What Slung Pony Hose Length Do You Prefer ?

[jim T.]

I've got a 30 c.f. coming next week. I've thought about using a 40" hose wrapped to the tank under the elastic bands. I thought a 40" would give me the most options for necklacing the reg. on some dives or passing the bottle off to another diver if ever necessary.

I tried weaving a 40" on a tank at my LDS and the radius of the bends seemed to approach "a little severe", yet when I tried a shorter hose the bends looked to be about the same.

I'd probably straighten the hose out at home between dives to relieve strain.

What do you guys and gals choose for length and do for stowing on the tank?
Are the bends ok over time? (We're not close to crimping but they are taking a "reciprical course"!

Thanks.

 

[XJae]

well, 40" is the standard, and that's what I've been using with no problems.

not sure what you mean by necklacing the reg? basically, I've got mine bungied to the tank with one bend (no problems with bends, using it over a year) and keep it stowed there. When I need it, I deploy the hose, follow the hose to the valve, turn on the valve, pull the second stage behind and around my neck and into my mouth. you must remember to charge the reg (turn it on and off to pressurize) before getting in the water, or you will flood your first stage with water that should never be there.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

you must remember to charge the reg (turn it on and off to pressurize) before getting in the water, or you will flood your first stage with water that should never be there.

And check it regularly, backrolling in, swimming around, etc all those little things will purge your reg, I twist mine open to re-charge it periodically throughout the dive.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

With most regulators, a 40 inch hose is just long enough to travel down the tank, make a 180 degree bend and come back up to the second stage clipped to a ring near the neck of the tank. It works very well.

You do not want a necklace on a deco/stage bottle. A 40 inch hose is just about right to loop around the back of your neck and route to your mouth. If you take it out of your mouth or leave it in preparation for a gas switch etc, it will lay over your shoulder and won't go anywhere until you restow it unless you get real acrobatic.

If you are larger than average and need another couplel inches, Trident sells a 42" LP hose.

 

[Web Monkey]

The 40" hose works nicely. Although I'm certain some will jump in and say "It's an additional failure point", a readable SPG is very nice to have for use during an ascent. It's very calming during an OOA emergency to know exactly what's left in the tank.

Some use the little "Button" gauge that screws into an HP port. Your eyes may be better than mine, but I can't even see it under water.

I use a small, standard SPG on a 12 hose. A lot of poeple use a 6" hose, but they don't seem to like the sharp bend, and I went through 3 6" hoses before switching to a 12". The 12" works great and shows no signs of wear.

Terry

I've got a 30 c.f. coming next week. I've thought about using a 40" hose wrapped to the tank under the elastic bands. I thought a 40" would give me the most options for necklacing the reg. on some dives or passing the bottle off to another diver if ever necessary.

I tried weaving a 40" on a tank at my LDS and the radius of the bends seemed to approach "a little severe", yet when I tried a shorter hose the bends looked to be about the same.

I'd probably straighten the hose out at home between dives to relieve strain.

What do you guys and gals choose for length and do for stowing on the tank?
Are the bends ok over time? (We're not close to crimping but they are taking a "reciprical course"!

Thanks.

 

[jim T.]

Thank you everyone. ( I also asked the same question on the public safety divers forum as I figured there'd be more back mounted pony users there.) I'm planning on slinging mine but I'd like to know what hose length was ideal.

DA Aquamaster, thanks. I had seen your 40" recommendaton on another SB thread so I had already asked for one when I ordered My R190 MK2 yesterday as per our PMs. Thanks one last time for your help sorting through my decision process.

WebMonkey, I have also ordered a 6" hose for my SPG so I'll have to see how stressed that hose gets. It's good to know the 12" is a commonly used option. Thanks for that info.

CD, thanks for the accidental purging tips as well. Are there pop on/off covers made to prevent that? (Like the mouthpiece covers that prevent freeflowing?)

I'm looking forward to practicing and drilling with a slung pony.

Jim

 

[DA Aquamaster]

A 6" hose will not last long if you leave it bent during storage (as it would be if bungeed to the first stage). If you let it sit straight between dive days, it will last longer.

 

[jim T.]

Thanks DA. Should I just go ahead with a 12" then or see how it goes with a six?
(I've got the 6" coming but if it could mean a failure in a relatilvely short time, I guess I'd switch it out.)

XJae, Thanks for the reminder about charging the hose/reg. I knew about that but I appreciate your mentioning it.

Necklacing the reg refers to the technique/method of attatching a thin bungee under the reg.'s mouthpiece wire tie and wearing the bungee around your neck so that the regulator is always sitting just under your chin-sometimes allowing a diver to simply dip his head to find and grab it in his/her teeth without using hands. Sorry I forgot to respond to your question in my lst response.

 

[diveh3]

I must admit, I have never seen anyone use a necklace for a slung bottle.
The idea of the 40" hose is, the hose routes over the back of your neck and into your mouth.
Depending on your gear configuration, such as diving a long hose? secondary would already be necklaced.
If you are carrying this bottle for deco, the necklace idea is a definate NO-NO and could be a very dangerous proposition.
Wouldn't it be a CF to hand off the bottle if the reg is bungied around your neck?
YMMV but I would keep it simple by rigging it the common way as not to confuse yourself or an OOG diver.
If the reg is stowed on the bottle it is easy to deploy even in the event of an OOG.

There are kits for rigging the bottle and they have bands to stow the hose. Or you can make your own.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Thanks DA. Should I just go ahead with a 12" then or see how it goes with a six?
(I've got the 6" coming but if it could mean a failure in a relatilvely short time, I guess I'd switch it out.)

I think the 6" hose is fine as long as you don't leave it bungeed to the first stage during storage.

Personally I went to using button gauges due to their cleaner profile. They are adequate to check the tank pressure on the surface and if you really need to see it during the dive you can still see it. Plus with a Mk 2, you get ample warning of low tank pressure due to the unbalanced design of the Mk 2 first stage.

I just found that set up to be much more convenient than a conventional SPG on a 6" hose that I really never referred to much anyway.