Selecting proper hose length

[No2rdame]

So... I'm THIS close to going ahead and start buying my gear. One option that I've noticed is that I can select different lengths of corrugated hose for my wing. How do I choose the best length for my needs? Any advice on this, or is it pretty much just a preference?

Likewise, what about choosing hose lengths for my regs? I know there's a separate subforum for reg questions but figured I'd just kill two birds with one stone.

The reason I can't talk to my LDS is simply because I won't be buying from them. I really want to support them, but they sell almost exclusively Scubapro gear and while I like the selections, an honest assessment of my needs just made me realize that I really don't need to spend the extra money for the name and features that look fancy but probably won't see much practical use. Maybe I'll shop for my computer there.

 

[kmarks]

Are you ordering from VDH? I ask because I just ordered my BPW from Bryan and hose length was one of the options. I just went with standard 13" because it was listed as the standard size. I would imagine a longer hose is necessary if you are oddly proportioned, wear your BP lower, or just have a personal preference for it. I emailed Bryan a few times about my order and he was very quick to reply and very helpful, so if that's who you're ordering from, don't hesitate to ask the expert. He gets a good reputation here for a reason.

Hose length for regulators also kind of follows a "standard" size range. If you are just doing regular recreational diving with a primary and an octo, you probably want one size of hoses (I think it's 30" primary and 40" octo, generally), but if you are going to do a more tech setup, you'll want to get a different setup, like a 7' hose for a donated primary and a shorter hose (based on your body) for your secondary on a necklace. Your inflator house will probably be 15" if you get a 13" corrugated hose, but that depends on how you position your tank.

I'm in the same boat with my LDS. They are small and limited in what they carry and it's only the expensive stuff. They don't even carry a single BPW setup, but they sure like the Hydros Pro.

 

[Bowers]

the corigated hose is not too big a deal, standard size will be fine.

the reg hose the length makes a bigger difference than many divers realize. too short and you can not look to your left, too long and you will be less streamlined plus have increased jaw fatigue do to the radius of the hose bend trying to push the regulator out of your mouth.
Use a small rope of some sort to hold on your back where your first stage will be then route it around like a reg hose and hold it to the right side of lips. adjust the length until you can look in all directions without restriction but no more. measure it and thats your primary regulator hose length (26" works for me as a 6'1" athletic build).

standard octo hose length of 40" is fine since you will have that routed under the arm and typically wont be using it/using it for long.

having a proper guage hose length also helps reduce dangling and improve streamline.

as kmarks said, there are other options as well. the 7' long hose is a good option for streamlining that is required in cave and other tech disciplines.
my wife uses a 38" primary routed under the arm with a 360 ball swivel on the second stage for comfort and streamlining. her octo is built into the inflator.

happy diving!

 

[D_Fresh]

Personally, I am a fan of the 40" primary with 90° elbow, routed under my right arm. I find it eliminates the Push/Pull when turning my head side to side.

Good luck with your purchase!

 

[rsingler]

And just to confuse the issue, I found that my VDH wing standard corrugated hose was too short for me to comfortably orally inflate. I was having to really turn my head to fit the mouthpiece in. The reason it's different from the same hose on a BCD is that the elbow on the wing is back behind your shoulder, effectively removing 3" of length. I'd recommend the 15" corrugated for your wing.

As for the other hoses...what they said.

In PADI mode, shorter primary hose, longer octo.
In SSI mode, a 40-48" hose (maybe even on a 90 degree connector) makes donating your primary a breeze. Your octo can be on a short hose for yourself. Potayto, Potahto.

 

[stuartv]

I have gone through no swivels, 70/110 swivels, and now I am using the Cave Adventurers 360 swivel (like an Omni-swivel, except the CA ones are only $25).

Cave Adventurers - Swivel - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!

After trying the first one, they have accreted. I now have one on every one of my 2nd stage regs (except deco regs).

With a swivel, you can take roughly 2 - 4" off your reg hose. For example, I am now using an 18" hose for the reg on my bungee necklace of my single tank rig.

I like having the reg hose some from the side of the reg straight back past my neck to go around, then going straight out to my right and then making a 180 degree turn to go behind my head. I also do not like having excess hose sticking out anywhere.

For the corrugated hose, shorter is better, as long as it's not too short. Duh, huh? As long as you can reach it and do an oral inflate, any longer is (slightly) detrimental. You don't want it so long that it can hang down below your body and drag in the mud or catch on stuff. Also, when venting your BCD, a longer hose just means you have reach that much further above your head when dumping gas (depending on circumstances, of course).

 

[kmarks]

After trying the first one, they have accreted.

I'll pay you $5 for that word so I can use it to impress my SAT writer of a wife.

In all seriousness, what are your thoughts on the 360 swivels as a failure point? I noticed in their pictures there are some o-rings and what looks like a ball bearing. I did a training recently with my new LDS and they rent Atomic B2s, which have a swivel on them. It's not 360, but I thought they were the most comfortable regulators I've ever used (only ever used el cheap-o rentals), but one of the instructors says he doesn't trust the swivel because it's just another failure point.

 

[rsingler]

I'll be honest. As a service tech on the side, Omni-Swivels scare me to death.
A great piece of engineering, but held together with ONE hex screw that is then locked in place with another screw that has a drop of Loctite on it.
And not a captive land for the oring; just a shallow dishing on each flat side of the split ball. Just hope your tech doesn't grab a soft oring because he's out of the harder duro specified to prevent extrusion, when he services the thing.
Between a technician skimping on, or forgetting the Loctite, and the critical adjustment tolerance so the swivel actually swivels, but the o-ring doesn't extrude, and there's no way I'm taking that thing deep. Not to mention the Chinese knockoffs.

I like the Atomic swivel (sortof). It's well engineered and the parts are captive. But it doesn't really provide more than 30 degrees of angulation in any direction. I use it when I'm teaching with short hoses, but I don't dive it.
For me, I'll accept the extra failure point of another connector, but I use a fixed 110 degree angled connector on a longer hose routed under my arm. No swivel beyond what the hose does on the connector. That's good enough for me.

My 2 cents.

 

[Bowers]

I'll pay you $5 for that word so I can use it to impress my SAT writer of a wife.

In all seriousness, what are your thoughts on the 360 swivels as a failure point? I noticed in their pictures there are some o-rings and what looks like a ball bearing. I did a training recently with my new LDS and they rent Atomic B2s, which have a swivel on them. It's not 360, but I thought they were the most comfortable regulators I've ever used (only ever used el cheap-o rentals), but one of the instructors says he doesn't trust the swivel because it's just another failure point.

i had this conversation with my Instructor a few months back. He mentioned the mechanics of the older style and how it tended to have greater fail rates but then had nothing but good things to say about the newer 360 ball swivels that he put on all his regs now. (he's an old tech diver and service tech so he usually has pretty good insight).

 

[stuartv]

I'll pay you $5 for that word so I can use it to impress my SAT writer of a wife.

In all seriousness, what are your thoughts on the 360 swivels as a failure point? I noticed in their pictures there are some o-rings and what looks like a ball bearing. I did a training recently with my new LDS and they rent Atomic B2s, which have a swivel on them. It's not 360, but I thought they were the most comfortable regulators I've ever used (only ever used el cheap-o rentals), but one of the instructors says he doesn't trust the swivel because it's just another failure point.

LOL. No charge. Impress away...

The 360 could fail. It COULD come completely apart and let my reg fall to the bottom of the ocean.

I think it's a pretty low likelihood. I will endeavor to maintain it properly.

If it does happen, I will attempt to handle it the way I've been trained to handle reg failures.