A New Approach to 2nd Stages: The Technology Behind PLANET 88X Regulator – Gil Zeimer – Scuba Diving Industry Magazine & Video Podcasts for Dive Pros

category: Industry News (5 min read)
sponsors in this article: Sea Experience – Ft. Lauderdale, Dive Industry Young Professionals Group

Airmatic Technology: First Big Change to a 2nd Stage in 70 Years

by Gil Zeimer, ScubaStoryteller.com and Zeimer.com, San Rafael, CA

MARES HEAD WATERSPORTS has introduced what may be one of the most significant regulator innovations in decades with the launch of the PLANET 88X. Developed through years of research and testing, the system challenges long-standing assumptions about how second stages should function and what “natural breathing” underwater can feel like.

The PLANET 88X was unveiled to the industry at the DEMA Show, where it quickly became one of the most discussed products on the show floor. According to Mares leadership, interest from dive operators, retailers, and professionals was immediate and sustained throughout the event, with attendees frequently lining up multiple deep to learn more about the new design and its applications.

At the heart of the PLANET 88X is a fundamental departure from traditional balanced second-stage mechanisms.

Rethinking the Second Stage: The PLANET 88X replaces conventional mechanical springs with an all-metal pneumatic valve system known as Airmatic Technology. This design uses air suspension rather than mechanical resistance to regulate airflow, resulting in an exceptionally smooth and effortless breathing sensation.

Test divers have consistently described the experience as breathing “as if the air were simply there,” a sensation the company refers to as Natural Breathing 2.0. Unlike conventional regulators, where inhalation begins against spring tension, the PLANET 88X eliminates that initial resistance altogether.

The system was developed by Dr. Sergio Angelini, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer at Mares and a long-time regulator engineer. His work on spring-less regulator concepts dates back more than two decades and builds on foundational ideas originally explored during his tenure at SCUBAPRO.

Angelini considers the PLANET 88X to represent the most important advance in regulator technology since the invention of the Aqua-Lung in 1943 by Jacques Cousteau and Émile Gagnan. Since 2021, the technology has been used on more than 500 dives during development and validation.

Fewer Parts, Greater Reliability: One of the most striking aspects of the PLANET 88X second stage is its internal simplicity. Where traditional balanced second stages often rely on ten or more internal components, the PLANET system uses just four core elements:

Paid Advertisement

A seat
A rubber sealing pad
A single dynamic O-ring
A pressure chamber

This reduction in complexity delivers several practical advantages. With no springs to adjust, the regulator maintains consistent performance over time and requires significantly less fine-tuning during service. The simplified architecture also improves long-term reliability and minimizes performance degradation caused by wear.

Air delivery is further enhanced by Vortex Assisted Design (VAD), ensuring powerful, responsive breathing across a wide range of depths and conditions – from shallow tropical reefs to deep, cold wreck environments.

Patents and Field Validation: The PLANET 88X incorporates multiple layers of intellectual property protection. In addition to early foundational patents related to spring-less regulator concepts, the current Airmatic system is supported by three new, independent patents.

The technology has been field-tested for more than two years and across thousands of dives before reaching commercial release, reinforcing its readiness for real-world use in both recreational and professional settings.

Second Stage Design Benefits: The PLANET second stage integrates several functional features aimed at usability, durability, and extreme-condition performance, including:

Pneumatic valve operation for minimal breathing effort
All-metal construction suitable for cold water environments
A manual airflow control mechanism
A side-mounted, pivoting purge button designed for easy access
High airflow delivery with minimal inhalation resistance
Lightweight, flexible hose construction

The result is a second stage that combines mechanical simplicity with refined breathing performance.

First Stage: The 88X Platform

The PLANET system is paired with the 88X first stage, a metal-bodied regulator platform engineered for durability and stable airflow delivery.

Key design elements include:

An environmentally sealed twin-piston dry system for cold-water reliability
Automatic sealing that keeps internal components clean and dry
High-flow delivery across all low-pressure ports
A swiveling turret with multiple hose routing options
Built-in overpressure protection
Symmetrical high-pressure ports designed for optimal hose positioning
A hexagonal DIN wheel designed for secure grip, even with gloves

Together, the first and second stages form a system designed to maintain performance consistency across a wide range of diving environments.

Serviceability and Operator Advantages: From a maintenance standpoint, the PLANET 88X is designed to be exceptionally service-friendly. The second stage requires replacement of only a single O-ring and rubber sealing pad – components already standard in most dive shop service inventories.

For dive operations, resorts, and liveaboards, this translates into reduced downtime, lower maintenance complexity, and longer service intervals. The recommended service schedule of two years or 200 dives reflects the system’s low-wear design and mechanical stability.

These characteristics make the PLANET 88X particularly attractive for rental fleets and high-utilization environments.

Independent Test Feedback: Four writers from Scuba Diving Industry Magazine conducted independent test dives with the PLANET 88X regulator in controlled and varied underwater positions.

Across all evaluations, testers reported:

No hesitation at the start of inhalation
No change in breathing effort regardless of body orientation
Consistent airflow during head-down, inverted, and unconventional positions
A sensation similar to rebreather breathing characteristics due to the absence of initial resistance
Several testers noted a psychological benefit as well – once underwater, breathing became something they no longer had to think about

Looking Ahead: According to Mares leadership, the PLANET 88X is not a one-off development but the foundation of a broader technology platform. Additional variants are already in testing, and the long-term vision points toward a future where mechanical springs are no longer necessary in regulator design.

Paid Advertisement