Octo Hoses Gone Wild

[Heffey]

My octo hose is routed under my right arm and attached to a clip at the top of my right pocket towards the front of my BC.

I like the routing and clip position but sometimes the octo hose seems to fan out away from my body too far and actually ends up over my elbow.

I was thinking of adding an angle adapter at the 1st stage to help keep the hose closer to my side, but I have a number of concerns as to if this would even work.

I guess I could clip the octo to a higher location which would bring the hose further under my arm.

Any ideas on how I can solve this problem?

[captndale]

Go to your local outdoor outfitter store (REI). Buy about 2 feet of small diameter (1/8 to 1/4") bungee cord. Tie a knot in each end. Make a circle with the cord, overlapping the ends by about 1 1/2". Using stainless hog rings or plastic zip ties, fasten the ends together at each knot. You should now have a loop of bungee with a doubled part that will just hold your back-up regulator's mouthpiece. Put your back-up regulator 's mouthpiece in it, route the hose over your shoulder and put the loop over your head. You will now always know where your back-up is - right where you need it.

[Doc Intrepid]

Sure. Put your octopus (or back up second stage) on a 24" hose. Run this hose from your 1st stage over your right shoulder. Take a piece of black bungee cord and attach it to your mouthpiece. (Tie a knot in each end, and run it beneath a black electrical wire tie, that is widely available in places like Lowes or Home Depot.) Only make the bungee cord long enough so that the second stage nestles into the hollow beneath your throat.

Wear the bungee cord necklace around your neck, so that the secondary second stage hangs right beneath your throat, ready to be instantly grabbed should YOU need it.

You'd donate your primary second stage, of course, if it wasn't snatched out of your mouth suddenly anyway. Put it on a 5' hose that runs beneath your right arm, up across your chest, behind your head, and into your mouth.

Problem solved.

[Heffey]

Sure. Put your octopus (or back up second stage) on a 24" hose. Run this hose from your 1st stage over your right shoulder. Take a piece of black bungee cord and attach it to your mouthpiece. (Tie a knot in each end, and run it beneath a black electrical wire tie, that is widely available in places like Lowes or Home Depot.) Only make the bungee cord long enough so that the second stage nestles into the hollow beneath your throat.

Wear the bungee cord necklace around your neck, so that the secondary second stage hangs right beneath your throat, ready to be instantly grabbed should YOU need it.

You'd donate your primary second stage, of course, if it wasn't snatched out of your mouth suddenly anyway. Put it on a 5' hose that runs beneath your right arm, up across your chest, behind your head, and into your mouth.

Problem solved.
Boy, like I didn’t see that coming. :D

I know, I know, bungeed octo, long hose primary, back plate and wings, yada, yada, yada……….. :11:

I need to gain a bit more experience before I start to stray too far away from the way I was originally taught.

Thanks,
Jeffrey

[Tamas]

Boy, like I didn’t see that coming. :D

I know, I know, bungeed octo, long hose primary, back plate and wings, yada, yada, yada……….. :11:

I need to gain a bit more experience before I start to stray too far away from the way I was originally taught.

Thanks,
Jeffrey

It has nothing to do with us pushing the "Techie" way of config. It simple has to do with simplicity and something that works. Just because you were taught one way, doesn't mean you cannot unlearn that and do it the way it was meant to be and is clearly a better and safer method.

All the suggestions above make perfect sense and can be adapted to your current configuration as well. But it doesn't mean that you have to go to the full bp/w setup. I dove with a long hose config waaaay before I went to the bp/w setup.

One of the main reasons behind this idea was to get a handle on the maze of hoses and the likelihood of them getting tangled or floating out of control.

I very impressed that you are aware if this problem, most people simply don't notice nor care to resolve it. One "red and green" method would be to get a hose clip that you can snap the hose into and then fasten that to your bc somewhere, problem with that is deployment and the fact that in case of an out of air emergency can hinder the hose delivery.

[ZoCrowes255]

Shorter backup hose/longer primary hose is the easiest way to solve this. It doesn't have to be a 7 foot primary with a 22/24 inch backup just something that works for you. I've tried every configuration under the sun (long backup with a shorter primary/ 5 and 7 foot primary hoses with 22 inch backups etc.) and the one that I found works easiest for recreational diving is a 36" primary (I believe it is the standard on Sherwood regulators) and a 26" inch backup routed under the arm and clipped to the right chest D-ring. This is what works the best for me. How do I know this works best for me? Because I am in the water 6 days a week teaching SCUBA usually multiple times a day (pool and openwater.) When I get access to my digital camera when I get home I'll try and take a few pictures for you.

[dbg40]

Their right, your back up should be over your shoulder, and bungeed around your neck. If ever needed, when you donate your primary, all you have to do is lift the backup to your mouth. No tech involved, i'ts been a tried and true system long before tech was invented. I think the long hose is great, and having to use it in an emergency will prove it beyond the shadow of a doubt. Give it a try sometime in skills practice. Don't be afraid to try somthing new. you may find it easier to execute than you think.

[Heffey]

It has nothing to do with us pushing the "Techie" way of config. It simple has to do with simplicity and something that works. Just because you were taught one way, doesn't mean you cannot unlearn that and do it the way it was meant to be and is clearly a better and safer method.

All the suggestions above make perfect sense and can be adapted to your current configuration as well. But it doesn't mean that you have to go to the full bp/w setup. I dove with a long hose config waaaay before I went to the bp/w setup.

One of the main reasons behind this idea was to get a handle on the maze of hoses and the likelihood of them getting tangled or floating out of control.

I very impressed that you are aware if this problem, most people simply don't notice nor care to resolve it. One "red and green" method would be to get a hose clip that you can snap the hose into and then fasten that to your bc somewhere, problem with that is deployment and the fact that in case of an out of air emergency can hinder the hose delivery.
Thanks Tamas,

Well, I can’t say that it is clearly safer or better but I can say that on the periphery the
bungeed octo & long hose primary appears to solve a number of the problems associated with air sharing.

That being said, I am a new diver and I am happy with my equipment configuration at this point except for the octo hose being a little free spirited.

I very well may use a bungeed octo & long hose primary set up at some point in time but this will not be my solution for this particular problem. Trading one hose routing issue for another one with a longer hose seems a bit counter productive to me.

Thanks for your input, however. I appreciate all the help the more experienced divers like yourself are willing to give in getting us noob’s through our first years of diving with out killing ourselves.

Thanks again,
Jeffrey

[markfm]

Depends on what your air bladder is like. On my Aeris, the bladder has a couple of little black bands on each side, retainer straps to help compress it when empty.
Piece of surgical tube, make a couple of inch loop that the octo hose stuffs through (in a loop) Tie the end of the surgical tube around the bladder retainer strap.
I can provide a picture, if you want one.

[jepuskar]

Jeffrey,

I understand why you don't want to switch at this juncture so I won't push what the others have mentioned. Whatever method you do find to secure that octo....make sure you test it numerous times and that you are confident it will not delay the donation process in anyway.

J

[Tamas]

Thanks Tamas,

Well, I can’t say that it is clearly safer or better but I can say that on the periphery the
bungeed octo & long hose primary appears to solve a number of the problems associated with air sharing.

That being said, I am a new diver and I am happy with my equipment configuration at this point except for the octo hose being a little free spirited.

I very well may use a bungeed octo & long hose primary set up at some point in time but this will not be my solution for this particular problem. Trading one hose routing issue for another one with a longer hose seems a bit counter productive to me.

Thanks for your input, however. I appreciate all the help the more experienced divers like yourself are willing to give in getting us noob’s through our first years of diving with out killing ourselves.

Thanks again,
Jeffrey

No problem Jeffrey, we are all here trying to help and offer our suggestions, especially since you asked. But understand that we are in no way trying to force something onto you by saying that there is no better way or only 1 way of doing things. SCUBA is one of those sports where a large number of people participate and bring their own problems and solutions, it would be silly to think that there is one method of gear configuration and philosophies out there that would be functional for all. After all we are all individuals, and me must make our own decisions and solve our own problems.....sometimes it helps to get suggestions and proven techniques, but if you are not able to adapt to those then perhaps you can alter them to make it fit to your own style, yet still keeping it safe.

One quick solution to the hose issue, as I stated above, is using a hose clip on your BC. Something like these (http://www.tridentdive.com/page24.htm) (towards the centre of the page) you can clip that to the BC and then insert the hose into it, and they are no more then $3-$5 a piece. It will hold the hose yet still allow for deployment if need be. As jepuskar said, make sure you practice with it making sure you know how to "un-clip" or rip the hose out of it in case of need.