Winding up finger spools

[FLDVR]

Ok here goes another post hopefully in the right area

Does anyone use any special techniques to reel up a finger spool so that the end wrap isnt so twisted that getting the reel unhooked is possible?

My primary reel works great with the handle, but its those finger spools that end up being a mess whether it be for a lift bag or just running a few tie points.

Henry

 

[CompuDude]

I don't have an enormous amount of experience in this area, but I will re-wind a spool if it's looking especially messy, otherwise it hasn't been an issue for me. My Fundies instructor does the same.

How do I know? My Fundies Instructor's assistant carefully (and incredibly anally) re-wound his spools after we shot a bag during Fundies during our surface interval. By hand, he carefully wound his spool so the line lay perfectly on the spool, one line next to the other, perfectly evenly... better and more perfect than it was coming from the factory!

We still make fun of him for it.

Sidenote: They make mechanical winding devices that fishermen use to wind up their fishing reels after changing line types that accomplish pretty much the same thing (close, at least). If you're really interested in nearly perfect line wraps on your spools, without doing quite so much work, it may be worth checking with some local fishing supply stores. My father has one, and I've toyed with the idea of borrowing it on occasion, just to see how well it works.

 

[FLDVR]

Compudude, yes we rewind all of our used spools and reels on land before they get used again, its just that the small spools always seem to end up with so much twist in the line when I'm finished.(On land or water).
Henry

 

[CompuDude]

Oh, of course, I do, too. I just don't spend the amount of time he does making each wrap picture perfect. You'd have to see it to believe it.

 

[rjack321]

Anytime you take line off by spinning the spool, then put it back on over the side of the spool - you will get twists. Best solution is to take the bag off, then unspool the line into the water then respool it. The line's twists will be able to work themselves along to the end that way. I would only bother if it was exceptionally kinked.

Obviously the assistant mentioned did not have the spool properly knotted...

 

[CompuDude]

Anytime you take line off by spinning the spool, then put it back on over the side of the spool - you will get twists. Best solution is to take the bag off, then unspool the line into the water then respool it. The line's twists will be able to work themselves along to the end that way. I would only bother if it was exceptionally kinked.

Obviously the assistant mentioned did not have the spool properly knotted...

Properly knotted?

 

[PfcAJ]

I know what you mean with that annoying twisting. I was spooling in a jump once, and it was so twisted that I couldn't get it off the other line!!

If it gets like that, unspool about a foot, clip the double ender through it and lock the line in place. Let it dangle for a minute so it untwists itsself (make sure you have it locked with the double ender so it doesn't fall into the abyss!). Pull the little loop on the end, pass your spool through.

I hope this helps,
AJ

 

[Sloth]

I don’t know if this is going to make sense but a simple way to keep a line from getting to twisted is to not wrap the line with the spool in the same orientation the whole time. Instead rotate the spool to keep the line from building a twist. So wrap some line, rotate the spool clockwise 180, wrap some more, rotate counter-clockwise 180, wrap some more, repeat.

Its the continual rotation of of your hand in the same direction that twists a secured line so by rotating the spool you change the rotational direction of your hand thus greatly reducing the chance of a line kinking up.

Mark

 

[FLDVR]

Aj, good call on the double ender. I'll give that one a go.
Mark, the wind and flip is basically what I use now, still ending up with twist in the line.
I guess I should mention that I'm kinda anal about such things.. If only I had the motor skills to do a factory wrap
Henry

 

[Data]

I have a simple solution, just make sure it's your buddies job to run the spool

OK, in all seriousness, if I run a spool on deco, I found that holding the spool between both hands (three fingers from the left hand on the left side of the spool and three fingers from the right hand on the right side of the spool) is the easiest for me. I just turn the spool in a constant motion like turning a screw, where one side opens the screw and the other side closes it.
If you get used to this, you can time a 10ft/min ascent this way very easily and you have more time than you'd ever need during a deco ascent anyways.
Now, in a cave to remove a jump where the cave tries to spit you out, that is a whole different story.