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I would like to comment on the recent post regarding the long hose method and
the pro's an con's. I must admit that I reluctdent to do so for fear that
personal attacks or other non-topic issue will be posted. The long hose
method is a topic that has been discussed many times in the past, but
one I feel never hurts in discussing again so I'll give it a try. 

>Stuffing the long hose is not safe<

Safety is really not a issue,  I don't believe having a long hose neatly
stowed away (not stuffed) would create an unsafe situation. Where as the
long hose that was wraped under a light canister and then crossing over the
chest and finally around the neck is any "safer" "Safer"in what way?? I
don't think any method is safer than the other ( "free from risk, danger,
harm, or injury")

>Stuffing is not optimal<

"Optimal" is certainly an issue: for favorable or desirable condition of use
would have to come down to personal choice and task at hand.  The diver who
does not have a light canister or other item on his waist that the long hose
can easily be wrapped under might feel that stowing the long hose behind his
head or along side his cylinder would be more "optimal".  Where as the
diver who routinly shares gas with his dive partners and then switches back
to a stage bottle might feel that breathing from the long hose would be
opitmal.
 
>Unstowing the long hose<

If the long hose is stowed neatly the time difference in deploying is minute
if any. If a chest strap or other piece of equipment where to be placed over
the long hose by accident this could hamper the deployment,  if the donor
where in fact breathing from the long hose.

>Stressed diver ripps yours from your mouth, now pinned to you because of
the shortness of the hose<

So what!   The hose isn't any shorter than what 99% of all divers learned
their basic air sharing skills on.  The merits of the long hose is for ease
of sharing gas while passing threw retrictions and to make moving easier
for both divers.  Once the stressed diver calms down the correct regulators
can be switched (how much time is really lost?).  I think there would be a
serious problem if the diver also stowed the second stage behind his head or
along side his cylinder (which would be stupid, but yes I have this). But if
the back-up regulator is stowed on the chest area than there shouldn't be
problem.

>Forced compromise of some other part or your gear<

How?  If the hose is neatly stowed behind head, along side cylinder or
inside of back-plate it's out of the way of everything else. What is being
compromised?

>Stuffed hoses get caught on things<

What THINGS?   It would be very difficult to catch a hose on anything that
was neatly place along side a cylinder and almost impossible if it were
stowed on inside of the back-plate. If the hose was stowed behind the head
with big loops that ran beyond the divers shoulder width then there "might "
be a problem.

> They are hard to free up, they are confused and messy<

That could go for just about any piece of equipment. 

>They clutter your dive gear<

HOW?

>There is no convenient way to stow the hose where to second stage is
protected<

Stow the hose behind your head and bring the second stage over your right
shoulder and secure to harness. What's hard about that?.

>It generally takes two to restuff<

True but not always. But who says the hose has to be "restuffed"?  Why not
simply run the hose under your arm, around your head and put the second stage
back into position on the right side, the excess hose can be put under your
waist strap.

>Not good planning<

Planning for what? 

>Back-up reg should be a lower performance model, so as not to lose gas<

Now that's a safety issue. If anything the back-up reg should be the best
performer or the two, not the least. The diver could use side exhaust
regulators and have them both set for peak performace without the worry of
freeflow that is common with front exhaust regulators. Or the diver could
install an inline shut off valve located at the second stage,, and keep the
second stage off when not in use.

>causes excess drag<

I doubt that with all the gear technical divers are carrying hose placement
would be a concern of "drag". Has this theory ever been really tested in a
controlled environment?.


>Not the safest<

Again this not a safety issue



        John Comly


 

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