The new MiFlex Braided hoses - Not so much...

[Mo2vation]

I took the bait.

I bit the hook.

Thought I'd give it a try.

I bought a 7-footer. I've done about a 20 or so dives on it. And here's the deal:

1. Very high cool factor. Kinda neat looking.
2. Very flexy. Not that it matters, but OK.
3. TERRIBLE on the scooter. Just flaps in the breeze. I'm serious - I'm zooming along and my long hose is going boing boing boing. It is more resistant in the water, and with all that flex and low mass, combined with the higher resistance, it sux for scootering.
4. Also - I don't like my long hose being this flexy. I prefer it to be stiffer as I always know where it is, where it will land and what its going to do when / if I drop it. A standard hose is very predictable in its trajectory. With this thin, flexy hose I have no idea where to look for it when its not where its supposed to be, so I can't recover it as fast as I have to look everywhere - both in water when I butterfinger the thing or don't clip it off when I should, and when I'm gearing up on the tailgate or a on a boat bench. Its a pain.

I'll be selling it very soon and going back to a real hose.

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Ken

[LCF]

Well, thank you for going there and doing that for me, because I was tempted . . .

BTW, love your new sig line, and I can only imagine the context

[vicdiver656]

I was wondering about those. I was buying a Agir Brokk backplate and wing the other day, as well as 2 7' and the short hose (24"?) and they gave me the option of either regular hose or miFlex. Not wanting to change things, I chose the regular, and it looks like it was a good thing that I did! It's through the "mistakes" of others (no offense to you Ken or Lynn) that we learn how to lead a good life, or dive a good dive! A good dive for me is not great conditions, or using a scooter, but Doing It Right; doing drills properly, and not messing up on gear, and staying close to the buddy at all times, and other such things!

[CompuDude]

I took the bait.

I bit the hook.

Thought I'd give it a try.

I bought a 7-footer. I've done about a 20 or so dives on it. And here's the deal:

1. Very high cool factor. Kinda neat looking.
2. Very flexy. Not that it matters, but OK.
3. TERRIBLE on the scooter. Just flaps in the breeze. I'm serious - I'm zooming along and my long hose is going boing boing boing. It is more resistant in the water, and with all that flex and low mass, combined with the higher resistance, it sux for scootering.
4. Also - I don't like my long hose being this flexy. I prefer it to be stiffer as I always know where it is, where it will land and what its going to do when / if I drop it. A standard hose is very predictable in its trajectory. With this thin, flexy hose I have no idea where to look for it when its not where its supposed to be, so I can't recover it as fast as I have to look everywhere - both in water when I butterfinger the thing or don't clip it off when I should, and when I'm gearing up on the tailgate or a on a boat bench. Its a pain.

I'll be selling it very soon and going back to a real hose.

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Ken

Interesting. So what about the secondary and LP hoses? Dislike it for those, also?

I have a full singles rig ready to dive... but I haven't had a chance to dive them yet! (The one chance I had, I ended up diving the dubs)

[vicdiver656]

Would that really change? It's still slippery, maybe though since it's not as long it would flap around as much? Plus, since it's braided, wouldn't it be a whole lot softer? Thus, as Mo2vation said, going all over the place with no definite home? I dunno. What do you think Compudude? I'm really glad I never opted for the MiFlex hoses when I bought that rig....

[kidspot]

Thanks Ken,

20 dives? WOW - these things have only been out a few days ... you dive more than a lot of instructors and DM's I know - lol

This is a question that has been on a lot of our minds - nice of you to check it out for me/us/them

The hose I am still considering changing is my backup reg hose, as that so often, especially on doubles, takes such sharp turns getting to where it needs to be. With a regular "stiff" hose I find my backup frequently ends up on the right side of my neck, instead of under my chin where I want it. Do you think these new hoses would help with that issue?

Thanks again, Tim

[Mo2vation]

Thanks Ken,

20 dives? WOW - these things have only been out a few days ... you dive more than a lot of instructors and DM's I know - lol

This is a question that has been on a lot of our minds - nice of you to check it out for me/us/them

The hose I am still considering changing is my backup reg hose, as that so often, especially on doubles, takes such sharp turns getting to where it needs to be. With a regular "stiff" hose I find my backup frequently ends up on the right side of my neck, instead of under my chin where I want it. Do you think these new hoses would help with that issue?

Thanks again, Tim

I only have the 7 foot hose. I wasn't going to spring for a set until I knew if I liked the most important hose.

The issue is on the scooter. It kicks fine, but it flaps like a mutha on the scoot. Its distracting, uncomfortable and I hate it.

I also dislike the general softness of the thing. I can't find it if I drop it, and after 1000 dives with a real hose, I'm kinda in the groove.

To their credit, X-Scuba is going to arrange for a full refund. Sweet, but surely not my intention with the post. My intent also wasn't also to be provocative or glom for cash - the deal is I've given the hose a thorough run through - boat dives, shore dives, kick dives, scooter dives, camera, surf, etc... and while every review I've seen lathers the things, they're just not for me.

They're probably a fine upgrade for a dive store and a way to secure additional margin on gear that probably doesn't have too much margin in it anyway (unless you sell some goofy colored hose wrap nonsense with the reg package.) But as someone else said in another thread, its a solution looking for a problem.

I confess - I bit the hook. I'm now spitting it out. No hard feelings, they're just not for me.

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Ken

[kidspot]

Your criteria fit the questions I had about the 7ft hose. I may still bite and pick up the 24" hose to see how it performs under similar conditions as you tested the longhose (well except for the high surf, cold water and limited vis part )

Aloha, Tim

[cmalinowski]

Interesting. So what about the secondary and LP hoses? Dislike it for those, also?

I have a full singles rig ready to dive... but I haven't had a chance to dive them yet! (The one chance I had, I ended up diving the dubs)

I was thinking this too. I was thinking that it could be great for the necklace. I find that, unless your hose is truly perfect, your necklace will pull or be harder to grab. I don't have any "real" problems doing it, but I may go miflex for it just to check it out. But, I'm lazy and "dive gear account broke" right now so it will have to wait

Chris

[Mo2vation]

See, I find the opposite.

I WANT my necklace to have some heft so it kind of holds it's self in place.

Of all the hoses I would least consider for a TooFlex, the necklace is at the top of my list.

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Ken

[TobinGeorge]

Maybe on a stage. I say maybe only because I've never had a problem with the standard "rubber" hoses.

My 7 footer works just the way I want it to, same for the necklace. No Jaw fatigue, no hose routing or management issues.

DrySuit or LP inflator? If these hoses are the correct length they don't need to bend much, and are tucked in and streamlined.

Weight? I'd guess that a large percentage of the weight of any hose is the end fittings, and this is fixed. There might be some small savings on a full set, but I'd expect it to be ounces.

I'm all for new technology, and there may be a place for these hoses, but I'm having a hard time seeing them on my gear.

Tobin

[Mo2vation]

Maybe on a stage. I say maybe only because I've never had a problem with the standard "rubber" hoses.

My 7 footer works just the way I want it to, same for the necklace. No Jaw fatigue, no hose routing or management issues.

DrySuit or LP inflator? If these hoses are the correct length they don't need to bend much, and are tucked in and streamlined.

Weight? I'd guess that a large percentage of the weight of any hose is the end fittings, and this is fixed. There might be some small savings on a full set, but I'd expect it to be ounces.

I'm all for new technology, and there may be a place for these hoses, but I'm having a hard time seeing them on my gear.

Tobin

After seeing, owing and diving the TwistoFlex, the only application I see where they would really shine in a functional way (as opposed to a gee whiz cool braided I'm to zexy for my Reg way) would be those people that insist on diving doubles with non-doubles friendly regs.

I've seen some Apeks regs that have no business being used as doubles regs simply because the hose fatigue is completely unreasonable. I'm talking U-Turn bends, 90 degree bends. Seriously bad routing - the kind that causes checking on the rubber in a matter of weeks and draws to mind sudden on-site blow outs upon charging the system.

I dive Atomic regs, which the world knows route perfect for dubs.

I give the FiloFlex hose high marks for those types of hose gymnastics.

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Ken

[rjack]

The hose I am still considering changing is my backup reg hose, as that so often, especially on doubles, takes such sharp turns getting to where it needs to be. With a regular "stiff" hose I find my backup frequently ends up on the right side of my neck, instead of under my chin where I want it. Do you think these new hoses would help with that issue?

Sounds like your backup hose might just be too short. I don't really have the cash to drop on new hoses so I'm just living vicariously

[Cam]

Ken thanks for the info. Actually I hadn't even heard of them. Interesting concept. A stage reg set-up might be ok. Are they expensive hoses?

[Mo2vation]

Ken thanks for the info. Actually I hadn't even heard of them. Interesting concept. A stage reg set-up might be ok. Are they expensive hoses?

They are expensive.

They're fine hoses. Just not the right hose for me.

I dive a 7' footer. Jaw fatigue, hose push and pull on the reg, all of that stuff goes away with a long hose, as the reg just sits in the right spot. For people diving standard length reg hoses (better: factory-length reg hoses) I can see the Bend-o-Flex hose being a good thing.

And again, if you're diving evil first stages and ramming them into doubles duty, again, an excellent choice.

But they don't tuck well, they flop all over the place and they flap in the breeze when I scoot. The Manufacturer contacted me, all is good.

Not every piece of gear is right for every person. This one was not right for me.

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Ken