hose length?

[koozemani]

I'm looking to replace my primary reg hose. I was leaning toward a miflex hose. My question is what length do you use and how do you route it? I guess that's two questions.

My plan is to move up to a BP/W set-up, but till then I'll be in a BCJ. No plans on cave diving, but I am interested in wrecks.

My problem with the 30" hose that I currently have is "pulling", which is why I was gonna try a miflex hose and seacure mouthpiece. I am just wondering about length and routing. My current set-up just comes over my shoulder to my mouth.

I've read other threads, but they seem to mainly discuss the difference between %' and 7' hoses.

Thanks in advance for any input or opinions,

 

[Jax]

Ask difficult questions, lately?

I am no expert, but I did do a lot of research on this same question.

Many people argue that the 7' length is good only for an overhead environment, where the air-share person may be behind you single file. That generally means wreck or cave.

Many say that 5' is good enough for an open water length.

I know some excellent dive instructors that dive the 5' because "there was just too much hose to the 7' length".

Some say that the miflex is too flexible to keep under control -- it has to be pretty well 'wrapped' in a hose band or something like that. I saw one instructor with the 7' miflex "s"-shaped into a hose band on his single, instead of tucked as so many others do it.

I am 5'4", and both the 5' and the 7' would have to be tucked into the waist band. As the 7' length didn't bother me, I went ahead with that because that would be one hose I didn't have to buy in the future.

The 7' hose goes down behind my right shoulder into my waist band, then one 180-degree bend back up through my waist band on the right, across my chest to the left of my head, and then around the neck to my mouth. To share air, you offer the primary as you duck your head and grab your secondary which is bungeed under your chin.

Let the flaming begin! I'm sure I missed something.

 

[koozemani]

holy pinkness. are you going on the halloween weekend trip?

 

[Jax]

holy pinkness. are you going on the halloween weekend trip?

No, sweetie, I am just a bit rebellious against things uniform!

 

[Peter_C]

How tall are you and what size chest do you have? If you are barrel chested a 5' might to be too short. Otherwise if you are of average build a 5' should be just right for recreational diving. A little more manageable too since you probably do not have a waist strap like a BP/W and no can light to tuck the 7' under.

Sea Cures do work well to help unload the jaw a little. Please make sure to cut the bit wings down really far though so someone with a smaller mouth can use it. You never know who might approach you for air on a warm water vacation dive (Maybe even someone from another group).

 

[koozemani]

I'm 5'11 average build.

 

[cmburch]

I am a California Recreational Kelp Diver with no current interest in a long hose that needs to be tucked in.

I switched my 28" hose on my Dive Rite Jetstream to a 36" blue MiFlex.

The idea being it routes over my shoulder and it will be the one I donate to someone if need be.

The Jetstream is a side exhaust, so no up or down if handing off.

Some use a 40" MiFlex for under arm routing of primary.

Long hose? Perhaps wait until actually learning to diving wrecks.

 

[Peter_C]

Then a 5' primary hose with a 24" or so for a backup, bungeed around your neck, should work just fine. If you need help understanding the bungee backup just ask.

BTW I would recommend going out and doing some air share drills with your dive buddy until you are comfortable. Then continue to do drill fairly often so it stays as muscle memory.

cmburch, doesn't a 36" hose bump into the kelp knocking the reg around? That was one of the reasons I switched to a long hose. Along with many other benefits. Plus many OOG divers have shown they will just take the reg from your mouth in a panic.

 

[fisheater]

I'm a California recreational kelp diver who learned the hard way that kelp is a virtual overhead environment. You do NOT want to do a real airshare on a short hose in kelp. You and the OOG diver have no choice but to go straight up. There, you'll be with a diver who can't submerge, so you'll be kelp crawling with your buddy (and muttering that it's now time for a long hose - at least I did.)

Had I a long hose that day, we could easily have swam under the kelp and directly to the boat while doing an air share. I chose a 7' hose (Miflex), because it's best to be able to swim head to toe through kelp, same as a cave.

As far as routing, I never had an issue, even without a can light.

 

[cmburch]

I explain that the primary is the one I am donating, so it would be correct for them to take it out of my mouth if need be.

I have not had any problems in kelp with the 36" over shoulder primary.

User SplitLip posted a picture of a 40" under arm primary in use.
http://forum.scubatoys.com/regulators-16/underarm-routing-33538/

I have shared my 40" Octo in kelp with no problems. I can practice it with my 36" primary and see how it works while swimming together. It is a side exhaust.