Chest Mounted Rebreather, Hose Routing, and Regulator Fitting Sides...

[addohm]

Hi all, the only house routing I've ever used is the following:
RH Tank Long Hose behind neck clipped off on chest
LH tank short hose behind neck on necklace

Easily identified by long hose has a straight fitting coming out of the regulator and short hose has a 90 degree fitting coming out of the regulator, both of which exit the right side of the regulator.

Why am I here?

I've purchased a new set of regs and I somehow ended up with a slightly different configuration. The short hose fitting to the regulator is on the left side of the regulator. Now, logically that makes sense to me - LH tank regulator, fitting on left & RH tank regulator, fitting on right - but now there's a slight configuration change and I'm not sure how the hose is meant to be routed. Both the long hose and short hose have the same exact fitting on the regulator so Id be resistant to changing the short hose regulator fitting to the right side as theres a greater possiblity to confuse the regulator with the associated tank. So, keeping in mind the new configuration, how should the short hose be routed? I can't see just letting it be free on my left side because thats an entanglement waiting to happen. The hose is too short to put it in a rubber cylinder band. So, I'm kind of lost here. I have half-a-mind to send it back and ask for the situation I know, but then again theres another caveat...

in April I am going to get O2ptima certified - that means I will be chest mounted rebreather certified and having hoses routed across my chest will no longer be an option. So, I am looking to practice getting myself comfortable with the new configuration before then. Please advise me on some of your hose routing. I almost think double long hose is better here.

For reference, I found this image that shows how I've always routed my sidemount hoses... (credit Sidemount Regulator Configuration)

 

[lostsheep]

Change the short hose 2nd stage back to the configuration you are familiar with.

FWIW, I’m a Choptima diver. There is already a whole lot going on on the left side when SM diving with the chop, I really wouldn’t want another hose over there. You have dil hose, wing hose, potentially a wing dump depending on your rig, Mav / adv / shutoff , and likely a deco bottle.

 

[addohm]

Change the short hose 2nd stage back to the configuration you are familiar with.

FWIW, I’m a Choptima diver. There is already a whole lot going on on the left side when SM diving with the chop, I really wouldn’t want another hose over there. You have dil hose, wing hose, potentially a wing dump depending on your rig, Mav / adv / shutoff , and likely a deco bottle.

And by that you mean, change the side the fitting is on _and_ the fitting itself?

Since you're on the same rebreather and given your statement about the left side being busy, do you just clip off your long hose reg on your right shoulder or something? How is that routed?

 

[lostsheep]

Correct, I am saying change the short hose back to entering the second stage from the right with an elbow on it.

I dive my right tank with the long hose stowed along the tank and the second stage clipped to my right shoulder D on a breakaway. If I took the chop off I’d deploy 1/2 the long hose and wrap it around my body / neck like I do OC.

All that said, listen to your instructor and do what they say until you get some time and experience; I’m only taking a stance on the short hose entering from the right because it’s kind of a standard but more importantly you are already familiar with it.

 

[addohm]

Correct, I am saying change the short hose back to entering the second stage from the right with an elbow on it.

I dive my right tank with the long hose stowed along the tank and the second stage clipped to my right shoulder D on a breakaway. If I took the chop off I’d deploy 1/2 the long hose and wrap it around my body / neck like I do OC.

All that said, listen to your instructor and do what they say until you get some time and experience; I’m only taking a stance on the short hose entering from the right because it’s kind of a standard but more importantly you are already familiar with it.

Sure that's understandable. I just don;t want to waste any time fiddling in a technical class and wasting other's time when I can help it. Combine that with the "just go with what you know and are comfortable with" mantra and that takes me right back to traditional Hogarthian routing sans long hose across the chest.

 

[PEDiver]

Keep your OC configuration the same going into the class. You already have experience with it and you know where all your hoses and second stages are. Changing it before the class, while also learning a new unit, is a recipe for making it more difficult. Let your instructor weigh in on any major configuration changes during the class - that's what they are there for. If you are comfortable with the hose routing as shown above, keep your regulators configured in that way, meaning change the inlet to be on the right side for both second stages.

 

[lostsheep]

Sure that's understandable. I just don;t want to waste any time fiddling in a technical class and wasting other's time when I can help it. Combine that with the "just go with what you know and are comfortable with" mantra and that takes me right back to traditional Hogarthian routing sans long hose across the chest.

This is the SM forum so I assume you mean Boegarthian. I was under the impression that meant long hose right and wrapped around the chest / neck just like a set of BM doubles.

I’m not sure what you’re saying with the last bit but I think you’re saying to just configure the standard boegarthian way…if so then yes we are agreement here, do that unless you’re instructor gives you some good reason otherwise.

 

[addohm]

This is the SM forum so I assume you mean Boegarthian. I was under the impression that meant long hose right and wrapped around the chest neck just like a set of BM doubles.

I’m not sure what you’re saying with the last bit but I think you’re saying to just configure the standard boegarthian way…if so then yes we are agreement here, do that unless you’re instructor gives you some good reason otherwise.

Also, I think you mean Hogarthian? I don't dive doubles, I am referring specifically to sidemount with consideration chest mounted rebreathers. The general consensus here confirms what I was feeling: go back to what I know - which does happen to be the Hogarthian method.

 

[lostsheep]

Thought we were in SM…oops

I’m not a lexicographer, I’ll let others handle that

 

[ScubaSquatch]

No need to cross the long hose across your body. Stow the whole hose in your tank bands and clip the reg to a choker on the valve or tuck the mouthpiece under the hose. If you have to bailout you're going to the necklace reg. If you have to donate the long hose reg is right there on your right side and ready to deploy.

This is how I was showed during my Chop training.