Solutions for alternate second stage hose length issue

[CephBirk]

I just switched over to a long-hose configuration and am LOVING it! I do have one issue though that I'd love to find a solution for. My alternate second stage is on a necklace and lays in a nice position on my chest when not in use. It's on a 22" (56 cm) rubber hose. Problem is that when I donate the primary and switch to the alternate, the alternate hose bows out and pushes in my mouth when I look right and also pulls when I look left. Seems that the hose is too short one direction and too long the other!

Any suggested solutions? I have heard that flex hoses give less push and pull. Maybe switching to a flex hose would help? I've heard they can be floaty though and I'd like to keep the hose neatly on my shoulder out of the way of my long hose.

 

[QLD_Diver]

Are you using a 90° connector between the reg and the lp hose? I found that really helped the reg sit nice and also reducing any pulling on the mouth when turning your head.

 

[tbone1004]

I use a ball swivel on both my primary and secondary second stages on most of my reg sets. It helps fix that problem. That said, it is an extra failure point which a lot of people don't like, but for me on the secondary especially, I'd just deal with it as is. You shouldn't be on it for more than a minute or two on each dive anyway *to validate function etc* so it doesn't add enough to warrant futzing with. You will hopefully never actually have to complete an ascent on that reg, and if you do, the slight discomfort for a few minutes will be fine.

To each his own. I don't have them on my current doubles set because it is primarily for my rebreather and is using stock Poseidon hoses. The rest of them all have ball swivels and when I run out of Poseidon hoses in like 20 years, they will end up with ball swivels