Is a long hose cumbersome on dive boats?

[Ayisha]

..... in an ooa you are done with the dive ,rec class , at that point you can wrap around your neck and belt stow ......

Hi Steve, the hose stuffing is a CanSAC procedure, right? I haven't seen it, but I've heard about it.

What I'm wondering is that once you've deployed it, and it's going to then be behind your neck anyway, how come it doesn't just start out behind your neck? Thanks!

 

[grf88]

Hi Steve, the hose stuffing is a CanSAC procedure, right? I haven't seen it, but I've heard about it.

What I'm wondering is that once you've deployed it, and it's going to then be behind your neck anyway, how come it doesn't just start out behind your neck? Thanks!

Hi Ayisha, anybody at Cansac that uses the long hose on back mount does so in the traditional Hog Loop. You will only see stuffed hose on those using a sidemount configuration. Fortunately Steve is long gone from Cansac.

 

[Ayisha]

Hi Ayisha, anybody at Cansac that uses the long hose on back mount does so in the traditional Hog Loop. You will only see stuffed hose on those using a sidemount configuration. Fortunately Steve is long gone from Cansac.

Hi Glen, thank you for clarifying.

 

[abnfrog]

fortunately I am gone , ...............for my insurance sake

 

[ReefHound]

I guess I'm in the minority here; I'm going to say that the long hose is a minor nuisance. Can you make it work? Sure, but it's one more thing to keep track of, one more loose end. I have a long hose on my twinset regs but on single cylinder dives I use a 40" hose routed under my arm with an elbow at the 2nd stage. I think that's sufficient for any dive that doesn't involve a cave or penetration.

I can see your point and I also use 40" hoses run under the arm with a swivel. But while a long hose can be critical in caving where you often have to run single file, there may be cases in rec boat diving where sea state makes it advisable to run single file up the down line or sideline. And there's something to be said for diving the same rig everytime for the instinctual awareness of your kit.

 

[markmud]

And there's something to be said for diving the same rig everytime for the instinctual awareness of your kit.

Reef Hound,

I totally agree with your statement quoted above.

markm

 

[Diving Dubai]

I guess I'm in the minority here; I'm going to say that the long hose is a minor nuisance. Can you make it work? Sure, but it's one more thing to keep track of, one more loose end. I have a long hose on my twinset regs but on single cylinder dives I use a 40" hose routed under my arm with an elbow at the 2nd stage. I think that's sufficient for any dive that doesn't involve a cave or penetration.

I'll agree with you.

Personally I believe that 40" is long enough in open water (both my hoses are 40" on swivels, and my Alt comes under my left arm). While I've never donated to an OOA, I have had to air share a few times while guiding someone who has been heavy on their air.

For me a 40" hose diving in the ocean, it's perfect, as it's long enough to have some space, while it's short enough to be able to maintain control of the diver. Especially when you encounter strong currents, you certainly don't want a large separation. It's also easy to manage if removing kit in the water and passing it up, especially on vacation dives. It's just easier on the crew etc.

I get that some people like to familiarise themselves and dive with one set up, I personally don't find that an issue. My BCD for training has a conventional rig, my SM though has 2 long hoses. As soon as I strap on that particular rig I automatically know where my Alt reg is without thinking or fumbling about.

Finally: when I've been teaching rescue class, I've had a small number of people turn up in BP/W and Long hose. No problem with that, but on each occasion when under "stress" their OOA donation technique has been a shambles. More than once I (as the panicked diver) had been able to attach myself to their bungeed second (Alt).

I have no problem with people's choices of equipment configurations, I just wish though rather than adopting a practice because they've read or heard about it, they would think the configuration through. In my opinion there isn't one single configuration that is optimised for all different diving environments. Each has it's own pro's and cons.

Before adopting a particular config one should assess it's suitability for your kind of diving and situation. For me the downsides of the long hose (in open water) far outweigh the positives - which are applicable to an extremely rare event.

 

[Storker]

when I've been teaching rescue class, I've had a small number of people turn up in BP/W and Long hose. No problem with that, but on each occasion when under "stress" their OOA donation technique has been a shambles.

I'd ascribe that to operator error, AKA Id-10-T error. For any gear configuration, the diver should familiarize themself with their gear and run enough drills that operating the gear becomes second nature.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I'd ascribe that to operator error, AKA Id-10-T error. For any gear configuration, the diver should familiarize themself with their gear and run enough drills that operating the gear becomes second nature.

But the point is, the majority of divers, haven't "mastered" the basic skills to start with OR allowed themselves to become out of practice.

Yes they can complete a mask clear, reg recovery or gas donate, but it's normally messy and they lose buoyancy and get a bit flustered. Adding a bit of pressure makes things worse.

Then on top of this they add a new config which compounds the issue.

Long hose is absolutely mandatory for overheads (both physical or virtual) but not so much for general OW Rec. Rec divers are adopting a config that may be used a couple of times in their career if at all. I'm approaching 1K dives and dive with high frequency with novice/inexperienced divers. Yet I've never (and now touching wood) had to carry out a real life OOA. If I did, I could manage it happily with a standard configuration.

Now I choose 40" hoses because I dive a lot in big currents where this would be a better solution, as well as having the added advantage of being comfortable to air share for a high consumption diver - which is a more regular event.

I would suggest that my choice of 2 x 40" hoses is over complicated for most. I use it because it allows me to position a diver on either my left or my right depending on the site. So it's optimized to my actual environment and needs rather than just adopting a solution I've read about

 

[markmud]

But the point is, the majority of divers, haven't "mastered" the basic skills to start with OR allowed themselves to become out of practice.

Hi DD,

I understand both of your points. The one for your students and the other point being for your personal situation.

What about divers who have mastered recreational (or tech rec) and who don't get flustered easily u/w?

I think Storker's point is correct when put in context. For those of us who are experienced, but not working instructors, using the same rig is best as we don't dive at the same frequency as you.

My diving is sporadic. I dive in spurts. For a few months I dive some, and then for a longer period I dive much less or not at all. For me, using the same rig is second nature. Changing rigs, like changing underwear, can be a pain.

Am I getting my point across? I am struggling to put into written word what I am thinking.

I do dive a 60" hog looped primary on my rec rig. I don't understand why it isn't taught by more instructors in OW. I know one that does. So much better.

thanks,
markm