Long Hose

[befee]

if you do hand-crotch strap, be careful you aren't signaling in sensitive areas. i think my buddy's phrase was 'that's not a punching bag, honey.'

isn't that why you use a crotch pad?

 

[BabyDuck]

i've never heard of a crotch pad.

 

[befee]

I guess that was a bad joke. It was a reference to the crotch pads on drysuits...used for scootering I believe.

 

[Selchie in LB]

In a a restricted overhead/scootering air sharing situation, you're going to to be getting a nice and comfy view of your teammate's hind quarters, so 9' won't help very much.

So if I am never in a cave situation is 5 feet long enough?

 

[vjanelle]

Ask your instructor if they're ok with it, but a 5' option is ok for people of diminished height or if you just have issues dealing with a 7' hose.

In any event it's better than a 40' hose.

 

[PfcAJ]

I think the 5 footer is a waste of time. Just tuck the excess of the 7' hose into your waist strap if you don't have a can light.

 

[Captain12Pk]

In every class I've been in, the 7ft hose was accepted as "standard" and it is what was expected by the instructor.
I've never used a 5 or 9 ft hose, but to me a 5ft hose seems like it would be too short to tuck under the can and make it around the neck. Therefore it would likely "hang" in front of the diver and be in the way... at least for a person of "normal" stature. And the 9ft seems like it would be difficult to manage in the stowed position. It seems it would almost need to be tucked under the waist belt in order to stay in place. Which is alright I guess. It just seems like a bit much to manage for probably no benefit.
YMMV

 

[DiverLaura]

5' hose is a nice option for vertically challenged folks who like to do fun recreational diving in open water who do not use a can light, but want the gas sharing convenience of a long hose.

and yes, i realize that there are 'other' things that they can tuck the light into, under, around, but if they are like 5' nuthin' tall and don't need the extra 2' then for their application it does not serve a whole lot of purpose.

look at the type of diving you plan on doing, and dive the gear for the dive.

9' is just compensating

 

[kanonfodr]

So if I am never in a cave situation is 5 feet long enough?

I used a 5' hose for my primary on my singles rig for a long time, but once I learned how to route the 7' hose I eventually got one for both my singles and doubles rig and prefer it, since it gives me options with the extra length.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with the 5' hose in open water diving at all. It can still route fairly closely to the body but still gives ample room for gas-sharing. I just prefer the 7' now.

Peace,
Greg

 

[Tortuga68]

I prefer 5' for single tank; don't see the point of 7' unless you're going to be doing overhead, which you won't (shouldn't) with a single tank. Plus I like the Miflex 5' hoses but hate their 7' hose