How to keep line on spool

[psdiver102]

The video Patoux01 posted is how I keep mine. I lost one in a cave and spent 20 mins winding it back up when I used the clip off to the reel method

 

[elgoog]

In one of the earlier posts, someone mentioned a video by a British guy that shows a good way to set up the spool, double ender and DSMB. It's very descriptive and is the method I currently use, no issues so far with unclipping or tangles.

 

[TheHuth]

That video was excellent. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

If he is wanting a reel for a dsmb, the primary reel is overkill. The is a video on youtube about how to set up you finger spool to keep it from unlatching. if I wasn't on my phone I would load it. its a british guy

Do not buy that reel! Unless you want to be re gluing the halfs of the spool back together. The thumbscrew is also in a lousy place as it gets hung up on the ribs of the spool. I had that reel and 2 other dive rites just like it. Then I found these and sold the dive rites for a 1/4 of what I paid for them and was happy to have them gone.
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I liked em so much I talked them into making me a dealer for them. I use the 50 on my small SMB. It's actually closer to 45 because I use #36 line on my reels and spools for wreck diving.

 

[TheHuth]

The reel I bought was literally $10 at the dive show. Its pretty much the same thing the british gentleman has in the video posted above.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

That's a spool and ten bucks is about right at a show. Retail can be anything from 10-15 or so. Make sure, if it did not come with one, to get a stainless steel double ender with a stainless steel spring. Brass will corrode and the thumb nub gets sharp over time. Also steel springs in the brass and nickel plated ones do not last very long. They corrode easily. I make a little addition for mine and the ones I sell to help with grasping that little loop with heavy gloves on. 1/2 inch delrin that makes a better gripping surface than the loop or those round knobs some mfg's add to theirs.

 

[ajduplessis]

Same old design, only updated. Thanks for posting!!

 

[Oldbear]

If the intent is only for your SMB, I've learned a nifty little trick from a DM I was with recently. He had a 5m / 16ft pice of string attached to his SMB with a small 3oz weight tied at the bottom. He deplayed his SMB as we neared the surface and once at the SMB was afloat the wieght also surved as a visual reference point diring our safety stop. I thouht it very clever and you wind the string round your SMB and keep it in you pocket. No spools or risk of line comming off.

This works fine if you only plan to use it during a safety stop at 15'/5m. I have seen Divemasters use this setup on liveaboards. I was diving in Thailand on a liveaboard once and they had all customers carry one.

But I will deploy mine around 100 fsw and use it as a visual reference during my ascent. I have knots tied in the line at 10' intervals to serve as a make-shift depth gauge and rate-of-acsent gauge. By deploying the SMB from such depths it lets our boat personnel know when we start our ascents and where we are (most of the time we are in the open lagoon, not off a reef).