Longer hose for my second stage?

[Gamgan]

Hi, still learning about gear since this is the first time I purchase all of my gear plus my girlfriends gear.

We both switched to Inflator/Octo combo's and have read here on these boards that we should switch out our primary second stage hose in case of an OOA emergency our buddy will have a little more room to move as he shares our air.

I tried searching the web for replacements and got swamped with so many choices, from used hoses on ebay for $15 to new OEM hoses for $50 each. Not sure which one to choose.

We both use Oceanic Alpha 8 regulators and Oceanic First stage, and would love it if any one had a recommendation for a decent 4'' to 5'' replacement hose. Money is a little tight and I dont mind second hand as it will be inspected by local tech before use so not too worried.

Any suggestions? Most hoses I have seen do not say brand so dont know if they are quality hoses or just cheap knock offs.

 

[spectrum]

A long hose with an octo/inflater is sort of an odd configuration but I'll leave that alone. I'd be careful to have a full understanding of why you want a long hose.

As for the hoses, well used is used and new is new. There's not much "junk" out there that I'm aware of. I think there's a pretty good consensus that you don't want to be handling a long Miflex (very flexiblehose brand name) so that lowers the price ceiling.

I'd ask the LDS what they want for the hose of your choice. As a price check look at someplace online like divegearexpress.com and see what the cost would be. You probably land in the free shipping range.

If you don't plan to make the swap be sure to consider that the shop will probably swap their hose as a courtesy but charge you to install those you got elsewhere. I won't get into the good will thing.

Pete

 

[Michael Kazma]

As stated, the octo/BC inflater is a strange choice.

Also, when using a long 2nd stage hose it is routed down the side of the BC, up across the chest and around the neck. A 4' hose would be far too short to do this. 7' is ideal.

The purpose of a long hose is that in the event of sharing gas it is more convenient to be on a 7' hose compared to a short one when attached to your buddy. This is especially useful in overhead/confined environments.

As for used vs new, I would never buy a used hose myself. Hoses are not too expensive and if you buy a used one you never know how safe it is.

 

[TSandM]

I think it's GREAT that you have realized that using the octo-inflator means you need a longer primary reg hose. You have a lot of choices. You can go with a 36" hose (one of the standard octo hose lengths) and just let it make a huge loop out around you. A 40" hose can be routed under the arm and to your mouth, but will likely require an angled connector to let the reg sit comfortably in your mouth. If you aren't barrel-chested, a 5' hose will route under the right arm, across the chest, and around the back of your neck pretty comfortably, and will be nicely streamlined and won't require a special attachment. 5' is a little short for larger people or men with broad chests.

As already stated, new hoses aren't expensive (I think I got my 7' hose for about $35) and used hoses are a gamble, since you don't know how old they are or how much abuse they have taken. As long as you don't go for Miflex, new hoses are a pretty low budget acquisition.

 

[Peter Guy]

Good choice on the inflator/octo combo -- for most recreational diving. And even better that you recognized you should have a longer (I believe the minimum should be 40 inches -- 5 feet is good, 7 feet is probably NOT a good choice with a standard BC and, in fact, is pretty much overkill) hose on your primary.

Just remember, you should practice deploying the long hose (practice air sharing) AND get used to using the inflator/octo on ascent. Practice using it every few dives until it becomes second nature.

 

[halocline]

A long hose with an octo/inflater is sort of an odd configuration but I'll leave that alone.

Actually, using a long primary hose with an octo/inflator makes perfect sense; you have to donate the primary, so it's convenient to have a longer hose. Using a 5ft primary hose with an octo/inflator has some of the advantages of a modified long hose/bungied octo set up. Not all IMO.....but it's better than using an octo/inflator with a very short primary hose.

 

[halocline]

Also, when using a long 2nd stage hose it is routed down the side of the BC, up across the chest and around the neck. A 4' hose would be far too short to do this. 7' is ideal.

7ft is ideal if you have a canister light and need to share air single file through restrictions; 5 ft offers the same benefits as the longer hose when used in recreational, OW settings where you will not need to go single file, and it routs directly across the chest.

I've found that 5 ft is a little too short; 5' 6" is perfect. Although I've taken some heat for recommending this, you can simply connect two regulator hoses together with a coupler to find the perfect length. As long as you're prudent with replacing the o-rings in the hoses, there is very little extra risk of failure. When you find the right length hose, you can simply order one that length.

Unfortunately, you will be hard pressed to find a used 5 ft hose; it's pretty typical to find shorter ones as divers replace them with longer hoses. While I'm a huge fan of buying used, I have to agree with Michael in this case, the price of new isn't high enough to justify looking for a used one.

 

[spectrum]

Actually, using a long primary hose with an octo/inflator makes perfect sense; you have to donate the primary, so it's convenient to have a longer hose. Using a 5ft primary hose with an octo/inflator has some of the advantages of a modified long hose/bungied octo set up. Not all IMO.....but it's better than using an octo/inflator with a very short primary hose.

I never said it was wrong, just odd. Maybe not to you but it's the first time I remember seeing it surface. I'm sure the OP is not original in any way.

I can't constructively configure this rig since I feel the Alternate/Inflater as a fundamental flaw and I'll leave it at that.

 

[gsk3]

At very least you will want to swap out the hose that used to be on your primary (usually around 26") for the one that used to be on your octo (usually around 40"). Or you may want to consider going to a Hogartian-style hose, either 5' or 7'. I prefer the 7, as do many.

As far as which hose, generally speaking there's not much variation in quality. Go with whatever's cheapest.

Piranha (piranhadivemfg.com) has a few longer LP hoses on clearance right now in their "Hot Deals" section.

 

[Couv]

7ft is ideal if you have a canister light and need to share air single file through restrictions; 5 ft offers the same benefits as the longer hose when used in recreational, OW settings where you will not need to go single file, and it routs directly across the chest.

I've found that 5 ft is a little too short; 5' 6" is perfect. Although I've taken some heat for recommending this, you can simply connect two regulator hoses together with a coupler to find the perfect length. As long as you're prudent with replacing the o-rings in the hoses, there is very little extra risk of failure. When you find the right length hose, you can simply order one that length.

Unfortunately, you will be hard pressed to find a used 5 ft hose; it's pretty typical to find shorter ones as divers replace them with longer hoses. While I'm a huge fan of buying used, I have to agree with Michael in this case, the price of new isn't high enough to justify looking for a used one.

Halo is right on with his suggestion. (and I let him take all the heat last time) Simply get one five foot hose and one hose adapter to join the two hose you already have. Now, I’m assuming that the Oceanic hoses are standard. Hopefully someone will chime in with that info.

Here are links to what you need.

http://www.divegearexpress.com/regulators/hoses.shtml#1700
Hose DR-HOLP60B $23.99

http://www.divegearexpress.com/regulators/adapters.shtml#1702
Coupler HOAD6 $3.99

About $28 plus shipping. (about $10) so you might consider getting two 5 foot hoses and one small item to bring your total to $50 and get free shipping.

c