Sidemount - why only one long hose?
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I'll start off by saying everyone has their own preference.
So that being said, I dive with two 7' hoses whenever I'm diving sidemount. My other regulator set ups (single tank) have 7' hoses so i do it to maintain a certain level of consistency and I practice valve drills and buddy sharing to stay proficient...........I've gotten used to it.
Someone had mentioned that advanced divers like sidemount divers are trained and should be able to handle any situation,....... panic throws all that out the window and it's true a panic diver will indeed snatch a reg before waiting to be donated one.
So that being said, I dive with two 7' hoses whenever I'm diving sidemount. My other regulator set ups (single tank) have 7' hoses so i do it to maintain a certain level of consistency and I practice valve drills and buddy sharing to stay proficient...........I've gotten used to it.
Someone had mentioned that advanced divers like sidemount divers are trained and should be able to handle any situation,....... panic throws all that out the window and it's true a panic diver will indeed snatch a reg before waiting to be donated one.
good team awareness should also keep a diver „alert“ to issues arising; if I see someone underwater getting a bit erratic my right hand subconsciously starts to move to my longhose boltsnap ( either to unclip it or be ready to donate it)
Ofcourse I can’t account to a panicked diver jumping me from behind where I can’t see them
Yes I've dove that configuration (two 5' actually). I setup a reg set for it before deciding that the standard configuration works better. Mainly because it keeps all hoses from forming loops in front of the diver. It also keeps hoses and canister lighting/heating cords away from each other.
Add stages, DPV, etc and if gets worse. Simple open water dives almost anything can work acceptably.
Diver-Drex
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Diver-Drex
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The nineties do a great job of keeping the hoses running straight down to the cylinders. Without them the hoses bow out.
Works great for under the arm routing for a rec single cylinder primary donate setup. A ninety even helps keep a BM right post, routed around the head hose in tighter. Blasphemous, I know. I just find them very useful.
I dive two 7' hoses now, mostly because my old ATX regulators have the 1/2" (i think it is 1/2") big LP ports, and the 7' hoses were what I had. I like the 5' hose on the left setup, so it does not interfere with my stage bottle, but I could still donate for a single-file exit with the right hose.
I currently run the left behind my neck and have it on a releasable necklace, in case I donate that hose (I just pass the one I am currently breathing to the out of air diver, and then figure it out when everyone is air-happy). Whenever I do buy a new regulator, I think I am going to ditch the necklace and just dive two clips with no neck/body wrapping. I get the argument about not being able to share air quickly, but the helmet got in the way once (the light on the helmet got in the way) during a drill, so I am leaning away from the wrap argument. Also, you should check the hose routing when you S.T.A.R.T. anyway (yeah...you should not depend on that, and stage bottles can get placed on top during the dive, but still...helmet in the way all the time vs something you should check is not in the way).
Also, I hate the breakaway clips for my first stages... they keep breaking away. Anyone doing cave sidemount play with using magnets to secure the not-currently-used second stage? I tried, but could never get it working right.
I currently run the left behind my neck and have it on a releasable necklace, in case I donate that hose (I just pass the one I am currently breathing to the out of air diver, and then figure it out when everyone is air-happy). Whenever I do buy a new regulator, I think I am going to ditch the necklace and just dive two clips with no neck/body wrapping. I get the argument about not being able to share air quickly, but the helmet got in the way once (the light on the helmet got in the way) during a drill, so I am leaning away from the wrap argument. Also, you should check the hose routing when you S.T.A.R.T. anyway (yeah...you should not depend on that, and stage bottles can get placed on top during the dive, but still...helmet in the way all the time vs something you should check is not in the way).
Also, I hate the breakaway clips for my first stages... they keep breaking away. Anyone doing cave sidemount play with using magnets to secure the not-currently-used second stage? I tried, but could never get it working right.
newman_diver
Contributor
There are many ways to approach this question. A lot of it depends on where you are diving, what agency you are aligned with, who you are diving with, what type of diving you are doing.
Sidemount diving has been about simplicity and streamlining. Adding longer hoses and such where they aren’t necessary is contrary to the philosophy. At the end of the day there aren’t any “scuba police” so you are free to configure how you choose.
When going into training, your instructor may have a preference of how you should setup your gear. A question to be asked prior to. They may be more or less set in that requirement. From my standpoint, as long as you can explain why you are doing something and it makes sense as well as not contradict a safety standard, I allow it.
I personally dive with a short hose on my left cylinder and long hose (7’) on my right. I dive with many different people and configurations and that is the easiest setup for me with mixed teams. I have done the short hose on both sides when diving solo or Sidemount specific teams. I have also used the left hand regulator configuration as it cleans the routing and shortens the hose lengths when using that configuration.
At the end of the day, do what makes sense for your diving, do what is safe and keeps the failure/problem points to a minimum. Above all, make sure you are having fun doing it.
Sidemount diving has been about simplicity and streamlining. Adding longer hoses and such where they aren’t necessary is contrary to the philosophy. At the end of the day there aren’t any “scuba police” so you are free to configure how you choose.
When going into training, your instructor may have a preference of how you should setup your gear. A question to be asked prior to. They may be more or less set in that requirement. From my standpoint, as long as you can explain why you are doing something and it makes sense as well as not contradict a safety standard, I allow it.
I personally dive with a short hose on my left cylinder and long hose (7’) on my right. I dive with many different people and configurations and that is the easiest setup for me with mixed teams. I have done the short hose on both sides when diving solo or Sidemount specific teams. I have also used the left hand regulator configuration as it cleans the routing and shortens the hose lengths when using that configuration.
At the end of the day, do what makes sense for your diving, do what is safe and keeps the failure/problem points to a minimum. Above all, make sure you are having fun doing it.
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