Dr. Black, I think that you are failing to acknowledge some very
fundamental safety issues with your reccommendation.

The length of the long hose (7 feet) does not present an entanglement
hazrd when properly routed.  This means straight down from the first
stage, behind the wing, under the light cannister (if you do not dive
with a cannister light, you should, but then you can also use a knife
sheath or rigid pocket on the right hip to perform the same function),
across the chest, behind the neck and into the mouth.  When you are in
the correct diving attitude (horizontal and prone) the long section
across your chest will float up against your body.  For wreck diving,
as in any restricted environment, the long hose is mandatory to enable
gas sharing through a restriction, in single file (FYI, in this case
the OOA diver goes first).  I will not go over all of the reasons for
breathing the long hose, as this is covered in depth in other
literature (perhaps a quick search for this material is in order?), but
suffice it to say that securing the long hose to the tanks is a poorly
thought out idea.  Also, is it restowable (by yourself) in that
position?  Is damage being done to the hose over time by having the
tight radius bends in it, or by the securing loops/sheath?  If nothing
else, donating your primary should be SOP for the single reason that
you are in a much better position to deal with a fouled, wet or
malfunctioning regulator than is your buddy who is out of gas.

Something to think about?

-Sean

On Thu, 19 Oct 2000 22:38:05 +1000, billy@v3*.co*.au* wrote:

>At 23:09  28/04/00 , Michael J. Black wrote:
>
>If you're going to dive Hogarthian, the long hose (5 or 7-foot) 
>should go under the right arm and around the neck.  This makes 
>sense in caves, for air sharing.  
>
>In wrecks, I have a problem with it in that the length of hose 
>represents an entanglement hazard.  I prefer a 40-inch primary 
>hose, and recommend bungying your long octo to your tank(s), or 
>even diving with a 40-inch octo hose realizing that your buddy's 
>going to have to ride your ass in an air-sharing emergency.


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