Switching to longhose

[Vigge93]

So I've decided to switch to a long hose/primary donate setup and I have some questions regarding the setup.

1. I have put together a list of things to train in the pool:
Handling the setup on the surface
Air sharing
Air sharing while swimming and ascending
Stow/deploy long hose in waistband
Clipping/unclipping regulator to d-ring
Don/doff on the surface and underwater
Reg retrieval
Have I missed anything?

2. I have also put together a list of general procedures:
(Modified)S-drill at the start of the dive
Breathe from short hose while entering water
Test short hose regularly during the dive
Clip regulator to d-ring while not in use
Clip regulator to d-ring from below
Stow hose in waistband
Long hose routes over the dry suit hose
Have I missed anything here? Anything wrong?

3. I have also while researching gathered some tips and tricks that might not be obvious:
Put bungee inside the bolt-snap when doffing on surface
Pinky always towards the second stage when in right hand
Look left while stowing the hose
Point mouthpiece downwards when taking it out of the mouth
Start with clipping everything to the bc before attaching the regulator to the tank
Again, anything wrong? Any other tips and/or tricks?

I also have som questions:
1. How long should the necklace be? How should I attach it to the second stage, is the knot through the zip-tie adequate or is there a better way?
2. Do you prefer to have the boltsnap close to the regulator or a fist away?
3. Why should you clip the regulator to the d-ring from below?

Some extra info:
I have a 2.1m/7' long hose with a 56cm/22" short hose and a bp/w. No canister.
I'm only doing single tank open water recreational diving.

/Victor

 

[tbone1004]

1. no, but reg retrieval should be a non-issue because it can't really go anywhere.

2. usually you want to breathe from the long hose while entering the water.
You don't have to regularly breathe from it, I usually do for my pre-dive checks and swap back and forth during my cold water treatment.

3. I prefer and teach holding the second stage a bit different, but if you are holding the hose only, you do want your pinky on the reg side otherwise you won't be able to twist it towards the diver.
I don't usually clip everything to the BC before I attach the reg to the tank because the hoses usually have a "set" and they may need to be rotated around a bit after the unit is pressurized.

questions
1. it is personal preference unless you are in an overhead environment. I prefer it quite short so I can reach it without using my hands, others prefer it to be longer.
I tie them like this. They don't come off unless you want them to, but they are fairly easily removable at the surface

2. I don't put boltsnaps on the hose anymore and others like them a fist away. I use this configuration for my regulators and greatly prefer it for most diving situations. It is rare that I am going back and forth off of a primary when in backmount since my technical diving is done in sidemount which is very different.
Most people prefer them a fist away because you can breathe off of the primary when it is clipped off which you can't do if the bolt snap is at the second stage. The fist away is also more natural when clipping and unclipping since it puts the bolt snap at your index finger so you don't have to readjust your hand to clip it off.

3. It's easier to unclip in an emergency because the top d-rings are usually loose and if you try to unclip it from the tip the d-ring can chase the bolt snap and you can have some issues getting it undone. It's also the more natural way to clip things off without having to re-do your grip as mentioned above

 

[Caveeagle]

Tbone covered most of it..

I also don't like putting bolt snaps on my 2nd stages when in back-mount.

I agree, ..breathe off the long hose. Test your back-up short hose pre-dive and again at your safety stop to get used to the switch from the necklace (..aka suicide strap)

Long hose up under your right armpit, around your left ear and behind your head. use a 90* (or 120*, or omniswivel) will keep the hose routing tight against your head.

At the surface, on land or on boat, you need a plan to keep your long hose (primary) 2nd stage from falling, or dragging on the deck. I am in the habit of looping the bungee necklace through the right shoulder D ring and looping the primary 2nd stage. This is just when out of the water and to keep the 2nd stage from dropping on the deck etc. (just a pet peeve of mine)

 

[Kevrumbo]

Add: Launch of SMB Drill with Partial Long Hose Deployment Check:

Some Tips on clipping off the Long Hose:

Basic 6 Drill:

Best Example of S-Drill w/ optional One-Handed Primary/Secondary Exchange & Donation:

 

[Compressor]

nice discussion above. Very useful.

 

[Vigge93]

Thanks for all the replies!

I prefer and teach holding the second stage a bit different

How? I assume you hold it in a way that makes clipping of the boltsnap possible with the alternate attachement?

Also thanks for the advice on the necklace

I also don't like putting bolt snaps on my 2nd stages when in back-mount.

No boltsnap at all or just some other attachment?

/Victor

 

[tbone1004]

Thanks for all the replies!


How? I assume you hold it in a way that makes clipping of the boltsnap possible with the alternate attachement?

Also thanks for the advice on the necklace


No boltsnap at all or just some other attachment?

/Victor

when you hold the hose for donation purposes, I grab the case from the bottom with my hand in a "C" shape. This allows me to control rotational orientation of the regulator in both directions which I feel is better than holding it from the hose.
I also use Poseidon Jetstreams most of the time which are very different and allows me to use some unique configurations

 

[Caveeagle]

No boltsnap at all or just some other attachment?

I dive backmount most of the time, so the primary (long hose) is in my mouth, and the backup (short hose) is held around my neck with a bungee so that its right under my chin. I see no need for a bolt snap.

Possible exception would be if diving a stage or using a deco bottle. For the deco bottle, I am not moving anywhere and have never had an issue with my primary just resting by my right shoulder, but I can see where some might want that restrained if diving in heavy current, or running longer distances with a stage.

 

[tbone1004]

I dive backmount most of the time, so the primary (long hose) is in my mouth, and the backup (short hose) is held around my neck with a bungee so that its right under my chin. I see no need for a bolt snap.

Possible exception would be if diving a stage or using a deco bottle. For the deco bottle, I am not moving anywhere and have never had an issue with my primary just resting by my right shoulder, but I can see where some might want that restrained if diving in heavy current, or running longer distances with a stage.

nice to have for storing it when on the surface. I usually loop over the manifold, or around the valve if on singles and clip the suicide strap into that bolt snap on the right d-ring to keep everything where it should be. Figure it can't hurt. I use the Hemphill loop things on all of my stage/deco regs and my sidemount regs so they clip off a bit more conveniently but not on my backmount regs

 

[Caveeagle]

Figure it can't hurt. I use the Hemphill loop things on all of my stage/deco regs and my sidemount regs so they clip off a bit more conveniently but not on my backmount regs

Yea, nothing wrong with that. I just don't like the bolt snap dangler hanging down from the reg hose. I have been considering adding the "hemple" loop, but also like a method my instructor has been using putting a med sized double ender under the 2nd stage exhaust shroud with thin bungee going through the exhaust vent to hold the double ender up flat against the bottom of the reg bottom. I will try to post a picture. He dives exclusively sidemount and has both 2nds rigged this way and can clip them off to either side this way with no danglers.