I have just ordered 100m of the 7.8mm.
I did prefer the softer stuff Gardiners used to sell but the new stuff lasts well and at under £11 for 100m I don't think anyone can complain. (but they will) 
Well it looks like it's me that's complaining. Have had the 7.8mm hose for a week or so and my blokes are close to mutiny.
I am normally a fan of stuff from Gardiners but the 80m of hose I have left will be going in the bin.
It has slowed production to a crawl as the lads spend all day untangling it.
One of my guys went in the bin today a got his old hose with holes in, repaired it with tape and put it back on his pole coz he hates the new stuff so much.
So I guess I need to find a new hose supplier. Sorry Alex but I think you got this stuff very wrong. I have been using poles since about 2004 and this is easily the worst stuff I have had.
Hi Neil
Thank you for your observation. I am sorry that you and your workers are not getting on with it. Just to clarify we are talking about the 7.8mm od that is currently 'on sale' for £10.95 for 100 metres not our standard pole hose.
I could respond to your findings in several ways so here are some of my replies
1. New pole usually needs a good couple of weeks of use to wear in to standard use - as you will know from your experience.
2. It could be memory effect from being in a roll for a long time. To prevent this what can really help is to condition it before use. Cut off the length you need from the main roll and then fill a bucket with near boiling water (couple of boiled kettles with the rest tap hot) and submerge the hose in it for 20 or 30 seconds. Then remove the hose and loosely coil the hose in about a 50cm diameter coil and leave for a few hours like this. When you then come to use it for the first time it should be a lot more usable and give you less hassle.
3. A lot is down to personal taste as we have lots of clients who have bought this 7.8mm hose on sale and really like it, particularly in the colder weather as it is slightly softer than the standard 8mm hose (due to thinner wall). Personally I prefer this softer 7.8mm hose to our standard stuff that is twice the price.
Answer 3 is actually the most relevant as what one client loves another hates.
In reality this is something that I am in the middle of trying to address once and for all. It has been several years since we were able to get hose that we were truly happy with. In fact we changed away from our original manufacturer because they changed the compound on us without warning and refused to admit the change. We have continued with (IMO) a more basic hose that does the job, but I believe that we can do better.
I have many different samples and compounds in front of me as I type trying to assess the good points of each (if they have them). Bore, OD, wall thickness, compound etc. all have a part to play in the way the hose performs. I currently have 5 different pole hoses in use in my van so that I can experience exactly how they work out in the field. I am trying to be able to have manufactured a hose that works well with all of our fittings, is supple enough to work well without memory, but not so soft that it tangles too easily. Also it will need to perform well in the summer heat without getting too soft, but remain supple enough in -0°C temperatures that we get in the winter. I am confident that we can achieve this as I do have some of my original hose that used to do all of this so well.
I would like to get this sorted for everyone's sakes