I'm curious about how hose routing is currently done....What I am most interested in doing is having the hoses set up, to where the long hose is the primary and on the right side tank. Or a hose routing setup that is at least close to the typical long hose setup.
When I transitioned to sidemount, I wanted my hose configuration to ensure a continuation of familiarity and muscle-memory that I had developed from years of diving backmount doubles/hogarthian config.
Here's how I do it (and how I see every sidemount instructor with a tech pedigree doing it
around here):
Left Cylinder:
SPG on a 6" HP Hose - A majority route the SPG down along the cylinder. They cite 'entanglement hazard' as a reason for avoiding 'lollipop' (upwards) SPG - so that primarily stems from overhead environment diving concerns. I don't see much to favor lollipop SPGs, other than it's initially easier. Some might call that an equipment solution to a skills problem.
Long Hose - Routed downwards from the regulator and neatly stowed under several rings of bungee/rubber loops. When donning, the diver pulls just sufficient hose out of the loops to hog-wrap the long hose. The hose routes up from the left cylinder - so it travels from an almost identical direction as with back-mount. Air-sharing is identical to back-mount. Donate the regulator, then instead of disengaging from underneath a can-light on the hip, you simply pull the remaining length of hose from the loops for a fully extended deployment.
I don't dive drysuit, but if I did, the inflator would route from the regulator 5th/end-port (SP MKs5s) inwards across the chest to connect. I'd rotate the drysuit inflator to meet the LPI from that direction.
Right Cylinder:
SPG on a 6" HP Hose - as above.
Short Hose - Routed from the cylinder upwards (through the crease of the armpit), around neck and stowed in a bungee necklace. Again, the 'feel' and function is identical to back-mount. Hose length depends on personal need, but it is longer than 22" for backmount. I use regulators with a swivel turrent (SP MK25s), which allows me to use a 36" short hose. It sounds long, but it works well. When I don the rig, I deploy the short hose, wrap it up and around the neck, into the bungee necklace. There is some 'slack' left in the hose. I rotate the swivel turret downwards on the inside, this takes the slack up... the hose kinda goes under my armpit, then up through the crease of my arm and around my neck. It molds there nicely. That gives me flexibility when partially detaching/forward pushing the cylinders. It also gives me a 36" hose as an alternative ad-hoc donation method (bungee necklace is detachable, not fixed).
I've seen some divers fit a long hose to the right cylinder also. This effectively answers any issue about 'donate from mouth' and mixed-team protocols. They just pull out sufficient hose to hog wrap as per normal for short hose, leaving the remainder of the length ready for deployment if air-sharing occurs.
I've also seen some instructors/diver putting the long hose on the left side, with short hose from the right. I see no real logic to that. It's just disruptive of your existing familiarity and instincts (
i.e. long hose freeflows, shut down the right-side valve...).
LPI Hose - This depends on (1) if the regulator does/doesn't have a 5th/End port and (2) whether your sidemount BCD is top or bottom mounted. I prefer a bottom mount LPI for greater protection and my regs (SP MK25) have the 5th/end-port. I route a short 8" LPI from the end-poit directly across my chest, where the inflator is clipped off on my right chest D-ring via bolt-snap/bungee extension.
Also...any information about rigging hoses for a single tank setup vs. a double tank set up would be appreciated.
Everything as per 'Right Cylinder' except the long hose is also fitted on this side. It routes down from the regulator and is stowed in bungee/rubber loops. I see some divers leave it undeployed - ready to pull free for air-sharing and use only their short hose. I see other divers partially deploy it for hog wrapping - breathing from it as primary and having the short hose in position.
Leaving the long hose stowed and deploying it from the cylinder only if needed for air-sharing is easiest. Deploying/wearing it is most consistent with double-tank and backmount protocols.
