Making the Transition: Moving to a Long Hose Regulator Setup

For many divers, transitioning from a standard recreational regulator setup to a long hose or "Hogarthian" configuration is a key step toward safer, more streamlined diving. But this change isn’t just about swapping out a hose — it touches your gear, your procedures, and even your mindset. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make the switch smoothly and safely.

1. Changes to Your Setup

The long hose configuration is built around a simple idea: in an emergency, you donate the regulator you’re breathing from. This requires several fundamental changes:

• Primary Regulator: Mounted on a longer hose (5–7 feet depending on diving style).
  
  
• Backup Regulator: Worn on a short hose (typically 22–24 inches) and secured under your chin with a bungee necklace.
  
  
• Routing: The long hose routes under your right arm, across your chest, and around your neck to your mouth.
  
  
• Streamlining: Fewer dangling components, tighter routing, and cleaner gear profile compared to standard setups.
  
  

This system ensures that you always hand off a working, verified regulator in an emergency — no searching, no uncertainty.

2. What to Do with That Yellow Thing (the Octopus)

In traditional recreational setups, the yellow octopus is clipped somewhere on the BCD for emergencies. In a long hose setup:

• No more clipped octopus: Your backup regulator is now secured under your chin on a bungee necklace, always immediately accessible.
  
  
• Primary Donate: You give your own primary (long hose) regulator to the out-of-gas diver.
  
  

Color Coding:

Some divers continue to use a yellow second stage for visibility, while others prefer identical units for uniformity and simplicity.
If you are going to use a yellow second stage, it needs to be on your long hose — not under your chin.
Other divers, especially those trained in recreational systems, will instinctively associate yellow with the "emergency regulator." It must be the one you deploy, not the one you switch to.
Having a yellow backup under your chin can create confusion in a real emergency, so keep color signaling logical and consistent.

The old clipped octopus system is retired — your emergency procedures are faster, cleaner, and built around immediate access and clarity.

3. Ideal Hose Lengths

Following GUE standards provides a reliable starting point, but your setup may require some customization based on your environment and body size:

Modifications to consider:

• Wetsuit vs Drysuit: Drysuits require an extra inflator hose; plan your routing to avoid clutter and snag points.
  
  
• Body Size: Smaller divers may find a 5–6 foot hose more manageable than a full 7-foot hose. The same correction can be made for the backup regulator hose, for petite divers we’ve used 16-18 inch hose lengths.
  
  
• BCD vs Wing: Standard BCDs can snag the long hose. A wing and backplate system provides cleaner hose routing and better overall streamlining.
  
  

Important Note About Hose Fittings:

Do NOT use 90-degree elbows on your long hose or backup second stages.

• On the long hose, elbows make it harder for a diver to receive the regulator quickly during an emergency.
  
  
• On the backup regulator, elbows often push the second stage away from the chin or rotate it awkwardly, making it difficult to grab under stress.
  
  
• 90-degree elbows are used correctly in sidemount for managing tight hose routing around the neck — but they have no place in a standard single tank or backmount doubles long hose setup.
  
  

Keep hose routing natural and simple for clean, fast deployment.

Hardware Upgrades:

• Install 76 mm (3 inch) stainless steel boltsnaps:
  
  
  
  • One on the long hose (to clip off when not in use).
    
    
  • One on the SPG hose (to secure the pressure gauge to your left hip D-ring).
    
    

4. Changes to Your Diving & Protocols

Switching to a long hose configuration means updating your diving practices:

• Out of Gas Response: Immediately donate your primary (long hose) regulator to the out-of-gas diver, while switching to your backup under your chin.
  
  This makes a shift from letting the out-of-gas diver just take a regulator off you.
  
  
• Pre-Dive Checks:
  
  
  
  • Confirm long hose routing is free and unobstructed.
    
    
  • Ensure backup is secure and positioned properly on the necklace.
    
    
  • Breathe-test both second stages during buddy check.
    
    
  • Verify SPG readability and hose tension.
    
    
• Practice Air-Sharing:
  
  
  
  • Regularly drill deploying the long hose and recovering your backup regulator.
    
    
  • Focus on clean, deliberate movements to build muscle memory.
    
    
• Communication: Standardize hand signals and donation techniques with your buddy or dive team.
  
  

5. Other Kit Changes to Support the Setup

A true long hose configuration works best when supported by the right gear:

• Wing + Backplate: Provides better trim, hose routing, and streamlining compared to a traditional jacket BCD.
  
  
• Canister Light or Hose Retainer: Traditionally, the long hose is tucked under a canister torch mounted on the right hip. If you don't have one, simple rubber retainers or bands around the waist strap can help secure the hose neatly.
  
  
• Minimalist Gear Approach: Avoid unnecessary clips, D-rings, and accessories. Hogarthian philosophy favors simplicity: every item must have a purpose.
  
  
• Clipping Practices: Replace plastic clips with 76mm stainless steel bolt snaps for durability and reliability. Secure your SPG and accessories cleanly to avoid dangling gear.
  
  

Conclusion

Transitioning to a long hose setup isn’t just a gear change — it’s a philosophy shift toward safer, cleaner, and more team-focused diving. It demands retraining habits, refining skills, and rethinking your emergency procedures.

Take the time to configure your equipment properly, practice consistently, and build confidence with these new techniques. Once you make the switch, you’ll find yourself diving more comfortably, more efficiently, and with greater peace of mind.

Streamlined gear, streamlined thinking, streamlined diving.

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