Primary Donate Regulator Setups (with pics)

[tbone1004]

Since this keeps coming up, and we keep referencing the Dive Rite video, I figured I'd take the time and write up what I do/believe in as well as some options. There is more than enough information about doubles regulator setups, and they haven't changed in 20 years, so this is singles only. I do not believe in AirII type combo inflators, so we won't be going into that either.

Now, of importance before we get started.

• SPG
  • "Standard" for DIR type setups is 24" and routes to your left hip d-ring
    • This can also easily go to the left shoulder. If going to the left shoulder it can be shorter, but for ease of donning and doffing the rig, I recommend leaving the length alone
  • The "@Capt Jim Wyatt " method should be maybe 2" longer than your LPI hose that it runs with. Typically 18"-24" depending on your corrugated hose length and how much you want it to stick out. If diving a drysuit, you can make a bungee loop that will tie the spg around the inflator and that is held in by the drysuit inflator hose and is pretty slick
    
• LPI
  • This is custom depending on the length of your corrugated hose and usually comes with the wing/bcd that you have purchased. If not, you'll have to put the rig on and measure. Typically 16"-20" will work, but obviously depends on your first stage, tank height, and corrugated hose length
• Secondary/Octo
  • This will be a "short" hose and how short it is will depend on whether you use a swivel on that regulator *I don't believe it is necessary when diving singles*, and how comfortable you are with the length of that hose.
  • The "standard" is 22" which I think is a bit too long and personally use 18"
• Primary
  • 32"-36"
    • This is what GUE used to use, what we use at NC State, and is convenient if you are taking your first foray into primary donate from a "traditional" regulator setup as this is one of the standard length hoses on most regulators. This bows out quite a bit over your shoulder and is not what I prefer
  • 40"
    • I used to be a fan of this hose length, however as my dives got longer, the weight and drag caused by the hose and regulator itself aggravated my TMJ so I no longer use this setup. It does require some sort of elbow/swivel on the second stage for comfort and I am partial to ball swivels as it allows you to "set" the angle that you want and I have found them to be more durable than the elbows
  • 60"/5'
    • I do not believe that this hose length is a good decision for really any diving environment. It is not long enough to facilitate a single file exit, so it is not acceptable for overhead diving environments, and it does not allow you to tuck the hose into anything on your harness which allows it to move around quite a bit. I find this to be a bizarre compromise, however some people love them, and to each their own.
  • 84"/7'
    • This is my preferred hose length for all backmount, single hose regulator diving. I do not dive with a canister light on my waist belt, nor do I put a knife on that side of my body as I do not believe they do as well of a job in holding the hose or allowing you to adjust the length of the hose as tucking into the waist belt. This hose length allows you to adjust the length of usable hose by tucking and untucking the hose into your waist belt, holds the hose firmly to your body during normal diving, and allows the weight of the regulator and hose to be largely supported by your neck vs. your teeth/jaw. I find this to be the most streamlined and comfortable setup and is what I recommend.
    • As with anything, there are exceptions, and this setup is a bit unwieldy at the surface if you aren't careful as @Dogbowl has found out, however in normal circumstances that small hassle is worth the benefits in the water.
• First Stage
  • 5 port swivel turrets are my recommend first stage design for all types of diving. The bottom port facilitates the most flexible options in hose routing, and the swivel allows the hoses on the first stage to orient themselves in the least stressful position possible
  • Orientation
    • "Vertical"
      • This has the first stage pointed "up" with all low pressure hoses coming off of the side of the swivel. I am unsure why anyone still uses this setup, but it is probably the most common setup that I see and looks like this
        
      • "Left Post"
        • I refer to this orientation as "left post" because it is the easiest orientation to work with if you regularly swap the same regulator setup between singles and doubles. You essentially take the regulator off of your left post, and move the primary second stage over to the side of the turret. Below is a picture of a 5-port turret first stage, with a 22" secondary hose that is sitting in the back roller, and a Scubapro 109 with an omniswivel on a 40" hose. You can see the secondary coming out of the bottom port, the primary is on the side of the swivel "behind" the low pressure inflator hose *the grey hose that is barely visible* and the SPG is routed straight down. This puts very little bend on any of the hoses and is the most convenient setup if you are regularly going back and forth between singles and doubles. If you use a transmitter, depending on valve height, tank diameter, and transmitter size, you may have to angle the first stage a bit to allow clearance of the transmitter. This orientation protects the transmitter quite a bit so may be worth looking at if you dive with WAI.
          
        • Someone please help me come up with a nickname for this setup.... My engineer brain isn't that creative
          • This setup has the long hose coming off of the bottom port, the secondary and inflator on the turret, and the SPG hose on the left. The first stage is canted at roughly 45* and I typically orient it as close to "vertical" as I can without causing the long hose to bend. This orientation will vary depending on the tank diameter, valve height, particular first stage *the Apeks DST is pretty stubby compared to say a Scubapro MK25 so the Apeks can go more vertical than the Scubapro.
            

Hope this helps some of the newer divers who are sick of trying to understand me explaining this since a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[Mcfly88]

Is there an orientation that is considered "ideal" or "best practice"? I have a Atomic T3 regulator with Ai connected and the HP turret is facing up or away from the tank, the LP turret is facing the tank. Atomic ship the reg with the primary 2nd stage connected to the bottom socket of the turret which makes the reg hard to fold away due to hoses exiting from three axes.

 

[BoltSnap]

@tbone1004

For the "Left Post" Configuration, can you show where the Drysuit connects please?

 

[tbone1004]

@tbone1004

For the "Left Post" Configuration, can you show where the Drysuit connects please?

that is the downside of that configuration. Can't use it with a drysuit without an inflation reg. That said, that configuration would likely be used by someone who normally dives doubles and has to go to a single setup and doesn't want to change much. I.e. cave, wreck, etc. divers who are going to shallow/warm diving conditiong and don't want to make a major change to their reg setup.
If you're diving in a drysuit, you'd want to use the 45* canted over style and have both inflators coming out of the left side

 

[admikar]

that is the downside of that configuration. Can't use it with a drysuit without an inflation reg. That said, that configuration would likely be used by someone who normally dives doubles and has to go to a single setup and doesn't want to change much. I.e. cave, wreck, etc. divers who are going to shallow/warm diving conditiong and don't want to make a major change to their reg setup.
If you're diving in a drysuit, you'd want to use the 45* canted over style and have both inflators coming out of the left side

That is how I dive my DST in single tank config. LPI in front, drysuit hose in the back.

 

[SJT1961]

If SPG routed over left shoulder is it clipped to L chest ring? What is best attachment to allow easy visual and streamlined?

 

[tbone1004]

If SPG routed over left shoulder is it clipped to L chest ring? What is best attachment to allow easy visual and streamlined?

it is held to the corrugated hose with bungee and isn't clipped to anything

 

[TooManyHobbies]

I see that Trigger Point Grid roller!

 

[tbone1004]

I see that Trigger Point Grid roller!

one of I think 3 in the house for my wife. I was looking around trying to figure out what to use as a stand and it was too convenient