!!!!!!!!!!---reef hooks---!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dyin-To-Dive]

Hey everyone. I was just looking at a reef hook online and have few questions for anyone willing to respond.

Do you use a reef hook?

How do you feel about the way they interact with the corals itself?

What would you suggest to improve the standard reef hook?

What's your input for an alternative anchor that is reef friendly?

Thanks in advance for all the input

 

[300bar]

Hey everyone. I was just looking at a reef hook online and have few questions for anyone willing to respond.

Do you use a reef hook? NO

How do you feel about the way they interact with the corals itself?It kills corals

What would you suggest to improve the standard reef hook? Ban it

What's your input for an alternative anchor that is reef friendly?Get a PPB course or the likes, learn to dive.

Thanks in advance for all the input

You're welcome

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

^^ Pretty much the same as 300Bar. I sometimes hear some divers explain how they had to use a hook due to extreme currents. My reply is if this is the case, you probably should choose someplace else to dive rather than damage the reef with a hook. As a recreational divers it is pretty hard to justify any damage to the reef.

 

[300bar]

Let me add a little, we useualy dive high current tidal waters.
Never had to use a "reef"hook.
Nor do any of my openwater divers.

 

[farsidefan1]

Hey everyone. I was just looking at a reef hook online and have few questions for anyone willing to respond.

Do you use a reef hook? In Palau I used a reef hook

How do you feel about the way they interact with the corals itself? Not worried, Rocks are hard to kill - Don't let the name "reef hook" confuse you. Nobody in their right mind would use a reef hook on live coral. That's not what they are for.

What would you suggest to improve the standard reef hook? If it ain't broke...

What's your input for an alternative anchor that is reef friendly? Do Aerobics 7 days a week and when diving kick like he!!

Thanks in advance for all the input

Reef hooks are used on rock or dead coral. PERIOD. Any other use is contrary to what they are designed for. They can be misused just like any other tool. Duh.

 

[TSandM]

You know, when I went to Indonesia, I didn't understand the use of the skewers, when the dive guides told us to hold onto them instead of the reef. Once we dove, I understood that the current didn't permit taking good photographs without stabilizing yourself, and the dive guides would put a tiny probe into the reef, and allow us to use THEM for stability. It seemed like a much better solution than having each diver try to figure out how to hold still.

I have not done a dive in a site that required reef hooks, but I suspect that, properly deployed, they do minimal damage. And if the current is really strong in a site, it may be necessary for safety. Whether one should dive sites that require that sort of support or not is something we could argue, I suppose.

 

[vladimir]

There is an exhaustive discussion on reef hooks in this thread, including the worst-case scenario, which is not some dead coral. A site like Blue Corner--if memory serves--can be dived without reef hooks. But it's a pretty fast drift along the reef from Blue Hole and then you're there, at one of the most exciting dive sites in the world. You can then take a good look for the 30 seconds it takes to drift past. Or you can cling to the top of the reef, fins splayed behind you, trampling a couple of square meters of coral. Or you can hook into some dead coral and "suspend" yourself just above the reef. I think the reef hook has emerged as the lesser of two evils, since few divers are willing to fly halfway around the world for a 30-second dive. There are very few dive sites in the world where reef-hooking is the best way to dive, in my experience, regardless of where you prioritize reef conservation.

 

[jaeckert]

I know this is really late in the discussion, but WOW, have you ever been on a reef with the cruise cattle? Or those that just don't know better? I am not suggesting that hooks are appropriate for all situations, but when used correctly, and with care, they can indeed be a kindness, as opposed to a detriment, to the reef. If you approach your settings with understanding, respect, and ability, there are still times where a reef hook can be a kindness (without being a crutch for lazy diving). Like anything else in life; you get out of it what you put into it.

 

[DevonDiver]

Do you use a reef hook? I have never found the need to yet.

How do you feel about the way they interact with the corals itself? There should be no contact with corals...full stop. Rock only.

What would you suggest to improve the standard reef hook? Sell them with eco-friendly instructions for use.

What's your input for an alternative anchor that is reef friendly? "Reef friendly" is a diver attitude, not a product feature.

 

[Cx3225]

Check out www.hookedonscuba.com at the reef hook avaviable very small and safe