New hose config - questions.

[Patoux01]

Bungee necklace

 

[gr8jab]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm getting some great ideas!

 

[stuartv]

Hi all,

I just switched to a 40" Miflex with 90deg adapter. I used it yesterday and it felt really good. I forgot it was there, and didn't notice any pulling on the regulator (as I had in the past).

My one problem was on the surface, while vertical or slightly on back. With the over-the-shoulder rubber hose used previously, I would spit out the regulator to talk (or snorkel, or fiddle with my gear or whatever), and the regulator usually hung over my shoulder in easy sight. If it slipped away, a quick arm-circle would always find it. With the Miflex/90deg, as soon as I spit it out, it is gone. Even a huge arm-circle was not a successful technique. I had to reach over my shoulder to the 1st stage, which is quite a contortion for an old fat guy like me.

I have the same setup (with a 70 deg adapter) and the same problem.

I just got a 5' hose to route it like halocline mentioned for that very reason. When I climb the ladder and get back on the boat, I want to take my reg out. Sometimes, conditions are rough enough that I want to use both hands to hold on. With the 40" hose, I don't want to just spit the reg out and let it flop down to hit a bench or whatever. I have a bolt snap to clip it off. But, if both hands are busy, I don't necessarily want to let go of a railing for the 2 seconds it takes to grab the reg and clip it off.

I will still use the 70 degree with the longer hose, though. I just put a 70 degree on my 7' hose that's on my tech reg set and I like it a lot. It just seems to make sense that if the hose is going to go around the back of my head it should come out of my reg pointing in that direction already instead of having to make a U bend to get around to the back of my head. Plus, it effectively gives the hose a little bit more length. My 7' hose was barely long enough to tuck into my waist belt without the 70 degree adapter. It would often pull out during a dive and start floating around. Now it has just the right amount of extra length to tuck behind my belt and stay there.

I attach the bolt snap with a small piece of bicycle inner tube (awap's excellent idea) rather than cave line. It holds perfectly and it can break away in an emergency.

But one of the things I like about the 5ft hose routed across the chest and over the left shoulder is how the primary 2nd stage hose can rest on your right shoulder momentarily if you have reason to take the 2nd stage out of your mouth. So you could consider that. It would mean getting a 60" hose (rubber is fine) and maybe ditching the elbow.

How do you attach a bolt snap to a piece of bicycle inner tube? I have a guess on how to do it, but I'm curious if there's another way I'm not thinking of.

 

[tbone1004]

take the loop of inner tube, twist 180* to create a figure 8, slide through the ring in the bolt snap, slide the two holes of the figure 8 through the end of the hose

 

[stuartv]

take the loop of inner tube, twist 180* to create a figure 8, slide through the ring in the bolt snap, slide the two holes of the figure 8 through the end of the hose

Thanks! That's almost what I guessed. I didn't guess the twist to make a figure 8. I definitely like this idea better than the little elastic zipper pull-looking thingies from Dive Rite. I always worry that those are going to pop apart.

 

[tbone1004]

I have never seen one of the zipper pulls pull apart, but I don't use those types of bolt snaps anymore since I don't think they're a good idea. The method that Brett Hemphill has published on his facebook page is infinitely better imho

 

[stuartv]

I have never seen one of the zipper pulls pull apart, but I don't use those types of bolt snaps anymore since I don't think they're a good idea. The method that Brett Hemphill has published on his facebook page is infinitely better imho

Oh, yeah. I just watched that again.

I like how he says "in an emergency, you just pull it and USUALLY it will come off and give you enough to pull it to your mouth." Usually.

Also, with the bolt snap on the left side of the regulator, when you grab it with your right hand, take it out of your mouth and go to clip it off, doesn't that make it hard to reach and operate the bolt snap with your right hand? I have a bolt snap on the right side of my reg. When I take it out and clip it off, the bolt snap is right there in my hand as I take the reg out of my mouth. And when I unclip it and put the reg back in my mouth, unclipping it has me holding the whole thing in the right spot to stick the reg in my mouth. Having the bolt snap on the left seems like a PITA when you're going to be working with the reg with your right hand. No?

 

[tbone1004]

yeah, so the usually bit is for very tall people with fairly low mounted d-rings where it may not, especially if using braided hoses. I use thinner bungee for mine which requires less force to stretch and has a very high elongation so it isn't a problem for me even though I am rather tall. He is using quick disconnects on that regulator which most people won't be using and if you aren't, the bungee will slide down the hose. If I donate to someone, even for a full single file air share, I don't actually have to unclip that bolt snap.

regarding the bolt being on the left side. It depends on how you grab your regulator. I am 100% against grabbing regulators by the hose because it gives you little to no control. I grab scubapro style second stages by making a C with my hand *think LEGO hands* and the C created by my thumb and index finger goes around the retaining ring for the diaphragm. This allows me full control of the second stage and with very little practice I can still clip off one handed.

Disclaimer is that I don't actually use those style second stages except on my O2 bottle, and that doesn't have an adjustment knob, but the pull required to get it to release from the bungee is much less than that required to break a zip tie, o-ring, or similar, with it sliding down the hose, it works very well for me.

 

[halocline]

take the loop of inner tube, twist 180* to create a figure 8, slide through the ring in the bolt snap, slide the two holes of the figure 8 through the end of the hose

I do this differently. First lock the inner tube on the bolt snap by pushing the inner tube loop through the eyelet on the bolt snap, then pull one end of the inner tube through the other, and pull it tight. Now you have bolt snap with a loop of inner tube attached. Then place the loop around the hose right near the 2nd stage, and pull the bolt snap through the loop locking it in place on the hose. It's usually pretty tight. I can try to post a photo later.

 

[tbone1004]

@halocline aren't prusik loops wonderful things! I've seen it done like that before, but I have seen a lot of innertube break when trying to get the bolt snap through and it is rather limiting in which size snaps you can use. doesn't really matter how you get it done though