#24 and #36 cave line question

[Atomic_Diver]

I would Highly reccommend a Dive Rite classic cavern reel with 140' of line with #24, its a perfect starter, and if you plan on furthering you certifications in cave diving I would highly reccomend the Dive Rite Side winder reel with at least 400' of #24 line, i say the side winder reel because it seems to jam less often and is easier to un jam.... but thats just my opinion

 

[adm3745]

Are there any major concerns using #18 line for Cavern/Cave?

 

[Dive-aholic]

No major concerns other than there is less line on the reel.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

18 is smaller than 24, so you actually get more of it on a given sppol or reel. I use 18 on some of my reels. It is not as strong as 24, but the difference is minor and it is strong enough for the intended purpose.

With any line, abrasion will reduce the tensile strenght of the line and frequent replacment is a good idea if you see the line getting abraded. The initial 50-75 ft of the line sees the most use, so before it gets worn to a significant degree, you can reverse it on your reel and essentially double the useful life of the line. Similarly, if the first 20' gets really worn, just clip it off and tie a new loop in the end, you won't notice the difference between a 400' reel and a 380' reel.

On the other hand, line is one of the cheapest things in cave diving, so I just replace it when it starts to show a little more use than I am comfortable with.

I am not a fan of Dive Rite reels as they do not allow the same degree of control over the line tension as a Larry Green or Halcyon reel and that is the best means of preventing a birdnest, but if you get one, definitely get a side handle reel.

edit:

I am not sure about the actual diameter of #18, but the rated tensile strenght is normally 160 pounds. In comparision:

#24 .073" in diameter and 230 pound tensile strenght
#36 .083" in diameter and 330 pound tensile strenght
#48 .098" in diameter and 405 pound tensile strenght
1/8" .125" in diameter and 728 pound tensile strenght

Again the issue is not so much line strenght, but abrasion resistance. Line that is properly tied off in a cave is not going to be subject to much abrasion compared to line runnng through a wreck where current or surge may be moving fairly sharp pieces of steel marine growth back and forth against the line.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

I still use a Dive Rite but the Larry Green / Ralph Hood reels are much better. If you get a chance try them or a Salvo. I tried Bugmans Salvo and its a lot smoother than the Dive Rite. I will replace mine soon with the LG/RH, like Rob stated I don't want to have a bunch different primary reels.

I would Highly reccommend a Dive Rite classic cavern reel with 140' of line with #24, its a perfect starter, and if you plan on furthering you certifications in cave diving I would highly reccomend the Dive Rite Side winder reel with at least 400' of #24 line, i say the side winder reel because it seems to jam less often and is easier to un jam.... but thats just my opinion

 

[LiteHedded]

I love my halcyon reel. I'm not a huge fan of the handle on the larry green/ralph hood reels.
but other people love them. My advice would be to try them all. except the dive rite top handle reels. those are dumb

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I would Highly reccommend a Dive Rite classic cavern reel with 140' of line with #24, its a perfect starter, and if you plan on furthering you certifications in cave diving I would highly reccomend the Dive Rite Side winder reel with at least 400' of #24 line, i say the side winder reel because it seems to jam less often and is easier to un jam.... but thats just my opinion

I got REALLY good at catching pieces of a DiveRite cavern reel as it imploded regularly in surf. Damned thing just never wanted to stay together, so it gets used as an entertaining dive flag reel.

I'd recommend that reel... if you're a glutton for punishment.

 

[FireInMyBones]

To revive an older thread: I just bought a used Dive Rite gap reel for ~$15 and modified it to be just like the Larry Green/ Ralph Hood design for <$5.

It only has 60' of line and I am thinking about dropping #18 on it to get more line. This reel would be used mostly for lift bag deployment/ lost line. Any thoughts?

 

[carrielsal]

I recently bought a Halcyon primary reel. I've used it only a few times, but I'm pretty happy with it. I have small hands and other reels are just unweldly.

 

[rjack321]

To revive an older thread: I just bought a used Dive Rite gap reel for ~$15 and modified it to be just like the Larry Green/ Ralph Hood design for <$5.

It only has 60' of line and I am thinking about dropping #18 on it to get more line. This reel would be used mostly for lift bag deployment/ lost line. Any thoughts?

I would not use a dive-rite reel for anything life support. Too many damn plastic pieces with a long history of them falling apart in people's hands - esp. when the little C-clip comes off.