Spool suggestions for Fundies class

[PfcAJ]

Skip the metal ones. They sink. Delrin is kinda close to neutral. Less negative, anyways.

Get a 150’ spool. They actually have utility outside of class. A 100’ spool is too short to shoot from 100’.

 

[Grey Goose]

get a spool about 15 to 25' deeper that you typically (almost always) dive, depending on depth (longer for greater depth). If you plan on getting multiple spools, get 1) a small one that can by used for shallow dives (so a 75' if you typically dive 50 feet or less, a 50' if you typically dive 30-35' or less) and 2) one that can be used for all your max dives (max depth plus about 25').

 

[Lorenzoid]

get a spool about 15 to 25' deeper that you typically (almost always) dive, depending on depth (longer for greater depth). If you plan on getting multiple spools, get 1) a small one that can by used for shallow dives (so a 75' if you typically dive 50 feet or less, a 50' if you typically dive 30-35' or less) and 2) one that can be used for all your max dives (max depth plus about 25').

I think that's the best answer: there is no one spool to suit every situation. A good compromise for Fundies and a broad range of rec diving might be 150', but the smaller the spool, the easier it is to handle.

 

[gkrane]

Thank you all for the replies. I think I will pick up a 150' Defender when the time comes.

 

[guruboy]

I don’t think anyone mentioned it, but the width of the spool might affect your choice more than the length. A wider spool will make it easier to wrap the line back on while ascending.

Width = space where line goes between the round parts

 

[Lorenzoid]

I don’t think anyone mentioned it, but the width of the spool might affect your choice more than the length. A wider spool will make it easier to wrap the line back on while ascending.

Width = space where like goes between the round parts

True. It's a bit of a tradeoff. A narrower spool is easier to hold--at least for those of us with small hands (ha ha)--while the line is spooling out as the SMB shoots upwards, but a wider spool is a little easier to rewind during your ascent up the line. Still, given that tradeoff, and for purposes of learning/Fundies, I prefer a narrower spool (say, the Defender 100 ft). I'd rather have a little difficulty rewinding than drop the spool while the SMB is shooting upwards because I lost my grip.

 

[KevinNM]

True. It's a bit of a tradeoff. A narrower spool is easier to hold--at least for those of us with small hands (ha ha)--while the line is spooling out as the SMB shoots upwards, but a wider spool is a little easier to rewind during your ascent up the line. Still, given that tradeoff, and for purposes of learning/Fundies, I prefer a narrower spool (say, the Defender 100 ft). I'd rather have a little difficulty rewinding than drop the spool while the SMB is shooting upwards because I lost my grip.

If you've chosen wisely the spool will pretty much just sit there in front of you madly spinning if you lose your grip.

 

[Lorenzoid]

If you've chosen wisely the spool will pretty much just sit there in front of you madly spinning if you lose your grip.

Hmm. The Defender is, I suppose, neutrally buoyant, and now that you mention it, I suppose a "madly spinning" spool might have a sort of gyroscopic stabilization effect and really want to just stay there, but in the real world it sure seems to want to float away from me--and being loaded with negatively buoyant line, float down more than elsewhere. Most often, when I lose my grip, it's right before I inflate it, as I'm trying to hold the spool as well as the SMB valve together in my left hand (per the GUE way). The bottom line is that at least for purposes of practicing this skill (and Fundies), I'd rather stack the odds in my favor to not lose my grip in the first place by getting a spool that fits comfortably between my thumb and forefinger or middle finger.

 

[rjack321]

Get a 150ft spool and take about 15ft of line off of it. A ~135ft spool is long enough but not so long that the line can (in most any circumstance) fall off the side and make a huge mess.