What length hoses do you have?

[large_diver]

My hose lengths are identical to LY. And BTW -- happy birthday Cybordolphin!

Brady -- how do you stow your 7' back-up hose? Not looking to bash you, just curious.

-LD

 

[bradymsu]

LD,

I've tried all the hose stowing methods I've heard of. My least favorite is stowing the hose along the manifold. For a while, I was doing it under the light, across the chest and around the neck. I have switched to stowing it in surgical tubing on the right side of my backplate. I didn't want to do it this way at first because I though it would be hard to deploy the hose and hard to re-stuff it. I switched because I wanted a cleaner configuration than what the hose across the chest and around the neck method provided. The hose is now stowed out of the way. I have also found that the hose is now actually easier to deploy than before. I realize too that outside of drills, there would be little need to re-stuff the hose underwater in the event of an emergency.

I understand you're asking this as a legitimate question and not bashing. I'm open to civil and polite discussion of kit configuration alternatives with other "independent" divers who don't go into a discussion assuming they know The Right Way and I'm a dive heathen in need of conversion or will be damned as a "stroke". That's not directed at you, LD, but at those few members of ScubaBoard I can count on bullying up on me as easily as they can count on Ed coming after them for one of their DIR posts.

 

[Lost Yooper]

I sure am curious to see who (on the DIR side of the fence) here on Scuba Board will step up first to do some bashing. I think you'll be disappointed . This is one of the few boards where such discussions can be had without much distasteful and worthless commentary. It generally only takes one rotten apple to spoil an entire thread.

So, who's it going to be?

Mike

PS. As it pertains to this topic, if someone believes it's not important to be able to restow the long hose quickly and efficiently, then so be it.

 

[tombiowami]

I agree with LY. This board to me is one of the most respectful on the Internet as a whole, in any subject. Amazing amounts of info can be gleened from many levels of diving.

On the dir hose stuff, my take is that many times in an ow setting all of the specifics are not obvious, but as diving possibly progresses to tech, cave, penetration, deep, scooter, stages, deco, etc. some of the configuration info comes into light. This is part of the little talked about holistic approach to diving that is the mainstay of DIR.

In the new Dir Fund book JJ even wonders if the long hose is even needed at all in easy ow settings.

The thinking on the long hose primary is to know that the reg you are donating is working and can be delivered immediately in addition to the possibility of someone just pulling your primary reg out of your mouth.

Tommy

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by bradymsu
I realize too that outside of drills, there would be little need to re-stuff the hose underwater in the event of an emergency.

Hi Brady,

I'll be gentle...

That is the main reason I can see for not stuffing....

We do an OOA drill every dive not to see if we can remember how to do it....
But to make sure that the gear is correctly deployable and not tangled.... (it happens)
If we had to re-stuff we would be tempted not to do the drill....

(Honestly now... do you do the drill every dive?)

IF an emergency actually happened... which we all know is going to be the rare occurance...
Could you guarantee that the long hose would be deployable?
That the regulator would be beathable?

Uncle loves you Brady

 

[large_diver]

I've heard the "long hoses may not be needed for OW" argument before, but now that I've switched, I won't go back. I was never happy with the various octo holders I tried when using a regular octo set-up. I also switch regs on every dive just for practice and like to be able to re-stow.

It works for ME. YMMV ;-)

 

[bradymsu]

I didn't say that I expected to be "bashed" by the DIR crowd. They realize they wouldn't be able to get away with it here like they do on the other tech boards. Instead, on Scuba Board, they resort to a polite hostility, making sure they're there to provide the DIR line or counter arguments every time a tech discussion comes up. Again, they haven't failed to do just that.

They may not realize it, but it's about as helpful as a religious fundementalist correcting us every time we say something considered sinful in their book. You may think I'm not DIR because I don't understand it. That's wrong. I'm not DIR because, believe it or not, I don't agree with some aspects of it. I actually started off DIR and then moved away from it.

If you have something new to add to a discussion, so be it. But, if your purpose is only to correct "strokes" or tell us for the millionth time that you think Halcyon makes the best gear, maybe it's better not to make that post. It's not going to turn me back to DIR and I can guarantee you that it's not going to look attractive to a newer diver.

 

[Uncle Pug]

:warhammer


Errr...scuz me...

 

[bradymsu]

Uncle Pug,

Your post wasn't up before I sent my last post. My rant against the DIR police wasn't directed to you.

Both my primary and secondary regulators are checked before every dive both on land when I first open the valve and again underwater during the s-drill. My secondary second (which is actually my better regulator) is placed in the necklace, probably the same as yours except that it is on the longer hose.

The stowing of my hose is checked on land by my buddy before every technical dive (I usually only do technical dives with my regular buddy). We frequently do underwater drills that require pulling the hose out, but not every dive. I don't think stowing the hose is perfect, but it's the best option I've found so far for myself based on my experience underwater and what I've learned from divers with years of experience.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by bradymsu
Uncle Pug,
Your post wasn't up before I sent my last post. My rant against the DIR police wasn't directed to you.

What specifically did you not like about wrapping the long hose and breathing off of it???

And if I might be so bold.... do you see any potential snag hazard to having the long hose stuffed behind you???

And since you stated that you "started off DIR but moved away from it" & words to the effect that you will never be turned back to it.....

May I hazard another question???

You see I have been looking for someone who was DIR trained and decided after taking GUE classes that it wasn't really the best way to go. It seems that everyone I run into who takes even the DIR fundamentals class comes away saying how wrong they were and how much they learned and how great it was. I have yet to find some one who actually took the classes and then say that it wasn't that great. Seems that I do hear comments like that about all the other training organizations.

So, can I ask... and please don't take this the wrong way...
What GUE/DIR class did you take and what was your assessment of it?