What do you do with your first deco hose?

[LordHavoc]

If you are diving with 2 deco bottles and doing gas switch from lesser to more oxygen, what do you do with the hose of your first deco bottle? Do you clip it on right D ring? Or do you stow it back? Or do you just let it rest around you neck?

 

[PfcAJ]

If you are diving with 2 deco bottles and doing gas switch from lesser to more oxygen, what do you do with the hose of your first deco bottle? Do you clip it on right D ring? Or do you stow it back? Or do you just let it rest around you neck?

Stow it.

Regs are either in use or stowed and turned off. Hanging regs around your neck can lead to big problems. Tox. Switching to a dead reg. Difficulty donating.

Just don’t. There’s no reason to at all.

 

[rjack321]

If you are diving with 2 deco bottles and doing gas switch from lesser to more oxygen, what do you do with the hose of your first deco bottle? Do you clip it on right D ring? Or do you stow it back? Or do you just let it rest around you neck?

1) Switch from the deeper gas back to your long hose 1 stop before (eg at 30ft assuming you have 100% as your final deco gas)
2) Stow your deeper deco gas regulator
3) Finish your backgas break
4) Move up to the next stop
5) Switch to your next deco gas after confirming the bottle and doing a buddy check.
6) Stow your long hose again

Do not switch deco bottle to deco bottle or leave loose 2nd stages dangling everywhere. It's a mess and a recipe for breathing the wrong gas

 

[inquis]

Stow it for sure.

The only question is whether you 1) switch to back gas, stow the hose, then switch to the second deco gas or 2) switch directly to the second deco gas then stow the first hose. The overwhelming majority of respondents said #1 when this has come up in the past.

 

[Tracy]

1) Switch from the deeper gas back to your long hose 1 stop before (eg at 30ft assuming you have 100% as your final deco gas)
2) Stow your deeper deco gas regulator
3) Finish your backgas break
4) Move up to the next stop
5) Switch to your next deco gas after confirming the bottle and doing a buddy check.
6) Stow your long hose again

Do not switch deco bottle to deco bottle or leave loose 2nd stages dangling everywhere. It's a mess and a recipe for breathing the wrong gas

I disagree with this method though I have seen it used.
It is incredibly rare I am doing an open circuit dive that I would find it useful to carry multiple deco gases.
If I am deep enough to necesitate bringing an additional deco gas, my back gas is not something I should be breathing mid deco.
My gas switch is from deco gas to my next deco gas. There are steps and team checks to prevent breathing the wrong gas. They should be followed even if you are only carrying one deco gas.
And yes, any reg not being used should be stowed.

 

[PfcAJ]

I disagree with this method though I have seen it used.
It is incredibly rare I am doing an open circuit dive that I would find it useful to carry multiple deco gases.
If I am deep enough to necesitate bringing an additional deco gas, my back gas is not something I should be breathing mid deco.
My gas switch is from deco gas to my next deco gas. There are steps and team checks to prevent breathing the wrong gas. They should be followed even if you are only carrying one deco gas.
And yes, any reg not being used should be stowed.

You can breathe virtually any gas at 20-30ft. Dives with sub12% oxygen might pose a little bit of an issue hypothetically. In reality being at a 0.16 for a few when at rest isn’t a problem.

Having two gases becomes pretty reasonable when past 170’ or so. I don’t think being on 18% mid deco for a few isnt a reasonable concern. On the contrary, it might be beneficial to get off a higher po2 gas for a bit before switching to oxygen.

 

[Tracy]

You can breathe virtually any gas at 20-30ft. Dives with sub12% oxygen might pose a little bit of an issue hypothetically. In reality being at a 0.16 for a few when at rest isn’t a problem.

Having two gases becomes pretty reasonable when past 170’ or so. I don’t think being on 18% mid deco for a few isnt a reasonable concern. On the contrary, it might be beneficial to get off a higher po2 gas for a bit before switching to oxygen.

For a 200' dive with a bottom time of 25 minutes (fairly normal runtime in 40 degree water) I save maybe five minutes by carrying a second bottle with 100%. I spend that five minutes in putting it on, whacking it on every bulkhead door, switching gases, and then clipping it off.
Below 200' I add another bottle.

The low PO2 isn't my concern, I have never been deep enough to worry about a 12% bottom mix. I just hate the whippet sensation going from 55% helium to no helium to 55% helium to no helium. I prefer to switch off helium and remain off it unless there is a reason to go back on it.

 

[rjack321]

I disagree with this method though I have seen it used.
It is incredibly rare I am doing an open circuit dive that I would find it useful to carry multiple deco gases.
If I am deep enough to necesitate bringing an additional deco gas, my back gas is not something I should be breathing mid deco.
My gas switch is from deco gas to my next deco gas. There are steps and team checks to prevent breathing the wrong gas. They should be followed even if you are only carrying one deco gas.
And yes, any reg not being used should be stowed.

You do you. I have never seen a coherent stage to stage switch with good hose tracing habits and decent buddy checks. They are almost always a big (hurried) mess.

Anything below about 180ft or if it's long and shallow and there's more than 30mins of deco I almost always bring a second deco gas. Not always about efficiency, cause if I have 45+ mins of deco I don't want all my eggs in that single bottle, I want 2 bottles, & 2 regs.

Back gas might be anything from 15/55 (not that I am doing 250ft on OC recently), 18/45, 21/35, or possibly even EANx. You can do 3-5mins on 15/55 or even 12/65 at 30ft no problem.

 

[PfcAJ]

For a 200' dive with a bottom time of 25 minutes (fairly normal runtime in 40 degree water) I save maybe five minutes by carrying a second bottle with 100%. I spend that five minutes in putting it on, whacking it on every bulkhead door, switching gases, and then clipping it off.
Below 200' I add another bottle.

The low PO2 isn't my concern, I have never been deep enough to worry about a 12% bottom mix. I just hate the whippet sensation going from 55% helium to no helium to 55% helium to no helium. I prefer to switch off helium and remain off it unless there is a reason to go back on it.

You’re in a pickle if you lose your only deco gas. It’s not always about deco efficiency. It’s about options. And you don’t have many if you only have one gas.

There is no narcosis difference at 20’. It’s 20’…

 

[Tracy]

There is no narcosis difference at 20’. It’s 20’…

I didn't say anything about narcosis. I'm not a fan of the lightheaded spinning sensation I get when coming from a high helium blend to no helium. I liken it to whippets. It last a few breaths and I don't care for it.