How do these come off?

[Green Mountain]

The last time I had my regs in to be serviced I had the LDS put on a set of these hard rubber hose protectors over the wrench flats of the hoses.

These look cool and they protect the hoses from kinking when traveling. I just bought a new gauge console and I'm shipping my old one down to my son. I'd like to get the hose protector off the old console and put it on the new one. How do these to come off and then back on?

I was thinking about boiling it in hot water but I was afraid I'd ruin the hose. What's the secret?

 

[herman]

Just run the hot water out of the tap onto them to soften them and slide them off/on the hose. You will not hurt the hose unless your HW is really hot but to be honest, getting them back on is a real pain without the nifty tool my LDS has. If it were me, I would take both regs to the shop that serviced it the last time or better yet to the one you bought the new one from and get the tech to do it. Mine will usually do it for free and on the spot if asked nicely. The correct tools and experience make that job a lot easier. If you just "have to do it yourself" and believe me I know the feeling, may I suggest that you just donate the one on the old console to your son and buy a new one for your new console. Then throw it in boiling water, get it hot and put it on the hose. For the couple of dollars they cost, I would not go through the trouble of removing one.

 

[Jeblis]

Water in a craft syringe (Plastic tip!!) works well for getting mountain bike handles on and off. Might work for this too.

 

[Iguana Don]

Around here, most shops won't even volunteer to put on hose protectors. I bought the tool, ($25.00) from Trident.

Hose protectors are a necessary evil invented by the Devil himself to make diver's lives pure living Hell if you don't have to TOOL.

ID

 

[FredT]

At least far enough down the hose to access the wrench lugs on the hose.

Remove old hose and console.

Take new console to LDS and have NEW protector installed on it's hose positioned so the wrench flats are accessable. Then install this on your reg. Milk it up into final position.

Finally ship old console to son with hose and protector intact.

This method will save lots of "cussin and discussin" not to mention the bits of skin on your knuckles and the blisters on your fingers from trying to remove a protector over a fitting.

Alternately 3M, makles some really nifty self vulcanizing tape for waterproofing high voltage connections. Properly wrapped and shrink tubed a roll of this makes excellent strain relief carrots without all the fuss. They look a bit wierd, but work as well if not better than the "store brand". Diameter to length ratio should be about 1:12 with a smooth taper if electrical conductors are involved (metal braid hose) and about 1:6 if it's kevlar or dacron reinforced. Both should have the top end of the carrot about 3X hose diameter tapering down to 1 tape thickness.

FT

 

[Green Mountain]

The hot water from the tap worked just fine. I just let it run for a minute.

I live 50 miles from the nearest dive shop so I didn't want to make a special trip just for this little project. Thanks everyone for the advice. Learn something new everyday.