DIR primary hose length for open water, no overhead

[JeffG]

This kind of advice makes it even harder to tell the strokes apart from the Canadians.

Sometimes they are one and the same.

 

[JeffG]

This kind of advice makes it even harder to tell the strokes apart from the Canadians.

You know...I do chuckle at these threads.

Open water hose length...much ado about nothing in my opinion.


I remember an older email exchange with GI3 and somebody. (on the Gavin List). George was arguing that dry gloves weren't DIR. That's all well and good for a warm water cave diver, but I wasn't going to get rid of mine.

I have tried the 3 main permutations of hose length. 40", 5' and 7'. 7' was a PITA in the Dominican Republic due to having to doff/don the gear in the water and the DM's not being familiar with long hoses. Add in that for warm water trip I never have a can light. (due mainly to airline weight restrictions) the 7' had no real benefit and was a bit of a pain.

Neither reason is a "good" DIR reason to reject the 7', but too bad...so sad. 5' made my life easier. Neither My brother, girlfriend or myself ever had "fitting" issues that some people report.

What's the official stance of GUE???

Who cares. Really, does it matter? I hate to say it, but posts from GUE instructors don't carry the same weight for me anymore.

 

[RTodd]

I think 7' is the way to go but completely agree that for an easy open water dive it doesn't really matter. I don't like the way the 5' fits and have seen plenty of others with similiar issues. 7' hose tucks in the waistband easily and then you never have to switch out hoses. But, if 5' works for someone, doesn't really matter for these types of dives.

 

[Hyper-limits]

I have tried the 3 main permutations of hose length. 40", 5' and 7'. 7' was a PITA in the Dominican Republic due to having to doff/don the gear in the water and the DM's not being familiar with long hoses. Add in that for warm water trip I never have a can light. (due mainly to airline weight restrictions) the 7' had no real benefit and was a bit of a pain.

Damn it Jeff, would you stop making sense

 

[JeffG]

Damn it Jeff, would you stop making sense

Sorry...my bad.

 

[b1gcountry]

40-inch long hose:
the gateway drug of DIR

 

[digital_steve]

5' works if you have nothing clipped off to the right dring, like a backup light. I find my 5' hose can get trapped under the head off the backup light and caught there, as the light is held down by inner tube.
I find 7' annoying when i don't have anything to route it under, if i'm not using a light, but if i do i found it more comfortable.

Think i'll use 5' for my singles and 7' for my twins and be done with it.

 

[JeffG]

5' works if you have nothing clipped off to the right dring, like a backup light. I find my 5' hose can get trapped under the head off the backup light and caught there, as the light is held down by inner tube.
I find 7' annoying when i don't have anything to route it under, if i'm not using a light, but if i do i found it more comfortable.

Think i'll use 5' for my singles and 7' for my twins and be done with it.

Well. Since I'm not going into an overhead with my 5' foot hose, I only have 1 backup light. If I only have one backup light, it goes on the left side. Solves that problem.

 

[lamont]

I have tried the 3 main permutations of hose length. 40", 5' and 7'. 7' was a PITA in the Dominican Republic due to having to doff/don the gear in the water and the DM's not being familiar with long hoses. Add in that for warm water trip I never have a can light. (due mainly to airline weight restrictions) the 7' had no real benefit and was a bit of a pain.

I used a 7' in hawaii and it wasn't a problem, even with the ditching gear in the water and the DMs who weren't familiar with the config...

This is one of those cases, though, that if you have to ask you should use a 7' hose, and otherwise just be a canadian if you have to, but don't ask for permission...

 

[JeffG]

Sometimes its good to be Canadian.