For those of you with bent HP hoses, and reading SPG's with stages on top

I've found myself liking the stages on top better than on bottom but all of my HP hoses are bent for pulling the pressure gauge back up for when I used to wear tanks on my back.

I can't read my pressure guage when I ride them on top with them bent like that so I was going try to stick them out straight so I can read them while they are on top (dunno how that will work) but dont' want to order a bunch of 6" HP hoses, anyone ever taken a 6" HP hose and managed to get it straight again?

Haven't tried yet, wondering if it would be a waste of time, and any input from anyone else riding stages on top of their SM tanks for being able to read the SPG while its on there.

Wear stagees and deco all the time on top of mySM tanks. I just use normal stage rig and have all the hoses bent up so that I dont have so many pointing out front and to keep better streamline.

Yes in time they will unbend and stay straight as long as you keep them fully presuised it will help to get the old memory out.

SLIM

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Originally Posted by SLIM

Wear stagees and deco all the time on top of mySM tanks. I just use normal stage rig and have all the hoses bent up so that I dont have so many pointing out front and to keep better streamline.

Yes in time they will unbend and stay straight as long as you keep them fully presuised it will help to get the old memory out.

SLIM

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I can't read them when they are on top as everything sits behind my shoulder, what I've been doing is "riding" them on top and "using" them on bottom, I'd like to be able to just leave them on top, the drag when moved to the bottom is murder.

My understanding of these hoses are they can be tied in a knot and not cause any problems with air delivery. I'm thinking of getting a few to try out.

High Pressure Gauge Hoses

Part Number
MHP06-BK 6" Hose Color Black.


Hope this helps.

Just reach back and grab the SPG, pull it forward into your view.

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Originally Posted by SuPrBuGmAn

Just reach back and grab the SPG, pull it forward into your view.

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What like point them down, then grab it and pull it foward to look at it? I'd like to see how a lot of other people do this but no one around me here does this, or at least that I have seen.

Most of the people I've seen around Marianna have them running back along the side of the tank(not under it). I haven't had any trouble with reaching over and grabbing the SPG or hose, bending it forward with the face towards me to view it. Just let go and it goes back in place.

it's how i do it and most everyone i know. just pull and look. i tried arranging so they stick out front, but what a pain it was. kept catching stuff (we dive close to things here - not by choice really) and even in open water/wreck diving, they hooked up on stuff. I switched them back after one dive and am happy again. grab, pull, look, let go.

skip

You're supposed to look at your SPG during the dive? :smt102

only if you feel like verifying what you already know....

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Originally Posted by skip

only if you feel like verifying what you already know....

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exactly

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

You're supposed to look at your SPG during the dive? :smt102

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Doesn't apply to you, Russell, unless your're exceeding 24 hours of dive time with that AL80 :)

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Originally Posted by metaldector

My understanding of these hoses are they can be tied in a knot and not cause any problems with air delivery. I'm thinking of getting a few to try out.

High Pressure Gauge Hoses

Part Number
MHP06-BK 6" Hose Color Black.


Hope this helps.

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A friend of mine had one of these disintegrate on him, he is back to using the regular HP hoses. Don't know if that is typical or not, just one observation. I know several people using the Low Pressure hoses with no problems.

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Originally Posted by SuPrBuGmAn

Most of the people I've seen around Marianna have them running back along the side of the tank(not under it). I haven't had any trouble with reaching over and grabbing the SPG or hose, bending it forward with the face towards me to view it. Just let go and it goes back in place.

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This is the way I've been doing it.

I've never been a fan of bending the HP hoses, even when I backmounted and had the stages in front. When I first did that, I went through HP hoses quite a bit. Since going with the straight configuration about 3.5 years ago, I have had to change just one 6 inch HP hose.

I tried using the new Miflex 6 inch HP hoses on my cylinders. They are very "floppy" and seemed to hang down and get caught in things. So I went back to the standard 9 inch HP hoses facing to the rear. Especially after one of the new (only 5 dives) Miflex hoses burst on me while getting in to peacock one morning. Created some serious sphincter spasms...lol, but as it was the start of the dive...oh well...no dive that day...Ken

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Originally Posted by DogDiver

I tried using the new Miflex 6 inch HP hoses on my cylinders. They are very "floppy" and seemed to hang down and get caught in things. So I went back to the standard 9 inch HP hoses facing to the rear. Especially after one of the new (only 5 dives) Miflex hoses burst on me while getting in to peacock one morning. Created some serious sphincter spasms...lol, but as it was the start of the dive...oh well...no dive that day...Ken

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Too bad. I was thinking about getting some, and bending into a U shape, and bungeeing them to the regs so I could just glance at them. I used to do that with regular hoses, but they didn't last very long. I guess I will keep picking them up to look at them.

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Originally Posted by FW

Too bad. I was thinking about getting some, and bending into a U shape, and bungeeing them to the regs so I could just glance at them. I used to do that with regular hoses, but they didn't last very long. I guess I will keep picking them up to look at them.

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Forrest this is what I am doing and they seem fine. Have a few months diving on them so far.

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Originally Posted by atedeschi

Forrest this is what I am doing and they seem fine. Have a few months diving on them so far.

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Yea, but two people in this thread had problems with them. As much as they cost, I hate to hear about that many failures.

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Originally Posted by FW

Yea, but two people in this thread had problems with them. As much as they cost, I hate to hear about that many failures.

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I know a guy that had two pop on him

yeah but i think it was a small batch and we keep hearing about it. When you get them take a look at the crimp, give it a tug and keep it under HP for a little. If it doesn't blow then you should be good. I have had zero issues but did look them all over when installing. I do know what you mean about the price though. Some guys are getting them direct from overseas when replacing all their hoses and its about half the price of retial.

Ok so let me get this straight

You guys lay stages on TOP of your side mount cyindler, you have HP 6" hoses that point DOWN, to read the pressure guage on the stage you just grab the gauge and pull it up to read it, right?

mine are bent and i just grab the tank valve n pull foward, for stages. primary tanks are bent as well but i can just look and see them. They used to lay on the tanks but when scootering i had to slow down or stop to see them.

I don't see what the issue is. Mine are 6 inch hoses, bent and and tied to the first stage. They stay that way permanently - I never undo them. My oldest ones have been that way for the last 6 or 7 years - no problem. Everyone on our team does it that way - no problem. Then all you do is slide the stage forward, peak at the pressure and keep truckin'. Easy to do while scootering or wherever.

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Originally Posted by fixxervi6

Ok so let me get this straight

You guys lay stages on TOP of your side mount cyindler, you have HP 6" hoses that point DOWN, to read the pressure guage on the stage you just grab the gauge and pull it up to read it, right?

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I'm laying stages on TOP of my sidemount cylinders, have a 6" HP hose that points BACK(not down) along the side of the tank. I grab the gauge and pull it up to read it.

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Originally Posted by chilldive

I don't see what the issue is. Mine are 6 inch hoses, bent and and tied to the first stage. They stay that way permanently - I never undo them. My oldest ones have been that way for the last 6 or 7 years - no problem. Everyone on our team does it that way - no problem. Then all you do is slide the stage forward, peak at the pressure and keep truckin'. Easy to do while scootering or wherever.

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Consider yourself lucky. I did that with stage and sidemount tanks, and the hp hoses developed cracks where the bends were, in a year or so.

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Originally Posted by FW

Consider yourself lucky. I did that with stage and sidemount tanks, and the hp hoses developed cracks where the bends were, in a year or so.

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I must be lucky as well as I have had the same exprience as chilldive. After doing this for ten or so years I have never had one go. I have replaced some after 5-6 years as they started to look bad (some cracks in the outer covering near the bend), but never had a failure nor have my buddies.

None of mine have cracked and they have many years on them.

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Originally Posted by jkhaywood

I must be lucky as well as I have had the same exprience as chilldive. After doing this for ten or so years I have never had one go. I have replaced some after 5-6 years as they started to look bad (some cracks in the outer covering near the bend), but never had a failure nor have my buddies.

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I didn't say they blew, just had cracks in the outer covering. You never know what that is doing to the inner hose, though.

Ditto on the cracks in the outer covering. I bought a DS4/TX50 stage set-up about 6 months ago that had a 6" hose permanently tied up. I looked at it last week and there was a crack in the outer covering. On my O2 cylinder I use a loop of bungee cord to hold the gauge to the first stage. That way I just loop it over the first stage and then when I'm done I can un-loop it and the 6" hose can straighten out for storage.

John

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Originally Posted by fixxervi6

Ok so let me get this straight

You guys lay stages on TOP of your side mount cyindler, you have HP 6" hoses that point DOWN, to read the pressure guage on the stage you just grab the gauge and pull it up to read it, right?

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It's hanging a little lower than I'd like it to in this photo (probably because I pull it forward to look at it a couple times a dive), but it gives you an idea of its configuration.

http://www.chipoladivers.com/images/...%20touchup.jpg

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Originally Posted by RN

It's hanging a little lower than I'd like it to in this photo (probably because I pull it forward to look at it a couple times a dive), but it gives you an idea of its configuration.

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I have mine on the inside. Less chance for it to get snagged on something.

hmm, My 108's ride about right there behind my shoulder, it puts my stage in the back of my shoulder, but I'll give this a try, if it allows me to ride them on top the entire dive I'll be happy.

My 95s ride a little higher without the stage there. It does push it down a little. But I'm not going into the really small stuff with a stage back there anyway.