"Proper" use of a reel

[matt_unique]

Well there are a lot of ways to use reels. Basically, you want to use the reel in such a way that it can be followed easily, that it does not get tangled on things (including other reel lines, ship structure, lobster/crab pots), and that it is secured in a way such that it does not get cut. You would not want to secure any portion of the line around a sharp piece of hull for example.

It's tough to offer advice without knowing the layout of your dive site. Perhaps the mooring is beside (but not on) the wreck? In this case you would want to tie it to the anchor line and find the wreck (i.e. perhaps bad vis and cannot easily find the anchor line from a point on the wreck). The reel is extremely useful for searching for things in bad vis including wrecks. Is the wreck fully intact? Are there unique portions of the wreck that you could easily remember? For example, say you are diving on a submarine. You could use the reel to find the wreck from the anchor, then secure to the conning tower if there is a reasonable line of sight from the anchor line. If an intact wreck you would not need to run line to explore the vessel in most cases and you would know to look for the reel line when you return to the conning tower. As others have pointed out, there is a risk in securing a reel line to an anchor line because the anchor may slip. (I specifically suggest you secure to the anchor line as opposed to the anchor because your reel line is less likely to snap secured to the anchor line than the anchor itself if it moves). In this case it would be wise to carry a second reel and a lift bag. If you returned to find the anchor/anchor line has moved you can float a bag to have a reference for ascent and to alert the dive boat as to your location.

A wreck course would be fun and interesting for you, as would search and recovery using a reel.

--Matt

 

[Green_Manelishi]

What is the proper way to use a wreck reel? I have been thinking about doing a dive with a local shop, and they require that you have a wreck reel. After you decend the anchor line, you are supposed to tie to the anchor line / chain, then go to the wreck and use your line to traverse the wreck.

This area has on average 10-15' vis so it is a limited vis dive with moderate current.

Comments, Suggestions...

I will not be penetrating the wreck, just checking out the outside.

1) Take a class and be taught how to use the reel before you need to use the reel.

2) I concur with the others who suggest not tieing off to the anchor, etc. but to something nearbye. Picture yourself swimming along in low vis laying out line and unknown to you the boat is dragging its anchor. Suddenly the reel is yanked from your hand and begins skittering along the bottom but you can't catch it or find it.

3) Always carry two reels and two bags or at least one reel and a spool so if TSHTF you can send a bag to the surface from your "current" (ha ha) location.

 

[cdennyb]

In low vis where I dive, it just makes economical sense with respect to maximizing your air useage with seeing or doing whatever you went down there to do. One or two lines would be plenty I'd think. One on each side of the wreck. When the divers meet at the other end they can swap and both sides get to see everything figuring it's not a 550 ft long freighter! LoL. With limited vis I like the idea of going back to the anchor line. It's easier than trying to decide which way is the right way. But I agree with most, "never used a reel and now you want to use one in a current with limited visibility? Who set up this trip anyway?"

 

[TSandM]

Remember the movie "Gremlins"? Reels have a lot in common with those little guys. Benign and cooperative at first introduction, but hidden inside is a lot of potential evil

The first thing that happens when you pick up a reel (even before you jam it) is that your situational awareness goes to something approaching zero. Buddy? What buddy? Gas -- Am I supposed to check my gas? It takes some diligent practice before you're good at staying aware of anything other than how full your hands are of stuff and how to stay OUT of the line you're running.

The second thing that happens is that the reel starts breathing your gas. And it hoovers. My normal SAC rate just about DOUBLES right now when I'm running line (hoping that will change with more practice, or our cave dives will be short . . .)

And then there's the fact that a reel contains line, and line is malignant. Line likes fins, loves danglies, has no desire to run smoothly off a reel or spool, and even less desire to coil back up politely on the way out. Entanglement is incredibly easy, when you are forced to swim in close proximity to line (even when there isn't an instructor around to help it happen). I've taken a reel in absolute good order into the water, and before I could deploy it, it had some big loops of line hanging off the middle of the supply somehow -- I still have no idea how it happened, but it essentially rendered the reel unusable for that dive.

A long winded, and hopefully somewhat amusing way of saying that, like so many other diving tools, a reel has its up and down sides, and proper training in its use is really a good idea to avoid problems you may not even think of.

And tying off to the anchor line has some MAJOR risks to it. But sometimes that's all you can do, if the bottom is featureless. And I love having a fairly guaranteed route back to the boat, myself.

 

[split0101]

This is a common requirement on pretty much all NJ wreck dives. I dont think you need to take a class in it, but it is a good idea to do a dive or two with a person who has some experience laying down a line.

Navigating on a scattered wreck is almost impossible unless you are VERY familiar with it. Just try to use your compass with all that steel down there and let me know how that works out

Most people do not tie off to the anchor line itself but somewhere very close to the anchor (i.e. a piece of the wrecks structure). Its not uncommon to have a line per diver in the water at a given time. We usually do 1 line per buddy team. The most important thing to do is to make sure to not have to much slack in the line to prevent tangles, and to tie off in regular intervals. This way your line is just not floating around getting into other peoples way.

I have my reel on the left hip d-ring. I use my left hand to hold the reel, and my index finger to give it a little drag so the line is always taunt. This frees up my right hand to search for goodies.

Also same rules apply with a wreck line like a cave line, you NEVER cut someones line.

 

[SparticleBrane]

"Proper training" would be a good start.

 

[Gil57usa]

You mean you have a bunch of divers tethered to the upline? Sounds like the potential for a real mess. I would take wreck class first and practice using the reel.

I think he will be ok if he first takes the PADI Spaghetti specialty class.

 

[doghouse]

sounds like the dive shop is looking to draw extra money for equiptment and classes. I will check with another shop.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Remember the movie "Gremlins"? Reels have a lot in common with those little guys. Benign and cooperative at first introduction, but hidden inside is a lot of potential evil

Then surely you shouldn't get them wet...

And always remember: Line is evil. TSandM is correct.

 

[SparticleBrane]

sounds like the dive shop is looking to draw extra money for equiptment and classes. I will check with another shop.

I doubt this; from your description this sounds like more of a safety issue.
I'm sure you can hear many stories about how people have had to do free ascents or shoot a bag in the open ocean because they couldn't find the anchor line or were blown off the wreck. If you tie into the anchor line with a reel and traverse the wreck, you obviously have a much better chance of coming back to where you started. In the open ocean, drifting off the wreck isn't the best of ideas if it isn't planned.

Personally in the situation you described (low vis, slight currents, might not know the wreck too well) and with a minimal amount of experience (<25 dives), I would highly recommend tying into the anchor line. But, that's just me.