7 ft. Hose...gggrrrrhhh
- Thread starter Scuba_Jenny
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SkullDeformity:
Good for you. Use it all the time. Jenny is having a problem with it.
Jenny, without seeing it in person, it does look 'long' in the picture. Which is probably due to routing.
Personally, I hate trying to tug the hose under the belt when I don't dive with a canister light (which, given that I don't own one and only use one when it's 'on loan' is most of the time). I've found two things that work for me:
1) Wear my knife on the right and tug the hose under it.
2) Wear my knife on the left and tug the hose under it.
Neither gets in the way of deploying the long hose and it routes quite nice. If you have a standard sized backplate, the distance from the 1st stage to the waist belt should be standard, so routing really shouldn't be all that much different between different hight divers.
Of course, YMMV.
Now I'll let everyone once again fight over the 7 foot hose ...
Personally, I hate trying to tug the hose under the belt when I don't dive with a canister light (which, given that I don't own one and only use one when it's 'on loan' is most of the time). I've found two things that work for me:
1) Wear my knife on the right and tug the hose under it.
2) Wear my knife on the left and tug the hose under it.
Neither gets in the way of deploying the long hose and it routes quite nice. If you have a standard sized backplate, the distance from the 1st stage to the waist belt should be standard, so routing really shouldn't be all that much different between different hight divers.
Of course, YMMV.
Now I'll let everyone once again fight over the 7 foot hose ...
SkullDeformity:
I am not so sure that all OOA divers are going to behave like a highly trained member of a team doing an S drill.
I am not knocking the 7' hose, but the OP was having trouble with hers. Because she is from SoFla, I made the leap that she is diving open water where the standard hose has seemed to work for many years. I know many a cave diver who ditch the 7 footer when they dive open water. Hell, I believe even Jablonski says it is "not required" for open water. (thanks JJ)
And..I have seen a diver in an uncontrolled panic brought back to his senses by physical and eye contact with a more experienced buddy. Sure it probably made him feel good. It probably saved his life too.
You know, I think the center of the idea is "donate the primary, and have your backup somewhere where you can find it instantly." Donating the primary with the short hose normally used for the primary reg obligated you to be eye-to-eye with the other diver, and to ascend vertically. Putting a "longer" hose on your primary gives you options. You don't have to use them.
I have several friends who dive 5' hoses, routing them under the arm, around the back of the neck, and to their mouths. I think that works very nicely for open water. You have enough length to allow a horizontal ascent, if both divers are calm and practiced. You can swim side-by-side if you wish. And you don't need a can light or pocket to route the hose.
I use a 7' hose, and I'm pretty small. I do use a can light, although I have dived this without, by putting the loop under my waistbelt. I dive it because I DO intend to get into situations where one must dive single-file, and having one configuration I use and am used to makes sense to me.
BTW, my doubles long hose appears to be 6 1/2 feet -- at least, it's about six inches shorter than my other long hose, and it came from one of the tallest and longest-armed divers anybody will ever meet.
I have several friends who dive 5' hoses, routing them under the arm, around the back of the neck, and to their mouths. I think that works very nicely for open water. You have enough length to allow a horizontal ascent, if both divers are calm and practiced. You can swim side-by-side if you wish. And you don't need a can light or pocket to route the hose.
I use a 7' hose, and I'm pretty small. I do use a can light, although I have dived this without, by putting the loop under my waistbelt. I dive it because I DO intend to get into situations where one must dive single-file, and having one configuration I use and am used to makes sense to me.
BTW, my doubles long hose appears to be 6 1/2 feet -- at least, it's about six inches shorter than my other long hose, and it came from one of the tallest and longest-armed divers anybody will ever meet.
SkullDeformity
Contributor
Why do we even talk about these things?
Because people face a variety of issues when they change their gear, and it's always good to look at the cost-benefit ratio for any gear configuration you choose to use.
Donate the primary is an excellent basic principle -- in my opinion, the best basic principle -- but it can be implemented various ways, ranging from a standard primary hose/alternate air source to a 7' hose and bungied backup. Each has its benefits and its particular problems, and we should understand what each configuration can and cannot offer, in order to make an informed decision for ourselves as to what configuration we are willing to cope with and dive, and why. Thinking divers, that's what we all should be.
Donate the primary is an excellent basic principle -- in my opinion, the best basic principle -- but it can be implemented various ways, ranging from a standard primary hose/alternate air source to a 7' hose and bungied backup. Each has its benefits and its particular problems, and we should understand what each configuration can and cannot offer, in order to make an informed decision for ourselves as to what configuration we are willing to cope with and dive, and why. Thinking divers, that's what we all should be.
Excellent Thoughts & Concisely Worded, TSandM
pickens_46929
Contributor
TSandM:
L,
That was probably his version of a 5' hose... LOL
pickens_46929
Contributor
SkullDeformity:
Because even the most seasoned veteran needs to be reminded *WHY* we do things the way we do it... one of the worst things is to forget or become blaise about something as serious as diving... taking things for granted -- it's a good way to get killed or injured really really bad...
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