Dive gear express double braided hoses? Impressions?

[Rose Robinson]

This past weekend at my wife's certification class, one of the instructors HP 6" hose for her transmitter disintegrated at the metal coupling. The dive shop owner suggested it was from "knock off" braided hoses. I have all dive gear express double braided hoses on my wife's Deep6 reg set up. He looked at them and said they were not miflex and they were the cheaper knock off's. SO my question is; does anyone have any negative impressions of dive gear express double braided hose's?

GQ,

Just my opinion, DGX is the best of the best, sales/service/after sales support, and the list goes on.

Contact DGX, explain your concern, all of your purchases are stored by DGX, I'm sure they will make good on your failed hose. E-mail them some photos.

I've used DGX since at least 2006, swear by them.

Miflex is only one brand who have had their fair share of braided hose failures, non-Myflex, does not necessarily mean ''knock-off". as far as knock-off is concerned, Deep 6 could be considered knock-off. The regs are made in Taiwan, and with the exception of cosmetic differences only, come with many brand names, some widely known, some obscure.

I'd be interested in knowing what regs you dive, in comparison to what you have chosen for your spouse.

Also, everything that's made, fails at some point. Pre/post dive inspection/cleaning/maintenance/routine replacement of consumable items is very important. Usually when a component like this fails, tell-tale signs were there long before the failure, making pre/post dive inspection very important.

After the MVA caused by brake failure, the investigating constable discovered a note tacked to the visor of the victims car, ''get brakes fixed tomorrow''. So was it the brakes that failed, or the operator?

Rose

 

[NothingClever]

Isn’t flexibility the selling point of braided hoses. (Non rigid)

It might be a selling point but I wouldn’t agree with it.

I found new generation MiFlex hoses unruly whereas rubber hoses to be compliant and easier on the neck.

 

[divad]

My rubber hoses always know where to go, whether I can see them or not. Unclipped, unbungied, or just hanging around.

 

[jfe]

Been using 6" HP DGX braided hose on my stage and bailout cylinders connected to my SPG's and haven't had a days trouble in 3 years over 200 or so dives.

 

[rjack321]

This past weekend at my wife's certification class, one of the instructors HP 6" hose for her transmitter disintegrated at the metal coupling. The dive shop owner suggested it was from "knock off" braided hoses. I have all dive gear express double braided hoses on my wife's Deep6 reg set up. He looked at them and said they were not miflex and they were the cheaper knock off's. SO my question is; does anyone have any negative impressions of dive gear express double braided hose's?

Miflex has done an incredible job of branding themselves as some sort of elite hose. The reality is their hoses were the original ones with extensive failures and the recall.

 

[Tommymac]

I'm not sure what brand my braided hose is. I have heard and read about problems with braided hoses. Seems as though exposure to a lot of sun and heat could be a problem. Living here in the snow belt, maybe not as much.

When I removed the braided hose, I found nothing coming out of it. Outside inspection didn't show any problems either.

As for regulator choices, my girlfriend uses an S600. I bought her an A700 for Christmas one year. Despite two trips back to the shop, we both agree with our magnehelic that her S600 breathes easier. I have two G250's and they are great but the Legend is smaller and a little less noisy in comparison. Also in the line up is HOG, and a 109 and 156 with G250 diaphragms. For shits and giggles I also like my SEA4's.

I have tried and owned other regulators and learned to respect that your mileage may vary.

 

[Rose Robinson]

It might be a selling point but I wouldn’t agree with it.

I found new generation MiFlex hoses unruly whereas rubber hoses to be compliant and easier on the neck.

Hi NC,

Rubber hoses will develop a memory, where braided nylon will not.

And yes, braided nylon will abrade anything they are in constant contact with, skin, neoprene, etc. Like those bothersome tags in your Polo shirts.

Braided nylon hoses are lighter than rubber, but personally, I see no other benefit, and sometimes, lighter is not a benefit either, especially if it is a contributing factor to you becoming positively buoyant. Sometimes it takes very little to take you from neutral to positive, like that tea cup of air trapped in your dry suit.

Rose

 

[Hojo in SC]

If you have a braided hose, and I'm sure there are a lot out there, can you see what is happening to the hose underneath, like when it gets too old, or will the braid show signs of wear first?

 

[SlugLife]

If you have a braided hose, and I'm sure there are a lot out there, can you see what is happening to the hose underneath, like when it gets too old, or will the braid show signs of wear first?

The exterior braids will mostly protect the exterior of the hose from "mechanical" damage, like rubbing against rocks or sharp objects.

I am curious about the subject of inspecting hoses in general though. I've got a ton of used-hoses I received with various used-regulators, and have no idea what condition they're in, except a few which have above-average levels of residue on the threads or inside each end.

 

[happy-diver]

I use them until I change them

Got some fifty year old ones going at the moment