Swivel Ball Joints For 2nd Stage -- Worth It?

[jakehbk]

I bought a handful of the Omni swivel knock offs a couple years ago. About a year later one of them blew out on the boat and i promptly got rid of them. I bought one actual to goodness genuine Omni swivel 2.0 with the locking screw and probably have 40 or 50 dives on it.

When it's pressurized it's like any swiveling scuba part, it takes a small bit of force to actually rotate it and once you have it tends to stick in that position. I carry a pony bottle and use a short hose for my primary. For me, it works beautifully once I put my reg in my mouth and nudge the swivel into a comfortable position. I don't notice the extra weight underwater even tho it makes my reg feel like a brick in hand on the boat.

I think it's worth it, but YMMV

 

[divad]

No.

 

[kelemvor]

Yes, they're great. However, the "normal" omni-swivel deals are poorly designed and a no-go for me.

I use these. They cost more, but they don't have a simple screw holding them together. It's press fit steel. You'd probably break the hose its-self long before separating the two halves. It doesn't have the same range of motion as omni, but it's good enough to give you a more comfortable position.

If you're using normal hose routing, they're not really needed. People just let the hose loop around their head for a mile and that does the trick. I prefer to route my hose under my arm, and this helps the second stage get to a more comfortable position.

+Also, I tried non-moving 45 degree elbow but didn't like it nearly as much as a swivel.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007YWLDQM

 

[Lorenzoid]

I use 40" under arm with a fixed 110 degree Kirby Morgan adapter. I like it and this set up. YMMV

I'm putting together my first "streamlined OW" reg set, and having read the many threads like this one, I'm persuaded this is a better solution than a ball swivel. (And I have to admit the professional cachet of the Kirby Morgan brand name was persuasive, too.) The Omniswivel, even the improved model with the retaining screw, would be yet another thing that requires periodic servicing.

 

[Hatul]

If you use a swivel or an angle adapter you have to be careful that it does not loosen the connection to the 2nd stage. It happened to me with the Atomics swivel. When it's pressurized it almost acts as an angle adapter and it can exert on torque on the attachment to the reg.

 

[divad]

After my ball-swivel failed (in shallow water), I switched to a greater-than-90 degree fixed-angle on a 5' hose run under my arm and around my neck. (20+ years ago) which worked very well.

 

[tkaelin]

Just set up my reg with a swivel joint and flex hose for my second stage with the hope of reducing jaw mouth fatigue from the standard set up.

 

[cleung]

Yes, they're great. However, the "normal" omni-swivel deals are poorly designed and a no-go for me.

I use these. They cost more, but they don't have a simple screw holding them together. It's press fit steel. You'd probably break the hose its-self long before separating the two halves. It doesn't have the same range of motion as omni, but it's good enough to give you a more comfortable position.

If you're using normal hose routing, they're not really needed. People just let the hose loop around their head for a mile and that does the trick. I prefer to route my hose under my arm, and this helps the second stage get to a more comfortable position.

+Also, I tried non-moving 45 degree elbow but didn't like it nearly as much as a swivel.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007YWLDQM
View attachment 666942

This is the XS swivel that one of my local dive shops carry. Anybody else have experience with this brand swivel?

 

[SlugLife]

I have theses:

• DGX 90 Degree LP 2nd Stage Swivel: 9/16-Inch M = 9/16-Inch F
• DGX 70 Degree LP 2nd Stage Swivel: 9/16-Inch M = 9/16-Inch F

The price ($10) is amazing, and I can't tell a major difference between the 70 & 90, but both are fantastic from a usability perspective, especially for a configuration like sidemount. As far as durability ... no idea, I've only used them for a couple months & about 15 dives.

The one thing I will say, is: ensure they're properly tightened on both sides of the swivel.

 

[Stephen Collins]

I've been diving with 2nd stage swivels for a few years, and while I like the convenience, I'm about to remove it from my gear. I live in Belize, close to a reef with lots of finger canyons and tight swim-throughs. It's important to understand that a swivel joint is a single point of failure - if the screw that holds it together fails, or the internal o-ring blows, your tank can empty very quickly. If you're in a swim-through you may not be able to reach the aux 2nd stage of the person in front or behind you. Something to consider...