Sp Air2 W/ Dive Alert Hose Too Long

[CuzzA]

So, I have a SP AIR2 and while the 26" high flow hose that came with it was a little too long for my 16" corrugated hose, it was still manageable. Now I've added a Diver Alert 3 and this hose is just ridiculously too long.

I've searched for solutions and I'm coming up with nothing. I found one thread that said to use a standard regulator hose with the AIR2 fitting, but I've also read the SP AIR2 hose is a special hose that allows a higher flow rate for breathing and inflating at the same time. Is this marketing or the truth?

If the latter, can anyone direct me to a place to buy a shorter "High Flow" LP hose or a company that can shorten my current hose and attach the correct male fitting that goes to my first stage?

I realize I could make the corrugated hose and pull dump cable longer, but the whole system doesn't need to be that long. The damn thing would practically hang to my hip and I have plenty of head movement with the current 16" corrugated hose length.

Surely I'm not the first person to have this issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[guruboy]

I have no experience with this setup but I feel that the situations where you need to inflate and breathe at the same time would be minimal.

I would expect a normal hose would be fine.

 

[redacted]

High flow hose is a marketing ploy. But the simple solution is to dump the diver alert.

 

[CuzzA]

High flow hose is a marketing ploy. But the simple solution is to dump the diver alert.

Well, having just experienced a 20 minute (15 of which included keeping Bull sharks from biting me) drift 35 miles offshore where the boat could not hear my whistle, see my 4' DSMB and took an extra 5 minutes to spot my 8' jumbo SMB from a 1/4 mile away I'm going to stick with it.

It appears the hoses have a minimal difference in ratings. Standard low pressure hose is 27 BAR or 400 PSI, while the SP Air2 hose is 29 BAR or 420 PSI. Honestly I have no idea how that would effect breathing and inflating at the same time or if there is any difference in the inside diameter of the two hoses, but I think you and @guruboy are right. It's not like you would be continuously inflating for an extended period of time.

I think I'm going to try a couple things or a combination and see what I like. Longer corrugated hose may give better free motion. The 16" works, but the Dive Alert does add a little rigidity to it. I'll also try using an appropriately sized standard LP hose with the AIR2 QD fitting.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

What about adding a drysuit hose to your reg? Run it down the HP hose or over your shoulder and put the dive alert on it. Keep it bungeed down until needed. An extra hose is not going to offer any more drag to your rig despite the BS that is used to get rid of your octo hose in favor of an AIR2. Heck you could even come out of your octo port and run it over the right shoulder. That way you could use the DA at the same time you vent a little to get your head under the water when you set that sucker off.

 

[CuzzA]

What about adding a drysuit hose to your reg? Run it down the HP hose or over your shoulder and put the dive alert on it. Keep it bungeed down until needed. An extra hose is not going to offer any more drag to your rig despite the BS that is used to get rid of your octo hose in favor of an AIR2. Heck you could even come out of your octo port and run it over the right shoulder. That way you could use the DA at the same time you vent a little to get your head under the water when you set that sucker off.

I thought about a dedicated hose. It does introduce another hose which would include another failure point, but this is my recreational rig. When I get into tech diving I'll have a seperate setup which obviously won't include the AIR2.

I like your idea of a dedicated hose running over my shoulder clipped or bungeeed to my left shoulder D ring under the AIR2. It would definitely eliminate the cluster that is a DiveAlert on a AIR2. I'll have to try that as well.

And Jim, great tip about putting your head underwater. I tested it out the other day and holy hell is that thing dangerously loud. My ears were ringing for several minutes.

I think, and from the reviews I've read, they are an extremely valuable tool when diving in the open ocean.

 

[redacted]

Well, having just experienced a 20 minute (15 of which included keeping Bull sharks from biting me) drift 35 miles offshore where the boat could not hear my whistle, see my 4' DSMB and took an extra 5 minutes to spot my 8' jumbo SMB from a 1/4 mile away I'm going to stick with it.

Perhaps you should look at navigation skills and dive op selection.

 

[tursiops]

There is some misinformation and confusion that has been posted.

The SP Air2 fitting is a larger diameter than the standard LP quick-disconnect fitting, which allows for a larger flow rate into the AIR2.
You do NOT want to cobble up some kind of adapter from a standard BC hose to make it fit a AIR2, you would be limiting the flow rate (not the air pressure) for your breathing, if you need to use the AIR2. Think of it as a little thin soda straw vs a big fat soda straw....you get more flow through the big fat one for the same suction on it.

The solution is to use a standard LP second-stage regulator hose (not a BC hose) of the desired length, plus a 9/16-inch fitting that goes on the end of the hose to fit the SP AIR2. For example, you can buy a LP Hose/ BC Inflator-Octo Adaptor (ScubaPro Air 2) adapter, plus a regulator hose of the desired length, rubber or braided, for example UltraFlex Low Pressure Hose 20" Inches "Black".

If you want to use a standard BC inflator (not the AIR2), then you just use a different adapter, such as LP Hose/ BC Quick Disconnect Adaptor.

Added: here is a cheaper reg-hose to AIR2 adapter: Scubapro Air 2 / Zeagle Adapter

 

[snowdog61]

Use a regular LP regulator hose and get the Air2 adapter. Way cheaper then the 'special' hose they will try and sell you. This also opens up your options to using miflex and other more durable types. same goes for your QD consoles if your are going that route

 

[KenGordon]

A bloke died a couple of years ago following the failure of a bodged up hose connection to the AP equivalent of an Air2. Water had got into the end of the hose and it had rotted. Eventually it failed and he ended up switching off too much stuff.