Swivel for Reg Question

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Dan G

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I would like to put a swivel on my primary second stage (my back up goes on a necklace) so that I can run the 40" miflex hose under my arm. What should I be looking for in the swivel as I browse the possibilities? Or is a fixed ~90 degree a good way to go?
 
Id go fixed 90 personally. I dont like the idea of those o-rings in the swivel as a failure point.
 
Let's start by saying Swivels & Angle Adapters are not the same thing.
Angle Adapters have 2 points of swiveling; at the hose & at the reg.
Swivels (like Omni Swivel) have 3 points of swiveling; at the hose, at the reg, and in the middle of the swivel ball itself.

Go with a 90 Angle Adapter, any brand (or un-named) is fine.
A 70 angle adapter would work too. Those are usually used for FFM's w/ comms, where a push-to-talk button would block the 90 angle adapter.
In my experience, I don't feel any difference between 90 & 70.

Swivels are best suited for over the shoulder with very short or long hoses. The added middle swivel point in swivels allows a huge tension relief.

For under the arm, that middle swivel is essentially not utilized at all with any normal head movements.


In terms of service & maintenance, Angle Adapters take a single -010 oring as service. And it is replaced as needed, same way your orings on standard LP hoses are replaced.

Swivels require a service interval like a regulator. OmniSwivel's tech manual mandates every 300 hours or annually. The cheap non-branded ones you'll find have a notoriety on scubaboard for breaking down and leaking before the 1st year of use is over. I also have never found part kits for the non-branded one.
Part kits are important for swivels, because for OmniSwivel's kit you're replacing 5 orings, a teflon washer, a metal nut, & a metal screw. They're not prone to failure if maintained properly. They did have bad failure incidents during their first few pioneering years, but it's corrected now with maintenance; mainly changing that metal screw & nut annually.
 
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I use a swivel similar to the Omni swivel with my FFM and a 40" MiFlex routed under my right arm and it works great. No tension, on pulling, and couple with the rotating feature of my 1st stage reg (Hog D3) it seems to be a great combination. No complaints. Here's a bigger view of my avatar to see the swivel and where it's attached.
 
I have a 90 off of my HOG....works perfectly.....I also use the necklace.
 
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XS Scuba has a nice stainless steel swivel. Several people up here use it in cold water mountain lakes.
 

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