Recommended reel for cavern class?

[p_kos]

You're going to need 400ft if you want to cave dive.

TDI publishes their standards, but no agency is going to be wildly off track.
Cavern requires 1x 125ft safety reel.
Intro/Full is just an appropriate length of primary. 200ft is enough for a lot of places, but let's just say that the Dive Rite Classic reel is 400ft for a reason. Same that the Halcyon Primary reels start at 400ft in length.


To answer your other question I prefer the Halcyon to the Light Monkey but I actually prefer the Divesoft to both.

If I actually needed another primary I would go Divesoft hands down.

 

[p_kos]

I have multiple of both in both sizes. The Halcyon are definitely better. Better tolerances, less movement and gapping in the spool. They are both much better than the DRs. But the halcyon is slightly better

That's because you currently don't have the knowledge base to know. You want to start with a 400ft reel and eventually you may add shorter ones.

That's nutty. So did you use the instructor's or didn't use one at all. I used the hell out of muy primary in cavern

As far as tolerances go, LM has zero gap between spool and guide while Halcyon does, pros and cons to both but worth considering.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

As far as tolerances go, LM has zero gap between spool and guide while Halcyon does, pros and cons to both but worth considering.
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Thank you

 

[DogDiver]

If you can find a Ralph Hood reel. They are bullet proof. I still have a crate full of them I have acquired over the last 25 years. The only one I still us is the primary reel. They have their quirks like the nylon lock nut. But you will never destroy one.

 

[kensuf]

At the end of the day, you should ask your instructor, but Light Monkey 200' reel is my go to for 95% of the stuff out there. It'll get you through a cavern class and work for the majority of cave diving you'll do if you're diving in North Florida.

The longest run you'll probably need to make in a cave class is upper Orange Grove, or if your instructor makes you, either sign at P1. There's plenty of line on the LM 200 reel to get you there.

If you feel the need to go to a bigger reel, the LM400, Halcyon Pathfinder 400' reel, Divesoft 100m reel (even though I'm not a fan of the line they pack on it), and Dive Rite sidewinder (NOT the slide lock) reels are fine.

 

[kensuf]

Any opinion on the Diverite slide lock reels?

Sand can get in the mechanism and they stick closed or open. I don't recommend them for cave diving.

 

[kensuf]

You're going to need 400ft if you want to cave dive.

TDI publishes their standards, but no agency is going to be wildly off track.
Cavern requires 1x 125ft safety reel.
Intro/Full is just an appropriate length of primary. 200ft is enough for a lot of places, but let's just say that the Dive Rite Classic reel is 400ft for a reason. Same that the Halcyon Primary reels start at 400ft in length.


To answer your other question I prefer the Halcyon to the Light Monkey but I actually prefer the Divesoft to both.

The historical reason the 400' reels exist is because a long time ago the Peanut line started about 300' into the cave and the main line at Devil's started at the lips. Now-a-days the longest run in Florida is OG, I ran a 200' reel there yesterday and had plenty of line left on the spindle after.

 

[rddvet]

The historical reason the 400' reels exist is because a long time ago the Peanut line started about 300' into the cave and the main line at Devil's started at the lips. Now-a-days the longest run in Florida is OG, I ran a 200' reel there yesterday and had plenty of line left on the spindle after.

I have run out of line several times in Mexico on a 200ft reel. I used to only take the 200. Now I always take the 400

 

[kensuf]

I have run out of line several times in Mexico on a 200ft reel. I used to only take the 200. Now I always take the 400

And Mexico (and maybe France?) might be a good reason for getting a 400' reel eventually, but I'll throw another point out - first few times someone goes vacation cave diving in Mexico they should probably hire a guide. I'd hope the guide has a 400' reel to use.

 

[tbone1004]

The historical reason the 400' reels exist is because a long time ago the Peanut line started about 300' into the cave and the main line at Devil's started at the lips. Now-a-days the longest run in Florida is OG, I ran a 200' reel there yesterday and had plenty of line left on the spindle after.

that's fair. My dive rite has wreck line on it so it's only about 250ft and I can only think of 2-3x that I've "run out". One was a few years ago when the P3 line kept getting moved around and one week it was out where it is now and the next week it was way the hell back there. The others were when I had to tie to the steps OG and I either didn't have an efficient route out there *highly plausible since it was like 6" of visibility* or it is actually that long.

Do you require your students to have a primary for class or do you let them use a few from your pile to figure out what they like and don't like before they buy?