Real pieces of diving history, right in front of us.
🔵 Who Is Stelios Papazoglou?
And this is perhaps the most important part of this meeting.
Ioannis–Stylianos Papazoglou’s diving training began in 1983 and continues to this day.
During his military service in the Hellenic Navy, he trained as a deep diver, with responsibilities involving submarine rescue, mine clearance and diving operations.
Throughout his long training and professional career, he has been certified as:
- Scuba Diving Instructor
- Technical Breathing Regulator and Closed-Circuit Systems Instructor
- First Aid Instructor – including management of multiple-trauma and traumatic brain injuries
- Lifeguard Instructor
- Gas Blender
- Oxygen Equipment Maintenance Technician
- Operator of an eight-person Hyperbaric Chamber
- Licensed Commercial Diver and Diving Contractor
Professional Experience
His professional activity, however, has extended far beyond training.
He has worked as a technical advisor with:
- ITHAVIK
- The Greek Emergency Response Unit (EMAK)
- EKTHE
- The Hellenic Navy Diving Team
- The Amphibious Special Forces Team (LOK)
- MYK–DYK
He has carried out underwater filming for documentaries, including “Aegean Waves”, “In Depth” and “Diving and Disability”, as well as for television productions such as “Menoume Ellada” and “Thalatta.”
He also participated as the technical equipment supervisor in documentaries produced by the German public television networks ZDF and ARD, working with cinematographer Roberto Rinaldi, a former diver of the Calypso, for the filming of the wildlife and caves of the Ionian Sea.
Experience Beyond the Diving World
His experience extends even beyond the diving field.
He has carried out video recordings and photography of surgical procedures — orthopedic, neurosurgical, anesthesiological, general surgery and others — in collaboration with hospitals and university clinics, with the aim of creating educational material for medical conferences and seminars.
At the same time, he has served as Safety and Technical Equipment Officer on shipwrecks of historical and scientific interest, working with American, Canadian and New Zealand organizations and with the support of The Explorers Club, on expeditions involving, among others, the shipwrecks of BRITANNIC and BURDIGALA.
He has also worked as an external Safety Officer for the Underwater Mapping Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Why Do We Want to Host This Presentation at DIVENESS?
Because there are things that cannot be learned from a manual alone.
There is knowledge acquired through training.
There is knowledge acquired through technical expertise.
And then there is the knowledge that comes from having spent more than 40 years immersed in the world of diving.
This is knowledge worth hearing from the people who carry it.
And knowledge worth passing on to younger divers.
🆓 Participation Is FREE
The presentation is offered by DIVENESS Academy, as part of the free educational activities we organize for the diving community.
For us, diving does not end with a beautiful dive.
We want divers to understand their equipment, know its history and evolution, be able to ask questions, learn and continue to develop.
Because at DIVENESS, we believe that:
A better diver is a diver who never stops learning.
Towards preventing oblivion… then.
📅 Event Information
Date: Sunday, September 20, 2026
Time: 17:00
Location: DIVENESS – 165 Kalyvion Avenue, Lagonisi
Topic: 🤿 Breathing Regulators | History • Technology • Evolution
‼️ Registration Is Required
Reserve your place HERE BEFORE coming to DIVENESS:
https://forms.gle/JM4SZu4JVdDGQcd19
The venue has a limited capacity — please help us organize the event properly by registering in advance.
🤿 For Every Diver
Whether you are a new diver or have hundreds of dives under your belt, this is one of those gatherings that is truly worth attending.
