Primary Donate - Hose Length

[Kendall Raine]

I use the same hose configuration whether in back mounted doubles, side mount or single tank. That is, I have a 7' hose and a short hose (side mount being a bit specialized so will discuss back mount only from now on). I breathe and donate the 7' hose (all back mount is using a BPW). The reason to donate the long hose from the mouth has nothing to do with gas quality (that's silly) and everything to do with: 1) passing off a reg I know is working correctly to the OOG diver, 2) passing off a reg I can find instantly (instead of trying to locate it by feel when stowed someplace on my chest), 3) passing a reg at arms length which means it's closer to the OOG diver, and (this is important) 5) I keep the OOG diver at arms length where I can better see them/communicate with them. 6) the 7' hose also means we can swim together more comfortably than a short hose (not just an overhead thing but also very important in high boat traffic areas like Cozumel where you want to swim into the reef area-away from boat traffic-before ascending), and 7) the greater distance between donor and OOG diver on the long hose means the donor has hands free and space to deploy an SMB without added risk of entanglement-himself or the OOG diver.

Also, using a 7' hose means I can wear it tight (no extra slack behind the neck or over the right shoulder) and not have a longer hose flapping in the breeze (as in current-see attached photo-or scootering). Not having slack is a safety advantage in overhead. Extra 7' hose length is either tucked in the waist strap or around the cannister if wearing a corded light. Anything shorter and you lose the ability to stow slack. The back up is then necklaced on a short hose (20-22").

In terms of the downsides to having a 7' hose, I'd like to address a couple of red herrings:

1) Getting strangled by the long hose by the OOG diver who approaches from the left and tugs on the long hose: the long hose is routed behind the neck, not around it. Pulling from the left (e.g. 8-9 o'clock position) could theoretically be a surprise but it's very easy for the donor to slip the hose over top of the head and release tension on the hose. Anyone afraid of getting strangled hasn't tried this in real life. Besides, an attentive buddy (we are a situationally aware buddy, right??) is not very likely to get "surprised" because they should be aware of their buddy's gas supply/equipment problems before getting sneaked up on. Lastly on this non-issue, if an OOG diver does somehow manage to sneak up on you from 8-9 o'clock, how is a short hose (or, God forbid, right side stowed octopus) going to be any better solution?

2) The long hose creates problems when handing the tank up to the boat or flops around once on the boat. Another technique solved non-issue. The long hose should be coiled and clipped off on the right shoulder d ring before getting out of the rig. Easy, nice and neat.

3) Donating the long hose from the mouth is not the way most divers are taught and therefore unfamiliar to most divers. That is true. So what? An OOG diver has one thought-get gas. The first/easiest place to look for gas is in the donor's mouth. If the donor is aware, it doesn't matter what the OOG diver was taught. The OOG diver is not going to bypass a functioning reg shoved in their face in lieu of searching in the "triangle" for an octopus. If the donor is not aware and gets surprised, the OOG is still far more likely to go for a reg the donor is breathing from than fumbling around on the donors chest. Besides, it takes a couple of seconds to deploy the long hose from the mouth even for a surprised donor who will then put the dononated reg in the OOG divers mouth.

Breathing/donating the long hose came out of the cave diving community, true, but it's applicability/advantages for all types of diving are intuitive and just a matter of technique.

 

[steinbil]

The reason to donate the long hose from the mouth has nothing to do with gas quality (that's silly)

First, let me say I agree with pretty much everything in your post and think it's spot on. This line, however, I would like to question. Maybe you specifically mean gas quality as in not contaminated gas - and then you're probably right that it's not a very likely scenario - but if you're diving with different gas mixes, the one in your mouth should be the right gas, and other regulators might provide a toxic gas. In that case, the gas quality is not a silly reason to donate what's in your mouth (rather than specifically the long hose). If we're talking recreational diving where both regulators come from the same gas source, obviously this point is moot. Also in the unlikely scenario of contaminated gas, I would think it's an absolute disaster to donate a contaminated source, but I guess you could counter that any contaminated gas source is dangerous underwater anyways. Still I like the idea of knowing that the gas I donate to a stressed OOG diver is good.

 

[Kendall Raine]

First, let me say I agree with pretty much everything in your post and think it's spot on. This line, however, I would like to question. Maybe you specifically mean gas quality as in not contaminated gas - and then you're probably right that it's not a very likely scenario - but if you're diving with different gas mixes, the one in your mouth should be the right gas, and other regulators might provide a toxic gas. In that case, the gas quality is not a silly reason to donate what's in your mouth (rather than specifically the long hose). If we're talking recreational diving where both regulators come from the same gas source, obviously this point is moot. Also in the unlikely scenario of contaminated gas, I would think it's an absolute disaster to donate a contaminated source, but I guess you could counter that any contaminated gas source is dangerous underwater anyways. Still I like the idea of knowing that the gas I donate to a stressed OOG diver is good.

Yes, I was referring to contaminated gas when I said "quality." Sorry if that was confusing. The back gas you're breathing, via either long or short hose, is the same, so long or short is not (should not be ) a gas quality (contamination) issue. If using multiple gas mixes, you still donate from the mouth if OOG since it's the correct gas for the depth. For example, if my buddy and I are at 70 feet and he goes OOG I will put him on my 50% gas while I switch to the next leaner gas. I budget my deco gas to have enough to get out even on that leaner gas. But, presumably if we're both on 50% and he goes OOG on his 50% he too has a leaner gas he can get on and (if he's diving with me) has the mental wherewithal to have budgeted his extra gas accordingly-I only do deco dives with competent divers. The only time you don't donate from the mouth is in the case of a toxing diver at which point you put them on your back gas since it's the leanest of your choices.

 

[KenE]

I can agree with everything above, except, length.

Anything shorter and you lose the ability to stow slack.

I find that with my build a 5' hose is streamlined and does not require any tucking. It provides more than an arms length to the OOG diver and meets all of the other requirements discussed. For someone smaller I see where having the slack would help stow it. But not having any slack removes the need to stow any and therefore, in my opinion, is more streamlined than stowed unnecessary slack.

 

[Kendall Raine]

I can agree with everything above, except, length.

I find that with my build a 5' hose is streamlined and does not require any tucking. It provides more than an arms length to the OOG diver and meets all of the other requirements discussed. For someone smaller I see where having the slack would help stow it. But not having any slack removes the need to stow any and therefore, in my opinion, is more streamlined than stowed unnecessary slack.

Fair enough. I'm pretty shrimpy. I tried a 5' and found it flopped around untucked and didn't give me the ability to fine tune length that tucking the slack provides. I find 5' is a bit too short for comfortable tandem swimming, but that's only necessary in extended cave restrictions. As for stowing, tucking in a belt does create a loop against the thigh, true, so in some cases I can see where the 5', if it otherwise works (your case), would be more streamlined. When using a corded light on the right hip; run behind the right shoulder, behind the wing and under the can, however, is pretty darn streamlined.

 

[KenE]

Fair enough. I'm pretty shrimpy. I tried a 5' and found it flopped around untucked and didn't give me the ability to fine tune length that tucking the slack provides. I find 5' is a bit too short for comfortable tandem swimming, but that's only necessary in extended cave restrictions. As for stowing, tucking in a belt does create a loop against the thigh, true, so in some cases I can see where the 5', if it otherwise works (your case), would be more streamlined. When using a corded light on the right hip; run behind the right shoulder, behind the wing and under the can, however, is pretty darn streamlined.

Yep, I dive recreationally, no caves, no can light, poodle jacket, but really like the long hose without tucking.