Safety Reels - what are you using?

[BabyDuck]

i do better with spools. i often have to use my teeth (which, of course, means taking my reg out of my mouth) to undo the screw locks. makes my buddy really nervous, but it's what i have to do to use a reel. therefore, more spool use for me.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

What do you want it for? I'm assuming you are still in open water -- are you talking about something with which to shoot a bag? In that case, a simple 100 or 150 foot spool is your best bet.

In caves, you have other functions for a spool or reel, that may push other decisions.

Caving... I will be taking a NSS-CDS class in the fall and like to research all of my purchases a ways out.

 

[TSandM]

In that case, I'd highly recommend the Light Monkey side handle reels. They're very difficult to jam. The Halcyon ones are quite similar, although Halcyon at least used to make their handles out of aluminum. They also used a metal screw, instead of the nylon one, which is reputed to have issues with swelling sometimes. We own both Halcyon and LM, and I've seen no functional difference between them.

For cave diving, you will need both reels and spools.

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

In that case, I'd highly recommend the Light Monkey side handle reels. They're very difficult to jam. The Halcyon ones are quite similar, although Halcyon at least used to make their handles out of aluminum. They also used a metal screw, instead of the nylon one, which is reputed to have issues with swelling sometimes. We own both Halcyon and LM, and I've seen no functional difference between them.

For cave diving, you will need both reels and spools.

+1 for a single Halcyon reel and about 3 finger spools.

And albeit difficult, it is possible to jam a Halcyon reel. However, I also know that the good people at Halcyon will replace it for you without charge if it is jammed beyond recovery!