Purpose of long 2nd stage hose

[ScubaFeenD]

No need to be insulting. The OP's assumption was not off the mark. While the long hose configuration is now widely used for open water diving (by those that use them that is), it was originally designed for air sharing in restricted environments.

If the OP scrolled down and spent and extra 10 seconds on the page he would have found this:
"Restrictive areas, like caves, often require that divers travel single file. This means that unless divers are equipped with a long hose second stage, in the event of a failure, they will be unable to effectively share air in such an environment. The use of the long hose was primarily designed to manage air-sharing problems in restrictive areas, and has been a standard feature of cave diving for many years. Anytime divers are forced to travel while air sharing, using the long hose is mandatory. Furthermore, divers facing decompression will use a long hose. Today, many open water divers also choose the long hose because of the comfort it provides during air-sharing situations. Properly trained and equipped divers often dive with a long hose; this allows them greater flexibility while diving. The backup regulator hose should come across the diver's shoulder, allowing the regulator to sit below the chin without the hose bulging to the side.

Diving in a shallow, open water environment allows a diver direct ascent to the surface, thereby reducing air-sharing complications. In this case, divers will sometimes use shorter primary regulator hoses, an acceptable practice in this environment. Obviously, such an event is only for emergencies. Divers ascending from SCUBA on a breath-hold must exhale during the ascent to prevent embolism. This technique should be practiced and discussed during open water training. "

Really, is it that difficult for divers to read and find their own answers before starting a thread to clarify confusion?

 

[PfcAJ]

Really, is it that difficult for divers to read and find their own answers before starting a thread to clarify confusion?

If everyone just "found their own answers", there wouldn't even be a discussion forum for you to whine and complain on.

Chill out.

 

[ScubaFeenD]

If everyone just "found their own answers", there wouldn't even be a discussion forum for you to whine and complain on.

Chill out.

Or for you to be a condescending "expert" either

 

[Jax]

If everyone just "found their own answers", there wouldn't even be a discussion forum for you to whine and complain on.

Chill out.

Or for you to be a condescending "expert" either

Children . . . .


Is it better to snark or perhaps explore the jarhead's question, and thus be a good representative for the configuration?

 

[Jax]

I did. I went here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/dir/44823-what-dir.html then I went here: Equipment Configuration | Global Underwater Explorers I learned something while I was at those pages.

Jar, one thing they don't teach you is that real airshares don't happen by someone swimming up and signalling Out-of-Air (OOA) (or gas, OOG). The guy exhales, breaths in, the reg goes "THWOOT!" and s/he races for the first person seen.

The person grabs the reg out of your mouth and starts clawing for the surface . . . maybe clawing you, kicking you, kicking your mask off, etc.

Change the picture and incorporate a long hose -- some openwater divers opt for a 5' hose, BTW. Victim grabs the long hose. You stick your bungeed-around-your-neck backup in your mouth, and deploy the rest of your hose in a smooth, well-practiced move. Mr/s Panic is now a ways away, and you can leisurely head to the surface, within proper ascent speeds, and are hopefully not being kicked in the head by the misfortune of a tall victim.

 

[tbone1004]

ever seen a second stage pull out of the hose? or a hose pull out of the first stage leaving the screw in?
That's fun... Unless I'm diving with people I know, I don't dive with a long hose. The last thing I want is a panicked diver with my regulator in hand 5-7 feet away from me. I have had regs grabbed out of my mouth and my initial reaction is to grab hold of their BC and make sure they aren't going anywhere anytime soon and certainly not without my permission.
The benefit is there for non panicked divers that want the added comfort of being able to travel without being stuck to each other. I see no added benefit for normal open water dives to have a long hose where I'm going to deploy it and let them have it if they're jumpy. Often times once they are breathing and they see you looking at them and feel you holding onto them they will relax. At that point you can make a safe ascent to the surface without being dragged up risking dcs or age to yourself or the panicked diver.

 

[PfcAJ]

If you don't want the OOG diver to be 5-7 feet away, just don't deploy the rest of those hose. The long hose is a tool, and you don't have to use the entire length of the hose if the situation doesn't call for it.

 

[Cave Diver]

The last thing I want is a panicked diver with my regulator in hand 5-7 feet away from me. I have had regs grabbed out of my mouth and my initial reaction is to grab hold of their BC and make sure they aren't going anywhere anytime soon and certainly not without my permission.

Why not? If they're panicked, I want them as far away from me as possible. They're not gonna get any further than the length of the hose they're breathing off of anyway, so they're not going anywhere without me if I'm the donor.

 

[rhwestfall]

not bad, 3.5 hours and 7 posts for it to get "emotional".....

 

[jar546]

..............................................................................Really, is it that difficult for divers to read and find their own answers before starting a thread to clarify confusion?

What is the purpose of this board?