Offset Holes on Spools

[MSchoular]

Not sure if this should be here or under accesories, but,

Does anyone know why the holes on some finger spools are offset? Are there advantages/disadvantages to one or the other? If you don't know what im talking about here are a few pics.

Offest: Spools
(scroll down, bottom of page)

Centered: Google Image Result for http://scubawell.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/photo-3-2.jpg
(i know its a bad picture, but you can tell holes line up)

Im sure its not a big deal, just kinda curious...Thanks!

 

[KeesBL]

I always try to clip my spool tightly when I put it in a pocket before a dive. If I don't, it has a tendency to come unspooled and be generally unpleasant. If you're trying to get it really snug and you have non-offset holes, you have fewer distances to choose from and getting the spool line clipped very tightly will be slightly more difficult.

I imagine offset ones are harder to make (double the drilling rather than just going straight through). That said, cave line is stretchy and I've had no trouble with my non-offset spool. It's pretty easy just to stretch it a little more to clip off.

I've also found you get more room to clip/less likelihood of a spaghetti pocket if you cut a couple feet off of the line. Granted, the obvious disadvantage there is that you loose some distance, but if you're deploying a 100' spool from anything near 90' anywhere but a pool, it's not going to reach the surface - current drags it off to the side. I deployed my 90' spool from about 80' a few weeks ago in a class and it did not reach the surface, that was fun. 150' (140') is much nicer, in my opinion, for deeper deployments like that.

Got kinda off topic. I like to offset spools. I've never seen one, but then again, I've never looked. I don't see a downside.

 

[MSchoular]

Makes sense

Thanks for the response!

 

[Tortuga68]

Interesting... I've never seen an offset spool before; all of mine (Halcyon, Piranha) are centered

I can see the potential advantage of being able to clip off to a finer line length, but can't say I've ever been troubled by the lack of it