We occasionally get asked how to make a low-pressure regulator hose with a quick disconnect in the middle. This is a popular request from side mount and rebreather divers who want to first clip an off-board bottle with a first stage to their harness, route a hose and then connect it to a second stage regulator, ADV, BOV, or gas switch block. It also works much better than directly attaching the { 3 in | 8 cm} assembly directly to the second stage where it is unwieldy and more likely to catch on something.

The solution starts with a high flow quick disconnect pair plus a DGX hose coupler and then add two low-pressure regulator hoses of the desired lengths. The quick disconnect system supplied by OmniSwivel International offers high-flow performance (unlike a typical BC quick disconnect) with a positive locking mechanism which prevents accidental disconnection, and which automatically seals when disconnected. The slider has 9/16-inch male threads that attach to a standard low-pressure regulator hose and a female fitting that accepts the post. The male fitting with the post attaches to the standard threads found on most second stages and to that we add a coupler in order to attach another hose. What you wind up with is a low-pressure regulator hose in what ever length you need, with a standard 3/8-inch male fitting that screws in the first stage LP port and a standard 9/16-inch female fitting that screws to the second stage. The difference is that somewhere in the middle you will find a high-flow quick disconnect that allows the hose to be separated in to two sections.

Building your solution requires you to determine the total hose length you need and where in the total length you want the quick disconnect (i.e. closer to the first, closer to the second, some where in the middle.) Allowing about { 3 in | 8 cm} for the disconnect, select the upstream hose length that will connect to the first stage of the supply gas and the downstream hose length that will connect to the second stage or other device. You could build this yourself using individual parts, the total price would be about the same, but if you order from this page you will receive the assembled solution: LP hose, to QD female, to QD male, to coupler, to LP hose.