Long(er) hose routing - what do you do?

[rhwestfall]

With the configuration I use, I'm looking to put a longer hose (thinking 40" because it has been mentioned) on my primary for the purpose of having a little more room in a sharing scenario. I am curious as to how those of you who dive something like this route/store this length. I am purely a recreational diver, having had an OW and AOW card for over 15 years, and not going further in any form of "tech training" (cave, wreck penetration, etc.).

 

[Jax]

Why not go for a 5' (60") hose? It's "tuckable" - down your right side, into and back out the waist band, and up to the left side of your neck and around to the front.

40" was my old octo hose, and it just kind of flopped around.

 

[rhwestfall]

maybe...

 

[Jax]

How about tying a length of rope around your 2nd, and attaching it to your tank with 40" between? Some stiff rope, to act like a rubber hose, or a flimsy rope to act like miflex. Move around and look in the mirror.

I found the 40" bothersome, not long enough to go under my arm, and not short enough to stay out of the way. Makes a great pony hose, tho.

 

[rhwestfall]

shhhhh - don't say the "P" word..... someone may be watching......

 

[redacted]

I use a 63" to 66" on my rigs. Comes out of the first stage on the right pointing about 25 degrees off of straight down. It then travels under my shoulder, across my chest, up and behind my neck and back over my right shoulder. If left loose, it will hang down about the bottom of my rib cage. This seems to leave plenty of room for comfortable head motion. If I feel any resistance when I turn my head to the left it usually means the segment across my chest is sagging a bit. I tried this initially with a standard 60" hose and found it to be a bit short for comfortable head motion. I am strictly a recreational diver but got tired of the primary on a standard short hose hooking on things as it looped from the 1st to my mouth. That extra length sits nice and flat against the body with no tangles problems and it make air sharing (or balancing) a lot easier.

My wife tried a 60" miflex hose but did not like the rig looping around her body and behind her neck. She ended up with a 40" miflex hose looping under her arm to a right angle connector on her primary.

 

[rhwestfall]

thanks!

 

[boulderjohn]

A 40" hose is a great length for a decompression or pony bottle slung on your side. It is just long enough to make it over the back of your neck and reach the mouth comfortably. I would not use it for either a primary regulator or alternate regulator coming off of the main tank. It is too long for that purpose, and you will end up with a big loop that will get in your way constantly.

As several have mentioned, if you want the extra length, go all the way to about 5 feet on your primary. That way it is long enough to go under the arm and around the neck. That makes it even more streamlined and out of the way than the standard short hose.

The only time I used that length, though, was with a borrowed set in Puget Sound with really thick underwear under my dry suit, and it was not long enough for me. It barely made it to my mouth, and it was uncomfortable. The 7' length was much better. That is what I use for all my diving.

 

[g1138]

I use a 40in hose with an 90-degree Angle Adapter on my primary (I got mine from Trident). The hose goes out your first stage, under your right arm and into your mouth.
I DO NOT use or recommend ever using a Swivel. There's a slight difference between the two, the main ones are:
- Angle adapters have 2 connections between the hose and your second stage where as Swivels have 3 connections.
- Angle adapters only use the proven standard hose connections couplings
- Swivels use standard hose connections plus the Omni-Swivel
- Swivels have been known to separate and catastrophically fail at their Omni-swivel

I get this out of the way because there's a misconception between the two.

I choose not to use a 5ft or 7ft hose with the Hog wrap configuration because in an OOA scenario there's a big chance for me to hook a long primary hose on my integrated pockets or on my finger spool which is kept on my hip D-ring.
When I eventually get the money to "upgrade" to a Bp/W then I'm looking at a 7ft hose.
Reason for this is because I've heard a 5ft hose interferes with your Right Shoulder D-ring at times.

The main reason for getting a longer hose for me though is because I use a bungeed backup, I absolutely need more length for an OOA situation. The main reason I choose to upgrade to a 7ft hose after getting a Bp/W is because my angle adapter likes to clang on my Bungee backup. And sometimes it will even lightly hook onto the adjustment dial of my backup's second stage if I turn my head in a certain pattern.
My current BC however makes getting a longer hose even less ideal IMO.
YMMV


XS Angle Adapter

Swivel *Do not recommend*

 

[highdesert]

A 40" hose is a good length for your primary second stage, if you run it under your arm and use a 90 degree fitting. Zeagle carries such an item, which it calls a "swivel elbow 2nd stage"...

Swivel Elbow 2nd Stage - Regulator Accessories - Accessories - Zeagle Dive Systems

I use this part, and as an ex-machinist and prototype designer, I'm very satisfied with its construction, and so is Zeagle.

Then you can bungee your back-up second stage (about 24-26" hose) so it hangs at your neck. I recommend Miflex hoses for both of these, for both comfort and compactness.