Do new BC's usually come with an LP inflator hose?

[Charlie99]

Both of my Seaquest ProQD BCDs came with an inflator hose, which I promptly threw away and replaced.

An inflator hose should have an easy-to-grip collar so that you can quickly remove it in the event of a stuck-on inflator. The standard Seaquest hose is NOT easy to grip. I replaced both with an aftermarket hose with a bigger collar with heavy knurling.

 

[RoadWarrior]

you mean free flowing? explain please. wouldn't it be just as easy to close the valve as it would be to unscrew the hose? I assume you're talking at the surface.

you can't remove a hose underwater can you? can you point me to a picture of such a hose?

as I think about this maybe you're saying the reg is defective and needs to be replaced so such a hose makes it easier to remove the hose from the reg because you didn't bring your handy cresent wrench.

anyway... can you elaborate?

Both of my Seaquest ProQD BCDs came with an inflator hose, which I promptly threw away and replaced.

An inflator hose should have an easy-to-grip collar so that you can quickly remove it in the event of a stuck-on inflator. The standard Seaquest hose is NOT easy to grip. I replaced both with an aftermarket hose with a bigger collar with heavy knurling.

 

[simbrooks]

I got a Diva too and my LDS mentioned it doesn’t come with the LP hose, so they gave me one.

See above for Charlie99, same company Seaquest made both the Diva and the ProQD, his came with LP inflator, your's didnt from the same factory i would hazard a guess. Sorry i see more LDS BS trying to make himself look good by making you think he was doing you a favour by giving you a hose that he got as part of the equipment he was supposed to sell with the product you bought.

This is like a LDS trying to sell you WI pockets or a bladder after taking them out of the package first, just not right!

 

[simbrooks]

you mean free flowing? explain please. wouldn't it be just as easy to close the valve as it would be to unscrew the hose? I assume you're talking at the surface.

you can't remove a hose underwater can you? can you point me to a picture of such a hose?

as I think about this maybe you're saying the reg is defective and needs to be replaced so such a hose makes it easier to remove the hose from the reg because you didn't bring your handy cresent wrench.

anyway... can you elaborate?

A very common example is when you are diving that grit gets stuck in the BC inflator hose (male) - LP hose connection (female), here you will get a free flow, either inflating your BC or just blowing lots of bubbles. You should have been shown in your OW class to remove the LP hose from the BC (by pulling the release on the hose that is attached to the BC, not unsrewing it from the reg) and orally inflate the BC - i believe this is in the standards of most agencies.

If you are on the surface, by all means just pull the LP hose off the BC hose or turn off the valve if you so wish, but UW lets just leave it on unless we have some additional back-up. Turning a valve off wont fix the cause of the problem, only the effect/symptoms - free flow, you still have to clear the grit or whatever out of the hose assembly or fix whatever else is busted on it. Try not to remove hoses UW either, that would be a recipe for losing air very quickly.

Having dove with Charlie, i dont think his regs are defective, nor would i believe he would skimp on keeping them in shape, nor needs to replace them. The attachment he is talking about is the one to the BC hose (female end), not the reg connection (male end) which requires a wrench. If the end that connects to the BC hose is too fiddly its harder to remove it if needed. I think what he is mentioning is a large flange or a large gripable section (have seen both) that sits on the hose side of the female connection piece, i cant find a picture at the moment.

 

[crpntr133]

you mean free flowing? explain please. wouldn't it be just as easy to close the valve as it would be to unscrew the hose? I assume you're talking at the surface.

you can't remove a hose underwater can you? can you point me to a picture of such a hose?

as I think about this maybe you're saying the reg is defective and needs to be replaced so such a hose makes it easier to remove the hose from the reg because you didn't bring your handy cresent wrench.

anyway... can you elaborate?

Were talking BC's not regs Roadwarrior. They do make a quick disconnect for regs but I am not sure if it seals off the reg if under, I would assume it would.

Deep Sea Supply makes a pretty cool addition to take care of removing the LP hose while under.
http://www.deepseasupply.com/page18.html

 

[RoadWarrior]

Yeah, I was tought that.

Sorry I just miss understood and thought he was talking about the regulator free flowing. I guess that's because I use an SS1.

A very common example is when you are diving that grit gets stuck in the BC inflator hose (male) - LP hose connection (female), here you will get a free flow, either inflating your BC or just blowing lots of bubbles. You should have been shown in your OW class to remove the LP hose from the BC (by pulling the release on the hose that is attached to the BC, not unsrewing it from the reg) and orally inflate the BC - i believe this is in the standards of most agencies.

If you are on the surface, by all means just pull the LP hose off the BC hose or turn off the valve if you so wish, but UW lets just leave it on unless we have some additional back-up. Turning a valve off wont fix the cause of the problem, only the effect/symptoms - free flow, you still have to clear the grit or whatever out of the hose assembly or fix whatever else is busted on it. Try not to remove hoses UW either, that would be a recipe for losing air very quickly.

Having dove with Charlie, i dont think his regs are defective, nor would i believe he would skimp on keeping them in shape, nor needs to replace them. The attachment he is talking about is the one to the BC hose (female end), not the reg connection (male end) which requires a wrench. If the end that connects to the BC hose is too fiddly its harder to remove it if needed. I think what he is mentioning is a large flange or a large gripable section (have seen both) that sits on the hose side of the female connection piece, i cant find a picture at the moment.

 

[Charlie99]

Sorry I just miss understood and thought he was talking about the regulator free flowing. I guess that's because I use an SS1.

In your case, the connection I'm talking about is where the LP hose connects to the SS1. A very common failure of inflators is for them to develop a continuous leak --- constantly putting air into the BCD. Sometimes this happens because sand or other gunk makes the inflator button stick. You press the button to add some air BC, and when you release the button it doesn't pop back out, and keeps on adding air to the BC.
To avoid an uncontrolled ascent, you need to both dump air and rapidly disconnect the inflator (or SS1).
I didn't realize how poorly designed my inflator hose quick disconnect was until I got a Dive Alert. It has a real easy to grasp quick disconnect. Since then, I've also seen LPI hoses with "ears" on them that would be easy to grasp, even with heavy drygloves.

 

[simbrooks]

Yeah, I was tought that.

Sorry I just miss understood and thought he was talking about the regulator free flowing. I guess that's because I use an SS1.

Sorry i might have been a bit heavyhanded on the reply, just wanted to cover all bases

 

[Moogyboy]

My Triple-L Stratos came with one, which was good because the LPI hose that was attached to my USD Pro Diver first stage when I bought it barely fit. I mean it did fit, but it was very difficult to attach fully. Seems right that the BC should come with a "matching" hose.

cheers

Billy S.

 

[Chad Carney]

Zeagle, like most manufacturers, does include a LP inflator hose with every BC. It's usually in a bag with the warranty book. This bag is inserted in the box with the BC, but many times it might be inserted in the BC pocket. If the BC is sold with an Octo+, then it comes with the Octo+ LP hose.

As a former dealer our method was to remove the inflator hose and warranty book/card from the BC, because often they would get sold with one still in the pocket and another installed to the customers new regulator. (I saw this almost happen in a store recently.) We filled out the warranty form at the time of sale and sent them in for the customer, as a service. More gear is sold and shipped by dealers to customers today, so the hose and warranty would be put back in the box with the BC.

BCs did not always come in separate boxes in the past, though today they usually do. Many dealers toss the boxes because they put all their stock on BC racks, having no space to store them. Leaving an inflator hose and bag on the inflator, as some BCs are shipped, is also quite unsitely in a store.

Also in the past some BC companies tried selling BCs separate of inflators, (Zeagle and Scubapro that I know of), but it got too confusing, so Zeagle went back to the industry standard of including it.

** You guys that have bought shorter hoses have hit on one of my common gripes, that many of our hoses are too long, even for XXL divers. Maybe Scott will see enough of these beefs and realize that it's not just me whining!

Chad Carney
FL Zeagle Sales Rep.