5ft vs. 6ft vs. 7ft Regulator hose (recreational diver transitioning equipment)

[Yoyoguy]

All,
I am sure many of you have seen or read some of my threads so I do apologize for how many I have created but I have another debate I need settled. I am an advanced open water certified diver with just over 40 dives (10 of which have been between 75-100ft) I know some will say I am getting WAY ahead of myself BUT I have decided technical diving is where I want to eventually end up so I have been purchasing my equipment based of that AND I know many recreational people who dive these set-ups even not doing technical diving. I have recently transitioned to a backplate wing and now will be ditching the recreational style hose lengths for the more "technical" style which involves a very long primary hose with your secondary reg/octo on a shorter one bungeed around your neck. I have heard numerous people state 5ft primary hose length works fine for open water while others state 7ft length is mandatory if you might get into a single file type situation and yet even others take the inbetween route and use 6ft. What are your recommendations? Are these hoses I can switch out myself? I have switched out a LP inflator hose but I am not sure if it the same process for the regulator hoses. I want to get used to this style of set-up as I continue to advance in my diving. I do realize I am still a new diver but I honestly believe I am advancing quite well. My buoyancy control is pretty rock solid...etc. So what say you 5ft, 6ft or 7ft?

 

[RJP]

7ft... assuming you're not shorter than 5'8" or so.

Sure you can swap out on your own with nothing but two wrenches and twice as many brain cells. But not sure "titrating up" from 5 to 6 to 7 makes much sense.

The reason people use shorter "long" hoses is usually one of two things:
1.) They are of shorter stature, such that 7ft is too long to wrap
2.) They don't have a canister light, knife sheath, pocket, etc on the right hip to route the 7ft length around

 

[PfcAJ]

7ft. I'm short (5'6'') and it's fine.

For reg hose swap, use the same procedure you used for swapping your lp hose. Easy.

 

[Yoyoguy]

7ft... assuming you're not shorter than 5'8" or so.

Sure you can swap out on your own with nothing but two wrenches and twice as many brain cells. But not sure "titrating up" from 5 to 6 to 7 makes much sense.

The reason people use shorter "long" hoses is usually one of two things:
1.) They are of shorter stature, such that 7ft is too long to wrap
2.) They don't have a canister light, knife sheath, pocket, etc on the right hip to route the 7ft length around

For your second comment, I thought you tuck the extra regulator hose length beneath your waist band on your harness?

 

[RJP]

For your second comment, I thought you tuck the extra regulator hose length beneath your waist band on your harness?

That will work too, for most people, If you don't have a can light, knife sheath, or pocket to route it behind.

I'll simply tuck it into waist strap when diving on vacation, etc if I don't have my can light with me. Some people find that it might keep sliding out depending on exposure protection and hose material. Rubber hoses tend to stay put better than miflex braided nylon hoses. Slicker wet/drysuit materials tend not to hold the hose as well something more rubbery/grippy.

 

[Yoyoguy]

That will work too, for most people, If you don't have a can light, knife sheath, or pocket to route it behind.

I'll simply tuck it into waist strap when diving on vacation, etc if I don't have my can light with me. Some people find that it might keep sliding out depending on exposure protection and hose material. Rubber hoses tend to stay put better than miflex braided nylon hoses. Slicker wet/drysuit materials tend not to hold the hose as well something more rubbery/grippy.

I had not heard about being able to route it behind a dive knife sheath...I will have to look this all up. Unfortunately no one near me to really show me all this.

 

[RJP]

I had not heard about being able to route it behind a dive knife sheath...I will have to look this all up. Unfortunately no one near me to really show me all this.

Not as ideal as a can light, which would be longer and ensure that the hose stays stowed. Plus... you'll want to be very careful accessing/restowing your knife.

 

[tbone1004]

so I actually really like the streamlined OW setup that DGX and Dive Rite are marketing, I've been using it since 2009 and love it, but it does add the "failure point" of the swivel so it's not for everyone. Personally I'd recommend going straight to a 7' if you're planning on doing any overhead, if you're not, then 5' is perfectly fine.

regarding what to use to hold it in
https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=1335
these work very well and are very cheap. I prefer knife on the left, no pockets on my BC, and if I'm not diving with a can, I throw one of these on to keep the long hose hooked in. That said, when I'm in OW, I don't use a long hose, so it is only for wreck penetration

 

[rivers]

7ft. i'm 5'3" on a good day, with a short torso, and i use a 7ft hose no problem.

 

[TSandM]

7'. It's standard, and you won't have to buy another hose if you get into technical or cave diving. There are various strategies for managing the extra hose. And I'm 5'2" and use a 7' hose on my setups, except very occasionally on tropical trips where I am not going to take a canister light at all (rare!), where I use a 5'. 5' hoses don't wrap well around people with broad shoulders or deep chests, and 6' hoses aren't standard.