Use of Short HP hose for SM & Stages

[Caveeagle]

I am slowly putting gear together for sidemount and a deco/stage bottle. (plan to schedule training for sometime this year)

I have read a book and a few articles on gear config, as well as close observations of other divers I know. It seems most have their gauges on short 6" HP hoses with small 2" or 1.5" gauges. I have seem three basic methods.
1) Pointed down alongside the tank, to just bend up when observing psi.
2) Pointed up, and fwd, (like lolly pops).. I guess so they are easy to see without touching them
3) Pointed down, and bent around to a 'U' shape with cord to hold them in place.

my thoughts..
1) This makes sense to protect the gauge, but It seems like unnecessary stress on that short hose and unions.
2) This is the way I will probably try first. It just seems like the best visibility.
3) I am sure this is ok, or I would not see so many people doing it. Its just putting such a sharp bend on that hose goes against all my mechanical experience, in creating a potential problem with a hose failure.


So.. How do you have your short hose/HP gauge mounted, ...and why?

 

[Patoux01]

2) That's also the way that is most likely to duck things up, getting entangled and simply "in the way" if done "wrongly".
3) That's done for stages, not so much for main tanks, they're not worn in the same way.

I haven't heard of any hose blowing up, at least not more than "the usual".

 

[decompression]

Those are the most common ways and each have good/bad points. Take what you hear and see what makes sense to you and how you'll dive.

 

[rick00001967]

imho......i run the spgs down the tanks whether for sm or a deco bottle. it is quite easy to read them when they are done this way. for me, the way i have my sm tanks, the spg runs down the tank but towards the inside. so i simply look down and pull the gauge slightly up to read it. very easy.
i do not like the idea of the "lolly poop" gauge. seems completely unnecessary to me. and it looks like it would take up too much real estate in the chest area that could be better utilized. but lots of people do it.
i also have never understood why people tie the spg up to the 1st stage on a deco bottle. again.....so easy to simply pull up slightly on the gauge to read. why would you stress your hp by tying it up. but it seems to be the "standard" way of doing it on a deco bottle.
everyone has there favorite way of doing things. arguments can be made for or against most of them. as long as you are comfortable and not doing something "dangerous" then do what makes you happy.

 

[tbone1004]

1. typically a 9" hose is used when sending the SPG's down. It keeps the bend radius more open which is good and the 6" hoses are too short to actually read when the tanks are kept back in the proper location. Easier with the original style bungee on the Nomad/SMS series or with the continuous bungee on the Razor, not so easy with loop bungees which keep the tanks farther back.

2. the important part of this setup is using the slimline SPG's as they are not going to cause the hose to sag considerably and the braided hoses are stiffer for this which can help. I still use rubber, but that is because I haven't had to replace them yet. Make sure that they are angled appropriately to put the SPG's in the right location so you don't have two nice drag marks through the silt

3. standard stage setup obviously. Not all that common, but if you are doing #1, you may as well try #3. The difference here being that you will have to grab the tank valve and move it forward to see it.

I use #2, it's not perfect, but I found that #1 was not ideal, especially while on a dpv

 

[Caveeagle]

Thanks guys.. I got 6" rubber HP hoses. I did not notice a 9" option. I am going to play around with the 'lolly pop' arrangement for starters. I may try this out in one of the nearby springs (OW of course), just to get some idea of how it works.

I have not decided whether to Use HOG D1s or my Poseidon 3720 1st stages. I really want to keep my back-mount regs intact so I don't keep reconfiguring everything.

 

[tbone1004]

what are you using for backmount regs?

The d1's will offer better hose routing in general due to the swivel turret being used more regularly in sidemount than in backmount, however, in backmount the 5th port offers the best hose routing for secondary and inflator, so it is a tossup. I use my 3720's in sidemount with no issue, the only concern is they look silly with the hoses sticking straight up when they aren't donned on the left bottle, and don't pack as well with the hoses going opposite directions on the right, and in the event of an OOA situation, you do have the potential to crimp off the long hose, though it is no different than in backmount with a non-swivel regulator. I don't believe the bottom ports are necessary in sidemount and don't use them.

 

[kensuf]

I use 9" hoses, facing down flush with the cylinders. I simply bend them up when I check the gauges.

The reasoning for this has less to do with protecting the gauges and more to do with protecting the caves. Over the past few years I've seen an increase in the "twin caterpillar rows" caused by people with "antennae gauges" dragging into the silt. Every time I see a pair of caterpillar rows I realize a cave amphipod has shed a tear.

 

[Caveeagle]

what are you using for backmount regs?

I have been diving a set of 2960 1st stages (w/Jetstreams) for my standard double (104 & 95s) rig.

I have my family members diving HOG D1s in single tank/BM when we are in OW and caverns.

I am just starting to move into sidemount. As I said, I have a set of 3720 1st stages as well as HOG D1s available that I can use. I know some would argue the Poseidon non-directional 2nd stages are an advantage, but I will probably try both ways to see what feels better. (and I know HOG reversible 2nds can do this too).

I am not sure what you meant by "crimping off" the longs hose......

 

[Caveeagle]

The reasoning for this has less to do with protecting the gauges and more to do with protecting the caves. Over the past few years I've seen an increase in the "twin caterpillar rows" caused by people with "antennae gauges" dragging into the silt. Every time I see a pair of caterpillar rows I realize a cave amphipod has shed a tear.

Ken, I guess I don't get how they are dragging on the bottom. If they are pointed fwds and up, it seems like you would have to try pretty hard to drag them. Or, are they mounting the 1st stage below the valve? ..So the gauge is pointing down??