Long hose single tank rec setup?

[Thunder Struck]

I'm looking at going to a long hose primary donate setup. Not doing caves or penetration of wrecks. Simply doing single tank rec diving. While I'd like to eventually steer towards dual cylinders, caves, etc, the finances don't hold that in store for me for at least a couple years. However, $20-30 for a new regulator hose is no problemo.

So should I go for a 5' hose instead of the 7' hose?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Are you in a drysuit? 5' won't be long enough.

 

[Thunder Struck]

Are you in a drysuit? 5' won't be long enough.

7mm semi-dry w/ hood. Also running a BP/W.

I'm 6'2" and 210#

Is the routing for the 5' is the same as the 7'? Or will I skip going behind the head and need to use a swivel? Would like to go without the swivel.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

7mm semi-dry w/ hood. Also running a BP/W.

I'm 6'2" and 210#

Is the routing for the 5' is the same as the 7'? Or will I skip going behind the head and need to use a swivel? Would like to go without the swivel.

You still come around the neck. You definitely want a 7' with your height and mass.

 

[Centrals]

Tuck the excess length if there is any under the waist harness.
Weight belt is under the crotch strap.

 

[Marie13]

7mm semi-dry w/ hood. Also running a BP/W.

I'm 6'2" and 210#

Is the routing for the 5' is the same as the 7'? Or will I skip going behind the head and need to use a swivel? Would like to go without the swivel.

I’m 5’5”. I used a 5ft when I dived single tank in a drysuit. It was just long enough for me. A 5ft would be too short for you.

 

[halocline]

7mm semi-dry w/ hood. Also running a BP/W.

I'm 6'2" and 210#

Is the routing for the 5' is the same as the 7'? Or will I skip going behind the head and need to use a swivel? Would like to go without the swivel.

At your size, 5ft might be a little short but 7ft will still be way too long. The 5 ft hose routs across your chest and around behind your head. The 7 ft is routed down and typically around a canister light. It exists because tech divers have a requirement to be able to share air while swimming single file through tightly restricted passages. This does not apply to OW diving.

I use a 5ft hose in OW water and 7ft in cave diving. I would never use the 7t hose in OW by choice. Tucking in the extra hose into your waistbelt is a work-around for a day when you have no choice, but I would never buy a 7ft hose for that purpose. Unfortunately the best solution for you might be a custom hose, like 5ft 6" or something like that. But it's not difficult to find out. You can get a hose coupler for less than $5 and start joining together different lengths of used standard recreational hoses until you come up with the right length, then order one in that length. It's a shame that companies don't stock 5'6" and 6ft hoses for this purpose.

Another option that might work great is a 5ft hose with a 90 degree fixed elbow. That elbow basically gives you a few extra inches because the hose doesn't have to travel quite as far to come into the reg in-line. The elbow is totally reliable; sidemount divers use them on their left tank routinely in cave and technical settings.

 

[NothingClever]

@Thunder Struck

Below is a video that explains what you might be after. The configuration is commonly referred to as the “advanced OW streamlined configuration”.

Might want to turn the volume down…Lamar is getting old and soft (like many of us) when he uses language like ”techy” and “tech look”. Hardcore tech divers burp up some breakfast when they hear stuff like that.

You don’t have to use Dive Rite gear to achieve the configuration; it can be accomplished with existing regulators. Hose lengths and SPG (in lieu of a clunky console) are a different story.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

You can easily get a 6 ft hose. For your size 5 would be way too short. Trying to use it with a swivel and not go across the chest and around the neck will mean you have a bunch of extra hose flopping around on your side. 72
Randy has good prices on hoses and they are good quality.
At your height and weight even a 7 would not be bad and you wouldn't be tucking much. I use a 7 with a single tank and I'm only 5'7" and have zero issues with it. There is no real downside to having the extra length if you use a little bit of awareness and getting used to it took maybe 3 or 4 dives to develop the muscle memory. I always had a pocket or light on the right side and that also made it easier to tame the length.

 

[Nemrod]

I'm looking at going to a long hose primary donate setup. Not doing caves or penetration of wrecks. Simply doing single tank rec diving. While I'd like to eventually steer towards dual cylinders, caves, etc, the finances don't hold that in store for me for at least a couple years. However, $20-30 for a new regulator hose is no problemo.

So should I go for a 5' hose instead of the 7' hose?

If you are open water diving in warm or temperate climes (meaning a 3mm to 5mm wet suit or less) then I would suggest a 60 inch hose for your primary and a 22 inch hose for the necklaced second. If you are especially tall or of shall I say of a larger diameter, then a 72 inch hose might be more comfortable, and I mean by that, the hose tugging the second stage and then a 24 inch or 26 inch for the other reg.

For the spg, I have, gasp, gone back to a 30 inch hose. The short 22 and 24 inch spg hoses just make it too difficult for me to see the guage. They worked in the past but my eyes even with a prescription mask, just cannot see the spg way down there.

Back on the 60 inch hose, if you use a 90 degree swivel instead of a straight connection at the second stage it will effectively lengthen the hose in practice. This can allow a larger diver to use the shorter hose and not have to deal with stowing away the extra length of a 72.

James