5 or 7 Foot Hose

I'm trying to go ahead and buy some of the less expensive items I'll need for DIR Techdiving. Should I get a 5 or 7 foot hose? I've heard some say that the 7 is just too big and creates problems. Is this true? Will I actually need the extra 2 feet later on. How much should a 7 foot hose cost? Thanks.

Do you plan on doing ANY cave or wreck diving? If so get the 7ft hose. The 5ft is too short for two people to exit one in front of the other through a restriction.

I cavedive, wreckdive and openwater dive with a 7ft hose and have no problems with it in any way. So does my wife.

Route it correctly (down right side of tank, under cannister light, across chest, around back of neck and into mouth) and you souldn't have any problems either.

DSAO!

I use a 7 foot hose and right now only dive single tanks. I find the 7 foot hose to be perfect and isn't too long. After getting the 7 footer I was glad I did because I think the 5 footer would be too short.

is no canister light at this point in time? Can the 7' hose be routed so its not a problem?

I use the 5' because I am not in wrecks or caves yet, no light canister and I'm still diving singles. I find the 5' to be just right for those conditions....... not to long that its dangling from my body or getting caught, but not to short that when I look left, thats its pulling the reg from my mouth.

I think price diff. is only about $10 over the 5' hose.........

SS

is no canister light at this point in time? Can the 7' hose be routed so its not a problem?

Click to expand...

...and just route it down to your right side and tuck the extra in the waist strap...then across the chest, around the neck and into your yapper.

I like a 7' for everything.

Mike

EZ,

I think it depends on what you are going to be using it for. Although this is the "Tech" section of the board, I'll comment on my experience with single tanks just to give you another opinion.

I switched to a long hose about a year ago. I started out with a 7 footer. I was still using a jacket BC at the time. Hose routing from the first stage was down the right side of my body, hooked under the right front of the BC, across my chest and behind my neck. This seemed to work well for a while...but, without something more stable to hook it on, it had the tendency to slip out on occasion. Lots of folks recommended slipping the extra into your belt....tried it, didn't like it. Others I've talked to have used a pocket on their belt or even mounted a piece of PVC pipe to act as a pseudo canister light (and storage container). I felt getting a different size hose made more sense....especially since I am diving only single tanks.

I ordered 5 and 6 footers just to try them out. 5 turned out to be the best option for ME....routed directly under my arm from the first stage, across my chest and behind my neck. The hose does not inhibit head movement at all (I am not a small person). 6' was too short for the 7' routing and too long for the 5' routing.

One thing to consider.....with this 5' routing, your hose is now potentially running through the same area as one of your back-up lights if you are diving a DIR configuration. If you take out this light during the dive, you have to be somewhat careful that you dont't clip the light over the hose when you restow it. Since this routing is generally for rec diving, one solution is to only wear a back-up light on your left.

Hope this is helpful.

-LD

I know a fellah that switched to a 7 footer after a few dives on a 5 footer.

I've never been tempted to even try a 5 footer.

hth

Go with a 7 foot. It's just as easy to deal with as a 5 foot and you have the extra benefits. If you have no can light you either tuck it in your waist strap or Halcyon makes a waist strap pocket that goes in the same place as the can light and the hose can go under it just like the light.

Tom