2nd stage for single tank sidemount

[Mike1967]

@tbone1004 makes sense, cheers

 

[divezonescuba]

Mares loop / vr goes out the bottom. No left right issues.

 

[sandita16]

For those of you who have asked, when I dive small cave, I dive with 2 22" short hoses. The hoses both route behind my neck and back over my shoulders, the left one going into a necklace, and the right one having a bolt snap to be clipped off when not in use. Both have 90* elbow connectors. I dive with MK25s with a 5th port and swivel turrets. I do use each of the 5th ports for inflation (wing and drysuit). I am not sure why so many people think it is impossible to route short hoses behind your neck. My instructor, as well as several of my dive buddies, are well over 6' tall and achieve this set up quite easily, maybe with a 24" or 26" hoses instead of 22", always keeping everything nice, tight, and streamlined.

I added the bit about single tank diving to potentially reach a broader audience. There are people out there who prefer the long hose cross their chest before routing the hose behind their necks and back to their mouths/shoulder d-ring (the way the long hose routes from the right tank when diving 2 tank SM or diving with doubles), as opposed to having it routed straight up from the tank bungees and directly over their shoulder.

Thank you for all the 2nd stage recommendations. Deep down I am always wishing Scubapro will design a reversible 2nd stage comparable to one of my s600s or g250s, to match all my other ones. Who knows? Maybe someone who works for scubapro will read this post and make my holiday/cave diving wish come true.

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

I dive sidemount and don't use long hoses anymore. I do use R/L second stages but before I had them I ran my right tank hose around my neck and both hung off a neckless.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I dive sidemount and don't use long hoses anymore. I do use R/L second stages but before I had them I ran my right tank hose around my neck and both hung off a neckless.

Which one do you donate to an OOA diver when you need to swim single file?

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

Which one do you donate to an OOA diver when you need to swim single file?

EDIT: I realize now I am in the side mount forum and didn't specify that my configuration was cave diving minded and not really used in open water unless we are in the spring cave environment.

Cave diving is a solo mentality sport. No diver should enter the water if they think they need to rely on another diver in case of an emergency. Any diver I dive with will know my configuration beforehand. Most divers I dive with have the same configuration anyway so it's never an issue. If the event arose that I could donate air to an OOA diver and making out safely I would donate a tank.

I have been known to add my 7 foot hose back to my right tank if I'm diving my side mount configuration an open water or cavern where there is a single tank diver present.

 

[Doby45]

I have been known to add my 7 foot hose back to my right tank if I'm diving my side mount configuration an open water or cavern where there is a single tank diver present.

That is about backasswards, you don't "NEED" a 7' hose in OW. Just head to the surface. And in the one area that you specifically might need a 7' hose you go with the mantra of "You do you, I do me".

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

That is about backasswards, you don't "NEED" a 7' hose in OW. Just head to the surface. And in the one area that you specifically might need a 7' hose you go with the mantra of "You do you, I do me".

If you "might need" some else's 7' hose when in a cave you need to seriously question your training.

However in the event I do need to share air with an OW or single tank diver I would much rather use a 7' hose then a 3’. Assuming you could just head to the surface in an open water environment makes me again want to mention you should question your training. That's not always an option.

This all of course assumes I'm in the cavern/cave environment which is the only place I dive my sidemount configuration.

 

[kensuf]

EDIT: I realize now I am in the side mount forum and didn't specify that my configuration was cave diving minded and not really used in open water unless we are in the spring cave environment.

Cave diving is a solo mentality sport. No diver should enter the water if they think they need to rely on another diver in case of an emergency. Any diver I dive with will know my configuration beforehand. Most divers I dive with have the same configuration anyway so it's never an issue. If the event arose that I could donate air to an OOA diver and making out safely I would donate a tank.

I have been known to add my 7 foot hose back to my right tank if I'm diving my side mount configuration an open water or cavern where there is a single tank diver present.

You don't carry a 7' hose for yourself. You carry it for others.

In 1996 I had to donate air to someone in Little River that wasn't part of my dive team. He had gotten hopelessly entangled and in a bad silt out back at the 3-way split and his buddy left to get help. We got him out, but in the process of exiting he ran out of air at the chimney.

I will always dive with a 7' hose in the overhead.

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

For those of you who have asked, when I dive small cave, I dive with 2 22" short hoses. The hoses both route behind my neck and back over my shoulders, the left one going into a necklace, and the right one having a bolt snap to be clipped off when not in use. Both have 90* elbow connectors. I dive with MK25s with a 5th port and swivel turrets. I do use each of the 5th ports for inflation (wing and drysuit). I am not sure why so many people think it is impossible to route short hoses behind your neck. My instructor, as well as several of my dive buddies, are well over 6' tall and achieve this set up quite easily, maybe with a 24" or 26" hoses instead of 22", always keeping everything nice, tight, and streamlined.

I added the bit about single tank diving to potentially reach a broader audience. There are people out there who prefer the long hose cross their chest before routing the hose behind their necks and back to their mouths/shoulder d-ring (the way the long hose routes from the right tank when diving 2 tank SM or diving with doubles), as opposed to having it routed straight up from the tank bungees and directly over their shoulder.

Thank you for all the 2nd stage recommendations. Deep down I am always wishing Scubapro will design a reversible 2nd stage comparable to one of my s600s or g250s, to match all my other ones. Who knows? Maybe someone who works for scubapro will read this post and make my holiday/cave diving wish come true.

I was a G250 guy throu and throu but moved to HOG specifically for the reversible 2nd stage. Makes configuration so much easier.