84" Primary Regulator Hose vs. 60" vs. 40" w/ Swivel

[kastkr]

I have been diving for ~15 years and have recently moved to BP/W (last few years). However I still dove primarily with regular ("octopus" donate) hose routing. I am in the process now of moving to a primary donate configuration and am grappling with the best hose length for my primary regulator. For context I dive single tank, both cold and warm water and am gradually moving (as funds allow) toward DIR configuration.

Should I just go 84" (7 foot) and call it a day - just tuck in waistband (don't have canister light)? Or should I consider the other options? I do not want to change hose length b/w cold/warm - and am a bit concerned that 7" will be unwieldy on vacation boat dives. Thoughts and/or recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Marie13]

A 5ft hose worked fine for me single tank, but I'm only 5'5". I'm doing a 7ft hose now with my doubles and I just tuck the extra in my belt.

Any way to try it out at your dive shop?

 

[Caveeagle]

Depending on the size of your frame, you could make 5’ Work. I have a pretty large frame and a 5’ is just a little too long to run untucked, but to short to tuck a loop in waiste strap. Have have a coupe single tank rigs set up for kids w 5’ hoses that work great. So. YMMV

I
Either way, I like a 90* elbow, with the long hose around my neck putting the 90* on the right jaw.

You want a bolt snap on the hose, to you have a way to clip off the reg when you are at the surface, or you are almost guaranteed to drag in through the dirt, or deck at some point.

 

[ChuckP]

IMHO - open water no restriction pleasure diving, why even bother with some 5’ hose?

BP/W is no different than a BCD.

Panicked OOA either I want you close to control you or hand you a bottle and get away.

I’ll put a long hose when diving with my son cause his consumption isn’t the best and we’ll share for a bit but I wouldn’t want to hand 5 or 7’ of hose off to any panicked rec diver.

Dive how you feel comfortable.

 

[decompression]

If you’re headed down the DIR rabbit hole, go 5’. Manageable, not big $ and almost identical to 7’ protocols. A benefit with DIR there are no worries about handing a long hose to a “panicked diver”. I’d much rather donate a 5’ hose to a panicked diver then have him up close and personal with a 40” hose where they can do some stupid things to me.

 

[Scared Silly]

Welcome to SB

For open water we dive with a 5' hose. IMHO that is the way to go. Very manageable above and below the water. The only reason to use a 7' hose is if you are diving in an environment were one might go OOG and requires a single file exit. That is for a cave or serious wreck penetration.

 

[rongoodman]

A 5' hose works for me, but tucking a 7' is no big deal either.

 

[rjack321]

I am long torso-ed. A 5ft was too long to tuck in and flopped around. A 7ft is long enough to tuck into my waist or route under my knife (if I dont have a light on).
I would suggest just getting the 7ft, its not a big deal to stow at all

 

[Mr. Sunday]

I found a 5' works fine for me but I use a 7' as I dont see a downside. Easy to stow and has more length.

 

[happy-diver]

dive a plate with short hose, no secondary unless diving doubles, pony with singles, swim away donate