Newbie - how do I wear a long hose for primary regulator?

[JohnnyC]

Many people use a 40" hose with a 70/90/110/swivel as their primary. It's long enough to streamline, long enough to donate comfortably, but less to manage than a long hose.

For me personally, I always have a 7' hose. It's just what I have for all of my primaries, and if I'm not diving with a can light because I'm in open water, I've got my PLB canister and it tucks there. I've never had it come off unintentionally whereas I know other divers that have had issues. I would also never dive in a technical configuration with anything shorter. Once you've got a couple stages, deco gas, reels, lights, bags, etc., there's enough going on that I want anyone I donate to, to be far enough away that I can still do whatever other tasks I need to take care of. Ascending on backgas to your first stop where, theoretically, your buddy should be off your shared backgas and onto their own deco gas, you want enough room to deal with all of the administrative tasks you need to take care of. These considerations generally don't exist in open water diving.

 

[rhwestfall]

The flexibility of the long hose (you can choose to not release all the hose length) makes it my choice...

A lengthy horizontal swim out of the situation where it is not practical to just go up makes one appreciate a little space. Yes, in a needful time, I'm grabbing rings and being face-to-face....

Better to have and not need, then to need and not have...

 

[Bob DBF]

Thanks for the responses to my post. I really appreciate the detail and the differing opinions about this subject. Some clarification: I have a jacket style BCD (Scubapro Glide). The hose is 7'. Is this going to a problem? I will also be carrying a pony.

The reason I got the LDS to set up this configuration is because a) reading Scubaboard has left me with the impression that this long hose/primary donate thing is best practice

Well I got the same impression that the long hose is better, so I tried that, and other, configurations fo a while before I found what I use now. Because I wear and use a snorkel on my regular dives, I found that a long hose was not optimal for me on most dives. At that point many proponents pointed out that my snorkel was useless, at which point I did what I wanted.

At this point I use a 40" primary with a bungeed backup. The bungeed backup, imho, is the most important part of the configuration, as it gives instant access to your backup reg, without hands after some adjustment and practice.

Try different configurations and find what works for you. The long hoses are not that expensive, and if you don't want to keep them for possible use later (as I have), you can probably sell or trade them and cut your losses.


Bob

 

[halocline]

I've never understood the point of a long hose in an openwater environment. It's unnecessary and in many cases, it's desirable to be face to face, and hanging on to the harness of the OOA diver.

What makes you think you can't do that with the long hose?

 

[halocline]

I’m thinking of switching back to recreational length hoses. The 7 feet hose is just getting too annoying for my recreational ocean diving from boats. Too much accidental dangling and dragging of the long hose/2nd stage by myself and the guys who handle my rig.

With a long hose it's almost a necessity to have a bolt snap on it to clip it off when you're not in the water. If you like the feel of the long hose, maybe try the 5ft version, or even better, just try connecting two hoses together. It only costs a few bucks for the connector. It really is easier to deal with than the 7ft hose.

 

[halocline]

I'm currently set up in a bit of a hybrid - standard length primary hose, with octo necklaced. I've decided I don't like the octo necklaced either because it gets awkward if I'm trying to avoid a MOF (mask on forehead) if I'm in the company of a bunch of try-hards and I'm not in the mood "that" conversation.

For me (and everyone is different - you have to find what works for you) I've decided to come full circle and go back to standard length hoses for both primary and octo. I'm beginning to realize that there might be a reason it's so popular.

I really find the standard "PADI" hose lengths and routing to be uncomfortable and terrible for air sharing. One thing I have experienced twice is getting the primary 1st stage taken out of my mouth by a panicked diver. (One of these was a DM trainee in roatan!) It happens really fast, much faster than you would think. This was one of the things that sold me on the long hose.

Also importantly, I just find it much more comfortable for diving. There is no push-pull on the regulator when I move my head around, no big loop over my shoulder to get caught on anything, and my alternate is always right under my chin; I never have to hunt around for it. I just think the 7ft length is excessive for OW, and is less convenient to route.

 

[broncobowsher]

I am a head turner. No not good looking, but I do turn my head a lot to look around. I know some people who turn there whole torso to look around. Anyway I find the long hose works best for me. I can turn and move around without the hose tug. It is also a bit more compact without the hose whiskers sticking way out.

You have it, go try it. Will it be perfect the first time out? I bet not. But you can generally tell if it is feeling like it just needs a little adjustment or if you totally hate it. An extra step or two to get into, but I think that in the water it will feel better. Don't worry if it isn't perfect the first time out. Fine tune as you go.

As for the pony, that's a whole different discussion. You never mentioned your pony size. I know one guy who regularly dives with one recreationally. (He will sometimes do some tech diving as well but that isn't this discussion) How he has it set up is a complete second reg. He enters the water with 2 first stages and 3 second stages total. The tiny pony (13 ft³?) he carries is optional. A good octo is standard.

 

[lowflyer]

I've never understood the point of a long hose in an openwater environment. It's unnecessary and in many cases, it's desirable to be face to face, and hanging on to the harness of the OOA diver.

1. Because tech and cave divers say so
2. Because it makes you look like you're the real deal, unless you get all that hose tangled up or bash your unsecured primary on something hard.
3. Can't think of any other reason. A 40" primary to donate is plenty long enough for a recreational diver, IMO.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Thanks for the responses to my post. I really appreciate the detail and the differing opinions about this subject. Some clarification: I have a jacket style BCD (Scubapro Glide). The hose is 7'. Is this going to a problem? I will also be carrying a pony.

The reason I got the LDS to set up this configuration is because a) reading Scubaboard has left me with the impression that this long hose/primary donate thing is best practice. b) I am going wreck diving in the Solomon Islands. Limited penetration. I thought that a long hose would be the standard set up on this kind of trip.

Keep in mind there is a bit of a bias on SB toward this configuration that you may not find elsewhere. It may be because the configuration had its origins in Florida cave diving, and some of the most vocal people on SB are either cave divers or have been exposed to that configuration through cave divers. It has certainly become more common worldwide--wreck divers have adopted it--but I am fairly certain there are other people in the world who advocate other configurations as being "best practice," especially if you are not specifically doing technical diving. If I'm not mistaken, at least at one time there was considerable criticism coming out of the UK (BSAC itself?) against the long-hose wrapping around one's neck. I don't know what's "standard" for wreck diving in the Solomons, if anything, but if you are set on using the 7-ft hose, the best thing to do would be contact some instructors who use that configuration, and get some training. Maybe they recommend a pony, and maybe not. A limited-penetration wreck course would be a good idea. Contact an instructor who offers such a course and ask what configuration they recommend. Whatever configuration you use, the most important thing is to be properly trained to use it. Trying to teach yourself based on videos is possible, but it can't replace live feedback from an instructor. You won't get the most benefit out of having a 7-ft hose if you haven't built into muscle memory how to use it, by practicing drills with it, over and over.

 

[MichaelMc]

The most useful part of what you have is likely the bungee necklaced reg. (Edit: and the implied primary donate.) Around the neck makes the secondary out of the way, always in one place, and readily accessible. After that the length of the primary reg's hose just depends on what works for you.

For a jacket BC, you might prefer a 'streamlined OW' setup with 22" necklaced reg and 40" primary reg passing under your arm. Many using the 5' and 7' hoses likely are in BP/W, which are a bit more streamlined in the front than a jacket BC. In particular with a 7' hose you often tuck it into the waist belt, which in BP/W is rather uncluttered, but in a jacket BC has a bit more stuff. Streamlined OW | Dive Gear Express®. I only dive recreational and like my 7', but I have a BP/W and no snorkel on my mask.

Nothing wrong with the pony leaving you with 3 second stages. The necklace is not in the way, and is faster than a pony so it is there for you if you need to donate your primary. Its not the most minimal setup, but it has a benefit that no one can question that you have primary and secondary regs close at hand, on your main tank.

A small bolt snap is the standard way to clip off your primary, when on the surface or otherwise not breathing or holding it. DGX S/S Swivel-Eye {2.75 in | 7.0 cm} Small Sliding Bolt Snap To attach: How to tie the perfect bolt snap - Wreck and Cave. You can also use this Hose Clip Retainer to attach if you do not have small nylon (cave) line, but it does tend to slide down the hose. You need a right chest strap D ring to clip it off to.

Any bungee cord will work for the necklace, you do not need or want it super strong, just to hold reg up underwater, and stretch over your head to put on. I'm using 1/8" 3mm cord. Shock Cord - Thin {1/8 in | 0.3 cm} per {1 ft | 30.5 cm} One link on how: Tying a regulator necklace