Flex Hose Or Swivel - Which Is Best? - Scuba Tech Tips: S09E11

Divers are always looking at better solutions for regulator comfort. Alec answers viewers questions and shares his pros/cons of each and which works best for your diving style.

***** Alec Peirce Scuba *****

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[gee]

Thank you Alec, that is a direct response to a question I had asked earlier this month. your answer was both enlightening and beneficial. I shall switch to flex hose on my next reg. service.

[your_moms_favorite]

I have that same exact T3 reg and its pretty good, i like the flex hose idea though, i think i will buy a flex reg for my wife and then just steal it back from her🙈 thanks for the tips man... youre like the Mr. Rogers of SCUBA diving... youre awesome man⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[thekid]

I just switched over to flex hose and did four dives. Made my regs quite a bit lighter. Really enjoyed diving with them.

Got them from Scuba 2000. Great store with lots of selection. They even had flex hose in pink witch is what I picked up.

[acarnold]

Saw a flex hose with TWO set of swivels at Marin Dive Shop the other day. Was really tempted to get it, but after seeing your vid, I think I’m going to start with just the flex hose and standard couplings. Having my reg flopping around on me doesn’t sound too appealing. Thanks for the video.

[markstengel]

Hi Alec, I like rubber & flex. Push/Pull reminds me of Dr Doolittle Push Me Pull You the animal that went in both directions in that 1960s film. A moving episode. 👍

[diversdown]

i use a 40" flex hose and a 110 degree elbow routed under my arm and love it

[Teampegleg]

I found that hose length can affect the need for a swivel, for the traditional 28" primary hose results in a lot of pull even with a flex hose. But went I went to the primary donate setup, the 22" flex hose was perfect for my octo, no swivel needed as it didn't bow out as much. OTOH on my 7' primary hose I found that a right angle swivel is more comfortable than a standard elbow.

[kootch]

Hey Alec, just finished my certification in Cozumel with Roberta’s Scuba Shack. She was my only choice for adaptive diving, but boy, what a dive master, teacher and organization! And how often does an experience far exceed what you had hoped for? Thanks for the tips, some came in handy on gear choices, especially the flex hoses

[mrchriscarleton]

The Atomic hoses *can* be swapped out for flex hoses without replacing the whole regulator but you do need to order a special jam nut made by Atomic to make the flex hose fit on the second stage. My wife did that with her Atomic regs.


Also, proper hose lengths makes a big difference as well. Hoses that are too long/short can cause a lot of pulling/pushing.

[rickywalker]

I use a flex hose and a swivel and I love it

[alaind]

love them. changed all mine couple years ago after watching your video and regulator came with one... only thing to watch out is I got a second shorter HP hose, and leisurePro had a silver one for cheaper so I said why not, don't care what color... turns out it's braided stainless steel (ok maybe better actually) but then one of the filament broke and became a VERY sharp weapon and cut my finger like I was made of butter! ouch... Other downside is the regular braid can also be much tougher on wetsuit/drysuit and cut into them, vs heavy rubber ones....

[nwced]

Getting back to diving after 30 years dry. Love your videos for their common sense and your experience. I was a pacific northwest cold water diver but I'm moving to the Philippines and am watching to decide what equipment I'll get.
Did Kevin ever start a channel?

[terencecallaghan]

Excellent video Alec! I love flex hoses too and they really do help with reducing jaw fatigue. My question is are they more resistant to the sun's UV light as they are plastic coated? Thank you for the tec tips!

[KimonFrousios]

Flexhoses can still pull and push (ask me how I know) an annoying amount.
The best solution I've found is a molded mouthpiece. That holds the stage more securely and more relaxedly in the mouth, greatly reducing the effort put into keeping the second stage in your mouth.

[caje]

You can actually put a flex hose on the atomic regs that come with a swivel. you just need to buy a jam nut as well. i have done it with my ST1.. its a dream in my mouth now

[haydendvs]

Actually you can replace the hose on the T3/T25/B2. I run my T25 as a long hose primary donate setup and you simply have to add Atomic part #02-0037-3P (Jam nut kit) in order to make it compatible with any miflex (or other) hose setup while retaining rotational swivel functionality.

[PROSTOTabal]

Hey Alex, you forget to mentioned 1st stage swivel, we need part II :-) !!

[TheLoosenit]

I use flex hoses (although in a primary donate configuration) and love them.  Most recommendations I see for lifespan of hoses recommend that flex hoses be changed every 5 years rather than the longer lifespan of rubber hoses.  Any advice on lifespan or inspection considerations?

[PROSTOTabal]

I use a700, rubber hose and mk4 pro 1st stage with swivel, it works ok

[thegodpharaoh]

Alec, what do you think about the swivel on the first stage, like the ScubaPro MK25 ?
Great video as always 👌