Primary hose length suggestions

[Gombessa]

But doesn't that feel weird? I mean, 7ft hoses do take more space than 5ft ones (even though you wrap them around your gear)...

I'm aware that for air sharing it might be easier, but I guess I'll just stick with the 5ft for now - even though it doesn't seem to be the popular lenght of choice.

5ft is actually quite popular, and totally sufficient for open water (since you'll probably never never need to do a single-file air-share exit). For many people (myself included), a 7ft hose has a lot of excess slack if you don't have a can light to route it under. Before getting a light, I had to tuck a good length of extra extra hose under my waist strap.

 

[dschonbrun]

4, 5 and 7 provide enough distance between you and the buddy when you have to donate your octo in OOA situations. If you want to have a single hose for all diving, go with the 7 foot. If you want something simpler for "fun" dives... get a 4, and also have a 7 for the times when you do caves, penetration, etc.

 

[ligersandtions]

But doesn't that feel weird? I mean, 7ft hoses do take more space than 5ft ones (even though you wrap them around your gear)...

I'm aware that for air sharing it might be easier, but I guess I'll just stick with the 5ft for now - even though it doesn't seem to be the popular lenght of choice.

I just bought a can light, so I have not routed the excess hose under it yet....up to this point, I've been routing it under my knife holder. I notice the extra hose when I'm on land and walking to the site entry, but underwater and horizontal (dive gear is not meant to be comfortable in a vertical position with gravity working 100% against you), I never notice the extra hose or it feeling weird at all. A 5ft hose is perfectly acceptable for recreational diving, so if you feel more comfortable with that, go for it by all means!

 

[ppo2_diver]

7 ft. I've had no problems tucking, and keeping, the hose when not using a can light. Plus, I've got 4 or 5 of them laying around.

 

[texdiveguy]

I use a 7ft. hose and route it under either a can light//R slung cylinder or reel.....on occasion will belt tuck it....deploys equally well from any of these positions. I see no purpose in a 5ft. hose even on single cylinder kits.

 

[Tortuga68]

I use 5' for single tank and 7' for doubles, with a 22/24" bungied secondary

 

[Tinytechie]

I dont wrap my hoses around me... a bungy on the side of the tank works wonderfully.. nice and streamlined and no worries about getting tangled...

 

[John_B]

I dont wrap my hoses around me... a bungy on the side of the tank works wonderfully.. nice and streamlined and no worries about getting tangled...

What works for you is what works for you, I guess.

I was taught to test deploy the long hose at the start of every dive (the modified s-drill) to make sure it isn't caught under my harness (suiting up) or routed under my bungeed backup, etc. Its almost impossible to re-stow a bungeed hose without help, so wrapping the long hose across my chest and behind my neck seems far easier and more reliable to me, and I can deploy it fast.

 

[shellbackdiver1]

I dont wrap my hoses around me... a bungy on the side of the tank works wonderfully.. nice and streamlined and no worries about getting tangled...

What a wonderful idea. I'm going to present that idea to my team next week.

 

[Tortuga68]

May I suggest you consider the post above yours first