Meet the Mares Instinct 12S

A new lightweight Mares regulator is hitting the shelves, ideally suited to the travelling diver.

This one’s called the Instinct 12S and boasts key distinctive design innovations over other Mares models.

adjustment knobs unnecessary

Notably the (short) hose routing is angled up and over the shoulder, rather than on the horizontal plane.

Mares has also paid special attention to weight reduction, creating a second stage valve that’s not only a smooth breathe but won’t give you jaw ache, either.

The Instinct 12S is designed to be hydrodynamic through the water. The exhaust points down and left, taking bubbles away from the face.

On the inside, Mares incorporates a system it calls ‘vortex assisted airflow’ (VAD), which renders adjustment knobs unnecessary – a consistent supply of gas should be delivered at any depth.

Unusually for a reg, the diaphragm is mounted at 45-degrees to the diver, which the company says delivers a smoother breathe. The clever gubbins inside are also laid out in such a way that any water ingress is flushed out during exhalation.

The first stage is a similarly modern design, and features the Italian marque’s DFC, or Dynamic Flow Control technology. You get two high and four low pressure ports to play with.

Together the first and second stages weigh under a kilogram, so it should go easy on the excess baggage charges.

You can get hold of a Mares Instinct 12S regulator from major outlets now, priced around £250.