OK, Let me first add a few caveats. I have donated air to an OOA diver. I have donated air to an OOA diver that was not my buddy and in full panic. I have used the buddy breathing method many years ago. I have witnessed an uncontrolled assent caused by a panicked, OOA diver dragging his donor to the surface with him.
I'm sure that long hose divers will justify their gear choice and rightly so. Long hoses can and do provide a safe and easy method for sharing air between two well trained divers, particularly in a confined space. Long hose divers feel comfortable using this setup in any diving venue, however, it is not the only right solution for non-confined space diving.
My only two issues with long hoses (and believe me, they are minor ones) is that a brand new diver, using a long hose faces a (slightly) greater risk when faced with a determined OOA diver and that a long hose in open water provides no real advantage over a standard length hose.
I'm sure that long hose divers will justify their gear choice and rightly so. Long hoses can and do provide a safe and easy method for sharing air between two well trained divers, particularly in a confined space. Long hose divers feel comfortable using this setup in any diving venue, however, it is not the only right solution for non-confined space diving.
My only two issues with long hoses (and believe me, they are minor ones) is that a brand new diver, using a long hose faces a (slightly) greater risk when faced with a determined OOA diver and that a long hose in open water provides no real advantage over a standard length hose.