Bubble in hose?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

billt4sf

Contributor
Messages
2,568
Reaction score
1,157
Location
Vincennes, France near Paris
# of dives
500 - 999
Does this bubble mean that I should replace the hose? It's my long hose, I have a backup that I could install but it would be hard to get another one after that. We're in Indonesia for a year.

PC290360.jpg
 
I replace hoses when I notice them and they look like that. In reality, it is almost certainly just the thin rubber covering that is delaminating at the bend and does nothing to compromise the integrity of the hose.

I know i have had hoses look considerably worse than that when I finally pulled back the hose protector and noticed it. If there is no air leakage - then I would use the reg until I could fix it.

If you have another, why not switch out and keep that as a spare?
 
Hi Bill

I would (and have) replaced hoses that look like that. But I can get them from DGX for maybe $25 each with free freight, they show up in 3-4 days, and I figure it's not worth trying to save a buck or two. Your situation is different.

So what's happened is that the outer cover is delaminated. In the scuba hoses I've looked at, the outer cover isn't intended to seal, anyway, and is usually perforated at 1" intervals so that the air spaces in the braid can equalize. This is why a hose will sometimes weep at roughly 1" intervals after it is out of the water, and why it will bubble a little then stop when it is pressurized under water. All the outer cover really does is provide mechanical protection for the braid underneath it, and protect your fingers from the abrasive fibers of the braid. As long as there is no hidden damage to the braid and deeper layers of the hose, the hose will hold air.

But it's difficult to determine when the internal layers are starting to fail, because you can't see them. A failing outer cover is one indication that other problems may be imminent, especially on an older hose.

Ultimately you'll have to decide for yourself. The service history of the hose (age, number of dives) is one thing you might choose to consider.
 
Switch it out and keep that as a backup since it has not gone belly up yet.


Bob
 
Or it could easily last a year or more before there is a real problem.
 
Does this bubble mean that I should replace the hose? It's my long hose, I have a backup that I could install but it would be hard to get another one after that. We're in Indonesia for a year.
I am, and have been for almost a year, diving a LPI hose that looks a lot like that. (And, I have immediate access to multiple replacement LPI hoses in my gear locker.) If I start seeing gas bubbles seeping through, I will replace it.
 
The hose failing and a buddy needing gas are two independent issues. Hence, their joint probability (the probability of mandatory buddy breathing) is the product of the probabilities. Very small, that is.

If you are diving close to the surface, then you will not have to worry.

If diving deeper or in caves, then everyone (with brains) has two breathing systems. The possibility of a tripple failure (your hose and your buddys primary and backup breathing systems) is close to zero. It is up to you to decide whether you want to take this risk or not.
 
For peace of mind replace it.

Plenty of dive stores in Singapore if nobody where you are can replace a long hose

Check out Waikiki Dive centre, I usually shop there when I have stopovers in Singapore
 
You could order spare parts (a long hose) online and get it delivered to your address. If everything else fails, please contact my favourite Finnish scuba gear provider: info(at)sukellusluola.com (in english). They have everything one could dream of. Don't know if they deliver internationally. Do you have a postal address?
 

Back
Top Bottom