Help me figure out hose lengths and gauge sizes

[scubadada]

I dive a 40" primary under my right arm with an omniswivel, like it much better than a fixed angle. My secondary is on a 22" on a necklace. My backup SPG is on a 30" and is attached to my left chest, easy to see, does not interfere with BC removal.

 

[Dogbowl]

I dive a 40" primary under my right arm with an omniswivel, like it much better than a fixed angle. My secondary is on a 22" on a necklace. My backup SPG is on a 30" and is attached to my left chest, easy to see, does not interfere with BC removal.

Please tell me more about fixed angle 70 - 90 degree vs. omniswivel. There are so many details personalizing one's setup but I'm learning so much!

Your SPG is on a 30" hose? Do you find that too long or much more comfortable cause you can pull it up right in front of your face?

 

[scubadada]

The omniswivel is always at the right angle rather than a compromise, personal choice. The 30" HP hose easily clips to my left chest strap and allows me to easily see it. To each their own.

 

[buddhasummer]

I've been through all primary hose lengths multiple times. I eventually settled on a 40" primary with a 70 degree adaptor, I use ones by Kirby Morgan and have a few as sold by DGX. I use a 24" HP hose with a 2" B&G SPG. Although as I now dive a Perdix AI the SPG usually stays in my bag. My eyes are dying and it's much easier to see the display on the Perdix.

 

[buddhasummer]

I've tried the ones as sold by Cave Adventurers but noticed their weight. I've not tried an Omni, the ones by KM are very well made but at around $32 not cheap. I've never had any problems reliability wise with any swivel I've used.

 

[tbone1004]

Primary-
If you like the 7', then dive the 7'. It's not cumbersome to tuck it into the waist belt when diving. I do it regularly since I don't put a canister light on my hip. You can also use a DIR style knife on the right hip or a pocket of some variety.
The 40" is something that I dove up to about 3 years ago when I went back to the 7'. I dove it first with elbows, then with swivels. The ball swivel is much more comfortable because they are stiff enough that you can "Set" the angle and it will hold there until you move your head. Very nice for me since I suffer from TMJ so it's a huge benefit. The elbow was better than nothing, but it was not nearly as comfortable.
The biggest pro to the 7' or 5' *really don't like those because they have never felt secure to me* over the 40" is that the hose rests on the back of your neck which takes most of the stress out of your mouth. Very comfortable, especially on long or repetitive dives. My average dive time is about 2 hours, so the comfort there is huge to me.

Secondary-
I like super short hoses with swivels on them. I find them more comfortable and streamlined. I use 22" with no swivels, or 18" with swivels/elbows. Personal preference there, but I'd probably start with 22" which is the "standard"

When stowing these, make sure to clip the suicide strap into the bolt snap on the long hose, and then clip that to the right shoulder d-ring. It keeps both regs from flopping around. This applies to whichever configuration you're looking at.

SPG-
2" is what I usually use. The weight premium for the 2.5" is actually pretty substantial. I have probably 4 of the 2.5" and they usually stay in the box as spares. No boot, they're pretty durable.
My HP hoses are all 24", but I'm 6'4" with a long backplate so the 22" actually doesn't reach my hip d-ring. In "normal" size rigs, it fits just fine and is long enough unless you are starting to seriously play the trombone. If that's the case, I would put cheaters in the bottom of your mask.
The 30" hose is usually used when diving with a console that you cross-clip to your right shoulder d-ring. It is how we train all of our students since the pool rigs don't have computers. Nothing wrong with that if you go with a console and it is very streamlined. If you do that with a 7' hose, just make sure to clip the HP hose first so you don't cross them

 

[2airishuman]

Primary second stage
We've tried the 7' hose configuration and to me, it makes a lot of sense. It feels good and is very intuitive. Now, we won't be carrying canister lights on our right side waist belt, so a 7' hose might be unwieldy since we'll need to stuff the excess in our waist belt. Personally, I just don't think that's ideal. And we're really not going to be in a situation that requires single-file air sharing, not that I can foresee anyways. Now, I've seen people mention that a 40" hose routed under the right arm with a 90 degree adaptor works similarly and very well for open water recreational divers like us. I think this is the so-called "Dive Rite AOW regulator configuration". See here: Dive Rite XT Advanced Open Water Regulator Package

So, any thoughts on either option?

I use a 7' hose with twins and a 40" hose with singles. I do not use a "canister light simulator."

The 7' hose adds some minor extra steps when diving and will tend to get in the way to some degree topside particularly when diving from a boat. You can use either, but I would recommend 40" for the dives you have planned.

Secondary second stage
The standard here seems to be 22", placed on a necklace around the neck. Any reason why we should consider 24" or longer hoses?

There's no way to know for sure without experimenting on a few dives because very minor differences in body shape and gear configuration will affect what works best. You want to have enough length that you can turn your head. I use a 22" hose with a 110 degree elbow.

SPG
I intend to clip the brass/glass spg on my left side waist d-ring. The options available are 1.5", 2" and 2.5". Which is a good size? I don't want it to be too heavy, yet I don't want it so small that my "older" eyes will have a tough time reading it. I'm thinking 2" is a good compromise? What about a protective boot? Is that necessary/recommended?

The 1.5" SPGs typically have a plastic lens which will get scratched up over time. The measurement is the nominal overall outside diameter, so a 2.5" SPG typically is actually 2-3/8" o.d., has a 2" visible window, and has a 1.5" diameter needle sweep. The SPGsI have are various sizes, but I like the 2.5" ones best.

I've read that 22-24" hose is the usual length. I've experienced a rental rig where the hose was so short I found it difficult to read it without straining my neck and eyes so I'm tending to go with a longer rather than shorter hose on this one. So maybe a 24" hose on this one?

The tech length SPG hoses (22-24") are generally too short if you are diving singles and are clipping the gauge off to a waist D-ring. They work for twinsets because they connect to the left post which is typically offset by 4" from center. Hoses are not made to order, they are stocked pre-crimped, and the next longer readily available sizes are 26" and 32". Hoses are measured by the overall length including fittings, so the usable length is somewhat shorter and the rubber hose portion of the length is shorter still. I use a 32" hose because I cannot see an SPG on a 26" hose clearly without corrective lenses.

 

[tbone1004]

@2airishuman
IIRC the "DIR" single tank HP hose is 26". If you cant the first stage over at a 45* or 90* angle, the 24" is fine. The 26" is needed if you run something like an Apeks DS4, or use a turret style vertical

 

[stuartv]

@stuartv IIRC the "DIR" single tank HP hose is 26". If you cant the first stage over at a 45* or 90* angle, the 24" is fine. The 26" is needed if you run something like an Apeks DS4, or use a turret style vertical

Huh? Did you butt-dial me??

 

[tbone1004]

Huh? Did you butt-dial me??

yeah, sorry was looking at one of your posts while responding to this one