Reel Question

[ppo2_diver]

I'm am in the process of purchasing my first reel. I'm not too familiar with what I should be looking for. What are some of the qualities I should look for in a good all-purpose reel?

Thanks.

[HammerNoMore]

jhnsndn once bubbled...
good all-purpose reel?

There is not really any such thing. We'll need to know what you are planing to use the reel for to tell you what to look for.

James

[Cave Diver]

It needs to hold adequate amounts of line for your intended use.

It should be easy to hold, use, and reel.

It should fairly jam proof, open faced reels are the best at that.

Simple is better. The less moving parts and "gadgets" on one the better.

Halcyon makes a reel that I really like using. In contrast I think my dive-rite reels suck. I also have a home made reel (not by me) that is fairly good, better than most of the other manufactured ones out there.

[HammerNoMore]

Cave Diver once bubbled...
It should be easy to hold, use, and reel.

It should fairly jam proof, open faced reels are the best at that.

Simple is better. The less moving parts and "gadgets" on one the better.

Yep, which is why I'm waiting to hear the intended use. I usually just carry a spool if I'm not penetrating anything.


Halcyon makes a reel that I really like using. In contrast I think my dive-rite reels suck.

I'm curious what is different about the Pathfinder that makes it better than the Dive Rite reels. I've never had any trouble with my Dive Rite reels though I could live without the stupid plastic lockdown nut. But then again I've never used a Pathfinder to compare to.

[ppo2_diver]

I will mostly use it for guide lines and some wreck penetrations.

[Cave Diver]

James Goddard once bubbled...


Yep, which is why I'm waiting to hear the intended use. I usually just carry a spool if I'm not penetrating anything.



I'm curious what is different about the Pathfinder that makes it better than the Dive Rite reels. I've never had any trouble with my Dive Rite reels though I could live without the stupid plastic lockdown nut. But then again I've never used a Pathfinder to compare to.

I have recently changed my opinion about just carrying reels on penetration dives. I always carry a safety spool with me on every dive with at least 100' of line on it. I often carry additional spools depending on the logistics of the dive.

On a recent dive trip, we planned to do a 220' dive on mix. Plan was to drop a hook attached to a bouy on the wreck, do or dive, then float with the bouy while doing our deco. I carried two liftbags and spool for each, in addition to my standard safety spool.

During our dive planning the night before, my dive buddy and I agreed that in the event we had to shoot a bag, we would do it from our 70' stop after our first gas switch. With a 100' spool that left 30' of "play" in the line.

The day of the dive, seas were running 6'. We decided to move to an alternate site that wasn't as far out so we wouldnt get pounded on the boat ride so badly. When we get to the new site, the current is running about 4kts. making the use of the bouy and grapple damn near impossible.

We decide to do a hot drop, upcurrent, drift down to the wreck, do our dive, then shoot bags to deco on while we drift.

We hit the bottom at 229', deeper than our target depth. Because of various small problems that popped up I called the dive early, with a bottom time of 20 minutes.

We start up, and hit our first deco stop. Once we get to the 70' mark I elect not to shoot the bag yet. My concern was that the additional 30' of line on my spool would not allow sufficient scope considering the amount of current present. Instead, I waited til we hit the 50' mark to deploy the bag.

As a result of the delay deploying the marker, the boat had trouble finding us initially. This experience taught me a few things:

1) I bought a larger SMB that was easier to spot.
2) I bought a spool capable of holding 150' of line.
3) I bought a reel that I feel is capable of using to deploy a line while we are still at depth without jamming.

The reason I think the pathfinder reel is a better reel is because:

1) It holds more line.
2) It's more ergonomic to hold and use than the D/R.
3) Its more open, so it makes it much less likely to jam or birdsnest.
4) The lockdown nut on the D/R is nylon, and it absorbs moisture and starts to swell after a while (which is why they give you an extra one when you buy it.)
5) The lock down nut presses against the face of the D/R reel, which causes the reel to be "cocked" on the spindle.
6) It's much easier to hold and operate the Pathfinder while holding a light than it is with a D/R.

Like I said, that's just my preference based on my experiences. I can guarantee you tho, that it will be with me on any open ocean dives below 170~180' and that it will be my primary guideline when diving caves.

YMMV.

[HammerNoMore]

jhnsndn once bubbled...
I will mostly use it for guide lines and some wreck penetrations.

In that case I would basicly re-iterate the points Cave Diver made. Simple, open, etc.

See our disscussion about DR/Halcyon reels. I can't make a direct comparison but neither would be a bad choice. Some of the Reef Scuba reels look good but, again I haven't actually held one. Avoid closed reels.

Make sure you have at least 36# line for wreck penetrations.

[HammerNoMore]

Cave Diver once bubbled...
1) I bought a larger SMB that was easier to spot.
2) I bought a spool capable of holding 150' of line.
3) I bought a reel that I feel is capable of using to deploy a line while we are still at depth without jamming.

Yep, I use the Halcyon 5' SMB. I'm not doing deep deco yet so I'm happy with the 100' currently on my spool, but I can certainly understand your need.



2) It's more ergonomic to hold and use than the D/R.


Yea, one of these days I'm gonna have to try one of these. From the pictures it actually looks a little less comfortable, but these things are really hard to get a feel for from pictures.

We only have 1 Halcyon dealer here who doesn't stock any of their items. Conversely 3/4's of the shops sell DR so it's the only thing I can actually play with locally.


4) The lockdown nut on the D/R is nylon, and it absorbs moisture and starts to swell after a while (which is why they give you an extra one when you buy it.)

Yep, the plastic (err nylon) nut is a bad design choice. I think I've seen SS replacements somwhere....


5) The lock down nut presses against the face of the D/R reel, which causes the reel to be "cocked" on the spindle.

I'm not sure what you are saying here but I just twist the nut down between the "ridges" on the face of the reel. It leaves a little play but is effective.


6) It's much easier to hold and operate the Pathfinder while holding a light than it is with a D/R.

Again, maybe one of these days I can actually try one and see.

[Wild Woman]

There is not really any such thing. We'll need to know what you are planing to use the reel for to tell you what to look for.

James

Hi,
I am preparing for my first live aboard diving in Tobago. Peter Hughes l/a requires me to have a reel and float to be deployed "only in an emergency situation". Could you give me suggestions specific to this requirement? I have read the postings but I am still unclear about exactly what I should purchase. Thanks much.
Jane

[HammerNoMore]

Hi,
I am preparing for my first live aboard diving in Tobago. Peter Hughes l/a requires me to have a reel and float to be deployed "only in an emergency situation". Could you give me suggestions specific to this requirement? I have read the postings but I am still unclear about exactly what I should purchase. Thanks much.
JaneWow, blast from the past. Someone knows how to use the search function ;).

If they require a "reel" for your SMB, my personal favorite for this is a delrin finger spool. Halcyon, Dive Rite, Oxycheq and (I think) OMS all make one. If you need to know how to deploy it I think I have posted a link to a video in the past. (Search on SMB & spool and if you can't find it let me know and I'll look it up again.)

However, before you spend money, call the PH guys. Make sure they don't require an actual "reel". If they have a specific reuirement, I'd find out from them exactly what they want and why. Make sure you talk to someone with a clue, not just reading from paper.

James

[miketsp]

Since my use of a line is really rare, just for emergencies, I always have a spool with about 150ft of line with a double ender. It's really cheap, light and never jams - just hold it loosely with 1 finger & thumb. The double ender can serve as a winding knob.

[Wild Woman]

Since my use of a line is really rare, just for emergencies, I always have a spool with about 150ft of line with a double ender. It's really cheap, light and never jams - just hold it loosely with 1 finger & thumb. The double ender can serve as a winding knob.
Thanks Mike. A spool sounds like my best option. One more question, what is a double ender? Hope things are well in Brazil. Divergirl

[miketsp]

Thanks Mike. A spool sounds like my best option. One more question, what is a double ender? Hope things are well in Brazil. Divergirl

Just a double ended clip. One end clips the reel, the other, a d ring or anything else. Took this foto off:

http://www.bitz.fsnet.co.uk/bitzreels.htm

[ScubaDadMiami]

Perhaps someone that is an administrator will spin this off into another thread.


During our dive planning the night before, my dive buddy and I agreed that in the event we had to shoot a bag, we would do it from our 70' stop after our first gas switch. . . . We decide to do a hot drop, upcurrent, drift down to the wreck, do our dive, then shoot bags to deco on while we drift. . . . I waited til we hit the 50' mark to deploy the bag. . . . As a result of the delay deploying the marker, the boat had trouble finding us initially.

Although you did not deploy until your 50 foot stop verus your 70, I would like to spin this off in a different direction: when to deploy the bag in the first place.

Down here in South Florida, it is quite common to do live drops onto wrecks due to the strong Gulf Stream currents that prevail. Whenever we do not have a hook on the wreck (there can be various scenarios for this), our standard practice (that is, among the group I dive with) is to shoot a bag as soon as we clear the wreck on ascent. We do so to insure that the boat will see our bag the minute we are off the wreck and ascending.

To me, it just seems too risky to shoot a bag (even a sausage type) in a screaming current upon reaching the first gas switch or deco stop. Yet, I know that this is a common practice for many that are going into the dive knowing how fast the current runs frequently.

I recognize that shooting the bag while closer to the bottom consumes more gas and can lead to somewhat more deco, however, I typically allot two minutes to bottom time to either remove the hook if it is there or shoot a bag when it is not. To me, this seems a much safer practice than to delay shooting the bag and risking being lost at sea.

Would anyone care to comment?

[alemaozinho]

I'm am in the process of purchasing my first reel. I'm not too familiar with what I should be looking for. What are some of the qualities I should look for in a good all-purpose reel?

Thanks.best reel (quality)and versatility is made by custom divers in the uk,i did see a dealer last year at the ocean fest and he sells custom diver equipment in the north florida(springs )area.good luck

[Wreck]

I can't make a direct comparison but neither would be a bad choice. Some of the Reef Scuba reels look good but, again I haven't actually held one. Avoid closed reels.


I have Reef Scuba's closed reel with 250' of 36 line. I've used it maybe about a dozen times this month. I've understand the the simple-is-better argument, but you have to draw an imaginary line between what's simple and what's not.

As for this reel, it proabably won't ever birdnest into a mess even though it has tried a few times when I let the line go slack and it kept spinning from angular momentum. Keep in mind this is with a heavier line. I did have a 2-inch loop of line slide between the cover plate and reel edge when I was starting to reel in a limp line last week without bothering to pull out the slacked line from the reel. There's barely enough tolerance between the cover and spindle for it to do that though. If a line ever jumps a Reef spool, all you have to do is unscrew the axle/tension knob, take the spool off, straighten it out right on the spot, and screw the spool back into the frame. If I can remember I'll pull it apart next time I'm down and mess with it a bit more.

[junior diver]

If they require a "reel" for your SMB, my personal favorite for this is a delrin finger spool.
Is it the first time you've used a reel. If it is I would not recommend a finger spool. Takes too much effort to wind up and is easy to let go. As far as I'm concerned the only advantage to it is the space factor. They are very small and light. I like the ones which have a lock on them so it won't let you send something up unless you push a button down. A few tips though. Try it in a pool. You'll look stupid but I did it for my first time and also, NEVER clip it to your BC.

[flw]

best reel (quality)and versatility is made by custom divers in the uk,i did see a dealer last year at the ocean fest and he sells custom diver equipment in the north florida(springs )area.good luck

I used to have a custom diver reel, it self jammed itself on a regular basis, eventually I lost it on a wreck, and didn't bother going to look for it.
This summer I borrowed someone elses reel ( he headed back, leaving me the reel on the wreck) and while trying to wind it back in, it self jammed in exactly the same way as mine used to, so I ended up cutting the line.
I still think the EE Pathfinder is the best bottom reel around, mine is 5 years old now, nice, simple and idiot proof. For putting up a bag I've got a small Mcmahon or a spool, both of which work well

[DA Aquamaster]

I have a reef scuba reel that I like for penetration and serious reel applications. The tension can be adjusted to prevent the spool from free spinning afte the bag hits the surface. And if you do manage to jam the reel, it is easy to remove the spool to clear it.

But if all you are doing is shooting a bag, I have found the generic plastic reels sold by Scubapro, Trident, etc work very well. They violate the simple is better principle in that they have a thumb activated lever to release line but this does make them fairly idiot proof in operation and makes it easy to control any freespinning of the spool that may occur. Despite the plastic construction they are quite durable even in very cold water. The down side is that it is virtually impossible to dissasemble the reel underwater.

Whatever reel you use, it is usually a good idea to remove 1/4 to 1/3 of the line to create more freeboard on the sides of the spool this goes a long way toward keeping the line from jumping over the edge of the spool and jamming the reel. This will mean you need a larger reel for a given line size and application but the trade off is worth it for the increased reliability and ease of use.

I will second the comment that for any type of wreck penetration, you want at least #36 line and thicker is even better.

Finally, if you are using a reel to shoot a lift bag, it is always a good idea to use a dedicated reel for that purpose and to unreel and reload the line of the spool topside after every use to ensure it will come off the reel snag free at the high speeds involved in shooting a liftbag from substantial depths. Using your reel in a wreck, rewinding it on your way out, and then shooting a bag with the same reel from 100 plus feet can sometimes lead to a nasty surprise when the reel jams and is jerked out of your hand. NEVER clip the reel to you while the bag is still going up.