What do Hose Protectors Protect?

[DarinMartell]

I was just wondering what is the purpose of hose protectors. I looking for something more specific the "to protect the hose"

[Gombessa]

I hear they can do a great job protecting salt from getting flushed out after a dive

[texdiveguy]

I have never been a fan of the little fellows myself....I see no purpose in using them....same goes for tank sleeves.

[Gombessa]

Seriously though, I've heard that, for salt water at least, IF you take care to remove and clean the hose mounts underneath them every dive, they can be very useful to protect the ends from damage due to over-bending the hose; but if you're like most people and don't flush them regularly, they can cause more damage than they protect against.

[setesh]

Well, I learned something today after all! Will be sure to rinse under the little buggers from now on!

[awap]

They are supposed to protect the hoses from bending too much and causing strain at the connections. And I'm sure they can do that. But they do demand extra attention when cleaning and inspecting.

I generally do not use then and see little need for them.

[mike_s]

The purpose of hose covers/protectors is to sell you a product that you don't need.

Often these are bright pastel colors that people like based on the color and want thier hoses to be "colorful".

In reality, they hide inspection of hoses, make them harder to rinse, etc. They also would have a tendancy to snap more than a hose would, but that's a hard sell because you're likely to snag anyway if your hoses are near it.

It's a useless product.

[WaScubaDude]

Originally Posted by DarinMartell

I was just wondering what is the purpose of hose protectors. I looking for something more specific the "to protect the hose"

The Profit Margins of the companies that make them ; )

[keyshunter]

Hose protectors are designed to prevent excess wear at the point where the end of the crimps meet the rubber hose. But, in reality, this is only a problem if the reg is stored hanging up with the hoses dangling, as is done in many rental gear situations. Although, even here, with modern hose materials, this problem is more imaginary than real. Personally, I store my regs flat with the hoses loosely coiled. Colored protectors can also used to quickly identify one's gear, and as a fashion statement. They are far less gaudy, and are easier to keep free of salt than the full length hose covers that one occasionally sees.

[MLenyo]

in my OW class some of the reg hoses had protectors and i never liked them. always tried to avoid those; they felt stiffer and weirder somehow.