Hose length setup...

[Melicertes]

I have found my 5ft hose is also not long enough for my comfort and I'm now waiting for my new 7ft hose that shipped today from ScubaToys. The extra 2' should be just what I need to let it route comfortably DIR style. I'm not a DIR acolyte but there are some very, very sensible logic IMHO behind a lot of the DIR philosophy; it has certainly redefined my perspective of my usual types of diving and gear configuration. I continue to learn bit by bit as I read more about it. Give it a try, even though you might not necessarily see yourself diving doubles and full tech environments anywhere (soon?) in the future.

 

[Splitlip]

DIR is more than just gear configuration. People were diving Hogarthian before GUE.

 

[underwasser bolt]

we have hoseless gauges, now we need hoseless regulators, maybe like that cool setup used in Star Wars Episode 1? That would solve everyones problem.

 

[Melicertes]

DIR is more than just gear configuration. People were diving Hogarthian before GUE.

I agree. You'll notice that I said the DIR philosophy appeals to me (for the most part, because I am still learning about it and have not yet found anything I entirely disagree with) for my type of diving; i.e. I find the holistic approach to safe diving appealing, not just the equipment setup. I only singled out the equipment configuration because that is what the OP was asking about. Also, I am well aware that hog rigs have been around for a long, long time but since the OP mentioned DIR, well...

 

[Nemrod]

If you use a 40 inch you can use a ball swivel or a right angle swivel to change hose direction at the second stage. The hose will go under the RH arm and then over to your mouth. This is a very streamlined configuration with plenty of length to share air in an open water emeregency.

If your going to do the five foot it will really need to go under your RH arm and around behind your head and then to your mouth. Otherwise it could uncoil and become an entanglement hazard. If your big enough a five footer will not reach then I guess you have to go to a seven if this is the configuration you like.

The right angle swivels do not have the failure mode that some ball swivels could have and they run about 40 to 50 dollars.
N

 

[danemeyer20]

Nemrod, what do you use as a secondary air? I know you have one of those old school regs which i have never seen anyone dive before

 

[Splitlip]

I agree. You'll notice that I said the DIR philosophy appeals to me (for the most part, because I am still learning about it and have not yet found anything I entirely disagree with) for my type of diving; i.e. I find the holistic approach to safe diving appealing, not just the equipment setup. I only singled out the equipment configuration because that is what the OP was asking about. Also, I am well aware that hog rigs have been around for a long, long time but since the OP mentioned DIR, well...

I realized that when I reread your post. But I left mine anyway as I know some less informed people blur the lines. Not meant as a shot.

 

[Nemrod]

Nemrod, what do you use as a secondary air? I know you have one of those old school regs which i have never seen anyone dive before

Old school . Nah, this is the newest and latest, some day you guys will come back around to the future.

If you mean an octapus I can rig one to the hookah port or if using a Phoenix conversion there are up to seven LP ports and three HP ports. If you mean redundancy an octapus is not redundancy. I would carry a pony or use isolation manifolded doubles and in that later case I would not be using a classic double hose.

As to never having seen anyone use a double hose, oh well, y'all are missing out, quiet, smooth, bubbles in the ears free, so much better .

If I am solo, I don't use an octapus, they are for air sharing only and if I am solo there is nobody to share air with. When I use an octopus with my double hose I route it under my RH shoulder and use a swivel, usually a right angle type, or I may use a side exhaust second. I clip it to my harness or bungee it with a break away bungee necklace.

N

 

[TSandM]

There are two big advantages of the long hose system: One is the ease of deploying a regulator to share gas, and the other is that the hoses route tightly to one's body, so there are no big loops sticking out to get caught in anything, or simply to flap in the breeze In order to keep things that way, the hose has to be routed in a way that works for its length.

The 40" hose simply passes under the diver's right arm and up to his mouth, but the angle is a bad one, so an angled/swivel connection is needed to make the regulator sit comfortably in the mouth.

The 5' hose runs under the diver's right arm, up across the chest to the left side of the neck, behind the neck, and around to the diver's mouth. This hose length is easily used by those diving traditional BCs, and is actually a pretty good compromise hose length. One never has to worry about the loop that's been tucked into the waistband coming out, and the hose lies neatly on the diver's body. The 5' length is not always adequate for men with big shoulders and chests, but in those cases, a 6' length will usually work.

The 7' hose runs down from the first stage, tucks under something at the diver's right hip (or a loop is pulled through the waistband), and then runs up across the chest just as described for the 5' hose. I have dived a 7' hose without a canister light or anything else at my hip to secure it, but I have also had the loop come out of my waistband in a very annoying fashion.

All three arrangements allow the diver to donate the primary and pick up a bungied backup for himself, which is the beauty of the arrangement.

 

[*Floater*]

Recently I've been diving diving the 40" hose + swivel elbow for primary with a bungeed (air-2) backup on my single tank rig. That's worked fine; less hose to deal with, which is an advantage when gearing up/down, or moving the equipment around. In water it doesn't matter. If anything, I miss the 7 ft hose I use with doubles, and used to dive with singles, when looking to for a way/place to stow my (big salvo) cannister light head - when available, I like to use the 7 ft hose that runs across my chest to keep the light from hanging loosely off the chest d-ring when not in use... I've never tried the 5 ft. hose, but never saw the attraction, why not just go all the way (40" hose + swivel) if you want something shorter...

P.S. I took the photos for some other threads about air-2 type backup regs, but they also show how the 40" hose and swivel setup looks like, though I assume most people would probably combine it with a 22-24" hose bungeed backup, and a regular inflator on a ~12-16" corrugated hose.