longer primary hose after getting an air2 - what length and type?

[EireDiver606]

Congratulations on your Air2, I've been certified for over 30 years and never dove with anything else.

How did you not die?

After having my primary pulled from my mouth for the second time on two different trips while using a traditional open water setup I got advice from a very experienced tech diver/trainer. One recommendation was the Dive Rite Advanced Openwater package. He suggested a long hose but I was a bit hesitant and went with a 40” hose. I would never go back to a traditional configuration, so streamlined.
My reg wasn’t pulled out of my mouth in OOG situations but both times while I was admiring something on the reef a newly certified diver dropped down on top of me getting their arm caught in the bowed primary hose and pulling their arm away once they crashed into me. I will never dive without a streamlined setup again. I was worried the third time may not end so well. Eyes in the back of my head stoped working since the kids moved out.

That tech instructor was recommending the longer 2.1m hose for a reason. I too was hesitant to switch but now that I use a 7’ long hose and bungeed necklace reg as backup I think it’s the best system out there. Do whatever works for you but I would give the longhose style a try just to see if you like it, it’s much easier to share air with and is the most streamlined setup.

That is the configuration I decided on after trying most all I have encountered. The only issue I encountered with the long hose is due to my use of the snorkel. Since I am not going to stop wearing a snorkel, due to the dives I normally make, the long hose is less than optimal. To be fair, the drills can be done OK, but I had reservations that an emergency would go smothely. For the right dives I could ditch my snorkel for the advantages of the long hose. It's a matter of the right tool for the job.



A buddy uses a BP/W with an Air2 and normal length rec primary. We had no issues with diving and drills.


Dive and let dive.


Bob

I understand exactly what you’re talking about, I need a snorkel also for big Atlantic swells. Easy solution mate : put snorkel in pocket, use longhose

I think people get the wrong impression of the longhose. They think it’s only for caves or “tech” dives (whatever that is), it can also have a great place in OW if you’re not spearfishing. Try it, you might love it.

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

I think people get the wrong impression of the longhose. They think it’s only for caves or “tech” dives (whatever that is), it can also have a great place in OW if you’re not spearfishing. Try it, you might love it.

I agree with all of this. After I started including my long hose on rec dives, it elicited quite a few comments. Either the genuinely curious or something about tech diving. (I like how you quoted it too)

With a rubber hose, I need no elbow/swivel or other points of failure to get a nice streamlined and secure hold. Within an instant... I can share air and be close to seven feet away from that person.

In my Tec 40 course, I rented my BP/W as I wasn't sure what to get yet. I had lots of trouble keeping the hose tucked. That really discouraged me. Luckilly after getting my own BP/W and getting it dialed in to fit well those problems vanished. That would be my only concern about running a long hose.

 

[almostDIR]

One does not need bp/w with a long hose, it works perfectly well also with a jacket bc.
With bp/w one just needs something to hold it on the right side of belt close to the bp (normally a light canister but if that is not possible a belt mounted pocket would do as well) .
For me it was easy to adapt to the long hose setup in about 2 dives. I used too short hose at first (150cm instead of 210cm) which caused some problems but corrected that on the next dive by installing the normal 7' hose.

I just changed the octo to the original rec primary hose and then removed the octo hose and replaced it with the long hose and attached the primary reg to that. would take couple of minutes to do, one can easily change hose configuration even right before the dive if just checking that they are attached firmly and working correctly.


One problem with the BP/W and long hose setup is that tech guys will come to comment how it needs to be improved for it to be DIR never happens with a jacket BC, I'm not sure why




.

 

[EireDiver606]

I agree with all of this. After I started including my long hose on rec dives, it elicited quite a few comments. Either the genuinely curious or something about tech diving. (I like how you quoted it too)

Yes, I received some questions about my gear and how I dive from curious nice people who have received poor instruction. I don’t have many dives but they commented on how I dive like a “tech diver” (this confused me I have to say - I mean seriously what’s the difference between rec and tech- it’s all diving) but I guess it was a compliment. Another older diver who been “doing it his way” and surviving for 50 years said that he wouldn’t be convinced that a longhose is safer underwater (then why do all divers who know what they’re doing use them - serious decompression and cave dives?). I am probably the only one in my country at my age who dives longhose and wing. It’s non existent here.

One problem with the BP/W and long hose setup is that tech guys will come to comment how it needs to be improved for it to be DIR never happens with a jacket BC, I'm not sure why

I can almost guarantee that your jackets inflator is waaay too long and will hang below you if you’re in the proper trim position. You should try the wing and backplate, I did and I much, much, much prefer it and would never go back to a jacket.

I have that and no one has commented on it because there’s nothing to change to be “DIR”.

One does not need bp/w with a long hose, it works perfectly well also with a jacket bc.
With bp/w one just needs something to hold it on the right side of belt close to the bp (normally a light canister but if that is not possible a belt mounted pocket would do as well) .

BP/W was designed as a complete package that will compliment each other. The same cannot
be said for the jacket and longhose. No one will force you to, but I’d recommmend trying the bpw on for at least a few dives to see if you’d like it. I must confess, at first I did not like the wing because it felt strange that it was so clean and simple. Also, there’s a simple solution to the longhose if you don’t have a canister, get a longhose holder or tuck it under waist strap.

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

One does not need bp/w with a long hose, it works perfectly well also with a jacket bc.
With bp/w one just needs something to hold it on the right side of belt close to the bp (normally a light canister but if that is not possible a belt mounted pocket would do as well)
.

A bp/w needs nothing extra to use a long hose. You simply tuck the excess into your waist on the right hip. You don't see too many light canisters in rec diving and an additional pocket just to serve as an anchor point seems unnecessary as well.

However, tucking a long hose into a jacket bc that generally has padding, cummerbunds, a less optimal fit, and softer materials might make it difficult to maintain a secure tuck.

Glad it works for you, but other's mileage may vary.

 

[almostDIR]

I can almost guarantee that your jackets inflator is waaay too long and will hang below you if you’re in the proper trim position. You should try the wing and backplate, I did and I much, much, much prefer it and would never go back to a jacket.

I have that and no one has commented on it because there’s nothing to change to be “DIR”.



BP/W was designed as a complete package that will compliment each other. The same cannot
be said for the jacket and longhose. No one will force you to, but I’d recommmend trying the bpw on for at least a few dives to see if you’d like it. I must confess, at first I did not like the wing because it felt strange that it was so clean and simple. Also, there’s a simple solution to the longhose if you don’t have a canister, get a longhose holder or tuck it under waist strap.

I dive with bp/w . the problem is that when DIR divers see my setup they will immediately come to me to "give some tips how it should be improved to be fully DIR compliant"
for example one thing which annoys them is that I like to have more cutting tools on the waist belt than just the tiny "dir knife" (which has crappy handle and which I don't trust for that reason, way too easy to drop it even without gloves)

when they see a diver with a jacket BC they will know him/her to be a lost case "amateur" but a new bp/w diver can be beat to the right track so to speak

 

[PfcAJ]

I dive with bp/w . the problem is that when DIR divers see my setup they will immediately come to me to "give some tips how it should be improved to be fully DIR compliant"
for example one thing which annoys them is that I like to have more cutting tools on the waist belt than just the tiny "dir knife" (which has crappy handle and which I don't trust for that reason, way too easy to drop it even without gloves)

when they see a diver with a jacket BC they will know him/her to be a lost case "amateur" but a new bp/w diver can be beat to the right track so to speak

Get a knife with a better handle?

 

[rjack321]

Nobody has ever told me my extra z-knife on my shearwater straps is stroke or going to kill me.

 

[Oz Chris]

When I first read it, I initially figure someone is using the Scubapro name as a generic description of any such octo/inflator.

Yes I was using it generically. In my case it was actually an Aqualung Airsource. Anyone looking for a slightly used one

 

[BlueTrin]

I dive with bp/w . the problem is that when DIR divers see my setup they will immediately come to me to "give some tips how it should be improved to be fully DIR compliant"
for example one thing which annoys them is that I like to have more cutting tools on the waist belt than just the tiny "dir knife" (which has crappy handle and which I don't trust for that reason, way too easy to drop it even without gloves)

when they see a diver with a jacket BC they will know him/her to be a lost case "amateur" but a new bp/w diver can be beat to the right track so to speak

Tell them that the big knife is for self defense, not for underwater use