What they are. The plastic or rubber sleeves that slide over the end of a hose where it meets the metal fitting. They were meant to stop the hose kinking right at the crimp.

Why we take them off. They do more harm than good. Water and salt get under the sleeve and cannot drain, so the metal ferrule corrodes quietly where you cannot see it; a hose can be rotting at the crimp and look perfect from the outside. The stiff ones don’t even relieve the strain; they just move the bending point a couple of inches down the hose. And they stop you inspecting the one part of the hose that actually fails. Modern hoses, braided or rubber, don’t need them. When we service a set we pull the protectors, clean up any corrosion underneath, and tell you if a hose is on its way out.

Good to know. Removal is quick and we do it as part of the service when you ask. If a protector has been hiding a corroded fitting we’ll show you and recommend a replacement hose. If you really want to keep them, we can put them back on; just say so.

What we’ll ask you. Nothing, usually. Tick the box and we’ll do it.

Interested? Tick it on the equipment service request when you send your gear in. Nothing on that list is added to your estimate; we confirm the details and the price with you by email before anything is fitted or charged. Questions: service@ecdivers.com or 617-277-2216.