hose length?, octo necklace, singles

[CJM]

anyone here use an MK25? And does the 22" work ok??

 

[RJP]

I would skip the milflex hoses. a) their long term durability is iffy, esp. the HP version b) the 7ft long primary is floppy and many people have griped about that. C) they really are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist on single tank rigs. A few doubles setups may benefit from them but its rare.

It's amazing how some people have a certain knack for stating their opinions as if they are proven facts.



"Long term durability is iffy"

You make it sound like there's actually been long term experience with miflex hoses in diving. There has not. So the long term durability may indeed be "an unknown" but that is very different from your implication that the long term durability has been specifically DISPROVEN.

"the 7ft long primary is floppy and many people have griped about that"

From what I can gather here on SB, at the shop where I DM, and the boat that I crew on the vast majority of people that have switched to Miflex hoses love them. I don't think it's an exaggeration to suggest that might be around 95-99% of people who use them. Of the 1-5% who don't love them, most think they are merely "ok." Of the one in an odd 200 or so who have actually tried them and have a gripe, the "floppy" aspect of the 7' hose does come up...almost entirely from folks who use scooters extensively. Do the math...far cry from "many have griped." Now if you said "many DPV users gripe about that" it'd be a fair point, but as written it's not just misleading, it's simply false.

C)"they really are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist on single tank rigs"

Really? I'm able to use a shorter hose on my secondary, a shorter hose on my LPI, and a shorter DS hose. My long hose lays much nicer all the way around. Result is significantly more streamlined rig, easier routing, greater comfort.

"A few doubles setups may benefit from them but its rare."

In my mind, the only doubles setups that wouldn't benefit from Miflex hoses are those that don't currently require at least one hose to be bent when routing from a post on one side to the diver's other side. This would include regs such as...um...well there's...ah...or...hmm...

The above represents my proven opinion.

:cool2:

 

[Sas]

You make it sound like there's actually been long term experience with miflex hoses in diving. There has not. So the long term durability may indeed be "an unknown" but that is very different from your implication that the long term durability has been specifically DISPROVEN.

My LP have done hundreds of dives and seem to be going well (not sure what the usual lifespan of a hose is). My HP blew up after 3 months and hmm 50-60 dives. However, the miflex customer service in response to this was excellent so I am giving HP another go. I'm not the only person to have had problems with the HP hose. Few threads on TheDecoStop about it too.

From what I can gather here on SB, at the shop where I DM, and the boat that I crew on the vast majority of people that have switched to Miflex hoses love them. I don't think it's an exaggeration to suggest that might be around 95-99% of people who use them. Of the 1-5% who don't love them, most think they are merely "ok." Of the one in an odd 200 or so who have actually tried them and have a gripe, the "floppy" aspect of the 7' hose does come up...almost entirely from folks who use scooters extensively. Do the math...far cry from "many have griped." Now if you said "many DPV users gripe about that" it'd be a fair point, but as written it's not just misleading, it's simply false.

How many miflex hose users have 7' hoses though? I love my miflex 5' hose, but definitely would never get a 7' miflex. A few friends who also dive with 7' hoses use standard ones as they do not like the 7' miflex hose. It's a valid concern. In my experience it is too floaty, and too floppy. All other hoses I have will end up as miflex ones (slowly replacing them - my single setup is fully but not the 7'. I don't use a scooter either, btw.

The rest of your post, I agree with

To the OP, I have 24" hoses for my backup regulator as I find the shorter ones full a bit much. I think 20-24" suits most people, depending on their setup.

 

[RJP]

My LP have done hundreds of dives and seem to be going well (not sure what the usual lifespan of a hose is). My HP blew up after 3 months and hmm 50-60 dives. However, the miflex customer service in response to this was excellent so I am giving HP another go. I'm not the only person to have had problems with the HP hose. Few threads on TheDecoStop about it too.

Not a fan of the HP Miflex. Here's a place where "floppy" is a problem. A standard HP hose "stands proud" when pressurized, making it easy to find, clip off, etc. The Miflex just sort of does it's own thing, and is actually so thin that it's easy to miss it and/or clip something off to is when wearing gloves - not much thicker than a D-Ring.

How many miflex hose users have 7' hoses though?

I know 50-100 or so.

 

[Sas]

Not a fan of the HP Miflex. Here's a place where "floppy" is a problem. A standard HP hose "stands proud" when pressurized, making it easy to find, clip off, etc. The Miflex just sort of does it's own thing, and is actually so thin that it's easy to miss it and/or clip something off to is when wearing gloves - not much thicker than a D-Ring.

Yes I agree. When my replacement HP hose fails (I got it for free when the other one died), I will go back to standard hose.

I know 50-100 or so.

Not many, in the scheme of things with 7' hoses. And a fairly wide margin of error there

 

[RJP]

Not many, in the scheme of things with 7' hoses. And a fairly wide margin of error there

Neither I - nor you - are possibly suggesting that I know the majority of divers.

:shocked2:

Put another way, and yes this is only my experience, but every single diver I know personally, have met, or have seen, that dives Miflex hoses dives a 7' Miflex. That number runs to ~100 or so divers. Pretty good sample size, even if it is skewed towards tec wreck divers.

 

[Sas]

Neither I - nor you - are possibly suggesting that I know the majority of divers.

:shocked2:

Put another way, and yes this is only my experience, but every single diver I know personally, have met, or have seen, that dives Miflex hoses dives a 7' Miflex. That number runs to ~100 or so divers. Pretty good sample size, even if it is skewed towards tec wreck divers.

Yea see my experience is the opposite (wreck + cave focused) Best thing really is for people to try it out. The shop I buy mine from lets people try out different lengths and as long as they bring them back after a dive they can be changed. The store owner mentioned too, that 7' miflex had people who were critical but the other hose lengths he'd had no complaints with.

 

[mikeguerrero]

RJP,

Thanks for the pictures, it's not too often we get skematics to go along with statements. I have the Apeks XTX200 as a doubles reg, I couldn't find any pics online that showed routing.

Everyone practically loves the Scubapro regs for their easy routing. In my current setup, I only have one hose that bends, my 7ft longhose.

I would be one to benefit from your findings on the Miflex hose, your pictures are once again greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

MG

 

[fisheater]

I have no issues at all with my 7' LP Miflex primary on my singles rig.

It sits where it's supposed to and is nice and flexible so it doesn't have any "pull" on my reg.

 

[RJP]

your pictures are once again greatly appreciated.

No sweat - though do note they are not my pics. Found them on the web.

How do you have your regs set up and hoses routed that your 7' primary needs to bend? (Much less that it's the ONLY hose that needs to bend.)

The Apeks XTX200 has essentially the same port configuration as my Aqua Lung Legend LX's:

Apeks:

Aqua Lung:

Mounted with the body of the 1st stage perpendicular to the tank valve (horizontal to the ground my primary hose points straight down from the first stage and doesn't need to bend until it makes the turn under my light canister.