When water hunting, I like to loop the coil cable twice in the velcro loop thing on back of chest/hip mount Minelab bag. And keep both loops VERY loose. You want flex and cushion to movements of the coil cable, especially near the plug, as that is where shorts usually develop since obviously the plug can't flex, so all the stress is put right at the cable behind it. Think of it as a wave crashing against a wall, compared to nothing being in it's way. As a "wave" moved through the coil cable with movement, it's got no where to go once it smacks into the coil connector.
On the shaft end of things, I run the coil cable straight up the that with no spirals, secured very good via velcro all the way up every 5" or so at least. Then where it leaves the shaft to my chest mounted box when water hunting, I run the cable over the back side of the shaft and then out to my body. That way there is half a shaft surface area for the cable to ride against in movement and not one particular tiny spot where all the stress it working on it. I velcro it right there too, right before it loops around the opposite side of the shaft (to my body) and then out in the air to me. Keep all cable between body and shaft loose and not restricted or tight. Only as it goes down the shaft under water should the cable be prevented from moving, so no movement with water drag slowly over time wears a short in it.
The second most common place for a cable short is right at where it enters the coil, again due to no flex ability past that point so all the stress builds up in one spot on the cable. Some people like to leave enough slack in the cable from the coil to where it meets the shaft so that should the coil cable be pivoted all the way up or down, there is no tension on the cable (say for transport in a car). I don't do that. Instead, I make sure the cable is as short and as tight as possible from the coil to where it finally meets the shaft. I figure no slop means less chance of water drag working it back and fourth and making a short.
I've been toying with running the cable, rather in the air to the shaft from the coil, directly flat over the top of the coil to the shaft. No movement that way then. Two things prevent me thus far from trying that- Sharp right angles, and also I like getting metal as far away from the coil as fast as possible. That's why I run the cable straight up the shaft, and say on my land rig only spiral it around the shaft once it's behind the grip in my fore arm area. On land I box mount on the shaft due to my light weight shaft build. My GT is now lighter than some Whites, so no need to chest mount on land. I prefer being more free from cables anyway.
In the water rig (stock shaft), I'm mounting a snap on back shaft extension with the GT in a Plano waterpoof box, so soon I won't have to worry about a coil cable running to my chest, or the risk of getting it wet since the waterproof box is at head height. No drag, float, or potential leak issues even neck deep. Winter project that I must get done soon as spring is fast on it's way!
Bottom line for chest/hip mounting IMO- Loop twice before plugging into box, and keep both loops and then the cable going from there to the plug VERY loose to absorb movements without concentrating stress in any one spot.
