Securing long hose primary donate second stage.

[NYCrecdiver]

Hi,

I am in need of a new regulator and settled on a Dive Rite XT1/XT4 kit with long hose primary donate configuration (first time for me).

The kit comes with a bolt snap to secure the long hose primary second stage to a D ring of the BCD when not in use.

I am however not too excited about attaching a boltsnap on my primary second stage that's going to be in my mouth most of the time.

What other ways are you using or have you seen used to attach to the BCD? I was thinking to use some bungee cord to create a loop that fits the mouthpiece of the primary snugly and have that permanently attached to a shoulder D ring.

Any thoughts? Thanks a lot!

 

[azstinger11]

At first I was concerned about the weight/having the bolt snap near the reg flapping around but it’s pretty much a non issue. I can’t say I’ve noticed it, and it’s by far away the easiest/most secure way to store the primary.

In theory any of octopus keeper things would work, just not as secure/reliable.

What length hose does the kit come with? If it’s a 7ft hose have you thought about how you are stashing the extra? Can light battery, dummy stick, waist band tuck?

It might be silly but I always do an S-Drill on my descent when diving long hose (single or doubles). Just to be sure none of the house routing got fouled during donning.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

You might notice that all of the top divers in the world who are using long hoses employ a bolt snap on the hose. The reason it is there is to secure it when not being breathed such as when a diver is on a stage or deco bottle or is an out-of-gas diver in training or for real. The snap is nice for 3 reasons:

1) Less likely to corrode when using high-quality stainless steel.
2) Muscle memory since bolt snaps are the most common method for securing equipment such as backup lights and submersible pressure gauges.
3) Availablity. If you lose one, chances are any tech diver has 1 or 100 of them in a save-a-dive kit or toolbox.

You do not use the snap while breathing from the regulator, but you should be able to get the regulator into your mouth when it is clipped off in an emergency.

You can view the use of the snap on the long hose here: Trace Malinowski Basic 5

 

[ScubaSquatch]

You wont notice it but you will come to appreciate it. I have small bolt snaps on all my regs. Even my rec setups.

 

[azstinger11]

You might notice that all of the top divers in the world who are using long hoses employ a bolt snap on the hose. The reason it is there is to secure it when not being breathed such as when a diver is on a stage or deco bottle or is an out-of-gas diver in training or for real. The snap is nice for 3 reasons:

1) Less likely to corrode when using high-quality stainless steel.
2) Muscle memory since bolt snaps are the most common method for securing equipment such as backup lights and submersible pressure gauges.
3) Availablity. If you lose one, chances are any tech diver has 1 or 100 of them in a save-a-dive kit or toolbox.

You do not use the snap while breathing from the regulator, but you should be able to get the regulator into your mouth when it is clipped off in an emergency.

You can view the use of the snap on the long hose here: Trace Malinowski Basic 5

OP this is an excellent post! Just to add on to this, another advantage of bolt snaps is that you distinguish gear by the way bolt snaps are snapped onto the d-ring.

I attach my regulator with the gate facing out and my backup light facing (and anything else clipped off there) with the gate facing in. So just by touch I can determine which bolt snap is holding my regulator and undo it. It’s a small thing in the grand scheme of things but it is handy.

 

[NYCrecdiver]

At first I was concerned about the weight/having the bolt snap near the reg flapping around but it’s pretty much a non issue. I can’t say I’ve noticed it, and it’s by far away the easiest/most secure way to store the primary.

In theory any of octopus keeper things would work, just not as secure/reliable.

What length hose does the kit come with? If it’s a 7ft hose have you thought about how you are stashing the extra? Can light battery, dummy stick, waist band tuck?

It might be silly but I always do an S-Drill on my descent when diving long hose (single or doubles). Just to be sure none of the house routing got fouled during donning.

Thanks for your reply @azstinger11 ! I will take a look at the octo holders. Alternatively I might attach the snapbolt on my BCD Dring and put a small bungee loop on my secondary. It's a bit more fidgeting to secure the secondary but I figure it's an activity that typically takes place at a controlled moment, not during an emergency.

I went with a 5ft hose so I don't have to worry about how to keep a longer hose down. I don't dive with a torch canister and in general don't like things attached to my waste band.

Good tip on the S-drill! Makes sense to do that rather than realizing there's a problem at the time of an incident happening.

 

[NYCrecdiver]

OP this is an excellent post! Just to add on to this, another advantage of bolt snaps is that you distinguish gear by the way bolt snaps are snapped onto the d-ring.

I attach my regulator with the gate facing out and my backup light facing (and anything else clipped off there) with the gate facing in. So just by touch I can determine which bolt snap is holding my regulator and undo it. It’s a small thing in the grand scheme of things but it is handy.

Excellent tip on the bolt snap orientation! I didn't think of this at all.

 

[NYCrecdiver]

You might notice that all of the top divers in the world who are using long hoses employ a bolt snap on the hose. The reason it is there is to secure it when not being breathed such as when a diver is on a stage or deco bottle or is an out-of-gas diver in training or for real. The snap is nice for 3 reasons:

1) Less likely to corrode when using high-quality stainless steel.
2) Muscle memory since bolt snaps are the most common method for securing equipment such as backup lights and submersible pressure gauges.
3) Availablity. If you lose one, chances are any tech diver has 1 or 100 of them in a save-a-dive kit or toolbox.

You do not use the snap while breathing from the regulator, but you should be able to get the regulator into your mouth when it is clipped off in an emergency.

You can view the use of the snap on the long hose here: Trace Malinowski Basic 5

Great video. Definitely something to practice when diving with the long hose setup. I am also very jealous of his buyoncy. Lots more work/diving to do for me. Ha!

 

[tursiops]

I am however not too excited about attaching a boltsnap on my primary second stage that's going to be in my mouth most of the time.

This is NOT a problem. Perhaps you are over-thinking this.

 

[Nemrod]

Anything you do other than a small boltsnap will be a complication.

James