Question Can I use my Nitrox regulator for non-Nitrox dives with no problem?

[rongoodman]

When you get around to taking your tech classes you'll find out why depending on color coding to identify mixes is a very bad idea.

 

[elan]

A couple of things:
1. Practically speaking, there is no 'nitrox' regulator. Regulators are "sold" as nitrox compatible, but that is a sales gimmick. Any regulator on the market, with the possible exception of some Ti regulators, is perfectly safe for nitrox up to 40%. Above that, you need an O2-clean regulator, which you will learn about if/when you ever get into technical diving and 02 use for decompression.

What they call "Nitrox" is the O2 compatible version, hence incompatible M26 thread.

Another "protective" measure.

 

[halocline]

Short hose on the left tank, attaching to the left side of the 2nd stage, and long hose on the right. Now to decide on Miflex and 360* swivels

My suggestion is to forget attaching the left tank to the left side of the 2nd stage. Just do what the majority of trained sidemount divers do and use a 24" (or thereabouts) hose, 90o fixed elbow, and rout it behind your head. It's more comfortable and less cluttered. Forget the 360 swivels. I would not bother with miflex hoses. They don't solve any problem that actually exists and they may create some.

The dive gear industry is filled with solutions to non existent problems that they love to sell to newish divers. You have already brought up three of these in this thread; nitrox regulators, 360o swivels, and miflex hoses.

You can go to underthejungle.com and look up gear lists/recommendations for sidemount set up. That is excellent information provided by expert cave instructors and sidemount experts.

 

[tursiops]

My suggestion is to forget attaching the left tank to the left side of the 2nd stage. Just do what the majority of trained sidemount divers do and use a 24" (or thereabouts) hose, 90o fixed elbow, and rout it behind your head. It's more comfortable and less cluttered.

Majority? Maybe, but quite possible since many do not have 2nd stages that can be configured for a feed from the left. That makes the hose-behind-the-head a bit of a workaround. Not sure why you say that is more comfortable; how is having a hose on the back of your neck more comfortable than not having a hose on the back of your neck? Having the left-hand feed on the left-hand reg makes it instantly identifiable as to which reg it is....so no fumbling for how long the hose is on it, no colors-that-can't-be-seen-in-the-dark.

If having no hoses in front of you is so good, and having a hose on the back of your neck is so comfortable, then why not put the reg from the right tank on a hose behind your head and feed it from the left? Then both regs are on hoses behind your head, both hoses are out of the way, both just hang there when not being used (no clipping off necessary).....why not be consistent and do this?

 

[Marie13]

I have both my short hose and long hose routed directly to my mouth. I hate stuff around my neck. One long hose was enough when backmount. It works well for me.

I have regs (Apeks XTX50 and Dive Rite) with reversible second stages.

The beauty of SM is that it’s very customizable. I’m 5’5” with short arms. I can configure my gear to fit me.

 

[halocline]

If having no hoses in front of you is so good, and having a hose on the back of your neck is so comfortable, then why not put the reg from the right tank on a hose behind your head and feed it from the left? Then both regs are on hoses behind your head, both hoses are out of the way, both just hang there when not being used (no clipping off necessary).....why not be consistent and do this?

Both hoses are routed behind my head. The long hose from the right tank is routed just like a normal long hose, over the left shoulder and behind the head, and the left tank short hose is also routed behind the head in the normal way, with a bungee necklace. This keeps both hoses nice and neatly out of the way.

The short hose is more comfortable this way because it's longer and therefore more flexible than would be a hose that goes directly from the left 1st stage to the left side of the 2nd stage. That hose would either be very short (less than 12"?) or it would not travel directly from tank to the 2nd stage, so it has to go somewhere. Where would you suggest? In the chest region would be too cluttered for me; there's already the LP inflator hose and the 2 chest D rings. I wouldn't want the regulator hose anywhere in that area. I also wouldn't want a super-short regulator hose (like the LP inflator hose or drysuit hose) because it would tug on the 2nd stage. Sure, it can be done, I tried it once with an old left handed 109 I was lucky to find, but to me it's way less comfortable and less convenient.

Identifying the 2nd stage in my mouth is super easy for me because I use a 90o elbow on the short hose. This also helps the hose to sit very neatly.

This is the routing that every cave diver in Mexico that I've ever met uses for sidemount. You might not be diving in situations that require a long hose, so maybe your set up is different.

 

[tursiops]

Both hoses are routed behind my head. The long hose from the right tank is routed just like a normal long hose, over the left shoulder and behind the head, and the left tank short hose is also routed behind the head in the normal way, with a bungee necklace. This keeps both hoses nice and neatly out of the way.

The short hose is more comfortable this way because it's longer and therefore more flexible than would be a hose that goes directly from the left 1st stage to the left side of the 2nd stage. That hose would either be very short (less than 12"?) or it would not travel directly from tank to the 2nd stage, so it has to go somewhere. Where would you suggest? In the chest region would be too cluttered for me; there's already the LP inflator hose and the 2 chest D rings. I wouldn't want the regulator hose anywhere in that area. I also wouldn't want a super-short regulator hose (like the LP inflator hose or drysuit hose) because it would tug on the 2nd stage. Sure, it can be done, I tried it once with an old left handed 109 I was lucky to find, but to me it's way less comfortable and less convenient.

Identifying the 2nd stage in my mouth is super easy for me because I use a 90o elbow on the short hose. This also helps the hose to sit very neatly.

This is the routing that every cave diver in Mexico that I've ever met uses for sidemount. You might not be diving in situations that require a long hose, so maybe your set up is different.

Interesting. So your long hose is not stuffed in elastic bands on your right tank? Mine is, with just enough coming out to comfortably reach my mouth. I use the long hose while sidemonting whether or not I'm in a cave. The left hose is not super short; it also goes into a band on the tank and then to the reg. So both regs feel the same....a hose going to an elastic band on the tank. Nothing is behind my head. One of the reasons to go SM was to allow me to see everything and not have anything behind me. My hearing is not that good, so if I've got a hose leak I want to be able to see it, not hear it.

 

[Lurking]

I have both my short hose and long hose routed directly to my mouth. I hate stuff around my neck.

How long is your short hose? This sounds like the configuration I'm considering for similar reasons. I'm looking into this Miflex 28" Dual Swivel Hose but think it may be too long to go directly to my 2nd stage on the left side.

 

[halocline]

Interesting. So your long hose is not stuffed in elastic bands on your right tank?

Yes, it's looped down the tank under the rubber hose retainers. That takes up about half of the 7ft hose, the remainder is routed over the left shoulder and around behind the head. When setting up and transporting the tank, I run two loops under the retainers. I think that's a pretty standard way of using a 7ft hose for sidemount.

 

[tursiops]

Yes, it's looped down the tank under the rubber hose retainers. That takes up about half of the 7ft hose, the remainder is routed over the left shoulder and around behind the head. When setting up and transporting the tank, I run two loops under the retainers. I think that's a pretty standard way of using a 7ft hose for sidemount.

OK, good description, I understand. You are basically trying to make it feel like a backmount setup, it seems.

Were you SM trained in Mexico? What agency?
My sidemount training was N.FL., under NSS-CDS.
I've only cave-dived a bit in Mexico, mostly N.FL. and Abacao.