Little Lady looking for a Long Hose

[Cave Diver]

In situation where I had to share air probably an OOA situation I would no be taking a long swim back to the ascent line, I would be making a emergency accent right where we are and would have though a 40" hose would work fine in this situation.

Direct ascents are not always advisable, even in OW.

 

[David_57]

Direct ascents are not always advisable, even in OW.

Well I dunno about you but in my book if some one has to share air for what ever reason I would have thought making it to the surface not swimming to the the up line would be the primary objective, added to this an up line is not always available I have done many drift dives and wreck dives with no up line just shoot by SMB.

Dont get me wrong I use the long hose but as I spend a lot of time inside of wrecks up here in merry old Canada. When diving down south I am there for the reefs I use a standard setup as I have to remove my 1st stages form my doubles anyway to make a single setup so I just add my Octopus with the standard hose on it.

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

It is streamlined, it is routed almost straight down from the tank, under my arm, and there is no bow flopping in the slipstream.

Ahh, I was imagining something different, thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Cave Diver]

Well I dunno about you but in my book if some one has to share air for what ever reason I would have thought making it to the surface not swimming to the the up line would be the primary objective, added to this an up line is not always available I have done many drift dives and wreck dives with no up line just shoot by SMB.

Dont get me wrong I use the long hose but as I spend a lot of time inside of wrecks up here in merry old Canada. When diving down south I am there for the reefs I use a standard setup as I have to remove my 1st stages form my doubles anyway to make a single setup so I just add my Octopus with the standard hose on it.

[hijack]I've done wreck dives where there is a stiff surface current and the boat is tied into the wreck (Spiegal Grove, Oriskany, Hydro Atlantic). If you surface away from the ascent line, you run the risk of being separated from the boat before they're able to break mooring and come and get you. I'd rather make it back to the boat than being adrift on the open ocean having them searching for me. If there is a stiff surface current then you may not be able to swim back on your own. Sometimes surface conditions are rough and staying under and surfacing close to the boat is preferable too. I also know some people that dive in rivers and their dives take them into shipping lanes. Surfacing there, away from their boat or shore could be disastrous.

My dive planning includes enough gas to get me and a buddy back to the ascent line/point of origin and surfacing in the event of an OOA emergency in situations like that.

I can think of several pluses to using a longer hose, even for an OW diver and no real negatives to it. But as we've both said, if your method works for you then to each their own. Plus, I'm lazy and I hate swapping hoses back and forth when the longer hose works just fine in openwater.

[/hijack]

 

[Cave Diver]

It is streamlined, it is routed almost straight down from the tank, under my arm, and there is no bow flopping in the slipstream.

If you're routing a 40" hose this way, you're the exception, not the rule on that. Doesn't this put your regulator at an odd angle going to your mouth, or do you compensate by using an omni swivel?

 

[David_57]

[hijack]I've done wreck dives where there is a stiff surface current and the boat is tied into the wreck (Spiegal Grove, Oriskany, Hydro Atlantic). If you surface away from the ascent line, you run the risk of being separated from the boat before they're able to break mooring and come and get you. If there is a stiff surface current then you may not be able to swim back on your own. Sometimes surface conditions are rough and staying under and surfacing close to the boat is preferable too. I also know some people that dive in rivers and their dives take them into shipping lanes. Surfacing there, away from their boat or shore could be disastrous.

My dive planning includes enough gas to get me and a buddy back to the ascent line/point of origin and surfacing in the event of an OOA emergency in situations like that.

I can think of several pluses to using a longer hose, even for an OW diver and no real negatives to it. But as we've both said, if your method works for you then to each their own.

[/hijack]

Well to be honest I don't see a problem making it to the up line with a standard length Octopus hose lets face it majority of divers use this length hose, but still the primary objective in an OOA emergency should be making it to the surface for a recreational dive because 9 time out of 10 if one of the divers is OOA there is obviously a lack of gas planning

By the way I have dove the SG and not much of a current when I was there certainly not enough to take you to far from the dive boat if you had to do a emergency accent, if the crew are being vigilant should have no problem to locate you but then that's a whole other story.

Sorry mate if you are trying to convince me that a recreational diver would be better of with a seven footer for open water diving your wasting your time.

 

[vladimir]

If you're routing a 40" hose this way, you're the exception, not the rule on that. Doesn't this put your regulator at an odd angle going to your mouth, or do you compensate by using an omni swivel?

Yes, as mentioned in my original post to this thread, I use a right-angle fitting. I learned that on Scubaboard.

 

[Cave Diver]

Sorry mate if you are trying to convince me that a recreational diver would be better of with a seven footer for open water diving your wasting your time.

Nope. The question by the original poster was about which long hose to use. You said you couldn't see any reason for using a long hose, so I provided some scenarios where it could come in useful. I'm not trying to convince you of anything, and I'm not saying either way is right or wrong, just different. I'm just providing information.

 

[hypertech]

<Dragon Eye's Husband>

This all started in ice diving class this winter. My reg froze up and free flowed and depth and while I had plenty of air that I probably could have ascended fine and it might have even stopped, we were taught to go to your buddy and share air. Trying turning the tank on and off or ascend. My buddy had a long hose. For those that are not sure about a long hose - just try it once. You'll be sold.

So, I reconfigured my gear, dumped the safe second and went to a necklaced second and a seven foot hose.

Now, we flash forward to the present. Dragon Eye wants to reconfigure her gear in the same way. The thing is, the 7 foot hose that fits fairly snug around me (6'1 235lbs), is pretty lose on her (5'3" and much fewer pounds) and results in a lot of extra.

So, she is looking for advice from smaller framed people who want a long hose. Do you use a 5', a 6', or just go with the standard 7' and stuff all the extra in your waistband.

 

[DaleC]

I'm 5'11" and use a 5' hose. It routes well and is fine (IMO) for OW diving. On a petite person who wasn't doing overheads I'd question whether a 7' hose would hold any advantages at all compared to the disadvantages of having to stuff loose, extra hose all the time.