Regulator configuration question

[Colliam7]

Is using a 5' hose (vs. the 7' hose that lots of folks seem to be using) a viable solution? !

As a general answer, yes. Quite a few divers use a 5' hose as their 'long' hose / primary hose, instead of a 7' hose. Now, a caveat - I am not a spearfisher so I cannot say from personal experience that a long hose is fully functional when 'fighting a fish', although i don't see a particular problem.

 

[Kronek]

As a general answer, yes. Quite a few divers use a 5' hose as their 'long' hose / primary hose, instead of a 7' hose. Now, a caveat - I am not a spearfisher so I cannot say from personal experience that a long hose is fully functional when 'fighting a fish', although i don't see a particular problem.

I dive a 5ft long hose and at 6'3 there is almost no exposed hose when I route it under my arm and around my neck.

 

[Dan P]

As a general answer, yes. Quite a few divers use a 5' hose as their 'long' hose / primary hose, instead of a 7' hose. Now, a caveat - I am not a spearfisher so I cannot say from personal experience that a long hose is fully functional when 'fighting a fish', although i don't see a particular problem.

Thank you -- I'm going to give the 5' hose a try.

 

[ams511]

Most of my diving is on the oil rigs off the Louisiana coast. We don't use canister lights (mostly we spearfish and take pictures). I've been thinking about going with the bungeed octo and the long primary hose, but I am concerned about the primary hose getting entangled (especially when fighting a fish). Is using a 5' hose (vs. the 7' hose that lots of folks seem to be using) a viable solution? On a side note, I've been diving since 1976, first started wreck diving off the NJ coast, no BC, no octo, thick rubber wetsuits, etc. -- diving sure has come a long way since then!). I've never found a satisfactory solution for the octo, and the bungee/necklace, with the long primary hose, just seems to make so much sense. Thanks in advance for your input!

Dive Rite has a few YouTube videos discussing equipment configurations. For the recreational diving they recommend using a 90 degree adapter (yes, it adds a failure point) on the primary second stage and run an octo length hose under the arm to to first stage. If you ever seen a Sherwood Maximus, it uses the same hose routing. The secondary second stage is bungied around the neck like in Hog/DIR configuration.

The purpose of the long hose is for divers to share air single-file rather than side-by-side. This is important for wreck and cave divers that pass through restrictions that only allow one diver to pass through at a time. If you are not diving in these type of restrictions then a long hose is not necessary.

 

[nimoh]

The purpose of the long hose is for divers to share air single-file rather than side-by-side. This is important for wreck and cave divers that pass through restrictions that only allow one diver to pass through at a time. If you are not diving in these type of restrictions then a long hose is not necessary.

That is actually the purpose of the 7 foot hose. However, a 5 foot hose is still much more comfortable on a side by side swim than a 40 inch hose.

I haven't used a short hose configuration in years, but I do remember trying to swim with my buddy in OW class and constantly kicking each other.

 

[rhwestfall]

The purpose of the long hose is for divers to share air single-file rather than side-by-side. This is important for wreck and cave divers that pass through restrictions that only allow one diver to pass through at a time. If you are not diving in these type of restrictions then a long hose is not necessary.

That is a benefit, but not diving in restrictions is not in and of itself the reason to exclude it from your implementation. I find, due to my size, I cannot properly stow a 5' hose, and actually a 7' will barely rout properly. In contrast, a 5' achieves the goals of "non-overhead" for my wife quite well. Stowing/deployment/use is important in determining the equipment to be implemented...

to say it is only for caves or wreck penetrations is not accurate. Your statement sounds like my LDS teaching open water....