Double short hose regulator configuration (for non-wreck / non-cave environments)

[tbone1004]

@Remy B. composite cylinders are not ideal for submerged activities. Any microfractures in the resin will cause water ingress and that can permanently damage the cylinders. If they are used in salt water, it's basically a disposable item. That's why they are only allowed a certain amount of hydro cycles.

your personal cold tolerance has nothing to do with the decompression efficiency of your tissues. Using your suit for all of your buoyancy is going to cause you to be warmer on the beginning of the dive than on the end of the dive. That will cause you to ongas fast in the beginning, and offgas slow in the end. See the issue?

Temps in the caves are 21c-22c or 68-72f depending on where in Florida they are. Drysuits are required for any dive over about 60 minutes if doing 2x dives per day, or after about 90 minutes otherwise. I have a VERY good cold tolerance having grown up in New England, but I will start shivering in a 5mm wetsuit with hooded vest after 90 minutes. The shivering doesn't bother me, the extra DCS risk does

 

[DevonDiver]

I agree with you, but your missing the point, the OP seems to have a goal of minimalistic for traveling.

I can fit my sidemount gear into a 35L daysac, with room for a couple of t-shirts, spare shorts, toiletries and a netbook computer. That includes a long hose.

There's plenty you can minimalize before you need to start cutting away important capacities.

 

[Remy B.]

@Remy B. composite cylinders are not ideal for submerged activities. Any microfractures in the resin will cause water ingress and that can permanently damage the cylinders. If they are used in salt water, it's basically a disposable item. That's why they are only allowed a certain amount of hydro cycles.

your personal cold tolerance has nothing to do with the decompression efficiency of your tissues. Using your suit for all of your buoyancy is going to cause you to be warmer on the beginning of the dive than on the end of the dive. That will cause you to ongas fast in the beginning, and offgas slow in the end. See the issue?

Temps in the caves are 21c-22c or 68-72f depending on where in Florida they are. Drysuits are required for any dive over about 60 minutes if doing 2x dives per day, or after about 90 minutes otherwise. I have a VERY good cold tolerance having grown up in New England, but I will start shivering in a 5mm wetsuit with hooded vest after 90 minutes. The shivering doesn't bother me, the extra DCS risk does

I guess we better open another thread, we got way derailed from the OP, thanks anyway for the inputs.

 

[OkByMe]

Hose weight accounts for just a fraction of the overall equipment weight.... The difference between a 5' hose and a 3' hose is just 2.3 ounces on a cheap hose and less on a the better ones... you could save more weight simply by changing fins. Any length hose can be constrained and easily deployed at depth at the length needed to support the reason for deployment. I find that longer hoses allow me to configure the second at any angle I want and relieve the tension on the hose at the mouthpiece. With a short hose, some people use a swivel help rid the bind, and the swivel weighs more than the difference in the hose length.

 

[kensuf]

The first time I ever had to do a real air share in a real out of air emergency, the recipient was someone I had never met before. If I was unable to give him air, he'd be dead today.

Sometimes it's not about being able to share air with your dive buddy...

 

[kensuf]

A sidemount diver is trained to be weighted properly so he can donate a bottle, without a problem of buoyancy.

That's stupid.