Why These Reels?
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don Francisco
Contributor
There are lots of things I consider in choosing a reel.
One of my first considerations is the material. The line will swell when wet and I want a spool either strong enough or flexible enough to take the added stress without cracking.
A well designed reel will be resistant to the line overunning the flange and getting tangled. But in case the line does get fouled, it's easier to clear the tangle if the reel can be disassembled and reassembled easily without tools, or small parts which could be dropped or lost.
I'm sure that others will add their reasons for choosing or rejecting particular reels, but when buying a reel, consider the "what ifs" before you decide.
One of my first considerations is the material. The line will swell when wet and I want a spool either strong enough or flexible enough to take the added stress without cracking.
A well designed reel will be resistant to the line overunning the flange and getting tangled. But in case the line does get fouled, it's easier to clear the tangle if the reel can be disassembled and reassembled easily without tools, or small parts which could be dropped or lost.
I'm sure that others will add their reasons for choosing or rejecting particular reels, but when buying a reel, consider the "what ifs" before you decide.
According to Chris and Danny's article in Quest on guideline equipment, the side handle is preferred because it "improves streamlining and conforms to the use of a Goodman handle". Further in the article, they also state that the spool should be machined as close to the frame as possible, to limit the likelihood of the line spilling off the spool and jamming the reel.
The top one is a primary reel, minimalistic in design and easy to manage/fix when birdnested. It Holds hundreds of feet of line. The bottom one is a gap/jump reel, primarily used to bridge gaps and jumps. Holds less line (100ft or so). This type of reel can be a challenge if you birdnest it. Spools are preferred for jumps and gaps in DIR as they are THE most minimalistic and compact. They fit nicely in the pockets and out of the way.
Mind you, bird nesting a reel is a direct result of mismanagement of the reel and line...
Mind you, bird nesting a reel is a direct result of mismanagement of the reel and line...
Meng-- I'm sure the OP did not mean to compare primary vs. jump reels, but rather sidewinder vs. lantern grip reels.
I don't know. Is there a comparison as I am not familiar with a lantern style primary or a side winder jump/gap. So comparing styles would be a challenge as the two styles are uniquely used for two different applications...?
I could be wrong though.
I could be wrong though.
OP
Why is this style of reel:
preferred to this style:
I'm sure it becomes obvious with time behind the reel, but I don't have much. (Well any actually)
Thanks.
Hunter
The top one works and is near impossible to jam. The bottom one is a DiveRite POS that jams just by looking at it and has bits that break (like the nylon lock screw) when you really, really don't want them to.
The top one is a well thought out and finely engineered piece of kit. The bottom one is a piece of crap that was probably designed with a crayola on a dirty diaper by a 2 year old.
flareless
Contributor
But Brian, tell us what you REALLY think
I haven't personally used the top one but I've had the nylon lock screw on an OMS designed like the second one both jam and fall off.
The jam occurred when I was deep within a wreck during my wreck course. The reel suddenly got so tight I couldn't reel myself back out of the wreck. Frustrated, I started wrapping the line around the reel itself. A tap on the shoulder startled me and there was my instructor beckoning for me to hand him the reel. A few adjustments and I was reeling myself back out. It cost me a case of beer for giving up on a piece of gear before it was done with. The reel worked perfectly for a few more dives.
Later in the season I was doing a simple open wreck dive with a buddy (the JC Morrison for those in the Ontario region). I was just going to run some line for the hell of it as nobody was on the wreck that weekday afternoon. After my third or fourth tie off the thing just fell apart in my hands. Bits flew everywhere and I had to pick them all up and carry them with me for the rest of the dive. Sorry to say I lost the nut in the silt.
Anyway, the point is these reels, with all their fancy nuts and crap are just that; crap. This one may be a DiveRite and mine may have been an OMS (with the factory installed suicide clip swapped out) but the design flaws are the same.
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