Hose Length and Regulator Configuration for Doubles
Regulator configuration for doubles
Diving with the correct hose lengths is something that is repeatedly being overlooked by many divers now a days. It is topic being discussed early as the second chapter in PADI´s open water course, the importance of streamlining yourself and you equipment. Still technical divers conduct dives in overhead environment or even open water with a non streamlined hose configuration that expose the diver to an unexceptional risk of entanglement let alone looking ridiculous. An y of the tech diving courses in Thailand should cover these basic aspects.
The following lengths are standard for back mounted twinsets.
If we start off with the long hose. A 7ft (213cm) hose is considered standard in technical diving, however if dives are conducted in open water a slightly shorter 5ft (150cm) hose is acceptable.
Your Backup regulator is supposed to be on a 22” (56cm) hose if using the Scuba Pro
Backup Regulator Location
MK25 or an Apeks regulator with the 5th port. Otherwise the slightly longer 24”
(61cm) will be sufficient to allow the regulator to hang neatly under your chin in the necklace. It is best to avoid commercially purchased silicone back up regulator necklaces that locates the second stage way down on your chest! Simple 5mm bungee cord locked under the mouth piece cable tie secured by a knot on either end is the best.
The low pressure inflation hose also routed from the 5th port of the right post is of 22” (56cm) length, same as with the backup regulator.
A 24” (61cm) high pressure hose should be used for the submersible pressure gauge. The hose should be routed in front of the wing and then attached with a 3/8″ bolt snap to the divers left hip D-ring.
For the stage or decompression bottle a 40” (102cm) hose is the best option. This length will allow the hose to be routed from the left side, up and around the neck and then into the divers mouth. Nothing looks and feels as amateur as using the standard ‘short’ hose the
Hose routing for Apeks 5th port conversion kits
regulator comes with, twisting the second stage in the divers mouth!
High pressure hose for the stage or decompression cylinder should be of 6” (15cm) and be bent around into a U-shape and tied up with cave line for easily monitoring of the gas supply.
Lately on the market upcoming brands have been launching double braided hoses that weigh less and are said to be more prone to the wear and tare. One thing that should be noted are the buoyancy characteristics; they tend to be slightly more positively buoyant then the standard rubber hose. This overy buoyant hose materials tends to annoy the majorety of divers if used on the long hose, however the other applications tend to work out alright.
Hopefully this can help as a small guide for you the next time you are thinking on upgrading your existing rig or buying regulator set for double configuration.
Related posts:
So how’d that dive go guys?
Thailand Cave Diving Project
Koh Tao Fishing Net Recovered by Tec Divers
Accident Analysis
Wreck Diving in Subic Bay PH.
Technical Sidemount Diving
The Return of the Geordie
Hose Length and Regulator Configuration for Doubles
Without a drysuit or twin bladder BCD, what is the redundancy for BCD failure? I first trained under TDI where there was an expectation (or maybe it was just the instructor) that you had twin bladders or a BCD/drysuit and hence needed 2 x LPI hoses. However I’ve noticed in other courses a single bladder BCD is the only requirement.
What model Apeks first stage are you taking about.
We are recommending the Apeks UST or DST with 5th port conversion kits. Drysealed for cold water (DST) and UST for warm… Either way these are the only Apeks regs that can be used for any configuration; Backmount, Sidemount, Deco reg, Single tank with long hose and Single tank with conventional hose configuration. Highly recommended!