What are your thoughts on "Streamlined Regulator" configuration for primary donate

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hammet

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Talking strictly recreational, warm water diving.
Basically primary is on a 40" hose with a 90 degree elbow instead of 5 or 7 feet of hose.
I imagine the first comment is going to be why not just use the 5 or 7 feet hose?

 
I imagine the first comment is going to be why not just use the 5 or 7 feet hose?
so why not a 5 or 7ft hose?
I have two objections to the 40" setup after having used it for a while many years ago. First is since the second stage isn't supported by your neck you have to support the full weight of the regulator with your mouth. With the long hoses you get some support from the hose on the back of your neck. I have TMJ so it gets painful after a while.
Second is if you aren't super diligent about clipping the long hose off, if you take it out of your mouth, it will fall. On the surface that can cause the regulator to get broken, and underwater it's just annoying.

Those two are enough for me to just use a 7' hose, but if it's not, then it's a perfectly acceptable configuration.
 
With the exception of the elbow and the 40inch hose, that's exactly how I dive: customized short inflator hose that's tight to the rig, short SPG hose that doesn't dangle and isn't long enough to get under the tank while on deck, octo snug to the neck so it doesn't dangle when horizontal. I just don't go for the reg hose under the arm; but otherwise, it's a great setup.
 
Show me a fast donate. What I don't like about this is that you want to be able to grab the hose right next to the second stage when you donate. That elbow will get in the way. If there was a bit of hose/extension from the second stage where you can cleanly grab, then I wouldn't have an objection.

Also, does the 90 degree elbow interfere with two divers swimming side by side with locked arms? Even in open water, you can't or don't want to go straight up all the time.
 
Show me a fast donate. What I don't like about this is that you want to be able to grab the hose right next to the second stage when you donate. That elbow will get in the way. If there was a bit of hose/extension from the second stage where you can cleanly grab, then I wouldn't have an objection.

Also, does the 90 degree elbow interfere with two divers swimming side by side with locked arms? Even in open water, you can't or don't want to go straight up all the time.
I find most of what you're referring to here solved by using something like the caveventures/omni swivel rather than just a 90. It's easy to grab as it sticks off a little bit, and gives compliance for swimmers side by side.
 
I just don't go for the reg hose under the arm; but otherwise, it's a great setup.
I tried this set up with a 40" hose, and couldn't get the under the arm to ever be comfortable. I switched to a little longer hose (it's either a 44" or 48", don't recall exactly), and going under the arm is way more comfortable.
 
so why not a 5 or 7ft hose?
I have two objections to the 40" setup after having used it for a while many years ago. First is since the second stage isn't supported by your neck you have to support the full weight of the regulator with your mouth. With the long hoses you get some support from the hose on the back of your neck. I have TMJ so it gets painful after a while.
Second is if you aren't super diligent about clipping the long hose off, if you take it out of your mouth, it will fall. On the surface that can cause the regulator to get broken, and underwater it's just annoying.

Those two are enough for me to just use a 7' hose, but if it's not, then it's a perfectly acceptable configuration.
A slightly loose bungee around the mouthpiece and necklace solves that issue. Stays around your neck if dropped, yet a slight pull will free it to donate.
 
I tried this set up with a 40" hose, and couldn't get the under the arm to ever be comfortable. I switched to a little longer hose (it's either a 44" or 48", don't recall exactly), and going under the arm is way more comfortable.

Before I switched to teaching OW in bp/w and a long hose, I tried this with a short hose and donating the primary on a 40" hose with a swivel. I didn't like it. I couldn't get a grasp of the hose as quickly as I could without the swivel. And without the swivel, I'd get a really bad halo.
 
Fair enough. I also haven't tried this set up using big bulky gloves, only thinner gloves.
Even in the pool with no gloves, I'd still fumble grabbing the primary out of my mouth. I practiced it, but there was always a noticeable delay. Maybe with enough practice I could make it unnoticeable, but when a simpler solution of a long hose is available, I decided to go fully that route.
 
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