Long Hose

[Serota]

Do you carry a long hose when sidemounting? Is there any reason not to?

[chimie007]

I do on one tank because I mostly dive with non SM divers. I coil it on the tank.

It actually works well because when I'm not using that reg, I clip it to a chest D-ring and pull the slack under the rubber bands on the tank. It's easy to reach with one hand and pull a little to take the slack off.

[Serota]

Yes, thats exactly what I do and it seems to work well. I don't really see any significant downside to having the long hose.


I do on one tank because I mostly dive with non SM divers. I coil it on the tank.

It actually works well because when I'm not using that reg, I clip it to a chest D-ring and pull the slack under the rubber bands on the tank. It's easy to reach with one hand and pull a little to take the slack off.

[Tegg]

Having hoses longer then 36" also helps when traversing certain types of restrictions where passing tanks through and moving them to the side while you pass is needed.

[FW]

I started using a 7' hose for backmount buddies, but never bothered taking it off when not diving mixed teams. It has never gotten in the way, and like Tegg said, can be useful sometimes.

[aainslie]

I swap it out depending on who's with me. I love the simplicity of a short hose that just does the job. So on my own or with SM buddies I take the 7 ft off.

[RN]

I do on one tank because I mostly dive with non SM divers. I coil it on the tank.

It actually works well because when I'm not using that reg, I clip it to a chest D-ring and pull the slack under the rubber bands on the tank. It's easy to reach with one hand and pull a little to take the slack off.

I do the same. Lately, I'm not diving with back mount divers much. It's just easier to keep the same hose on all the time. And it doesn't really pose a problem.

[Brian Kakuk]

Using a 7 foot hose on the Left tank enables the diver to:
1. Instructors: Meet teaching standards for required hose lengths for air sharing capabilities during training (regardless of student's or other team member's configurations)
2. Allows the regulator from the left tank to comfortably come behind the diver's head and into the diver's mouth, negating the need for "left handed" second stages on the left tank.
3. Allows the use of long hose for air sharing through restrictions...It does work.

Placing the extra length of the hose securely down the length of the "top" of the left cylinder with at least 3 bungee's, innertube strips or Dive rite hose retainers keeps it out of the way.
The top of the cylinder is only the top when the diver is lying flat (horizontal). Also, the use of hard angles (90 or 110 degrees) at the second stage will make the hose routing more comfortable without creating an increased failure point (as is the case with two-part swivels).

Hope this helps.

Brian

[RN]

Placing the extra length of the hose securely down the length of the "top" of the left cylinder with at least 3 bungee's, innertube strips or Dive rite hose retainers keeps it out of the way.
The top of the cylinder is only the top when the diver is lying flat (horizontal).

Why the top and not the inside or bottom? Right now I use a long hose on my right bottle, but I think I like the idea of putting it on the left bottle for a couple of reasons:

I sometimes dive right hand valves on the left side (usually when traveling) and

I wouldn't mind getting rid of the extra hose behind my neck by moving my short hose to the right bottle.

I secure my long hose along the inside of my right bottle though because it keeps the hose covered and reduces entanglement or getting snagged on some piece of rock that may be sticking out.

Also, for those of you that use a short hose on the right tank, what's the typical length of this hose?

[FW]

I usually have the long hose on my right side, but I use Poseidon regulators, and don't have the "over the shoulder" issues.

[rrosepiler]

The way I sidemount is with the 7ft on the left tank, but something you can add is take about a 3inch piece of surgical tubing and tie a ring in it. Once you do that place it around your valve and before you tuck your hose in the hose retainers tuck it through that ring. What it does is keeps your hose tight up against your tank and valve and allows you to get away from routing the hose around you head as long as you have a 90. I do this on both tanks and it works great. When you need some slack all you have to do is give it a little pull and it helps keep your hoses tight and not dangling around.

[sskasser]

The way I sidemount is with the 7ft on the left tank, but something you can add is take about a 3inch piece of surgical tubing and tie a ring in it. Once you do that place it around your valve and before you tuck your hose in the hose retainers tuck it through that ring. What it does is keeps your hose tight up against your tank and valve and allows you to get away from routing the hose around you head as long as you have a 90. I do this on both tanks and it works great. When you need some slack all you have to do is give it a little pull and it helps keep your hoses tight and not dangling around.

Got a photo you can post?

[Brian Kakuk]

Why the top and not the inside or bottom? Right now I use a long hose on my right bottle, but I think I like the idea of putting it on the left bottle for a couple of reasons:

I sometimes dive right hand valves on the left side (usually when traveling) and

I wouldn't mind getting rid of the extra hose behind my neck by moving my short hose to the right bottle.

I secure my long hose along the inside of my right bottle though because it keeps the hose covered and reduces entanglement or getting snagged on some piece of rock that may be sticking out.

Also, for those of you that use a short hose on the right tank, what's the typical length of this hose?


I find that the top of the cylinder (while horizontal) comes into contact with cave less than the bottom and outside. I've never tried on the inside like some, only because I thought the loop of the hose created at the bottom of the cylinder would catch on the cam strap buckle (when I use cam straps) or the screws on the hose clamps (when I use hose clamps). Think its probably fine in either place as long as the hose does not hang up during deployment.

I've never had the hose snag on the cave as long as a good piece of inner tube was covering the end loop of hose near the end of the cylinder. Either way, in all the time I have been rigging the long hose on side mounts, I've never found a reason to NOT use the long hose on side mount configurations. I would love to hear from anyone who HAS had issues with it so we can all learn.

Safe diving,
Brian

[Webmaster]

I did carry a 7ft hose on the left, but after a few dives where it seemed to continually snag some part of the hose and come untucked, and even wedged under a rock in one case, I just went with shorter hoses.

And that's starting out with it all neatly tucked in against my body. That said, it was some fairly awkward and tight stuff. I like the way I have it rigged now pretty well.

I haven't tried this but it might be an alternative, have second stages with LP QD connectors, and carry the extra 5ft length of hose in a drysuit pocket.

Marbry

[DeepSea]

I use a 7' on my left bottle for a lot of the reasons already mentioned (passing behind my head, passing restrictions, back mount dive buddies, etc.)