What reel for towing a float?

[Spray25]

I'm wanting to purchase a surface float/marker and am thinking that using a reel to tow it. Is this the best choice? If so, which one? I know NOTHING about reels.

Also any recomendations on which float to use?

Thanks in advance.

[WreckWriter]

Are you beach diving? If not, why on earth would you want to tow a turd?

If so, what's your max depth likely to be? Chances are that a reel is not your best bet.

Personally I hate towing anything. I feel it's a safety hazard when the boats run over it.....

Tom

[Spray25]

Yes I am shore diving. Being a newbie I really don't know what my depths will eventually be. I want a float for safety and because it is required by law here if in a body of water that boats can also be in.

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Spray25
I want a float for safety and because it is required by law here if in a body of water that boats can also be in.
The first statement is easy to refute but the second is impossible because mindless and bureaucracy are synonyms.

Anyway... to bad that you have to tow a float... try not to get tangled in the line... and watch out for the boats and jetskiis that will use your float for target practice.

Oh, reel?

Hmmm.... well whatever it is it should be cheap so you can abandon it without feeling bad... and never attach the line to yourself or any piece of your equipment.

We carry a marker bag that can be sent up on a line when we are ascending (I hate to use it when boats are present because it attracts attention) and we use a jump spool for the line.

Is it possible to only shoot a bag when you are ready to come up or do your have to drag it around while you dive??

[Spray25]

I haven't read the actual law, but my scuba instructor said it is required in any body of water that boats are also allowed in. 100 feet away is the law here in Idaho, but from what others have said it sounds like centimeters not feet!! LOL

[Rick Murchison]

The law is one thing... practicality is often another. I'm thinking of two specific sites here with high interest from the authorities and a likely ticket if the law has a chance to "getcha."
Site one - beach dive, max depth 20' - wreck in the sand about 300 yds off the beach. On this one I drag the float along for the whole dive. There are boats about that draw 12 - 15 feet.
Site two - beach dive, max depth 80' - bridge rubble stretching across a lake. On this one I haul the flag out to 25' depth and tie it off - pick it up on the way back. Technically we're in violation of the law, and if for some reason we had to do an emergency ascent out in the middle of the lake without our flag we could be fined - but we figure it's safer to leave the flag in the shallows.
As for a reel - for a flag I use one of those yellow plastic line holders rather than a reel.
Rick

[WreckWriter]

OK, since you are shore diving and the law says drag it, here's my suggestions:

First, don't use a reel, use the little cheapie plastic line holder like Rick suggested. Second, DO NOT clip or otherwise attach it to yourself, carry it in your hand. You don't want to take a ride when some gomer in a ski boat runs it over. Trust me on this.

For the same reasons, use an inflatable float rather than a solid one. If a boat hits it, less chance of it getting attached to the boat. If a boat without a prop (like a jet ski) hits it, it will probably survive to float again.

Tom

[dkerr]

In Mass we also are required to have one. I use the cheap plastic one that you wrap the line around. I have heard some horror stories about boats using flags and floats as target practice, but thank heavens have never personally encountered it. I do have a small weight attached to the plastic to keep it hanging instead of floating. This is usefull for when you drop it to grab a lobster or adjust gear. Like the others said, don't tie it off to yourself. Good luck
Dkerr

[Uncle Pug]

Another option is to find a state legislator who is also a diver and try to get the law changed to something more reasonable?

[dkerr]

My aunt does not dive in NE anymore because of some incidences that happened to her diving here. One night she was almost drowned by the harbor master who was running his boat back and forth over their dive flag because he thought they were stealiing lobsters from the traps. They were down to shairing air before the harbor master left them alone. This was seen by a friend who was waiting on their boat. It all happened years back, but she is still afraid to dive anywhere around here.

[GP]

Originally posted by dkerr
One night she was almost drowned by the harbor master who was running his boat back and forth over their dive flag because he thought they were stealiing lobsters from the traps.
Wow...that sucks. There was another thread on here quite awhile back stating the same kind of story where lunatic boaters were threatening divers accusing them of stealing their lobsters. Glad I don't have to deal with that. We have the tow a dive flag law in Minnesota too and it's a pain in the a**. I hate having to be the one to tow the flag. It just takes some of the fun out of the dives because you have to be careful not to get tangled in the line which unfortunately is real easy to do.

[MASS-Diver]

Ya, the flag law here in mass is a pretty big pain. Although, it's a good idea to have a flag in shallow water to keep boats from running over you. Overall though, it's pretty easy to get tangled in a flag and they can serve as attention getters for paranoid lobsterman, many of whom carry cinder blocks to drop on top of your bubbles.

[Spray25]

Originally posted by MASS-Diver
Ya, the flag law here in mass is a pretty big pain. Although, it's a good idea to have a flag in shallow water to keep boats from running over you. Overall though, it's pretty easy to get tangled in a flag and they can serve as attention getters for paranoid lobsterman, many of whom carry cinder blocks to drop on top of your bubbles.

Ok, so it's looking like the blowup variety with the cheap kite string type spool.

Are you serious about the cinder blocks? I hope not. The captain of the boat may want to consider the size of the lawsuit if he was successful in hitting someone.... Not real smart.

I guess some good news is that there aren't any lobsters around here. :-)

Thank you all for the info.

[MASS-Diver]

Ya, a blowup float w/ a plastic "spool" type line holder is the way to go, just becareful with as can be a serious entanglment hazard.

No joke about the cinder blocks, I know this not from divers, but, lobstermen themselves. Most of us know in NE it's not a good idea to dive near people's traps. I even know some noncommerical lobsterman so fixated on the idea they are being robbed by divers, they seal their traps with steel hog rings (which they cut off and replace each haul). I'm not even going to get into stories about razor blades hidden in trap line, etc.

[WreckWriter]

Originally posted by Spray25
Are you serious about the cinder blocks? I hope not. The captain of the boat may want to consider the size of the lawsuit if he was successful in hitting someone.... Not real smart.

Down here in Florida they will SHOOT you. These guys don't live in the world of lawsuits, they live in the world of frontier justice. Don't ever think that will protect you if you get caught getting bugs out of "wooden holes".

Tom

[Spray25]

Originally posted by WreckWriter


Down here in Florida they will SHOOT you. These guys don't live in the world of lawsuits, they live in the world of frontier justice. Don't ever think that will protect you if you get caught getting bugs out of "wooden holes".

Tom

"Bugs out of wooden holes"? Is that Lobsters out of a trap?

If ever diving in one of these locations I think I'll stear clear of any traps. I don't want to be mistaken for a tomb raider.

[WreckWriter]

Originally posted by Spray25


"Bugs out of wooden holes"? Is that Lobsters out of a trap?

If ever diving in one of these locations I think I'll stear clear of any traps. I don't want to be mistaken for a tomb raider.

Yes, lobsters out of a trap :)

All this danger, not to mention you get arrected big time if caught by the law! Steering clear of traps is a good idea.

Tom