Line skills

[InTheDrink]

I find them easier to use in the water, though that probably won't be your initial experience.

LOL, no worries.

Regarding the UTD (well, 5thd-x) videos: I agree. They don't really show the how... the camera is pulled back too far. That may be by design, I don't know. When the new UTD videos (filmed last September) come out, we'll see.

So I've taken the reel out a few times now but haven't played with it so much as getting used to twins, dry suit (a little) and diving in the UK in general (with near nil viz most of the time). Irrespective, I'm still finding it like I've two right hands (I'm left handed). Finding it:
a) hard to keep tension/I feel generally clumsy with it
b) am stowing the reel on by rear d-ring on my crotch strap and the reel hangs between my groin and by the end of the dive nearly always has worked the nut lose.
c) not really relevant but long walk ins/outs to the site with the reel hanging on butt d-ring is a great way to really toughen up. When the Khmer Rouge finally catch up with me they'll all be puzzled that their tortures don't seem to be registering.

I did use your wine cork solution which works very nicely. By pure chance I have a lot of them around the house

Anyhow, I'll be continuing my ungainly work and will either be found mummified in fancy Halcyon line somewhere underneath Brighton pier or eventually get proficient. The former is most likely but I frequently defy the odds

Cheers,
J

p.s. I was also being too hard on the UTD vids. The Rec one isn't so good. The Intro to Tech is much better, but again it doesn't really focus enough on how to achieve what you need to be doing. I think it would really help if they had special focus on common problems and pitfalls that one encounters for
a) back kick
b) SMB deployment (can't remember if that's on the vid)
c) trim

The devil really is in the detail with these skills and whilst seeing someone do these things really well is definitely very useful, it is incomplete. That was a big p.s., sorry!

 

[Belmont]

b) am stowing the reel on by rear d-ring on my crotch strap and the reel hangs between my groin and by the end of the dive nearly always has worked the nut lose.

Wich one?

 

[InTheDrink]

Wich one?

Oh there's lots of nuts loose round here.

Thankfully the crown jewels are currently all in working order. So far. Anyhow, two kids is enough so I keep an open mind

J

 

[Blackwood]

a) hard to keep tension/I feel generally clumsy with it

Have you tried a variety of grips yet.

b) am stowing the reel on by rear d-ring on my crotch strap and the reel hangs between my groin and by the end of the dive nearly always has worked the nut lose.

I usually only put mine there if I don't expect to use it (i.e. I'm the 'backup reel').

If I have a bottle(s), I'll attach it to the eye of the shoulder boltsnap on the stage rigging. If I don't, I'll attach it to my left hip d-ring where my SPG goes. Either way, I can get it out quickly.

 

[InTheDrink]

Cheers Marc, that sounds like a better place indeed and that's where it'll go from now on.

I suspect also that rubbing up between my groin was probably what was making my nuts loose so hopefully it'll address that too.

I've been trying a few grips and working with keeping friction on the spool part of the reel with my thumb/glove as otherwise it seems to turn into a perpetual motion machine.

Thanks,
J

 

[Dive-aholic]

Watch where you put the reel. Clipping it on a shoulder ring or waist ring will allow it to break the plane of the body. Everything should be tight and streamlined against you. When I was diving backmount regularly, I had a hose clamp on my left tank with a 2 inch d-ring to the side. I clipped my primary reel to that d-ring. Very easy to reach and kept it from dangling lower than my body. Also much easier on the nuts...

 

[InTheDrink]

Watch where you put the reel. Clipping it on a shoulder ring or waist ring will allow it to break the plane of the body. Everything should be tight and streamlined against you. When I was diving backmount regularly, I had a hose clamp on my left tank with a 2 inch d-ring to the side. I clipped my primary reel to that d-ring. Very easy to reach and kept it from dangling lower than my body. Also much easier on the nuts...

I understand what you're saying and like it. I hate dangly bits (man, this thread seems burdened with innuendo).

But what's a hose clamp? Any pics/links?

Ta,
J

 

[Dive-aholic]

 

[InTheDrink]

Well, I can't ask for more clarity than that!!!

I could nearly print and cut them out and use them.

Cheers,
J

 

[Blackwood]

Watch where you put the reel. Clipping it on a shoulder ring or waist ring will allow it to break the plane of the body. Everything should be tight and streamlined against you. When I was diving backmount regularly, I had a hose clamp on my left tank with a 2 inch d-ring to the side.

What did you do about deco bottles?

(caption in jest)

I assume you're dropping them at MOD, but how do you get them there? Do you weight them so they ride flat (and if so do you weight them for full or for empty)? Same question for stage bottles (Al80s ride pretty high when they're empty).