Hose length for bungee octo.

[TSandM]

Air2s are heavy, and have to be long, so they really hang down below the diver. These are two of the reasons why they aren't used in DIR setups. They also use a proprietary LP inflator hose fitting, which means you can't swap out hoses with teammates' spares, or borrow somebody else's wing to put on your reg, unless you change the hose. Standardization of equipment, and the ability to share spares, is part of the DIR approach to diving.

 

[BoltSnap]

Air2s are heavy, and have to be long, so they really hang down below the diver. These are two of the reasons why they aren't used in DIR setups. They also use a proprietary LP inflator hose fitting, which means you can't swap out hoses with teammates' spares, or borrow somebody else's wing to put on your reg, unless you change the hose. Standardization of equipment, and the ability to share spares, is part of the DIR approach to diving.

Is the main objection to AirII setup is the fact they "hang low" from "DIR" point of view?

(exchanging parts or equipment with others is immaterial to me since I don't exchange anything with anyone else.)

 

[highdesert]

I think 22" on a bungied back-up (single tank) is too short. That's what I have, and it's going to get changed to at least 24", maybe a bit longer. Too much pull on the jaw when I turn my head left.

 

[rjack321]

Is the main objection to AirII setup is the fact they "hang low" from "DIR" point of view?

(exchanging parts or equipment with others is immaterial to me since I don't exchange anything with anyone else.)

It "hangs low" but then when its in your mouth its a bit short and restrictive. And it puts your buoyancy control in an OOA situation where its hard to use, having to remove it from your mouth to vent etc. And there are multiple buttons to get flustered (under OOA stress) with and inflate when you meant to purge.

The Air2 is alot of complicated hassles for little value. If people can do almost 24hrs underwater and hours and hours of deco with a backup bungied under their neck anyone can.

I have swapped hoses when one is iffy or ripped, its good to have spares.

 

[g1138]

It "hangs low" but then when its in your mouth its a bit short and restrictive. And it puts your buoyancy control in an OOA situation where its hard to use, having to remove it from your mouth to vent etc. And there are multiple buttons to get flustered (under OOA stress) with and inflate when you meant to purge.

The Air2 is alot of complicated hassles for little value. If people can do almost 24hrs underwater and hours and hours of deco with a backup bungied under their neck anyone can.

I have swapped hoses when one is iffy or ripped, its good to have spares.

Not true, you can vent by pressing the deflate button, looking up, and breathing out (venturi effect). You also have the possibility of shoulder dumps should your BC come equipped. For all of this to work though you either have to ascend in a do-si-do or independently. Which of course depends on your primary hose length.
The whole venting issue is only an issue if you're not trained to use it.

The whole inflate deflate button confusion is like gas and brakes in a car. You know the top button is deflate and bottom is inflate if you use it for ever single dive.

The only issues I ever had with it were the tension it created on my mouth and the dragging issue when my hands were in use.

 

[aquaregia]

I've got an old second-gen air2. I don't like the way it inflates (crazy fast) but I don't mind the way it breathes. I hate low low it hangs, and I hate that it can get trapped on stuff and that I have to look for it when I need it. My bungeed secondary never moves.

I have a 22" hose on it which is only barely long enough when I look all the way to the left. It definitely feels short on my doubles.

 

[Gombessa]

Hi g1138,

Whether your backup's lp hose is long enough is generally dictated by the hose routing due to the port positioning on your first stage. While the optimal length can vary depending on a few other factors (including how inflated your wing is), the vast majority of bungee-backup divers seem to do fine with 22-24". There will be a bit of bowing out of the hose, but it typically won't extend past your shoulder or profile exposed to the water. From what i've seen, it's the rare case to need any deviation from the standard, especially by more than an inch or so. There's a huge difference between a 22" and 18" hose for instance, the latter wouldn't even reach my mouth.