I'm all about KISS.
DIY Thumb Reel line keeper- EZ SMB deploy/stow
- Thread starter OneRestlessNative
- Start date
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OP
OneRestlessNative
Contributor
I accept that challenge....
You know boys, most guys don't race to see who can get it done faster.........:cool2: ijs
OP
OneRestlessNative
Contributor
Ha, one can never back down when the challenge is made, when the dueling pistols are laid out its game on. 
We totally hijacked this thread.
We totally hijacked this thread.
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
I carry more than one spool with me. This one would be dedicated only for the SMB or Sausage. I am not sure why you are so opposed to this real as I can see no additional danger in carrying it or deploying it. I like the concept.
DevonDiver
N/A
I carry more than one reel also. There's been plenty of times when it's been beneficial to have the extra capability. Most divers only carry 1 reel and never think past DSMB deployment. I teach the use of reel in my rescue courses. I teach it within nav training. I've used the reel in search & recovery exercises.
I've got nothing against OneRestlessNative's design, I just don't think it offers as much flexibility. I also don't think it addresses any problem that arises from a basic reel and boltsnap.
At no point in my diving career did I ever wake up in a cold sweat, screaming "THERE'S A TERRIBLE PROBLEM WITH MY FINGER REEL!!!"....and feel compelled to go rushing around the city on a construction misson....
It all seems a bit 'Field of Dreams' to me.... "if you build it, they will come".....
I've got nothing against OneRestlessNative's design, I just don't think it offers as much flexibility. I also don't think it addresses any problem that arises from a basic reel and boltsnap.
At no point in my diving career did I ever wake up in a cold sweat, screaming "THERE'S A TERRIBLE PROBLEM WITH MY FINGER REEL!!!"....and feel compelled to go rushing around the city on a construction misson....
It all seems a bit 'Field of Dreams' to me.... "if you build it, they will come".....
OP
OneRestlessNative
Contributor
In my 10 years of diving I have never needed a reel for what I have done aside from the SMB. Which is only something I have started using in the past year. This 20$ reel was intended to only be used with the SMB. The problem with the boltsnap was that it couldn't be secured to the reel or keep the line from un-spooling with a full spool as it does with some of the line off it at depth. If anything I think I simplified the process even more by eliminating the boltsnap all together. Yes there was a little work to put it together (about an hour) and a little ingenuity and spare stuff laying around the house. But hey, I love tinkering and making things......
Last edited:
Troutmaster
Contributor
Since this is already hijacked.....
OneRestlessNative's idea is well thought out and executed. It is, however, a solution for a problem that does not exist.
For starters, you need the double ender boltsnap to wind the reel up as you ascend. It can be done without it, but it is a PITA.
The velcro stuff is going to be hard to use with drygloves or thick neoprene, which is how you dive where I live.
The fishing swivel and shackle could be replaced by simply tying the line to the bag. Most of us just make a loop and pass the spool though the loop, that way it can be un-done with ease.
I have a dedicated spool on my bag, but I can remove it if I need another spool. I carry other spools/reels as well as the dive dictates.
Your rig is not going to kill you or anything, and if you like it, use it. It is, however, not the simplest way to get the job done. Those of us who tech dive have enough crap to deal with, we want everything as simple as possible. My SMB tied off to my spool with the double ender hooked though it works like a charm. I am guessing if you push a litte you can get the double ender on your spool, mine is full too but it works.
OneRestlessNative's idea is well thought out and executed. It is, however, a solution for a problem that does not exist.
For starters, you need the double ender boltsnap to wind the reel up as you ascend. It can be done without it, but it is a PITA.
The velcro stuff is going to be hard to use with drygloves or thick neoprene, which is how you dive where I live.
The fishing swivel and shackle could be replaced by simply tying the line to the bag. Most of us just make a loop and pass the spool though the loop, that way it can be un-done with ease.
I have a dedicated spool on my bag, but I can remove it if I need another spool. I carry other spools/reels as well as the dive dictates.
Your rig is not going to kill you or anything, and if you like it, use it. It is, however, not the simplest way to get the job done. Those of us who tech dive have enough crap to deal with, we want everything as simple as possible. My SMB tied off to my spool with the double ender hooked though it works like a charm. I am guessing if you push a litte you can get the double ender on your spool, mine is full too but it works.
It was my reaction to the spool modification that it was an equipment solution for a technique problem.
Deploying an SMB is a skill that doesn't take all that long to learn, but it does have to be learned, and a few bag shoots will be awkward or clumsy before you get the hang of it. (Which brings back a memory of me, losing control of my buoyancy while trying to spool up line, and ending up on the surface completely covered in cave line spaghetti, laughing helplessly, while my buddy stared at me, nonplused.) There truly is no need to make the equipment any more complex than it is, if you put in the time to learn to use it.
Deploying an SMB is a skill that doesn't take all that long to learn, but it does have to be learned, and a few bag shoots will be awkward or clumsy before you get the hang of it. (Which brings back a memory of me, losing control of my buoyancy while trying to spool up line, and ending up on the surface completely covered in cave line spaghetti, laughing helplessly, while my buddy stared at me, nonplused.) There truly is no need to make the equipment any more complex than it is, if you put in the time to learn to use it.
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
So was the octo. If people had better buddy breathing skills, we wouldn't have a need for that safe second, which is nothing but another failure point and a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.
I am not sure why people are so resistant to change or to accept that some skills need to be simplified.
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