Long hose and octo with necklace for rec diving

[dhaines429]

Just wondering if anyone out there uses the tech setup with the long hoes primary and October on necklace for recreational diving. I'm thinking of setting up my rec setup this way and wondering if there are any real cons to it from a recreational perspective.

 

[Storker]

I dive strictly no-stop and use a LH/BO setup. Works fine, but I take special care to brief my buddy (who most probably has been trained with secondary donate). And I make sure to do an S-drill after splashing, because tangled 2nd stage hoses is a recipe for trouble if the proverbial manure hits the proverbial air conditioning device.

 

[Dogbowl]

I just spent several days ocean diving in Cozumel and it wasn't the best configuration for me. Here's the discussion of that:

Length of regulator hoses - recreational setup

 

[Diver0001]

Just wondering if anyone out there uses the tech setup with the long hoes primary and October on necklace for recreational diving. I'm thinking of setting up my rec setup this way and wondering if there are any real cons to it from a recreational perspective.

I have used the long hose for recreational diving. You will find that in order to get the long hose to route properly so it doesn't float up over your head that you will need to route it pretty much straight down the side of the tank. Depending on your first stage this might mean you need to tilt the first stage such that the inflator hose sticks up higher over your shoulder than you would like.

You can see what that looks like on the picture linked below.

Another thing you might need to reconsider is the snorkel. I find deploying the long hose with a snorkel on the mask requires tilting your head such that the snorkel doesn't catch the hose. For that reason when I use this configuration I don't put a snorkel on the mask.

In the big picture while it works as advertised I don't really prefer the long hose to the more traditional set up for recreational diving. If you find the octopus hose too short then consider putting a longer hose on that instead.

R..

https://www.scubaboard.com/community/media/me-and-my-dive-buddy-again.40359/full

 

[Dan_P]

It makes life a tonne easier when/if you progress into diving where you need more gas - whether technical or just a 30m nitrox rec dive.

As for the setup purely as a single-tank solution, it makes sense to have a gassharing procedure where you donate from the mouth. The 7ft hose is well practical in open water as well, as a short hose may well be a bit too, well, short.

If you're interested in diving a DIR configuration and learning about why it's configured the way it is, while boosting your skills, I can recommend the Extreme Scuba Makeover or Essentials of Recreational Diving programmes.

 

[Storker]

You should also think hard about the length of your primary hose. The standard long hose is 210cm/7'. That length means that you should have a cannister or something else to stow the hose loop behind. I use a 150cm/5' long hose, which doesn't need stowing. And seriously, you don't need a 210cm long hose unless you need to swim single file while sharing gas. And if you need to swim single file, you're most probably in an overhead environment, where we rec divers have no business being.

 

[Diver0001]

That length means that you should have a cannister or something else to stow the hose loop behind.

When routed straight down the side of the tank you can hook it under the weights and it stays put (for me). Before I had that worked out I stuffed the long hose under the weight belt on the right side to keep it in place.

R..

 

[MichaelMc]

I like it recreationally. I use 7' long hose tucked in my PB/W and weigh belt. Carry but not wear snorkel. 7' is not essential though. The argument for primary donate and necklaced octo is stronger than for going the whole 7'. A first stage with 5th port pointing down makes routing the long/primary hose downward first helps. 40" for the long hose makes sense as well.

Lots of threads on the primary donate debate.

7' con: it is long out of the water. But well worth it in water for air share ease, maybe even a tidier profile in the water.

Edit: I dive just recreationally, non technical.

 

[Dan_P]

I just stuff and pull it under my harness belt, works perfectly.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @dhaines429

Last summer I bought a second single tank setup, mainly for travel. I set it up with a 40" primary with an omniswivel running under my right arm and a 22" second on a necklace around my neck. I have found that it causes more jaw fatigue when diving 3-5 hours per day than my old setup with a standard primary. I think it is just the weight of the regulator and hose pulling slightly right and down. @tbone1004 states he does not have this problem with a long hose. I will probably try a 5 and 7 foot hose for myself. My 1st is a SP MK25, I'm also going to try the 5th, downward pointing LP port for the primary hose, to see if that helps.