Thinking you missed the balanced versus unbalanced video there, bud. Nevertheless, I still love your channel. Great stuff for an amateur diver like me.
Brother-diver James, most excellent instructional-video mate! I had heard of the "braided-hose problem/issue" a couple years back, & wondered exactly how the deterioration INSIDE the hoses themselves came about - you answered my curiosity, YES! I'm an old-school type myself, & use rubber-hoses exclusively regardless of the weight/flexibility issues. Besides, "rubber-hoses" have that distinct "rubber-scent" to them that allow the "FULL" scuba experience, know what I mean? You Englishmen are GREAT Teachers for this sort of stuff; pretty much straight to the point & no BS while still remaining quite humorous as well. To be fair though, our Canadian Brother-diver Alec (Peirce) is a most excellent instructor too!
I personally like the miflex hoses for my primary second stage because diving cold water, especially in cold weather, I find that standard rubber hoses get stiff and I have to put more effort into biting down on the mouth piece in order to have the reg sit centered and comfortably in my mouth. Does it matter on an average dive? In my opinion no. On a 60+ minute cold water/cold day dive, I find the miflex slightly less tiring and slightly more comfortable. Just my opinion though. See ya'll in the water.
So I saw something the other day from the miflex manufacturer pronounced miflex like “me flex”. I’m not being a negative Nancy. I just never pronounce it like “me flex” 😂 regardless of pronunciation antics, this is a great video! Thanks James for making excellent content!
Quick answer. An unbalanced 1st stage will at the surface give you say 10 Bar of intermediate pressure to the second stage. At 10m down it will still be giving that 10 Bar but there's now an extra 1 Bar of pressure at the other end hindering it getting into your mouth. At 40m there are 4 Bar more to deal with and the result is it gets harder to breath because you have to suck by that same 4 Bar more than you did at the surface. A balanced 1st stage typically has a diaphragm that bows inward as the ambient pressure increases and therefore helps lift the valve that opens as you breathe in. This keeps the intermediate pressure in the hose always at that same 10 Bar above ambient you had on the surface so the breathing effort is always the same. Some regs are actually 'over-balanced' so they give slightly more than that as you go down to help with any increased bodily stress you may experience at depth. Hope this helps.
TOP TIP: don't bother with the little o rings for the swivels, just carry two spare swivel bobbins! Trust me, trying to change a 2mm dia o ring on a moving boat, whilst you are rushing cause you are "holding up the dive" is absolutely not fun. You will ping the o rings off into either the water or into far flung and unreachable parts of the boat. The swivel bobbins are cheap, and come with prefitted orings, ao buy a couple of spares (so that if you drop one into the bilges you don't have to go find it........) and it's a literal 30 sec job to just swap them out if you need too By all all means do have some spare plain o rings to suit the swivels for home fixes and it's one of the parts worth just regularily changing because the cost and effort to do so is so trivial :-)
Thanks for another great video. I have found your videos helpful as a still rookie diver. I think you've found a bit of a niche in giving such practical tips and insight. Thanks again.
Hey James, I prefer the braided flex hoses because of the lighter weight and because the one thing I always take with me when local and travel diving is my regulator set.
In case anyone is worried about the degradation of Miflex hoses, don't be. First, if I remember right the recall was in 2012 (?) and any issues there were over their ruggedness were solved a long time ago. It also only seemed to effect a batch of hoses sold in North America. Second, the problem with the lining forming crystalline material under repeated heat/cold cycles and thereby blocking air flow did not involve Miflex products, which don't apparently use the particular plastics affected by this polymorphic crystallization. Anyway, good summary, especially about getting a buddy to check how everything sits under water. Braided or rubber, it depends how you use them and what you personally find best.
James I really appreciate you, I'm just getting ready to swap out my hoses and I respect your opinion on equipment. Cheers and keep up the good work and videos.
James What's up mate, Hope everything is going well. Wanted to ask you how is your ear doing? How is your recovery? Bro You need to get your self a Vaquita Paralenz Camara!!! Cant wait for your review! Take care lad.
Never understood the craze with miflex. I prefer the sturdiness of the rubber. Yeah it's heavier but to me they're better quality and last longer. 39.9K Subscribers James! You'll hit 40K by next week's video!!!
The advantages of flex hoses aren't just in their weight, but the flexibility as well. My sidemount inflator hoses could never be as short as they are if I went with rubber hoses. And that is also an advantage for short reg hoses, like for my necklaced second on my backmount rigs. OTOH sometimes that flexibility is a negative, on my SPG lollipop the hoses are rubber, because a flex hose in that same role isn't stiff enough. Personally I use both, depending on the purpose.
A second for not liking hose protectors here. I had a set of regs where the swaged end fittings failed on the hoses under the protectors, only noticed as I was taking them off to clean. This was a set of regulators with less than 10 dives on them. Now none of my hoses have protectors so I can inspect more easily.
Hi, love those videos, was wondering if you could do one about drysuits and also maybe about diffrent kind of backplates and how to adjust ur harness and what to look out for when adjusting for drysuit use, Thanks.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: There is a very renowned and liked-by-all diver who has been "raising a flag" regarding Miflex hoses. He has shown in several videos that residues accumulate inside Miflex hoses, creating "crystals" inside of it that--over time--clog the hose and restrict airflow.
This is perfect timing. Setting up a long hose set up on my single cylinder and found out the standard 22 “ hose for the necklace 2nd stage is too short for me. I’m now going to try 24 or 26.
Rubber hoses have little pin holes along their lengths to allow trapped air between the braided inner hose and the rubber outer hose to escape. Don't be alarmed when you see tiny air bubbles appear along the length of the hose when you enter the water, or water seeping out when you're at the surface. This is perfectly normal. When there's a constant stream of bubbles, your rubber hose may have sprung a leak.
Super informative, I'm in the process of getting my first kit together and regs/hoses are next on the list. Didn't know about the different inflator hose couplings either, so I'll be keeping an eye out on that. Cheers! #makescubadivingcolourfulagain
Hey James, love the channel! How do you feel about diving a long hose recreationally? I recently had my primary "mugged" by a panicked diver and I'm starting to see the appeal. I do plan on moving the direction of tech diving as well
Go for it. Wife is purely a recreational diver but has been diving a long hose on a single for 13 years. I do rec and tec and dive a long hose on a single or twins and it works perfectly well for both.
Hi James, question, I'm sold on the long hose configuration now that I've seen the safety benefits of it. I'm not trained for overhead environments nor do I plan to be. Would a 60" long hose work as well as an 84"? Can't really tuck it like a 7ft but is the tuck needed? Thanks James! Keep up the good work!!
A couple of things, IMO it is easier to carry a couple of complete swivels instead of trying to replace the o-rings on the swivel on the boat. The second thing is that the issue with flex hoses wasn't a bad batch. The material the Miflex, and any knock offs that violated their patent, was crystalizing. The knock offs that avoided the Miflex patent by using another material didn't have the issue. And now all flex hoses, including the Miflex, use this material.
Yes. Also, the recall was 2012 (9 years ago), so none of those hoses should still be in use. It's interesting history but not relevant to someone making a braided vs. rubber hose decision.
Please note: ScubaPro do NOT allow their Authorized SCUBAPRO Dealers to service regulators attached to flex hoses (any brand such as the Miflex or MetalSub). This a quote from an official mail from SP" · We have seen these hoses impact breathing performance of our regulators. · In Europe, if non-SCUBAPRO hoses are used it voids the warranty. · Once they begin to fray they can cut dry suit seals and jab bare hands. · Our regulators are designed and tested with our hoses as to ensure maximum performance. · We do not have anything “against” these hoses, we just do not recommend them to be used with our regulators. But it is divers choice."
yes, I have used the about half a decade with no problems. He is correct about buoyancy. I use rubber on my SPG but my flex for drysuits, BCD and the primary reg. It means the arms weep recovery works best since it floats with positive bouyancy.
Yes, but they are way overpriced for what they give you over rubber hoses. You can buy a rubber hose and an elbow and still save almost half the price of the XT Miflex hose.
@@toriless He is talking about the XT line of hoses that Miflex brought out to address two of the common complaints about flex hoses by tech divers. They put a layer of plastic over a flex hose, so it is slightly negative, and doesn't bother your neck if you are running it behind your head without a hood. But it is obscenely expensive compare to generic rubber and flex hoses. For example the common 7ft long hose is $76 for the Miflex XT, while a generic rubber or flex hose is $31 for the same length.
@UCY-cSagV3zWTS8q4yRKLvRQ Miflex XT are different from normal flex hoses. As I noted in another comment it fixes two of the common complaints about flex hoses.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
"Make scuba diving colorful again!!" I love it!! We keep wondering to ourselves where all the color went! Lol
Small tip: You can often find the mfg date stamped into the metal threaded end connectors to help identify old hoses. Usually mm/yy
Yes! Forgot to include that! Thanks!
Thinking you missed the balanced versus unbalanced video there, bud. Nevertheless, I still love your channel. Great stuff for an amateur diver like me.
Brother-diver James, most excellent instructional-video mate! I had heard of the "braided-hose problem/issue" a couple years back, & wondered exactly how the deterioration INSIDE the hoses themselves came about - you answered my curiosity, YES! I'm an old-school type myself, & use rubber-hoses exclusively regardless of the weight/flexibility issues. Besides, "rubber-hoses" have that distinct "rubber-scent" to them that allow the "FULL" scuba experience, know what I mean? You Englishmen are GREAT Teachers for this sort of stuff; pretty much straight to the point & no BS while still remaining quite humorous as well. To be fair though, our Canadian Brother-diver Alec (Peirce) is a most excellent instructor too!
I personally like the miflex hoses for my primary second stage because diving cold water, especially in cold weather, I find that standard rubber hoses get stiff and I have to put more effort into biting down on the mouth piece in order to have the reg sit centered and comfortably in my mouth. Does it matter on an average dive? In my opinion no. On a 60+ minute cold water/cold day dive, I find the miflex slightly less tiring and slightly more comfortable. Just my opinion though. See ya'll in the water.
So I saw something the other day from the miflex manufacturer pronounced miflex like “me flex”. I’m not being a negative Nancy. I just never pronounce it like “me flex” 😂 regardless of pronunciation antics, this is a great video! Thanks James for making excellent content!
Well done James. Thanks for clearing up the Miflex issues/recall.
Glad to help! Dive safe.
I saw piston vs diaphragm but not balanced vs unbalanced properly explained or discussed.
Quick answer. An unbalanced 1st stage will at the surface give you say 10 Bar of intermediate pressure to the second stage. At 10m down it will still be giving that 10 Bar but there's now an extra 1 Bar of pressure at the other end hindering it getting into your mouth. At 40m there are 4 Bar more to deal with and the result is it gets harder to breath because you have to suck by that same 4 Bar more than you did at the surface. A balanced 1st stage typically has a diaphragm that bows inward as the ambient pressure increases and therefore helps lift the valve that opens as you breathe in. This keeps the intermediate pressure in the hose always at that same 10 Bar above ambient you had on the surface so the breathing effort is always the same. Some regs are actually 'over-balanced' so they give slightly more than that as you go down to help with any increased bodily stress you may experience at depth. Hope this helps.
@@timgosling6189 Very misleading description.
@@jeffconley6366 I'm always eager to learn and improve understanding. Feel free to correct me as you see fit.
TOP TIP: don't bother with the little o rings for the swivels, just carry two spare swivel bobbins! Trust me, trying to change a 2mm dia o ring on a moving boat, whilst you are rushing cause you are "holding up the dive" is absolutely not fun. You will ping the o rings off into either the water or into far flung and unreachable parts of the boat. The swivel bobbins are cheap, and come with prefitted orings, ao buy a couple of spares (so that if you drop one into the bilges you don't have to go find it........) and it's a literal 30 sec job to just swap them out if you need too
By all all means do have some spare plain o rings to suit the swivels for home fixes and it's one of the parts worth just regularily changing because the cost and effort to do so is so trivial :-)
Nice tip. I'll remember that for later.
I work with and produce hoses everyday, your knowledge about hoses is pretty good 🙂👍
Thanks 👍
40K SUBSCRIBERS!!! CONGRATS!!!
Congratulations on 40K subscribers!!
Good video! congratulations on the 40k followers!
Always a win when one of your videos pops up. Thank you for your time brother.
Thanks for another great video. I have found your videos helpful as a still rookie diver. I think you've found a bit of a niche in giving such practical tips and insight. Thanks again.
Hey James, I prefer the braided flex hoses because of the lighter weight and because the one thing I always take with me when local and travel diving is my regulator set.
You said during your last video that the next one would be about balanced and non balanced first stages.
In case anyone is worried about the degradation of Miflex hoses, don't be. First, if I remember right the recall was in 2012 (?) and any issues there were over their ruggedness were solved a long time ago. It also only seemed to effect a batch of hoses sold in North America. Second, the problem with the lining forming crystalline material under repeated heat/cold cycles and thereby blocking air flow did not involve Miflex products, which don't apparently use the particular plastics affected by this polymorphic crystallization. Anyway, good summary, especially about getting a buddy to check how everything sits under water. Braided or rubber, it depends how you use them and what you personally find best.
Another great information segment from my favorite expert diver. Thanks for doing these James
James I really appreciate you, I'm just getting ready to swap out my hoses and I respect your opinion on equipment. Cheers and keep up the good work and videos.
James What's up mate, Hope everything is going well. Wanted to ask you how is your ear doing? How is your recovery? Bro You need to get your self a Vaquita Paralenz Camara!!! Cant wait for your review! Take care lad.
Never understood the craze with miflex. I prefer the sturdiness of the rubber. Yeah it's heavier but to me they're better quality and last longer. 39.9K Subscribers James! You'll hit 40K by next week's video!!!
The advantages of flex hoses aren't just in their weight, but the flexibility as well. My sidemount inflator hoses could never be as short as they are if I went with rubber hoses. And that is also an advantage for short reg hoses, like for my necklaced second on my backmount rigs. OTOH sometimes that flexibility is a negative, on my SPG lollipop the hoses are rubber, because a flex hose in that same role isn't stiff enough. Personally I use both, depending on the purpose.
another great segment. Keep up the great work
A second for not liking hose protectors here. I had a set of regs where the swaged end fittings failed on the hoses under the protectors, only noticed as I was taking them off to clean. This was a set of regulators with less than 10 dives on them. Now none of my hoses have protectors so I can inspect more easily.
Hi, love those videos, was wondering if you could do one about drysuits and also maybe about diffrent kind of backplates and how to adjust ur harness and what to look out for when adjusting for drysuit use, Thanks.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: There is a very renowned and liked-by-all diver who has been "raising a flag" regarding Miflex hoses. He has shown in several videos that residues accumulate inside Miflex hoses, creating "crystals" inside of it that--over time--clog the hose and restrict airflow.
Hi! Any tips in color hoses selection?
This is perfect timing. Setting up a long hose set up on my single cylinder and found out the standard 22 “ hose for the necklace 2nd stage is too short for me. I’m now going to try 24 or 26.
Rubber hoses have little pin holes along their lengths to allow trapped air between the braided inner hose and the rubber outer hose to escape.
Don't be alarmed when you see tiny air bubbles appear along the length of the hose when you enter the water, or water seeping out when you're at the surface. This is perfectly normal.
When there's a constant stream of bubbles, your rubber hose may have sprung a leak.
No discussion on the subject HP and LP hoses in the video, James? Can we expect that portion in an upcoming video?
I think balanced verses unbalanced may have been forgotten.
Super informative, I'm in the process of getting my first kit together and regs/hoses are next on the list. Didn't know about the different inflator hose couplings either, so I'll be keeping an eye out on that. Cheers! #makescubadivingcolourfulagain
Hey James, love the channel! How do you feel about diving a long hose recreationally? I recently had my primary "mugged" by a panicked diver and I'm starting to see the appeal. I do plan on moving the direction of tech diving as well
Go for it. Wife is purely a recreational diver but has been diving a long hose on a single for 13 years. I do rec and tec and dive a long hose on a single or twins and it works perfectly well for both.
Is it me or is the theme song now much cooler ?
Hi James, question, I'm sold on the long hose configuration now that I've seen the safety benefits of it. I'm not trained for overhead environments nor do I plan to be. Would a 60" long hose work as well as an 84"? Can't really tuck it like a 7ft but is the tuck needed? Thanks James! Keep up the good work!!
I have a Scuba pro MK11 195 secondary reg, is it possible to change out the hose with a ball swivel at the mouth piece? Pros or cons . Thanks
A couple of things, IMO it is easier to carry a couple of complete swivels instead of trying to replace the o-rings on the swivel on the boat.
The second thing is that the issue with flex hoses wasn't a bad batch. The material the Miflex, and any knock offs that violated their patent, was crystalizing. The knock offs that avoided the Miflex patent by using another material didn't have the issue. And now all flex hoses, including the Miflex, use this material.
Yes. Also, the recall was 2012 (9 years ago), so none of those hoses should still be in use. It's interesting history but not relevant to someone making a braided vs. rubber hose decision.
Do any of the hose manufacturers take back used hoses to recycle as otherwise its a difficult item to dispose of
Air 2 also use a different conector
Should diving standardise on certain colours for certain hoses. Seems amiss and would help in murky/dark water
3 years or 300 dives
What if I have 300 dives every 2 month?
Nice video 🤙🏼
Please note: ScubaPro do NOT allow their Authorized SCUBAPRO Dealers to service regulators attached to flex hoses (any brand such as the Miflex or MetalSub). This a quote from an official mail from SP"
· We have seen these hoses impact breathing performance of our regulators.
· In Europe, if non-SCUBAPRO hoses are used it voids the warranty.
· Once they begin to fray they can cut dry suit seals and jab bare hands.
· Our regulators are designed and tested with our hoses as to ensure maximum performance.
· We do not have anything “against” these hoses, we just do not recommend them to be used with our regulators. But it is divers choice."
Are Myflex tech hoses any good?
yes, I have used the about half a decade with no problems. He is correct about buoyancy. I use rubber on my SPG but my flex for drysuits, BCD and the primary reg. It means the arms weep recovery works best since it floats with positive bouyancy.
Yes, but they are way overpriced for what they give you over rubber hoses. You can buy a rubber hose and an elbow and still save almost half the price of the XT Miflex hose.
@@toriless He is talking about the XT line of hoses that Miflex brought out to address two of the common complaints about flex hoses by tech divers. They put a layer of plastic over a flex hose, so it is slightly negative, and doesn't bother your neck if you are running it behind your head without a hood. But it is obscenely expensive compare to generic rubber and flex hoses. For example the common 7ft long hose is $76 for the Miflex XT, while a generic rubber or flex hose is $31 for the same length.
@UCY-cSagV3zWTS8q4yRKLvRQ Miflex XT are different from normal flex hoses. As I noted in another comment it fixes two of the common complaints about flex hoses.
@@Teampegleg The copy miflex (braided) are about the same price as rubber hoses now.
YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE HOSE PROTECTOR...
Can we stop with the word "kit"? Its all so tiresome hearing every sport referencing their kit. Almost as worn out as tactical.