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MIFLEX Hoses / Accessories
Are Double-Braided Flex Hoses Better Than Rubber?
YES! After generations of rubber as the status quo in scuba hoses, technology has finally been used to improve this important product used by every diver. Every aspect of the double-braided polyester hoses out perform rubber hoses. Double-braided is much more flexible, at least a third lighter, much more durable, kink resistant and enormously stronger. Recent updates with high-pressure fittings have addressed the early issues and these too are now better than found on rubber hoses. The only issue remaining has been price, and now even that has reached parity or better at The Scuba Doctor.
Only a handful of companies have the technology to make double-braided polyester hoses, although these same hoses are sold under a variety of different names. The Scuba Doctor sells the Italian made, premium quality, Miflex brand.
The Miflex Carbon HD and Miflex Xtreme-hi + ranges of high pressure gauge hoses bring clear benefits when compared to traditional HP hoses to better suit the majority of divers requirements. Slim-line and Lightweight design, approximately 60% lighter than traditional HP hoses with a burst pressure in excess of 2,000 bar (29,000 psi).
Miflex Xtreme Low Pressure Regulator hoses and Miflex Xtreme LP BCD/Inflator hoses feature an external nylon safety braiding designed to resist the snags and abrasions that divers can often encounter. The patent-pending Miflex Xtreme double braiding also resists UV rays out of the water, thus extending the lifespan of the hose.
Unlike traditional hoses, the Miflex Xtreme nylon safety braiding is not simply pushed over the hose fittings. Instead the braiding is tightly bound and fixed to the hose core by stainless steel or brass sleeves.
Each Miflex Xtreme Low Pressure Regulator hose comes standard with 3/8" Male and standard UNF 9/16" Female connections. The Miflex Jacket/BCD/Inflator hose comes standard with 3/8" Male and quick release coupler fittings.
All Miflex hoses come in a Water Resistant Document Wallet, and are Oxygen Cleaned from the factory.
As a related business imports and distributes the Miflex range of diving hoses in Australia, we know these hoses better than anyone else in the region.
Tech Tip: Dive Hose Life
In our experience double-braided polyester diving hoses are more reliable than rubber hoses, but keep in mind that all SCUBA hoses, both rubber or polyester, will fail sooner or later either due to age, storage conditions or handling.
Do not allow hoses to receive prolonged exposure sunlight, as the heat and UV from strong sunlight will significantly shorten the life of the hose. Do not attempt to flush the inside of the hose with any form of solvent or other chemical. New hoses are factory clean and if you have any reason to think they are no longer clean then the hose should be replaced.
Prior to every dive trip you should always pressurise and inspect your hoses for mechanical damage, corroded fittings, bulges and leaks. For more information about the care and maintenance of your dive hoses, please see Caring For Scuba Diving Hoses.
The Scuba Doctor suggests replacing all SCUBA hoses every five years or 500 dives, whichever comes first.
Cathedral Rock, Lorne
Reef Dive | 
Shore access
Cathedral Rock Dive | © Phil Watson
Depth: 1 m (3.28 ft) to 8 m (26 ft)
Level: Advanced Open Water and beyond.
Cathedral Rock, Lorne (aka The Springs) lies on the Great Ocean Road (B100) between Lorne (to the west) and Aireys Inlet (to the east) on Victoria's Surf Coast, facing south-east into Bass Strait. Cathedral Rock is another of the prime surfing spots along this section of coastline, but on a very calm day with no wind and no swell it is an interesting snorkelling and diving site for the experienced practitioners to explore.
Cathedral Rock
The Great Ocean Road hugs the 20 metre high bluffs along this section of the coastline and you cannot miss seeing the beach, adjoining rock platforms and reefs. There is a small beach with rock platforms at either end and deep water off the northern end of the beach. Permanent rips run out at each end.
Location: Lorne, Victoria 3232
Cathedral Rock Parking
© Google Street View
Parking: When heading west from Aireys Inlet you'll come to a car parking area where Broadbent Road intersects with the Great Ocean Road (B100) above Cathedral Rock Beach about 3 kilometres to the east from Lorne. A sign says "The Springs, Site of the Last Toll Gate — 1929– 1936". If you see lots of white water, head on home.
Entry/Exit: Gear up and walk down the steps to the beach. There is a lovely little beach cove entry/exit point just to the south-west from the bottom of the steps.
Ideal Conditions: Cathedral Rock is a dangerous beach dominated by rocks, reefs and strong rips. Always go with a buddy and be extremely careful. Only attempt to dive or snorkel here if there is no wind, or just a light offshore north-westerly wind, with calm seas and no swell. See WillyWeather (Lorne) as a guide for the tide times and the height of the tide.
Bass Strait Warning: Always keep an eye on sea conditions throughout any shore or boat dive in Bass Strait on Victoria's coastline. Please read the warnings on the web page diving-in-bass-strait before diving or snorkelling this site.
Eastern Maar country
Traditional Owners — This dive site is in the traditional Country of the Eastern Maar people of south-western Victoria between the Shaw and Eumerella Rivers and from Yambuk in the south to beyond Lake Linlithgow in the north. This truly ancient Country extends as far north as Ararat and encompasses the coastal townships of Port Fairy in the west, Warrnambool, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Apollo Bay, Lorne, and Airies Inlet in the east, including the Great Ocean Road area. It also stretches 100 metres out to sea from low tide and therefore includes the iconic Twelve Apostles. "Eastern Maar" is a name adopted by the people who identify as Maar, Eastern Gunditjmara, Tjap Wurrung, Peek Whurrong, Kirrae Whurrung, Kuurn Kopan Noot and/or Yarro waetch (Tooram Tribe) amongst others. We wish to acknowledge the Eastern Maar as Traditional Owners. We pay respect to their Ancestors and their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Cathedral Rock, Lorne Location Map
Latitude: 38° 30.359′ S (38.505983° S / 38° 30′ 21.54″ S)
Longitude: 144° 0.294′ E (144.004901° E / 144° 0′ 17.64″ E)
Datum: WGS84 |
Google Map
| Get directions
Added: 2022-04-03 02:34:55 GMT, Last updated: 2022-04-03 02:11:44 GMT
Source: Google Earth
Nearest Neighbour: Osprey, 3,969 m, bearing 215°, SW
Lorne, Surf Coast.
Depth: 1 to 8 m.
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DISCLAIMER: No claim is made by The Scuba Doctor as to the accuracy of the dive site coordinates listed here. Should anyone decide to use these GPS marks to locate and dive on a site, they do so entirely at their own risk. Always verify against other sources.
The marks come from numerous sources including commercial operators, independent dive clubs, reference works, and active divers. Some are known to be accurate, while others may not be. Some GPS marks may even have come from maps using the AGD66 datum, and thus may need be converted to the WGS84 datum. To distinguish between the possible accuracy of the dive site marks, we've tried to give each mark a source of GPS, Google Earth, or unknown.
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