I just caught your post regarding the reasons behind the Hogarthian philosophy,
and thought I may 
be able to answer your question.

As Jim pointed out, the Hogarthian style of gear rigging is a complete system,
with every equipment 
choice, location, and use decision based on the choice, location and use of
every other component.  

The reasons for breathing the long hose instead of the short hose are:

1)	In an out of gas or low on gas situation, a diver is highly stressed,
anxious 		
	and/or in a state of panic.  In this situation, there is an increased tendency
for 	
	the diver's self-preservation instinct to ovverride the logical thought
process.  A 	
	diver in need of gas is most likely to obtain it the easiest and fastest way 		
	possible - by taking the regulator from your mouth.  Breathing the long hose
makes this 
	much easier to accomplish, and will be more comfortable for both divers.

2)	In the event that the regulator is taken from your mouth, you are in a
clearer state of 
	mind than the distressed diver, and can therefore more easily retrieve the
backup regulator 
	(a no brainer when Hogarthian configured), than to have the distressed diver
searching for 
	an octopus or other stowed regulator.

3)	The regulator that you are breathing is definitely functioning.  A stowed
second stage may 
	be fouled or contaminated by any sort of foreign object(s).  By donating the
long hose reg 
	and switching to your own backup, you are in a much better position to deal
with a 
	malfunctioning second stage than the distressed diver.

4)	By handing off the long hose and switching to your own backup, you maintain
control of a 
	potentially hazardous situation.  Having a buddy clambering about you
searching for a 
	regulator while in a panic situation is a recipe for disaster.  Donating the
long hose both 
	keeps you in control and immediately provides the opportunity to keep a safe
distance 
	should panic become uncontrollable.

5)	Think about why long hoses are carried at all... So that two divers can
share gas while 
	negotiating restrictions (i.e. single file).  For this to make any sense at
all, the 
	distressed diver must breathe the long hose.  Since it is most likely that
he/she will take 
	the regulator from your mouth, it would make sense then, to donate the long
hose 
	immediately rather than necessitate a regulator switch, which is task loading
in an already 
	stressful situation.

6)	Breathing the long hose means that is is immediately deployable.  In the
Hogarthian system, 
	having the reg taken or handing it off, five feet of hose is already deployed,
with an 
	additional two feet deployed with a quick hand sweep.  By stowing the long
hose you make it 
	more difficult or even impossible to deploy (panic situation), damage the hose
by bending 
	it sharply, and expose the reg to possible damage, or worse, a possibility of
getting 
	fouled on it.

The Hogarthian system of gear configuration is based on breathing the long hose
for these reasons.

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