Stupid Newbie Question Part IV-Hoses

[Sas]

1. SPG
2. Primary Regulator Hose
3. Octu
4. BC
5. Drysuit

I have

1. 24" as I measured it to be a nice length that could be clipped off to my hip without danging or bowing out. It can also be clipped to my shoulder d-ring without getting in the way.

2. For single set up I have 5' as I am always in OW. I love this hose length. For doubles setup I have 7' as it is sometimes used in overhead environment. I am not a fan of the 7' hose (I have no can light so have to tuck it into my harness which is not ideal) but I am getting used to it.

3. 24". Just a comfortable length on either single tank or doubles. On a single tank I could probably get away with 22" though. It is *almost* too short on the doubles but it's been ok.

4. No idea. But it is a tad too long I think when you buy this take your BC into the shop and measure it.

5. No idea but it came with my drysuit and seems like an adequate size.

I am still working on 4 and 5 as I have had some o-rings go in hoses in the last month, and am using different hoses as I have not had time to go to the shop to replace so I have weird lengths on my hoses right now. Also going to swap my doubles BC power inflator with my buddy as I find it too long, and my buddy finds his single one to be too short and we have the same brand. Constant refinement in my case

 

[TSandM]

5'4"; 7' hose on primary, and 22" on backup, and I agree with ligers . . . it's a bit long. I'm pretty sure my SPG hose is 24" and could be shorter.

The ONLY downside to switching to a 7' hose is that you have to manage it, which includes checking before each dive that it is clear of obstructions (and not buckled into your waistband) and can be deployed.

 

[BettyRubble]

Big thank you to everyone, particularly Liger, Sas and TS&M ... putting my order in for new miflex hoses and your advice helped me!

 

[a22shady]

My Girlfrind is 5'5

primary hose is 7
Octo (bungeed) back-up is 22".
SPG was on a 24" HP hose But I believe she switched to the 26inch as she didn't like how low she had to look to see the pressure guage.

All LP Hoses are Miflex

 

[plumcrazy]

I recently bought new hoses for my rig. I am using a single tank so this only applies to my setup but I feel that the 22" inch on the backup secondary is just atad too short. It does work but just as others have said when turning my head to the left I feel a tug long before my neck reaches its full range of motion. I will be replacing it with a 24" hose. For my primary I chose a 5' hose mainly because I do not have a can light and do not particularly want to wrap the hose around me. I run the 5' hose down under my right armpit and tuck the loop into my waist band and then back up to my mouth. This may sound strange I don't know but but it deploys VERY easily and the lenght is great to give me a little seperation between me and the OOA diver. I practiced this several times and am glad that I didn't get a longer hose. Another piece that I bought and absolutly LOVE is a second stage swivel. There are several varieties on the market. The less expensive ones I was not impressed with. Mine is a Scubapro and was horribly expensive ($80.00) but worth every penny IMHO. I beleive OMS also make one similarly desinged that is less expensive. This gizmo will allow your regulator to pivot on almost any angle and is really handy for both routing the hoses and sharing air with no "stress" placed on the hoses.

 

[ChimChim75]

It really depends on your rig. Some BC inflator hoses are longer/shorter and depends on your first stage attachment points and how low you wear your tank, etc. You can ballpark it with a measuring tape. I use MiFlex on my regulators and normal hoses on everything else. I dropped a couple inches off my lengths on the regulators with the MiFlex. They are super flexible and light. The HP hoses are still kind of new and I'm not sure you'd gain much by going MiFlex on the inflator hoses other than durability. (Well maybe the extra flexibility and durability would be useful on a drysuit tho! No need for those here in Hawaii.)

 

[halocline]

Betty, you could try a 20" miflex for the alternate if they make them. For a regular hose that's a little stiffer, 20" might pull a little when you turn your head left, so you might want the 22". For larger guys routing the alternate from the left post, they often use 24". For the primary, single tank in OW, try a 5ft hose, either miflex or regular. The 7ft hose is really for overhead environments where you might need to swim through restrictions single file while sharing air. Someone your size especially will find the 7 ft hose too long unless you're diving with a canister light and can loop the hose around it. You'll probably have to stick it in your waist belt. The 5ft hose is great for OW, and routs very neatly under your right arm, across your chest, over your left shoulder and around behind your head.

I use two hoses attached with an adapter; the total length is about 5' 4" and it's perfect for me. If I could find a single hose in that length I'd buy it. I'm also a little bigger than you.