I just purchased a doubles rig for the first time. This video is exactly what I needed. I’ve been a sidemount guy since the beginning on my tech training. Do you dive twin AL80s in south Florida?
Glad to hear it's helpful! Don't write off a day with an instructor to really find tune things. I prefer double al80s in the ocean when I'm wetsuit diving so that's what I primarily use for South Florida
I've recently came across your channel and have binged your videos. Great explanations as always. One question though, for the back-up reg, would 18 inches not be very short? I know for GUE, they recommend a 22 - 24 inch hose. I use a 22" hose and am considering switching it to a 24" as it's just a bit too uncomfortable to look to the left whilst sharing gas. I couldn't imagine using an 18" hose! Although that's for a non 5th port reg to be fair.
Thanks! 18 can work in certain situations but you're right and I missed adding that with standard regs you sometimes have to increase the short hose and LPI lengths. Too short is definitely uncomfortable but too long or too fancy (swivels and elbows) are typically the issue I see where people have trouble accessing their reg.
As far as regs it's the same as here. Sometimes I ditch the longhose for a 40in hose, but if I have a long hose I route it around the unit so it's accessible.
I actually find tucking the hose in the waist band preferable to using a hose retaining stick or whatever. It probably depends on your height and body size as to what works better. I find long hose just routes better and helps form better habits even for basic single cylinder open water diving. The fact that it allows single file gas sharing exits is not much more than a footnote for me because you get multiple other advantages that contribute to every single dive. I can't think of a single reason to use the "standard" configuration other than allowing someone trained on it to feel a sense of familiarity (for what little good that is). Long hose primary donate streamlines nicer than the "standard" hose routing and it encourages people to actually care about the reg they will donate rather than having it dragging along the bottom. It also encourages a necklace for the secondary and that improves streamlining and helps ensure the secondary reg is actually ready for use too. The ritual of checking the long hose with your team helps reinforce a good pre-dive sequence which helps catch problems before descending. It's not even harder to learn or use. If it was, I'd know.
I'm glad you found something that works for you! I discourage hose stuffing in the waist belt because I've seen it cause kinks and trapped hoses due to fabric interactions and obesity. It can be accomplished effectively, but not as easily as a retainer system. Stuffing takes objectively longer than looping and increases risks. I have had very short torso students who couldn't loop, in that case their best and only option was a stuff. Some people prefer long hoses for single tanks and that's fine and dandy. The core use of a longhose is single file gas sharing on a line or through a restriction - which isn't appropriate for single cylinder diving. We would not use a 7ft hose unless it had been necessitated by that requirement. They are not all upside though, despite what people on the internet may say. Long hoses used improperly are just as (or often more) useless and/or dangerous as every other configuration. I've seen people kink hoses, choke themselves and, most often, trap the long hose rendering it useless. It also requires a different deployment strategy involving swapping regs to donate. Even if used properly a long hose is more hose to manage and cannot accomodate a snorkel (a wildly undervalued crucial tool for diving in the ocean). When gas sharing long hoses that are improperly managed are sometimes used as a leash and cause more harm than good. Long hoses for single tank solo divers is the funniest application without historical reference I see on a regular basis. It's all form, no function. People can do what they like, but it's silly posturing for 30ft reef dives. When cave or wreck diving I always use a long hose, even when I am solo in case I encountered another team who needed assistance. I prefer an AOW style setup for single cylinder diving because it offers a longer hose without a wrap, is very streamlined, allows a snorkel and doesn't have any complicated hose management.
Disagree with “anything shorter than 7 feet”. 6.56168 feet is fine as well and perhaps better for standardization since that is precisely 2 meters. Some of us are rooting for the long overdue abandonment of the archaic imperial system.
My long hoses are 7feet (84 inches, 2.13m, 0.00115205 nautical miles). The difference between 7ft and something ~6inches shorter is ~6 inches (15cm). 6 inches is a lot when you're two people horizontal using a line for navigation unable to see. I share gas in a single file configuration on a regular basis for training purposes and 7ft is oftentimes barely enough, especially for individuals with long torsos. I can't advocate for a shorter hose for single file gas sharing for safety reasons. No matter how round another measurement may be, function is more important than form. Attempting to standardize a standard to a new standard is not standardizing, it's just another method.
I have a couple adjustments to make on my hose routing after watching your video
If you don't mind do one for sidemount thanks
I just purchased a doubles rig for the first time. This video is exactly what I needed. I’ve been a sidemount guy since the beginning on my tech training.
Do you dive twin AL80s in south Florida?
Glad to hear it's helpful! Don't write off a day with an instructor to really find tune things. I prefer double al80s in the ocean when I'm wetsuit diving so that's what I primarily use for South Florida
I've recently came across your channel and have binged your videos. Great explanations as always.
One question though, for the back-up reg, would 18 inches not be very short? I know for GUE, they recommend a 22 - 24 inch hose. I use a 22" hose and am considering switching it to a 24" as it's just a bit too uncomfortable to look to the left whilst sharing gas. I couldn't imagine using an 18" hose! Although that's for a non 5th port reg to be fair.
Thanks! 18 can work in certain situations but you're right and I missed adding that with standard regs you sometimes have to increase the short hose and LPI lengths. Too short is definitely uncomfortable but too long or too fancy (swivels and elbows) are typically the issue I see where people have trouble accessing their reg.
Can you make a video of your LP50 doubles w/choptima setup?
The hose routing is the same. What specifically are you looking for?
@BarefootBentley nothing specific just wanted to see a video of it.
As far as regs it's the same as here. Sometimes I ditch the longhose for a 40in hose, but if I have a long hose I route it around the unit so it's accessible.
I actually find tucking the hose in the waist band preferable to using a hose retaining stick or whatever. It probably depends on your height and body size as to what works better.
I find long hose just routes better and helps form better habits even for basic single cylinder open water diving. The fact that it allows single file gas sharing exits is not much more than a footnote for me because you get multiple other advantages that contribute to every single dive. I can't think of a single reason to use the "standard" configuration other than allowing someone trained on it to feel a sense of familiarity (for what little good that is).
Long hose primary donate streamlines nicer than the "standard" hose routing and it encourages people to actually care about the reg they will donate rather than having it dragging along the bottom. It also encourages a necklace for the secondary and that improves streamlining and helps ensure the secondary reg is actually ready for use too. The ritual of checking the long hose with your team helps reinforce a good pre-dive sequence which helps catch problems before descending.
It's not even harder to learn or use. If it was, I'd know.
I'm glad you found something that works for you!
I discourage hose stuffing in the waist belt because I've seen it cause kinks and trapped hoses due to fabric interactions and obesity. It can be accomplished effectively, but not as easily as a retainer system. Stuffing takes objectively longer than looping and increases risks. I have had very short torso students who couldn't loop, in that case their best and only option was a stuff.
Some people prefer long hoses for single tanks and that's fine and dandy. The core use of a longhose is single file gas sharing on a line or through a restriction - which isn't appropriate for single cylinder diving. We would not use a 7ft hose unless it had been necessitated by that requirement. They are not all upside though, despite what people on the internet may say. Long hoses used improperly are just as (or often more) useless and/or dangerous as every other configuration. I've seen people kink hoses, choke themselves and, most often, trap the long hose rendering it useless. It also requires a different deployment strategy involving swapping regs to donate. Even if used properly a long hose is more hose to manage and cannot accomodate a snorkel (a wildly undervalued crucial tool for diving in the ocean). When gas sharing long hoses that are improperly managed are sometimes used as a leash and cause more harm than good.
Long hoses for single tank solo divers is the funniest application without historical reference I see on a regular basis. It's all form, no function. People can do what they like, but it's silly posturing for 30ft reef dives.
When cave or wreck diving I always use a long hose, even when I am solo in case I encountered another team who needed assistance. I prefer an AOW style setup for single cylinder diving because it offers a longer hose without a wrap, is very streamlined, allows a snorkel and doesn't have any complicated hose management.
Disagree with “anything shorter than 7 feet”. 6.56168 feet is fine as well and perhaps better for standardization since that is precisely 2 meters. Some of us are rooting for the long overdue abandonment of the archaic imperial system.
We went to the moon on the imperial system. Fuck off
My long hoses are 7feet (84 inches, 2.13m, 0.00115205 nautical miles). The difference between 7ft and something ~6inches shorter is ~6 inches (15cm). 6 inches is a lot when you're two people horizontal using a line for navigation unable to see. I share gas in a single file configuration on a regular basis for training purposes and 7ft is oftentimes barely enough, especially for individuals with long torsos. I can't advocate for a shorter hose for single file gas sharing for safety reasons. No matter how round another measurement may be, function is more important than form. Attempting to standardize a standard to a new standard is not standardizing, it's just another method.