I'm a little late to this thread, but I think it's worth experimenting to find the ideal length for a primary 2nd stage in OW. I have a 5ft and 7ft, and to me the 5ft is WAY more comfortable for OW. Agreed. The 7ft hose without a can light is very cumbersome by comparison, and the 7ft length is for restrictions anyway. Absolutely.
So, if you're concerned that the 5ft hose is too short, which it is for some people, get a hose coupler and try a few dives joining different lengths. I did this for months before I bought a 5ft hose. You might find that 5'6" or even a little longer is perfect for your torso. Yep. Then you can order a hose custom length; it's not that expensive or difficult. Agreed.
I've never used the braided hoses. I do find their lighter weight attractive, and I can see how it could be more comfortable for the alternate, it is; those short rubber hoses are stiff. BTW, I think many divers would be happy with an alternate 2nd stage 22" hose for single tank, 24" for doubles where it comes off the left post. Though many others divers would not.
I'm an optimist, so I think that eventually most divers will be using a modified hogarthian hose routing with the bungied alternate for OW training. Not in your lifetime. Then we'd have a good assortment of stock lengths, maybe 4" increments from 5 to 7 ft. Available now from the better tech shops.
