Why not two 7ft hoses when sidemount diving

[The Chairman]

I hope that people don't base their gear decisions based on the fact that a complete loss of gas is highly unlikely.

By highly, you probably mean extremely. I dive solo more often than not, which is one of the many, many reasons I dive sidemount. This decrepit body has a hard time reaching that effin knob that's been located just outside of easy reach.

We all approach diving a bit differently. Overhead or openwater, we make decisions on how much risk we are willing to endure and often change gear to increase our safety. What some condemn in a shrill voice are often embraced as a reasonable protocol by others. It's a dive and let dive scenario. Dogmatic adherence to protocols that haven't kept up with the changes in gear doesn't make sense to a lot of us. It's not that we think outside the box, but we don't believe in your box. You call it being "snippy", but you're free and are encouraged not to dive with us. Nervous divers frankly freak us out and we don't need those who don't understand our approach constantly sniping at us about how "they" do things. We don't make these choices capriciously. We don't make them without testing and comparing notes. We're free to change our approach as we evolve and find better ways to do things. Frankly,, that's one of the main attractions of side mounting: flexibility. Don't be offended by our apparent indifference to your choices: Just dive and let dive. You know we're gonna.

And even though I quoted you, I have no problem admitting that this is directed at you and many, many others as well.

 

[The Chairman]

es, of course I have. Unless i wanted the OOG diver in front to be kicking me in the face, the 7 ft hose was necessary.

I find this hard to believe. You were in that tight of a restriction and were kicking? I could only finger pull through the ones I've gone through. If you have room to kick, you should definitely have no problems avoiding them.

Depending on the cylinder, you can just pass it off. I actually have dove with a single steel just to see if I could. I wouldn't want to start a dive that way, but I certainly could finish one if I had to.

 

[tursiops]

I find this hard to believe. You were in that tight of a restriction and were kicking? I could only finger pull through the ones I've gone through. If you have room to kick, you should definitely have no problems avoiding them.

Depending on the cylinder, you can just pass it off. I actually have dove with a single steel just to see if I could. I wouldn't want to start a dive that way, but I certainly could finish one if I had to.

I suspect carrying a 7 ft hose rather than a 5 ft hose is easier than donating a tank.

 

[rddvet]

. You call it being "snippy", but you're free and are encouraged not to dive with us. Nervous divers frankly freak us out and we don't need those who don't understand our approach constantly sniping at us about how "they" do things.

Nothing about you diving a 5 foot hose makes me nervous, I just don't agree, and as you said it's all about personal choice and acceptance of risk. I've dove with enough people that have no idea why they do what they do and just do what they were told. It's one of the reasons why I also mostly dive solo if my few buddies aren't available.

You say it's an approach which makes me think that a 5 foot hose is preferential in your opinion. What is the value in carrying a shorter hose than a 7 foot other than being cleaner when wrapped on a tank (which is negligible at best)? I guess a better point to make is I don't see the value of shortening the donating hose in regards to having a positive effect on my buddy(which is my primary concern). Based on his previous comments, if you dove with someone like Tbone, a 5 footer would never cut it sharing with him.

 

[The Chairman]

I suspect

Suspect. So, you haven't tried.

Two independent divers are always preferable. If I have an aluminum tank, and I often carry a stage, then it passes cleanly to the distressed diver. In Mexico, all we carry are ALs, so that's quite easy. Steels are more problematic, but I've negotiated enough restrictions to demonstrate that I can scoot while donating my five foot hose. Of course, we didn't kick in those tight areas. It was a pull and glide situation.

other than being cleaner

Cleaner means fewer entanglements. Remember the hose doesn't go around my neck. It comes up a foot or so from my tank and is inserted in my necklace. Very clean. Both are mirrored, so it's easy enough to pass off either tank to a distressed buddy. Even easier and no balance issues if I pass off a stage. Unclip, pop off and toss.

 

[rddvet]

Suspect. So, you haven't tried.

Two independent divers are always preferable. If I have an aluminum tank, and I often carry a stage, then it passes cleanly to the distressed diver. In Mexico, all we carry are ALs, so that's quite easy. Steels are more problematic, but I've negotiated enough restrictions to demonstrate that I can scoot while donating my five foot hose. Of course, we didn't kick in those tight areas. It was a pull and glide situation.


Cleaner means fewer entanglements. Remember the hose doesn't go around my neck. It comes up a foot or so from my tank and is inserted in my necklace. Very clean. Both are mirrored, so it's easy enough to pass off either tank to a distressed buddy. Even easier and no balance issues if I pass off a stage. Unclip, pop off and toss.

Then I will end my part of the discussion with the fact that I fervently disagree that your reason for a 5 foot hose is good at all. If the sole reasons are it's cleaner in setup and your bailout strategy is to pass a tank then in my opinion those are horrible reasons. Passing off a primary tank is a horrendous idea except for an absolute last choice. Back to my original thought-it's about making it easiest for your buddy. A 5 footer just doesn't do that, and passing of a primary tank (we're talking steel since we're in florida) sure doesn't either. There is no negative to choosing a 7 footer, only positives.

I agree fully that to each his own, but it's obvious we have fundamentally different ideas on the matter.

 

[The Chairman]

and your bailout strategy is to pass a tank

You're not good with reading comprehension. Not good at all. I presented a multi-optioned bail out strategy and you reduce them to the one you can vilify because you don't understand them or can't execute them.

There is no negative to choosing a 7 footer, only positives.

Using your logic, you should try a 14 footer. Double the safety, double the comfort. No, no... make it a 28 footer! OMG! You could exit the cave with your buddy still enjoying his dive! Now that's comfort! Don't worry about dragging that extra hose through the silt and mud... your comfort is far, far more important than that. I don't do lollipops either for the same reason. Streamlined and clean means less chance to do damage to the cave, entangle me or cause a loss of air due to a sudden snag.

 

[tursiops]

Suspect. So, you haven't tried.

I was being polite. You win. Your board, your rules.

 

[The Chairman]

I was being polite. You win. Your board, your rules.

Please. Have you tried it or not? It's one thing to try a protocol and not like it. It's quite another to not have and suspect that you wouldn't like it. It's quite another to say I'm being unsafe in how I dive and then expect me not to respond.

We all dive differently. We can disparage each other for these differences or learn from them. I've met many divers discount how others dive simply because they haven't tried it. When BP&Wings first showed up on SB, it was a fervent "noooooooooo, they are too complicated." Now the tide has turned and buying anything but a BP&Wing is a horrible mistake. Teaching on your knees was "impossible" to some and now it's lauded and maybe too much. I can't count how many people have chimed in on how terrible this or that piece of gear was, only to find out they've never touched it. So, I think if your going to cast aspersions on my choice, you should tell us if you've tried it or not. Isn't that only fair?

 

[rddvet]

My reading comprehension is fine. I get that your first choice is not to pass a tank. I started to respond to the rest of the idiocy you posted but dont see a point. It'll just degrade to being arguing. We'll have to agree to disagree.

I even had some good snarky comments since thats where this seems to have gone.