Where should hose protectors go?

[knfevg]

knowone, what's a "swivel"? Can you send a picture?

 

[ti325v]

I have only seen two hoses die a natural death with hose protectors.....those little bubbles streaming out of the vent holes in the sheath...I have seen dozens of hoses cracked and crumbling at the first stage connection because there were no hose protectors. They are on all of my regs and my shop regs, and they do get slid back every couple of months to have a peak beneath, never seen any green stuff growing there....I use very snug ones, and they are a pita, but the hoses last forever with them.
For those who put them in the circular file, can you please tell me why ? To me the idea of not using them is kinda scary.

 

[RJP]

For those who put them in the circular file, can you please tell me why ? To me the idea of not using them is kinda scary.

1. In the ordinary - or even extraordinary - course of events hoses don't require much "protection" from anything
2. Hose protectors don't actually protect the hose from much of anything other than cosmetic abrasion
3. Not having hose protectors in place makes visual inspection of hoses while gearing up for every dive easy/possible
4. Having hose protectors in place can mask problems that will likel not be seen until the hose actually fails

 

[Scott L]

I have flip-flopped on this issue having acquired several Apeks regs the past year. Their hose protectors are short and functional. Of course I have been around long enough to slid them back to rinse the metal fittings after most dives...

 

[scubafanatic]

From what?

....aren't they all part of practicing 'safe scuba' ?

 

[ti325v]

1. In the ordinary - or even extraordinary - course of events hoses don't require much "protection" from anything
2. EXCEPT( DAILY) THE EXTREME STRESS put on them at the first stage connection, when the hose is pulled in any direction except at 90* to the regulator body. They slowly crimp themselves to death. I would like you to go pick up your regs and try it, you will see the hose flatten out and distort. Do it a thousand times and it will with out a doubt crack. I would pick up any of my regs and do it in a second, once you see it, you will not want to see it again, and you will be scared of that hose forever.
3. Hose protectors don't actually protect the hose from much of anything other than cosmetic abrasion
4. SEE ABOVE
5. Not having hose protectors in place makes visual inspection of hoses while gearing up for every dive easy/possible
6. Pulling them back is easy, depends on which ones you use. I like mine tight and even put cable ties on them to prevent them from slipping.
7. Having hose protectors in place can mask problems that will likel not be seen until the hose actually fails...
8. In only one instance, looking at tens of thousands of regs, did I discover a bulge under a hose protector. ( I suspect the hose did not have a protector on it for some period of time) because it was also cracked. It was a customers reg, not a shop reg....but I have seen literally dozens of hoses that were failing at the first stage connection and had to be replaced, because of no hose protector. ALL customers regs not shop regs. Hoses generally fail from old age and dry rot, and you get little streams of bubbles coming out of the little holes in the skin...that is where protected hoses fail. All the others that I have ever replaced were damaged from repeated crimping at the first stage.
10. I am hard headed, but reasonable.....Your arguments do not stand up to my years of experience, No way will mine ever come off.

 

[tflaris]

They are installed at the connection points to the first stage and at the second stage.

Designed to prevent hose from bending at a sharp angle where it connects to other components.

They work great on Shop rental gear as the gear takes some abuse.

As mention above if you have them installed slide them back and rinse after every salt dive to avoid corrosion build up.

Many divers myself included remove them and this aids on determining if any of the hoses have micro leaks which usually appear at the crimp.

For all good there is evil
For all evil there is good.

It's a personal choice.

Tony Flaris


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[brucet]

I took mine off the day that I found a part of the hose bubbling, which was hidden by the protector. I feel that they also retain salt under them.

I've never had a problem not using them, but then again, I might be in the minority.

I have had similar issue, just this past weekend. My high pressure hose blew just under the protector. Now partially my fault as I should have checked it more frequently, but my opinion is the hose protectors can stay on the shelf at the LDS.

 

[cerich]

they also cause corrosion. I personally file hose protectors in the round file.

 

[knowone]

knowone, what's a "swivel"? Can you send a picture?

To technical for me, however I must learn because there would be less reason for babbling if I could answer with a photo. It's an elbow that fits between the hose and the second, allows more streamlined routing and eases mouth stretch.


Some of the hoses I use are forty years old in perfect condition. Not forty years used old, just QUALITY hoses luckily stored correctly and some stored incorrectly, just really good hoses made with good ingredients.

Some of the hoses on my tech gear I have been using for TWENTY years.
I never use hose protectors on tech gear.

Even after bulk rough use, the only time I change a hose is to reconfigure or change length. I think I stopped using hose protectors 10 years ago on other stuff. I have some original protectors on some older regs.
I have 100 or more hose protectors in bags in a box. I keep original ones because they are original and the others because I just can't bring myself to file them and when I am looking for one to match another one or two it is interesting to see the fancy colours and some of the rubbish designs from over the years.

The green crust muck and erosion of chrome leading to rubber degradation that develops between first stage crimp and hose due to a PROTECTOR causes eventual UNNESSESARY failure in multiplied opposite proportion to any protection it may afford.

I remove all unecessary plastic bits, the bit between the din yoke and body bit and cages and rings and stickers and caps and dust caps, my dust is to big and sinter proof and wrap tape around my seconds because I like it. If the thing between the first body and attachment device is chrome like on late SP Mk Vs it is left on because it looks good.

Hoses wreck if regs are stored hung or in a dumb ass reg bag that is to small. Imagine sleeping standing on one foot for six months.

Congatulations ti325v on your impending dive shop. It must be exciting.

I have four of those low pressure hoses you describe that fold flat distorted in half. They seem to come as standard on real low end generics and as cheap replacement hoses. I think I first saw them appear here maybe seven years ago and I still shake my head. They are quite capable of bending flat in half even with a protector. Perhaps this is deliberate so people quickly swap out for the cheesy flash expensive ones. The four of mine were passing briefly through my hands with regs connected. I still have the 4 hoses in my will never be used but could eventually be used for something department-boxes because even though I sold the sets and even though it cost me, I would never sell or use those hoses.

Perhaps, if you still have time you could look into hose options for all your shop regs, just check and you may be able to offset the price with cheaper hose protectors.

Not to push the hose thing, I would rather dive a quality hose with the outer casing ripped off or the average original hose I have on a reg manufactured in 1955.

Best wishes to all.

It's not sport, it's life support?