Stage Regs - To swivel or not to swivel

[Atticus]

I use two Apeks DS4/TX50's for stage regs with 40" hoses (pretty much standard setup, slung on my left side, on a Halcyon BP/Wing).

I'm a tall guy with a long torso, not sure if that affects this or not. I put the upper D ring about midway above my armpit / below my clavicle.

The issue I have is that with a 40" hose I have turn my head to the right to hold the reg comfortably in my mouth. What I've generally done is used my left arm to push the stage I'm breathing off up a little bit.

Anyway, all was well until I borrowed a reg with a swivel for a dive requiring three stages. I fealt immediately much more comfortable when I switched to the swivel reg.

Since then I ordered up some less-standard 44" hoses which have not come in yet.

Ok, so the swivel is a failure point. Agreed.

What is the normal way to deal with the issue of the hose on a non-swivel being effectively 2-4" shorter due to the bend.

One could always point the hose up on the reg, but then stowing the reg on the stage when you're not breathing off it becomes more of a problem...

 

[GDI]

:doctor:
I use the swivel 1st stage and it is much easier. You could try mounting the reg in a normal or vertical position with the hose coming off to the inside by your arm pit (or the other way even). Stowing the hose may not be as smooth as with it directed down along the tank, but into the arm pit it may not be a problem. A thought.

 

[Uncle Pug]

I have a couple of O2 clean DSTs that I will sell ya... only one is leaking from the swivel... so far.

 

[Atticus]

I'll mounth the D ring slightly higher (it can't go much higher ), and try rotating the reg slightly.

I suspect in the long run the slightly longer hoses will be part of the solution for me.

Cheers,
Merlin