Sidemount Drysuit Redundant Bladder & 1st Stage configuration

[addohm]

I'm not really sure what the most efficient way to connect and route the LPI hoses for both my wing and my dry suit. My wing has a redundant bladders, so obviously two power inflators. My 1st stages are turret style (dive rite xt1/xt4). There are LP ports at 11, 1, 5, and 7 o'clock positions. For the short hose cylinder, it's pretty straight forward since the turret is almost always "turned up" (regulator hose pointing upwards). For the long hose cylinder though, it gets a bit awkward. The turret is "turned down" unless fully deployed for an emergency or no-mounting. So if I put the LPI hose anywhere on the turret that's potentially going to be, then it gets more awkward because it creates tension on the LPI hoses/ports regardless of where I put it on the turret. I hate the idea of adding length to the hoses just for this because it kinda breaks my streamlining.

Making things a bit more complicated, I'm trying to arrange my kit now for my up coming chest mounted CCR course so I have to make sure anything that's going across my chest is static throughout the dive (e.g. no more long hose across the chest and behind the neck.

What's the common/accepted/relative best way to connect and route these hoses? Should I just suck it up and get longer hoses?

Guidance is appreciated.

 

[grantctobin]

I'm not really sure what the most efficient way to connect and route the LPI hoses for both my wing and my dry suit. My wing has a redundant bladders, so obviously two power inflators. My 1st stages are turret style. There are LP ports at 11, 1, 5, and 7 o'clock positions. For the short hose cylinder, it's pretty straight forward since the turret is almost always "turned up" (regulator hose pointing upwards). For the long hose cylinder though, it gets a bit awkward. The turret is "turned down" unless fully deployed for an emergency or no-mounting. So if I put the LPI hose anywhere on the turret that's potentially going to be, then it gets more awkward because it creates tension on the LPI hoses/ports regardless of where I put it on the turret. I hate the idea of adding length to the hoses just for this because it kinda breaks my streamlining.

Making things a bit more complicated, I'm trying to arrange my kit now for my up coming chest mounted CCR course so I have to make sure anything that's going across my chest is static throughout the dive (e.g. no more long hose across the chest and behind the neck.

What's the common/accepted/relative best way to connect and route these hoses? Should I just suck it up and get longer hoses?

Guidance is appreciated.

One LP Inflator hose on the 5th port for bladder, one LP inflator hose on the 5th port for drysuit. Either cap the second bladder when you use the drysuit (removing the power inflator and dump valve entirely) or route it in a place that it can be accessed orally. One should never have two wing power inflators connected at the same time. This gets even worse when you have a CM unit on and (often) end up routing the primary corrugated hose up the shoulder rather than across the chest. The lengths of the two inflator hoses depend significantly on your torso size and relative undergarment size, but should be somewhere in the 6-9" range unless you're large or not using the 5th port which may put you towards 12."

There's enough poo going on on your chest with a CM unit, adding another bladder makes it worse.

 

[addohm]

One LP Inflator hose on the 5th port for bladder, one LP inflator hose on the 5th port for drysuit. Either cap the second bladder when you use the drysuit (removing the power inflator and dump valve entirely) or route it in a place that it can be accessed orally. One should never have two wing power inflators connected at the same time. This gets even worse when you have a CM unit on and (often) end up routing the primary corrugated hose up the shoulder rather than across the chest. The lengths of the two inflator hoses depend significantly on your torso size and relative undergarment size, but should be somewhere in the 6-9" range unless you're large or not using the 5th port which may put you towards 12."

There's enough poo going on on your chest with a CM unit, adding another bladder makes it worse.

I was already intending on leaving the backup bladder disconnected. Sorry I wasn't clear on that. The "perfect" host length for me is about 4" but 6" will also work. Which port is the 5th port? The one pointing out of the side of the turret?

 

[grantctobin]

I was already intending on leaving the backup bladder disconnected. Sorry I wasn't clear on that. The "perfect" host length for me is about 4" but 6" will also work. Which port is the 5th port?

Assumptions:
Drysuit off of right bottle, using fifth port
Wing off of left bottle, using fifth port but potentially now switching to either a longer hose to run down the cylinder and back up to the inflator which is now clipped to your left shoulder d ring
Necklaced reg off of left bottle
Long 2nd stage hose off of right bottle

 

[addohm]

Assumptions:
Drysuit off of right bottle, using fifth port
Wing off of left bottle, using fifth port but potentially now switching to either a longer hose to run down the cylinder and back up to the inflator which is now clipped to your left shoulder d ring
Necklaced reg off of left bottle
Long hose off of right bottle

All correct except I didn't plan to have a long inflator hose on the right cylinder. Maybe I should though as it would make it easier to switch to a 4L for suit gas for trimix dives. I guess another 7' hose is appropriate to manage this? That's a bit excessive. I think ~40" should be fine.

 

[grantctobin]

All correct except I didn't plan to have a long inflator hose on the right cylinder. Maybe I should though as it would make it easier to switch to a 4L for suit gas for trimix dives. I guess another 7' hose is appropriate to manage this?

I think we have a disconnect somewhere in this convo. I edited the above to clarify the aforementioned long hose on the right bottle being a 7’ second stage hose. Two 7’ hoses is silly. Why do you want a 4L suit gas bottle?

Inflator hose on the right bottle in your situation should run from the right bottle straight through to your drysuit like so:

Image of the right side bottle above is stolen from Sidemount Silesia. You dil hose will be on the left bottle.

Left bottle:
SPG/Transmitter
22-28" second stage necklaced hose oriented up.
6-12?" inflator hose depending on girth and whether you run your corrugated BC inflator hose across your chest or up your shoulder. Across = 5th port, up = whatever port is closest to your reg hose.
Diluent hose down, into the EPDM retaining bands on the bottle, then back up and into the QC6 MAV on the unit.

Right bottle:
SPG/Transmitter
7' hose routed downward along the cylinder like the above image
6-12" inflator hose on fifth port and to your drysuit inflator valve.

TLR Bogarthian, but with the addition of a diluent hose and possible modification of the inflator hose wing port for your wing.