Are there quality differences in finger reels and basic smb?

[Rainer]

Most people I know who have an H bag have the 3.3' one.

 

[nadwidny]

8) Only get pink line if you want to ask Jeff or Brian out on a Date.............
.

I can guarantee you that no light fingers have ever made off with one of my pink line spools by mistake or by choice.

 

[lamont]

Most people I know who have an H bag have the 3.3' one.

A prerigged 3.3' in a pocket and the 4.5' one in the MC pack with another safety spool in the pocket is fairly popular. The 3.3' one is the one that does most of the day-to-day work though...

 

[Rainer]

A prerigged 3.3' in a pocket and the 4.5' one in the MC pack with another safety spool in the pocket is fairly popular. The 3.3' one is the one that does most of the day-to-day work though...

Many of my teammates in MA (and me) would do the pre-rigged 3.3' in pocket and a (non-H) 50# lift bag in the MC pack (or bungeed on the plate). They always fancied lifting stuff... When needing a visual cue, the 3.3' was shot. For some farther offshore diving, a 6' bag would be taken, mainly to be used at the surface in case of emergency.

 

[ppo2_diver]

I also really like the Halcyon 3.3m bag. Very compact and easy to store. I also have mine pre-rigged to a spool. I do have to use the 6ft one when teaching tech classes as I have to have a SMB with a minimum of 25lbs of lift. The Halcyone 3.3m bag doesn't have that much lift.

 

[nadwidny]

I also really like the Halcyon 3.3m bag. Very compact and easy to store. I also have mine pre-rigged to a spool. I do have to use the 6ft one when teaching tech classes as I have to have a SMB with a minimum of 25lbs of lift. The Halcyone 3.3m bag doesn't have that much lift.

3.3m? Who are you trying to signal, the space shuttle?

 

[JeffG]

3.3m? Who are you trying to signal, the space shuttle?

He's compensating.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Most people I know who have an H bag have the 3.3' one.

Depends a lot on where you're diving.

I have the 6' Halcyon SMB. If they had an 8', I'd own it.

On the east coast (specifically from Virginia Beach down to Morehead City/Beaumont, NC) many of the wrecks lie from 60 to 80 miles offshore. You are in international shipping lanes there. Occasionally the currents can get impressive.

It is nothing to have waves between 2' to 4' or 3' to 5', and these are on top of swells which add another 2'-4' between the crests and the troughs (in between the diver and the charter boat).

Add them and you're looking at between 4' and 8' of variance. Surface some 60-70 yards off the stern of the charter boat after encountering 'issues', add a little surface haze or fog (or precipitation,) and you'll wish the thing was 20' high.

Remember, you may not completely fill the SMB launching it from 70' or so, but with the right sort of technique you can come close - and if I have issues I'll launch it deeper. Besides, if you find yourself drifting for awhile, you'll have plenty of opportunity to fully inflate the SMB on the surface.

The point is that a 3' SMB is great for class and practice, and if you dive in places where one will work, fine.

But add a little fog to the equation, between 4' to 8' between the wave crests and troughs, 3 hours offshore in shipping lanes, and you might want a tad more visibility. Select the tool for the application.

Regards,

Doc

 

[Rainer]

Pretty much why I said we take 6' bags when we're offshore as well. Out there, 3' isn't ideal.

 

[bleeb]

I also really like the Halcyon 3.3m bag. Very compact and easy to store. I also have mine pre-rigged to a spool. I do have to use the 6ft one when teaching tech classes as I have to have a SMB with a minimum of 25lbs of lift. The Halcyone 3.3m bag doesn't have that much lift.

3.3m? Can you define "compact" and "not that much lift"?