hose routing w/ redundant wings

[tolzmaka]

I'm setting up a set of twins for an intro to Tech course and I got a great deal on a new Apeks 50lb. dual bladder wing. My question is - does any one have any suggestions on the proper hose config. for twins w/ dual bladder.
I'm not really wanting to discuss the pros or cons of dual bladder wings as I've allready seen several posts on the subject. and I see nothing "worng" with them. Some help with this would be great.
Thanks.
- K.

 

[g1138]

I don't dive doubles but I've gotten some pretty good looks at GUE doubles set ups on the boat I DM for. So take my input with a grain of salt.
If you refer to the picture below:


You'll probably want to put the second inflator hose on the left post (the one with 3 hoses already in use).
Reason for this is because your right post is already hogging an inflator hose. If you have to shut down one post you'll still want access to inflation.
So right post will have primary reg and primary inflation.
Left post will have HP, Drysuit, backup reg, and backup inflation.
If you have an argon bottle then you can simply replace the drysuit hose with your backup inflator.
I should note that crossing the inflators behind your neck would be optional in your case since you'll now have two.
You'll have to see how it plays with your long hose.

That's what makes sense to me.

Now onto the original hose setup and the reasoning for it. You want your primary and backup on different posts in case you have to shutdown one.
SPG hose goes on the left because it's more ergonomical to route your hose there. Drysuit goes on left because of ergonomics.
Inflator goes on the right because if you have a rolloff and need to inflate your BC, suddenly you'll be incapable of this. You don't want to have an unexpected loss of buoyancy control, especially when you need it. That's the mindset behind this configuration (from what I've heard).

 

[DevonDiver]

You don't need to have your redundant wing connected, thus it can 'share' an LPI hose with your drysuit.

If your primary wing failed (or no gas to that wing), then you can swap the second LPI from your drysuit onto your redundant bladder inflator. You'd only be worrying about ascent at that time, so there'd be no further need to put air into your drysuit.

I re-orientated my drysuit inflator to run from the right-side and changed the valve to match the LPI (si-tech). I then brought the redundant wing inflator under my arm and bungeed it to/alongside the drysuit inflate hose. It was a 2 second job to disconnect from the drysuit and connect to the resplendent wing.

The other popular solution is to run a dedicated redundant wing inflator and to bungee that inflator to the side of the wing or backplate on the right side. Again, there's no need to actually connect the hose to the LPI - but you need to get slick with deploying and connecting it swiftly. Many divers don't connect the LPI-Hose because of the added risk of air unintentionally entering your redundant wing and causing run-away buoyancy on ascent (not clever if you have deco).


What regs are you using? That'd be helpful to allow a best description and/or photos.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

I dive doubles with a dual bladder all the time. I am with Devon but would like to add when diving dry I do it the same way Devon does but when wet I route the "dry suit" hose to the backup inflator but leave it unattached.

 

[Oxymoron]

I know this thread is old, but nevertheless seems better to add here than start a new one as some of what I was about to ask is answered.

My set up is Apeks WTX60R wing (ie redundant) and Apeks Tek 3 regulators. I usually dive this rig in conventional DIR setup (if you excuse the redundant wing) with the SPG on the left roll-off piller. However, I recently got a very nice Shearwater Perdix AI, and this poses the question about which side is better for the SPG. I am right-handed, so deco slate has to go on the left wrist. Thus it seems logical to put primary computer (Shearwater with compass) next to slate on the left wrist. This leaves my bottom timer backup and back up compass bungeed to the right wrist. With the Shearwater on the left wrist, this makes it better to have the transmitter on the left pillar, and thus the SPG on the right pillar.

It might not meet the approval of the hard-core DIR divers having the SPG on the right, or even using an AI computer, but it does seem to have some logic to me. I consider the Shearwater gas readout my "primary" SPG in that I look at it far more than I do the conventional SPG, so in a rolloff situation I am going to realise much quicker. Also, I really can see nothing but advantages in having a redundant gas readout on the right pillar.

I have tried everything the other way around - ie SPG as per convention on the left, AI transmitter on the right, thus Shearwater on the right wrist, and bottom timer on the left wrist, but the bottom timer is much harder to see than the bright shearwater so not as easy to control the deco stops from the plan on the slate.

Welcome any comments.

 

[rongoodman]

Since you're controlling your depth with your left hand(inflator and rear dump) it makes sense to have your primary depth monitor on the right. Since you're diving with a Shearwater I would assume that would provide your primary deco information too. I would leave the SPG on the left, the Shearwater and transmitter on the right, and if your left arm becomes too crowded with back-up items, just put some of them in a pocket unless they're needed.