Hose Length...

All,

Just a quick question for those of you that dive independant twins....

How long are your primary and secondary reg hoses? I spoke to a guy whose just done his CDAA ticket and he said that 4 foot hoses on both regs is amble. What OOA experiences has anyone had that this would have caused problems (if any)?

Thanks in advance - Dave.

The key is to be able to go single file - and 7' is what's comfy for that. Or are you talking a rig where you can hand a tank off?
Rick

Rick is right. 7 is the correct length. 9 is too long and anything shorter is too short for single file through restrictions and/or sharing while scootering/towing etc. Independent doubles are a poor choice in set ups and you are starting to run into the reasons why....are you going to use two 7 ft hoses or get yourself a manifold?

Rick Murchison once bubbled...
The key is to be able to go single file - and 7' is what's comfy for that. Or are you talking a rig where you can hand a tank off?
Rick

Click to expand...

If you're sidemounting, where you can hand the tank off to someone, you just need a regular hose. Otherwise, Rick and Maddiver pretty much covered it - get a manifold and a 7' hose if you're backmounting doubles.

For the primary 7' is good if you have a backplate and doubles. for the secondary 22" is good. Hope this helps

Robert:doctor:

DocRCH once bubbled...
For the primary 7' is good if you have a backplate and doubles. for the secondary 22" is good. Hope this helps

Robert:doctor:

Click to expand...

iso manifolded doubles:
7' primary is what you should use if you are ever in or might go into an overhead environment for the single file reasons already stated.

22" is an often used backup hose length. you will probably find this adaquite if you have a reg with a butt lp port like the scubapro or atomic, although my regs don't have this and I find the 24" hose more comfortable for a reg bungeed around my neck.

You are right about the isolation manifold! I think that I had to special order a 22" hose for the left post. I do recommend using a bungee or surgical tubing to hold the secondary reg around your neck. I do believe that the original post was for independent dbls., I would highly advise against that rig.

Robert:doctor:

All,

Thanks for the feedback so far. I personally agree about 7ft hose length but the guy I spoke to that had completed his CDAA ticket said that 4ft was amble - it comes to your knees and you should be up close enough for a single file exit.

Not too sure how this works though as surely a frog/flutter kick would be right in your face. If scottering this shorter length hose might be ok(?) as you hold onto the rear D-ring(?).

I'm pretty much sold on the Manifold setup (I've been through all of this before) but I like to know all the reasons why - especially now another diver is looking to me for advise about cave gear configuration (I've not even been in a cave with doubles yet so all theory at the moment!).

From what I've seen with the independant doubles set up the guys run 4ft hoses on both regs and just pass off the one they're breathing. The regs they use are Oceanic Omega's (any views on these regs?) with a swivel and they run them under the arm and into the mouth or clipped off at the shoulder. Pretty sure they run stage cylinders clipped off at the shoulder and the waist d-ring and can't envisage how this wouldn't interfere with passing off the left hand reg in an OOA situation.

One further question - when running manifold and hog with 2 stage cylinders (one left & one right side) how is the primary (long) hose routed to avoid problems handing it off in OOA??

Thanks - Dave.

It is no problem, handing off the long hose with 2 stages, because both stages should be on the left, not one on each side.

When using the proper rig it is absolutely no problem at all having both on your left side.

Clip both off at the left chest d-ring and the waist d-ring. With the one you will use first on the outside, when you are done with it, unclip it float it in front of you, deploy your second one. Stow the hose on the first, turn it off and clip the top clip to the waist d-ring, or clip it to the line to be picked up on exit.(cave). It will float right in your slip stream and you will hardly know it is there.

Hope this helps.

What is the proper way to route the hose. I'm right handed, so do I have the hose come out the LP port of my 1st stage, under my right arm pit, or over my right shoulder?

Then do I hook under my left armpit or over my left shoulder before coming around the back of my head, over my right shoulder and the reg in my mouth?