New Bungee / Long hose setup - Questions

[tbone1004]

ok, lots of discussions, some misinformation, lots of good info.

here's what I would do assuming you aren't diving a drysuit
You likely already have a 40" hose on your octo, keep it. You can grab a swivel and call it good which will make the hose route better under your arm.
Cave Adventurers - Swivel - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!

You don't however have a short enough hose for your secondary. Grab a 22" hose and stick it on the bottom port of your MK25
Cave Adventurers - Regulator Hoses (Kevlar) - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!

Your inflator and primary will then go on one side of the turret and you'll be good to go. If you are not in a backplate/wing the 7' hose is going to be rather difficult, so I wouldn't bother with it at this point it also doesn't really offer anything that whatever your current octo hose+ a swivel would be able to do for recreational type diving. This setup allows you to swim side-by-side quite easily.

If you are in a BP/W you can go straight to a long hose and either tuck the hose into your waist belt, put a pocket of some sort on there, or buy a can light simulator from Deep Sea Supply for $15 and hook it in that way. I wouldn't bother with a 5' hose, I think they're 100% useless.

The Dive Rite "streamlined OW" reg setup is fantastic, I've been using it for many years as have others and I'm glad they finally started marketing it as a way to get better streamlining and hose routing in single tanks without going to a long hose.

Regarding donation, it's already been covered, there won't be any confusion, you will either see it coming and already have it presented to the OOA diver before they get to you, or they will just grab it out of your mouth and then it's a non-issue. They don't go for colors, they go for bubbles.

 

[PCoetzee]

Look for colours darker than black. If you can't find then black will do. If you use coloured hoses the gas might travel in the wrong direction and perhaps increase your tank pressure.

On a more serious note:

I agree with tbone1004 about the DiveRite approach to hose routing. It seems extremely clean and streamlined. Examples here: SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - XT Advanced Open Water

You can also adopt the DIR approach of using 7ft "long hoses" for OW and AOW diving like some previous posters recommended. Training in the correct usage of such equipment is recommended. Example pictures here: Halcyon Regulator Systems | Halcyon

At the OPs level of diving a standard sport regulator configuration is probably also more than good enough. It is much simpler to obtain and is better understood by the broader recreational OW diving community.

I always recommend buying decent quality equipment. The more expensive stuff has a habit of working better and lasting longer.

 

[tbone1004]

agree with the first few paragraphs, second to last one I disagree with. The standard sport regulator config is utter crap and has literally 0 benefits other than being "what the industry standardized 30 years ago". The 7' long hose is I believe excessive for normal diving, but to each his own. I think a 36/40" hose *convenient because it comes as the octo hose on standard configs* with a swivel is vastly superior to the standard configuration and is a bit easier to manage than a long hose for some people. I love my long hose, but don't always use it. Pick one, doesn't matter which one you pick, it's personal preference, but either way, get the octo on a suicide strap around your neck, and get the primary to the point where it's the one being donated.

tn

 

[gbf]

I've always been a 7-ft kind of guy, up to this last trip to Bonaire. I bought a couple of 40" hoses and 90deg elbows and replaced the 7's on my and my daughter's regs, just as a test (packed the 7's just in case.) Routed 40" under right arm. Worked perfectly for both of us. Did a practice air share - swam side by side just fine, actually did about 15 minutes sharing air just for funsies.

No muss, no fuss, easier to handle on land than 7'er. While 7'ers are certainly fine for the diving I do now, so are the 40"ers.

Some folks like 70deg elbows or swivels. I can't imagine there would be much difference, if any, between 70 and 90 so ho-hum on that - use what you have. And I'm not much on swivels - too many moving parts for me.

But to each their own.

If you expect to be flip-flopping between open water and cave/wreck, get the 7. I've been done with caves for a long time, so I think I'll stick with the 40".

 

[The Chairman]

I dive 60" on my side mount kit, but really prefer how the 84" hose routes on a single tank.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

There are two competing routings discussed here. The "long hose" does not refer to a 40" hose, but the 7 footer under the belt-across the chest-around the head routing. Works great, dove it for several years, even as an ocean, open water diver.

The 40" "under-the-arm-with-a-right angle adapter" system is what Dive Rite and now Dive Gear Express call the "streamlined open water" routing. I have switched to this, with the exception of having a 48" hose going under my arm. I like this even better than the long hose (no unwrapping from my head) and, for OW diving, 48" is plenty long for relaxed air sharing. It is very streamlined and compact. Really like it, as well.

Nothing wrong with either way. Both employ the bungied secondary, with the primary donated for air share. No need for special colors for either set up.

 

[PfcAJ]

Whatever you do skip the swivel nonsense. The 90 degree and 70 degree adapters are ok.

 

[Roman_66]

Once on DIR course I heard that hose can be any color all time that it is black
Based on sentence "In DIR hose color doesn't matter and doesn't mean anything" I bought yellow long miflex exactly for reason that my wife after PADI OW course suppose to look for yellow in OOG situation.

 

[eelnoraa]

I don't think color matters, so no reason to change hose just for color. But if you are buying new, you may still want to go for less confusing color combo.

As for 40" vs 5ft/7ft, they route entirely differently. 40" is under arm (which I don't particular like), where there will be no interference with a snorkel. 5/7ft go behind neck and wrap around, you pretty much need to ditch the snorkel. If you insist on using a snorkel, then 40" with 90/70 adaptor is the way to go. If you don't care about snorkel, I see no reason to use 40". It is quite short for donation. You pretty need to be face to face and ascent. With 5ft, you can swim out to exist point side by side. With 7ft, you can do it single file.

Between 5 and 7, 5ft never really work well for me. It is too short to route under canister or be tugged in waist strap, and if I don't, it will flop around on the side of create a big bow behind my neck. I have been using 7ft, don't see any problem and won't make a change unless I encounter issue.

 

[cmrangel]

Hi, I'm the OP. Thanks for all the good info! To clarify, right now I am on a BCD (No BP/W .... yet) and am fairly happy with it (Oceanic Probe) and figure it might be a year or two before I may change it. I hear lots of good things (mostly here on scubaboard) about BP/W's but have never tried one but don't have any issues with what I am using. Maybe I just don't know what I'm missing, but that is OK ... for now.

I am going to start with a 40" primary and the 22" for my octo. Likely just going to use a 40" yellow hose I have and add an elbow. I will try this out for and see how it goes. If needed, I can go to a longer hose and a swivel if I have issues.

I am looking at octo's and, based on the feedback here, think I might try to get a better reg. I am still not sure if I can match my S600 (unless I find a good deal or a used one) but I have also seen things like the S360 that seem to be better for not much more than the R195.