My hose setup, am I close?

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stano

Contributor
Messages
194
Reaction score
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Location
Sault, ON, CAN
# of dives
100 - 199
Please Review the attached pic of my hose routing. This seems close to me but would appreciate some feedback. I have only right handed valves and I have HOG regs which cannot switch. I am adding a 90 to the left side (right in the photo). I also purchased two high pressure 90's to run my gauges down the tanks. I just bought a nomad jt and am planning on trying it this weekend. Thanks in advance.

Stan
 
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Try this again...
 
It looks like you have two second stages on each tank--why? If you rotate each first stage by 90 degrees, so that the SPGs lay down along the tanks, you should be able to route the long hose straight down to bands to be partially stuffed on the silver tank, and have the shorter hose on the left tank coming up and around the back of your neck to a necklace. It's hard to say, since the image quality is poor, and doesn't tolerate much magnification.
 
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I rotated the first stages 90 degrees and well that was clearly my biggest issue. Thank you, I knew I was missing something.

With respect to having four seconds I am not sure how to deal with this one. I want the ability to share via a long hose. Depending on gas usage in a real jackpot I may need either tank for sharing. I ended up rerouting my hoses after rotating the first stage and now have both 7' bungeed to the tanks. I have one second in my mouth and one on a bungee. If I need to donate I could deploy either 7'. I am aware there is much debate over long hoses in sm but it does not seem like there is a concensus. I may try partially stowing a 7' and keeping it in my mouth, with a bungeed backup.

Stano
 
Not sure what you mean by not being able to switch the regs. Can you take a close up photo of the 1st stages? Also, as already stated, you have too many 2nd stages on your regs. Please do not get in the water with the regs set up that way. You may want to consider a class or finding a local mentor before proceeding any further.
 
Ok here are some new pics, with some mods.

On the black tank I tried the spg pointing down but since I am using both right handed valves I am not sure I will be able to read it. I have seen some pics of people with it pointing up like this, not sure if it would be any good or not. Put it like that to see what it would be like. I can see clearly that a right and left valve would be better, and in that case both spgs would point down. The silver tank is perfect I think.

So if I don't run four regs do I necklace one tank (as my backup in ooa situation) and breath long hose from other tank? Third Reg on a clip.

I don't have an option for a sm course as I am it here. All testing is done in my pool so no worries. Also all my diving is OW. Appreciate the concern and am not planning on anything crazy.

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Part of gas management in side mount is balancing your gas usage so that if you lose(or have to donate from) either tank, you have enough in the other to get yourself out. If you decide that thirds is adequate, for example, and you have Al80s with 3000 psi to start, you have to have at least 2000psi(1/3 of 3000x2) in each tank at the turn point, so that either can get you or your buddy out. For an OOG buddy, you can donate the long hose if you're breathing it, or unclip and pass it if you're not. If you're uncomfortable about having to unclip the long hose to donate, you can attach the clip with a small wire tire or o-ring which will break away in an emergency.


Here's a good picture.
 
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Is the norm to have only two regs? One from each tank. Breathe long hose and necklace alternately (to keep air somewhat equal)? In an oog situation the long hose to oog diver and necklace per usual bm practice.

It will likely take some practice to remember to alternate between tanks.

If I lose one of my tanks to say an uncontrolled free flow (happened to me at 135' while diving single bm) I use my other tank as my own backup. So I suppose both divers in a paired up situation would need to have failures to require two regs on my sm tanks. Which is obviously very unlikely. That sounds right to me.

Stano
 
Is the norm to have only two regs? One from each tank. Breathe long hose and necklace alternately (to keep air somewhat equal)? In an oog situation the long hose to oog diver and necklace per usual bm practice.

It will likely take some practice to remember to alternate between tanks.

If I lose one of my tanks to say an uncontrolled free flow (happened to me at 135' while diving single bm) I use my other tank as my own backup. So I suppose both divers in a paired up situation would need to have failures to require two regs on my sm tanks. Which is obviously very unlikely. That sounds right to me.

Stano


It is the norm to only have one reg per tank on side mount. In the event of a failure where you need to donate to your team member you can remove the tank and give it to them so it does not have to be on a long hose.

I am going to recommend you find a good instructor and take a class on side mount. It is something that you need guidance in beyond asking questions on a forum.
 
If you have a free flow, the dive is over and you begin ascent. At that point your buddy needs to be self sufficient. Think of it this way - if you were in a single cylinder and had a failure, would you be able to donate a reg to a buddy? The answer is no because you would be breathing off your buddy's reg. 4 2nd stages is too much. I do 5000' + penetrations into caves with only 1 2nd stage on each cylinder.

I recommend against removing a cylinder to donate to a team member. Donating a cylinder takes practice and time. If you or a team mate have a gas failure you don't want to waste time swapping cylinders. And if you are only donating a cylinder, you are giving away part of your ballast and your redundant air. I really wish people would stop suggesting it.

You also need to build the muscle memory of reg switches. Gas management is the most important aspect of any type of diving. In my sidemount courses, I start my students off with gas switches every 200 psi so they build that muscle memory and learn not to forget to do gas switches.

Oh, and divers have died in pools. Please don't be so complacent about pool diving.
 

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