Not understanding the long hose thing

[UCFKnightDiver]

To the OP another option is to use a 22 " hose with necklace as your backup and use the hose that was originally for the octo as your primary. I use a swivel (at least it's well made but a 90 degree fitting would work as well) for my primary and route it under the arm.

It keeps the hoses streamlined, retains the advantage of the necklace vs octo approach and I don't have 7 ' of hose to deal with.

I'm not in caves nor am I an instructor and I don't do s-drills at the start of every dive so if someone is really low or out of air we will be a little closer than with the 7 ' setup but I can live with that.
In my opinion anything is better than the octo setup.

Do you dive wrecks?

 

[Crush]

I came across at least one good usage for a long hose in the quasi-biographical accounts within The Last Dive. A group of divers were exploring an ocean wreck at 170 feet. Outside the wreck, one diver notices another diver who seems to be in distress and is disoriented. The disoriented diver's air is precariously low. The rescue diver deploys his regs so that the disoriented diver has the rescue diver's long-hose reg. Next, the rescue diver sends up a surface marker buoy, ties it off on the wreck, and ascends with the disoriented diver to the surface. The buoy was necessary to keep from drifting off the wreck in current. Try to do this with a disoriented diver on a standard length hose.

 

[Nemrod]

Recall what the OP asked, in context with "recreational" diving in the "Basic" forum:

I do like the idea of the necklace octo. But right now I have a Sherwood Minimus low profile octo, and its design doesn't lend itself well to that method.
And that's just it TSandM and Codiak. I'm not much inclined to go cave or cavern diving. I much prefer reefs with lotsa critters to look at.

He is not diving doubles at 180 feet inside a wreck as part of a dive team, he and his wife just want to look at the pretty fish. This is the context within which he asked about a long (5 to 7 foot) hose. Whatever hose he has is probably long enough for that.

N

 

[Peter Guy]

Nemrod, et al -- as has been written, just because I have 60 or 84 inches of hose to give does NOT mean I have to give it. With, for example, my 60 inch hose, I donate about 36 inches of hose (what was around my neck and across my chest) -- which is just about what I would donate with a "regular" octo. What's the big deal? ONLY when I'm satisfied it is OK to release the remainder of the hose does the recipient get to float away from me.

I'm always in control with the long hose -- just more control than with a 36 inch Octo hose.

There are numerous upsides and, to my way of thinking, no downsides -- so what's to not like?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Recall what the OP asked, in context with "recreational" diving in the "Basic" forum:

He is not diving doubles at 180 feet inside a wreck as part of a dive team, he and his wife just want to look at the pretty fish. This is the context within which he asked about a long (5 to 7 foot) hose. Whatever hose he has is probably long enough for that.

N

I agree ... in fact, given the context of later responses it appears to me the OP is not really looking for explanations of why to use a long hose, so much as for justifications not to.

Folks, if the long hose doesn't float your boat ... don't use it. Seems simple enough. There's plenty of different configurations out there that work quite OK for simple reef diving.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[gcbryan]

Do you dive wrecks?

No cave, no wrecks, and I'm not an instructor having to share air on a frequent basis nor do I do S-drills before every dive.

Hows that?

 

[gcbryan]

There are numerous upsides and, to my way of thinking, no downsides -- so what's to not like?

Um...7 feet of hose to deal with when 3 feet would do in most circumstances.

It's a great system but there are things not to like!

I've helped enough people gear up to know that in addition to the great benefits of doubles, long hoses, and corded cannister lights that there are downsides (complications) to the gearing up process in particular.

It's not something that can't be overcome but it's not like it's a slam dunk when something simpler might work just as well.

 

[Nemrod]

Nemrod, et al -- as has been written, just because I have 60 or 84 inches of hose to give does NOT mean I have to give it. With, for example, my 60 inch hose, I donate about 36 inches of hose (what was around my neck and across my chest) -- which is just about what I would donate with a "regular" octo. What's the big deal? ONLY when I'm satisfied it is OK to release the remainder of the hose does the recipient get to float away from me.

I'm always in control with the long hose -- just more control than with a 36 inch Octo hose.

There are numerous upsides and, to my way of thinking, no downsides -- so what's to not like?

Peter, et al, what, are you like, uh, hmm, hose stingy . It is always a good thing to be in control of your hose.

N (apparently et al)

 

[Riger]

Having other people be in control of your hose is OK, if they are experienced. If not, it can be painfull and expensive.

The downside of having a long hose is those who need access to a hose may default to the diver with a [-]bigger [/-] longer one and that can become tedious.

Best Regards

Richard

 

[ScubaInChicago]

The only problem I see with the long hose is the lack of training behind the use of it for the newcomer. There are a few mistakes that can be made that could make the situation worse. i.e. when one of our teammates was training for Fundies, he mad the S-Drill into an emergency without thinking the steps through. At the start he would be quick to deploy the long hose and then forget to keep eye contact while stumbling around the can light to fully deploy the long hose and wouldn't notice if he pulled the reg from an OOG diver in the process. OK long hose fully deployed, now the light is like spaghetti around the long hose. These aren't major hurdles to learn and work through, but when you don't know what to look for and you practice through them, you can practice all day long and it won't make perfect.