Which hose should be long when using pony?

[PhilD]

Currently, both my regulator and octo hoses are 36" and I can see how having a longer hose on one for donation would be advantageous. I like the concept of a long hose on the primary and having the safe 2nd on a bungee around my neck, however my safe 2nd is on my pony tank and I'm not sure which way to go.

Most of the instructors around here have a long (5 or 6') hose on their safe 2nd and donate that if the need arises, or at least plan to. That is also what I was taught on my SSI OW course. However, it seems that some people are trained to go for the primary and some the safe 2nd in OOA situation. The instructor on my ANDI CSU course stated, that in reality someone in an OOA situation (especially someone is panicking) will go for whatever they can see and get to the fastest, usually your primary.

Obviously, training with what you have configured and good pre-dive planning with your buddy should make it clear as to what to do in OOA situation. But I'd be interested to know what other people who dive with a pony do with hose lengths?

Thanks.

 

[MechDiver]

First off, the long hose and necklaced second routing is optomized for doubles, and is done that way for a number of reasons.

If you want to use a long hose, and a pony, (assuming single backgas tank), I would have the long hose on my primary, necklaced second off the same first stage, and rig the pony as a slung stage bottle with a 40" hose.

That pretty well solves all your issues IMO.

MD

 

[mwilding]

If you routinely dive with a pony, an Air 2 or Octo + might be a good thing to have. That way you have redundant access to your main air supply without having the clutter of 3 regs.

In this situation, your primary should have the long hose.

 

[Epinephelus]

So do I... 40" hose on a pony.
E.

 

[MechDiver]

mwilding once bubbled...
If you routinely dive with a pony, an Air 2 or Octo + might be a good thing to have. That way you have redundant access to your main air supply without having the clutter of 3 regs.

In this situation, your primary should have the long hose.

I routinely dive with 4 regs, none of which are "cluttered". An Air2 is less useful than a properly configured necklaced second.

MD

 

[mwilding]

MechDiver once bubbled...


I routinely dive with 4 regs, none of which are "cluttered". An Air2 is less useful than a properly configured necklaced second.

MD

Well, if you have them slung I guess there is no clutter. With 4 regs, is that primary, secondary on necklace & 2 slung or do you have 3 in your triangle?

 

[MechDiver]

mwilding once bubbled...
Well, if you have them slung I guess there is no clutter. With 4 regs, is that primary, secondary on necklace & 2 slung or do you have 3 in your triangle?

I don't have a triangle. Thats an OW thing

Yes, your statement is correct.

MD

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

Phil, your original statement is a bit confusing.

Are you saying that you have a pony bottle mounted on your main tank, and that you run your octo hose off that???

Because the rest of your question about the hose length on the pony is confusing as well.

I have two 2nd stages that come off my 1st stage regulator. One of the hoses for these is 36" and I wear it on a necklace as a backup for myself. The other is on a 40" hose, and I breathe off that as my primary, and donate that if needed by a buddy.

The pony is a totally separate independent system, with its own 1st stage and 2nd stage and hose. The hose is normally 40".

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

And my new Calif scuba flag avitar !

California, gotta love it or leave it !

 

[PhilD]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...
Phil, your original statement is a bit confusing.

Are you saying that you have a pony bottle mounted on your main tank, and that you run your octo hose off that???

Because the rest of your question about the hose length on the pony is confusing as well.

I'm good at confusing myself, so I shouldn't be suprised if I confuse others too

Yes, I have the pony mounted on a Quick Draw bracket on my main tank. I have the primary reg coming off the main tank and the octo coming off the pony, nothing else. This is what my LDS recommended, even though I wanted to keep the octo on the main tank and have a seperate octo on the pony, which is most probably what I will end up doing, I think.

What I'm trying to do right now is get everything right, so I don't end up continually changing things. This is what I am thinking of doing; changing the hose on my primary reg to a 5', I have a spare R290 octo which I was thinking would become the octo off the main tank on a short hose, the pony octo hose is 40", (I thought it was 36", but just measured it and it is 40").

Nearly all my diving is OW ocean diving and I have no plans for any overhead environment stuff.

Hope that makes more sense.