Hoses and Mouthpieces?

[Hatul]

Hi Tyler,

Some folks prefer the 40" under the arm routing (with a 90 degree fitting at the 2nd stage) because there is less mouth "pull" with that routing, compared to conventional recreational hose routing. I dove that configuration for quite awhile.

I've experimented with various hose lengths over the years for single tank, recreational diving, and have finally settled on a semi-Hogarthian setup, with a 6' primary.

5' was almost perfect for me, but was always just a hair too short and resulted in a little "pull" if I rotated my head to the left.... 6' is nirvana. The first time I dove this configuration I had the sensation that I had forgotten to attach a hose to my 2nd stage... there was zero hose pull in any direction I rotated my head.

Best wishes.

Can I ask you what kind of hose you recommend for this, as I read some complaints about Miflex being used for long hoses.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Can I ask you what kind of hose you recommend for this, as I read some complaints about Miflex being used for long hoses.

Hi Hatul,

I have not tried a braided hose in 6' length personally.... I have read that they tend to float up, but did not have that experience with my 5' Miflex (but it was wrapped snugly across my chest, so it probably could NOT float up even it it wanted to).

For my 6' foot hose I chose a standard (rubber) hose... it is very soft and very flexible. Some rubber hoses (at least in recreation lengths) seem a little stiff, this rubber hose was not stiff at all. Only slightly less flexible than the braided hoses.

I did put a braided 6' hose on my wife's rig, but she has not yet had her braided 6' in the water yet. Rubber is cheaper and works well for thousands of tech divers.... I only bought the braided hose because Northeast Scuba was out of rubber 6' hoses when I called, and the price was good. I do not anticipate any problems with the braided hose however. I'm sure it will be fine.

And my wife thinks the braided hose LOOKS so much cooler than the rubber hose.... so that made her happy .

Best wishes.

 

[halocline]

5' was almost perfect for me, but was always just a hair too short and resulted in a little "pull" if I rotated my head to the left.... 6' is nirvana. The first time I dove this configuration I had the sensation that I had forgotten to attach a hose to my 2nd stage... there was zero hose pull in any direction I rotated my head.

Best wishes.

For me at first 5ft felt a little short, in fact I used a coupler to go to 5'6", but eventually I got used to the 5ft hose. I'm not a large person, though, and my first stages all have end ports that add a bit of length. I agree that the long hose is far more comfortable because of the lack of push-pull on the mouthpiece. Eventually, if the idea of a modified hogarthian routing for recreational divers catches on, hopefully hoses will be readily available in 6" increments from 5ft to 7ft. I'm sure you could get custom hoses made to length.

Edit; I think one benefit of the braided hoses is they supposedly last a lot longer, maybe more-or-less lifetime.

 

[Hatul]

For me at first 5ft felt a little short, in fact I used a coupler to go to 5'6", but eventually I got used to the 5ft hose. I'm not a large person, though, and my first stages all have end ports that add a bit of length. I agree that the long hose is far more comfortable because of the lack of push-pull on the mouthpiece. Eventually, if the idea of a modified hogarthian routing for recreational divers catches on, hopefully hoses will be readily available in 6" increments from 5ft to 7ft. I'm sure you could get custom hoses made to length.

Edit; I think one benefit of the braided hoses is they supposedly last a lot longer, maybe more-or-less lifetime.

My experience with braided hoses is limited to short lengths but I find less pull on the mouthpiece, they're easier to store and pack for travel, and slightly lighter.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

For me at first 5ft felt a little short, in fact I used a coupler to go to 5'6", but eventually I got used to the 5ft hose. I'm not a large person, though, and my first stages all have end ports that add a bit of length. I agree that the long hose is far more comfortable because of the lack of push-pull on the mouthpiece. Eventually, if the idea of a modified hogarthian routing for recreational divers catches on, hopefully hoses will be readily available in 6" increments from 5ft to 7ft. I'm sure you could get custom hoses made to length.

Edit; I think one benefit of the braided hoses is they supposedly last a lot longer, maybe more-or-less lifetime.

I think it is just my freakish anatomy that made the 5' length not quite perfect. But now I'm wondering if I should have let my wife try my 5' first... I bet it would be just right for her. Ahh well. I'm a gear addict, can never have too much gear . If she doesn't like the 6', she can try the 5'... I just need to convince her that scuba hoses are "accessories" in the same way that shoes and jewelry are for women.... you cannot have too many of them!

Best wishes.

 

[52brandon]

I would suggest you consider a 5ft hose rather than a 40" under the arm. The 5ft hose routs under your arm as well, then across your chest and around your head. It's excellent for air sharing and very comfortable for diving. It's a modified hogarthian set up; those guys really got this one right. You don't use an elbow on the 2nd stage for this arrangement.

I totally agree on the hose protector issue, they do more harm than good.

out of curiosity, why? On the DGX site, they stated that their most common length of hose for tech diving was 7'. Is there a particular reason for going so long, or is it just comfort/preference? A 40" routed under my arm seems ideal to me in fact that there's really nothing hanging off to drag at all. A longer one wrapped around and then over my arm seems like it would end up with the same slack that a regular length hose routed over my arm would have as well

 

[claymore]

The 7' hose is so that in an air sharing situation in restricted areas divers can swim single file. In recreational diving you do not have to worry about single file air sharing but the hose routing is similar but with 5' hose.
With a 5' hose the hose comes around the neck and is in almost the same plane as the mouth. A hose coming under the arm has to change directions in two planes, out and down which creates pull on the mouthpiece.

 

[52brandon]

but in the case of a 90* joint, you're really only looping the arm which is less motion than the 540* around the body

(by the way, thank you for all the replies. I'm not trying to be argumentative, if it's coming across that way. I'm just trying to understand it)

 

[Locus]

I've been using a 40" primary hose routed under my arm for about 20 dives, pretty much since I got my own regs. I also have a 90-degree fixed angle adapter for my primary, and my octo is on a bungee necklace with a 70-degree adapter and the hose routed back over my shoulder. Basically the same setup that you're describing.

I like this configuration a lot more than the standard over-the-shoulder setup that I was introduced to in my OW course. The hoses stay out of my way more and my reg doesn't pull at my mouth when I turn my head. I always know right where my octo is, and if I need to share air I don't have to bend my hose around a lot because it just swivels the right way to be accessible to my buddy. This results in more hose to work with because none is being used up bending around. I thought about getting a 60"-72" primary hose but decided that, being a beginner who only dives open water, I would keep it simple with 40" for now.

Hose covers are not necessary and we've all got better uses for our time than cleaning under them, so in my opinion they should just be left off.

My hoses are the off-brand braided ones (not miflex) from dive gear express. After 20 dives they show no appreciable signs of wear. They're easy to store and much more flexible underwater than rubber. My only complaint about them is that they sometimes have a bit of a memory and need to be worked out a bit if they get stored while they're wound up. Don't wrap them up when you store them and it's a non-issue. The angle adapters are likewise from dive gear express and they have, by far, the lowest price I found on them.

That said, my experience with DGX's customer service was lousy. If you need to ask them a lot of questions, they may not be the vendor for you.

 

[Juank]

52bandron, you talked about 40" LP hose and I add to tha thread a shorter 26" or so SPG hose with a sliding bolt clip/hose retainer. That little modification makes a big difference.