Removing my 6' long hose for open rec diving- ideal length for open water?

[zimm17]

I want to remove my 6' long hose on the primary and go with something much shorter for the open water rec diving I'm going to be doing in the keys and Miami area. My backup is on a 30". What's the perfect length for the primary? I still plan to donate it to an out of air diver, but I don't need to go single file, I'm just fine holding onto the person and ascending to the surface. I was thinking 36"? I don't want it hanging out in the breeze, but a long hose isn't worth the hassle to me until I get into overhead diving.

 

[Caveeagle]

Take a look at this set up from Dive Rite.

DGX Custom - Dive Rite XT Streamlined OW Reg Package

They use a 40" hose for the primary with a 120* swivel, so the hose can route under your armpit and keep the hose from looping way out and casing a snagging hazard.

 

[zimm17]

Interesting, but I just need a new hose, not a whole new rig. I think I'll try a 36" since the port on the primary hose is angle a bit further back than the backup hose on the apeks ds4.

 

[Caveeagle]

Interesting, but I just need a new hose, not a whole new rig. I think I'll try a 36" since the port on the primary hose is angle a bit further back than the backup hose on the apeks ds4.

I wasn't recommending you buy a new set. Just showing you a proven set up using a 40" hose an the swivel. I'm sure you can make a 36" hose work. Your body size and proportions will make a difference too.

 

[rongoodman]

Do you need to tuck your 6' hose? If not, what's the problem with it? I've been happy with a 5' hose--it comes under my arm, across my chest, and around the back of my neck. (30" seems very long for a bungeed secondary.)

 

[JohnnyC]

Put a 22" hose with a bungee on the backup. Put a 40" hose with a 70/90/110/swivel on the primary. Route the primary under your arm.

Curious why you have a 6 foot hose, long hoses are either 5 foot, or 7 foot standard for overhead, and why you have a 30" hose on your secondary.

 

[zimm17]

I went and measured everything. I have a 26" on the backup. It sits just right. The 6 footer is because I dive a single tank and with a 5 footer, it was always tugging on my mouth when looking left. I just needed a little more room. I used to always dive with a canister light too. Without the canister, I remember needing to tuck the hose into my waist strap. Maybe I need to find the 5 footer in my gear box to use without the canister.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I use a seven foot hose for rec diving. The few times I have deployed it made it so much easier to swim side by side than to hold the other diver. It's not just for single file.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I went and measured everything. I have a 26" on the backup. It sits just right. The 6 footer is because I dive a single tank and with a 5 footer, it was always tugging on my mouth when looking left. I just needed a little more room. I used to always dive with a canister light too. Without the canister, I remember needing to tuck the hose into my waist strap. Maybe I need to find the 5 footer in my gear box to use without the canister.

The 5 ft hose and the swivel will solve the tugging problem. I didn't like the 5 footer I tried, either, for the same reason, but I chose the opposite approach and went with a 7 footer. It solved the tugging problem. I find it works well in almost all dive situations--Florida dive boats included. The one experience where I decided the 7 ft hose WAS indeed a "hassle" as you say was diving from a crowded Zodiac.

 

[zimm17]

Here's a couple of pics I pulled from my archives. How do the hose lengths look?