How to reel in a finger spool?

[tmassey]

Hello!

I'm trying to learn how to use a finger spool. In many searches, I have come across lots of posts (and YouTube videos) that show how to set up a finger spool and how to deploy a finger spool, but they all stop at the same point: once the line is deployed! My question is: how do you reel in a finger spool? (After all, deploying the silly thing is only *half* of the process! )

I have near-zero experience with a finger spool, and little enough experience with lines of any kind. This year I have been taking opportunities to learn: using a flag float with a reel, for example. During a recent visit to a quarry I tried using a finger spool. First, I clipped the line off to the corner of a dive platform, ran out line and reeled it back in. Deploying it seemed OK, but the reeling it in was very tricky.

I have read that you do not twirl the line around the spool: that twists the line and it will tangle when you deploy it in the future. So, I had the reel in two hands in front of me and used my two hands alternately to rotate the spool and wind the line up. This seemed to work, but it went *very* slowly...

Later, I also tried deploying an SMB. Again, deploying it went well, but reeling it in was very slow.

From reading many posts, it seems that there are at least a few ways of reeling in a reel. Some people mention they like cold-water reels that have larger holes in them for their finger. Is that for deployment only, or for reeling it in, too? Other people mention using the double-ender to reel in the spool, but without describing *how!* (Also, it seems that the double-ender stays with the spool even when you're using the line? If so, how do I clip the line to something?)

Thank you very much for any help you can give me!

[saxplayer1004]

oh boy, this is a touchy topic in many.
Couple ways for this. Typically in a cave or wreck there is no clip on the END of the spool. This is sometimes different, but let's just say you'll always have the double ender on it. So you tie the spool onto whatever you're doing the same way we would in a cave.
bilphillips's Channel - YouTube
bilphillips's Channel - YouTube
That sort of concept. So with a spool, you'd have the loop on the end and you'd leave the double ender clipped thru one of the holes on the side. that way you can turn it in like you would a normal reel. For normal use you shouldn't wrap it up by hand because of twisting. Although the line is braided if it gets twisted it can get tangled, so you should unwrap it and rewrap it properly afterwards. For lost line drills and stuff i find it easier to wrap it by hand than turn it so I have better use of my hands while I can't see.

WRT the bigger hole, it makes everything easier if you're wearing thick heavy gloves since you can get more than one finger in there as a brake.
hope this helps

[DevonDiver]

I primarily use the double-ender as a 'winder'. It makes it less strenuous on the hands and allows you to more neatly stow the line. With the reel in one hand, clip the double-ender onto the line then just wrap it around the reel. The reel remains static.

As Saxplayer says, there are occasions where you might just want to wind it by hand - especially where speed and simplicity the most critical factors...such as when working inside wrecks in adverse conditions or during emergencies. For this I hold the reel in one hand, in an almost horizontal position, then just rotate my wrist to spool in the line. It's not the neatest solution and you may have to unwind and restow the line properly after the dive.

[Quero]

I use one end of the double ender to guide the line around the spool. You just close the loop of one end around the line so that the line runs freely through the loop. Then hold the double ender like a handle and use it to pull the line around the spool, which you hold stationery in the other hand. I've never had any kinking or twisting problems with the resulting re-stowed line. When you get to the beginning of the line, simply clip the same end through one of the holes in the side of the spool, with the line still running through the loop, and it will not unwind.

[Akimbo]

Here’s my take:
The compromise between a finger spool and a reel is primarily smaller size versus easier re-spooling and learning to out-spool. As your post indicates, re-spooling is a PITA.

I can’t offer much help in the water, but you can make a fast and neat job of it with an electric drill onshore. Get a bolt, nut, and some washers to make a shaft on the finger spool that can be chucked into an electric drill. A battery powered variable speed drill works best. This is a crude version of what they do in the factory to make such a perfect job of spooling line on the reel when you buy it.

I have seen divers just wrap the string from their last stop around the inflated SMB, hand the mess onboard, and sort it out on deck. I doubt a portable drill is worth the trouble for that last 10-15' but works great for re-spooling the whole reel after cleaning and drying the line.

[TSandM]

As somebody who does a lot of winding up of spools (as any cave diver does) I'll say I either wind it by hand, reversing the spool occasionally when it gets unevenly wound, or I use the double-ender to wind it (which I've actually found slower). Yes, the line gets twisted -- we just occasionally rewind our spools using a home drill, and that takes care of the problem.

[tmassey]

I primarily use the double-ender as a 'winder'. It makes it less strenuous on the hands and allows you to more neatly stow the line. With the reel in one hand, clip the double-ender onto the line then just wrap it around the reel. The reel remains static.

This seems to embody the other replies: either wind it by hand, or use the double-ender as a handle on the *LINE* (not the reel!) to wind it up. I assume that using the double-ender that way twists the line in exactly the same way as if I had wound it by hand, right?

Wow, I really have to say I did not expect that answer--especially from TSandM! So basically the answer is to do it "wrong" (or at least not optimal) and fix it on the boat (or shore) later?

Would it be possible to clip the double-ender on the *spool* and use it as a handle to reel in the line? That's actually what I thought was being talked about: I'm really surprised to hear that you clip it to the line... Or am I misunderstanding?

[saxplayer1004]

usually these things are one time use on a dive, and the 20-50 feet you usually will unwind it doesn't really matter all that much for that one dive, you just have to be responsible and rewind it. And yes you can spin the spool with the double ender, but that takes a bit more coordination. I can go faster this way than by holding the spool stationary in cold water as mentioned before.
Lynne is the only one of this list that I know of that dives cold water regularly, and what a lot of people forget about is that doing stuff with gloves on is often infinitely more difficult than doing it bare handed *this is why we make all of our beginning students do all of their pool work with gloves on. they will be wearing it for open water and getting used to the lack of dexterity and sensation is important*. I do what she does though and just rewind them when I come back from a trip. It's mildly irritating, but it's part of cleanup and prep for the next dive. Same thing happens if someone else uses any of my reels or spools, they always get rewound when they get back regardless of who was using it

[gsk3]

Would it be possible to clip the double-ender on the *spool* and use it as a handle to reel in the line? That's actually what I thought was being talked about: I'm really surprised to hear that you clip it to the line... Or am I misunderstanding?

Line goes *through* the gate. It's not like the clip is trapped inside the little masher bit. Terminology fail.

It also matters whether the gate is up or down when you're winding. I can't make it work smoothly one way; the other way it works nicely.

In a real emergency I'm not winding up the spool anyway. My use is entirely vertical (SMBs), but I imagine cavers would also leave it in place on the way out if time was of the essence. For vertical spools, you can just leave it clipped off at the bottom. Pull it up on the surface if you want.

[fdog]

I shoot a SMB probabally every other dive, from 70'.

I know the latest directive is not to use the double ender to wind up the line. <shrugs> I wear dry gloves and using the double ender keeps the dry gloves from being cut by line friction.

I can't say I've had an issue with excessively twisted line. Still, I do vary the winding every stop by reversing the spool in my left hand.

Using both hands to alternatively rotate the spool does work well, doesn't twist the line, and is faster than using the double ender as a "winder"; generally, though, I don't do this because I'm lazy. Using this method means I have to:

• unclip the double ender from the spool
• clip it up to a shoulder ring
• wind up the line
• unclip the double ender, clip to the spool

When using the double ender as a winder, it's always in my hand, so it's a quick clip to the spool at each stop.


There's advantages to each way of winding a spool. I'll use the double-handed spool windup if there's lots of distance to cover; use the double ender as a winder if doing lots of stops.


All the best, James