Looking for reel suggestions

[stuartv]

It was one of the manta reels, but once he mentioned the north of $200 list price and that he can get me a deal on it for the ~$180 range i honestly stopped paying attention. I am sure its a great reel, but a tech diver i am not. I dont mind paying for quality equipment, but I want to pay for the right equipment. I guess the reason that he recommends it for these dives is that they dont tend to birds nest and when you only have a few minutes of bottom time that is important. So I see the point there, but if I can get the same functionality (aka good spooling without tangling) at half the price without a few bells and whistles I would be quite happy.

Another reason I like my Manta CR-2 is it was only just barely over $100....

If that's too much, then one of the DR reels I linked ($55 or $65) is really (ha ha) probably what you want. I have a couple of those, too, but I have to admit I bought them used and have never actually used them yet. The AP Pocket reel and the Manta CR-2 have been handling all my reel tasks.

 

[Aanderson81]

Whats the difference between the CR-2 and the Jr?

 

[rgdiver1]

I'd also recommend the Dive Rite Classic Safety Reel. It has long been a standard for divers and is well proven. Also the price is right.

 

[stuartv]

Whats the difference between the CR-2 and the Jr?

All the Manta reels are here:

Reels Archives - Manta Industries & Highseas Millwork Manta Industries & Highseas Millwork

The CR-2 is very different than the Jr reels. The CR-2 handle is an elastic strap, which I find more comfortable than any of the reels with metal handles. But, if you click the link and look at the pictures, the differences should be pretty obvious.

 

[Schwob]

$25 could get you started (sale price):
270' Dive Reel - Dive Right in Scuba
That said, I do not like the reel that much... you get what you pay for and there are some issues with this reel. BUT, for the price it is great. If you are willing to put up with it's kinks (e.g. the little line guide nozzle that is supposed to slide in the slot so you can spool the line wherever there is less line does not slide well at all and needs coaxing on my real (or bypassing) and are willing to keep your line not too slack and watch what you are doing while you are doing.... it is very worksble. And has a wreck line of sorts (higher cut resistance if you rub on stuff, tie to stuff compared to your SMB line, a winder handle and a ratchet pawl.
For me it got me far enough to know what I really want if and when I actually will use it more and have and reason to pay the price... until then I'll happily put up with this one. BTW, I had to take 25' of line off mine, because my line had a flaw in it. But I like the little extra room for imperfect spooling anyway...
It's a workable compromise if you are on a budget and don't mind that this probably will not thru as much use as a "pro reel".

 

[Aanderson81]

I've been looking at these 4 reels

Highland XS Scuba Reel ~$60
http://www.xsscuba.com/highland/sport-reels

Drive Rite Classic ~$65
Dive Rite Classic Reel

CR-2 ~$110
"Manta" CR1 & CR2 Cave Reels

Multi purpose reel ~$20
Multi Purpose 150' (45 meter) Dive Reel


I am leaning toward the XS or the CR-2. The Dive Rite looks like there is a bit of a gap where the line can slip off the reel and birds nest. The $20 reel looks like it wouldnt have this problem, but I imagine durability wise would be suspect. Any feedback on these or more recommendations for the price of the CR-2 or less?

 

[Tug]

Of these four, my vote is hands down the CR2. It's a great reel for the money and works well.

Where are you located in CT? There are a few dealers around you that have it in stock. The company is also local to you (based in CT) so you'd be suporting local business if that's something that matters to you.

 

[stuartv]

With the soft handle and being able to completely detach the bolt snap, the CR-2 is pretty easy to fit in a pocket. That is one of the reasons I personally would (did) pay the extra for it over any of those others. I can actually pre-rig it to my 6' SMB and fit them both, together in a thigh pocket of my dry suit.

I'm not sure how that switch thing works on the XS Scuba reel. It looks like it has the potential to break. The DR Classic is simple and solid. Between the 2, I would go for the DR. The screw thingie that is the brake on the DR is simple and effective. I don't know if they come this way, now, but mine is older. I recently spent $6 (I think) to get the "permanent" brake screw as an upgrade to mine. It just makes it where you can't accidentally unscrew the brake screw too far and have it fall out.

DGX sells that same DR reel for $10 more, but with 550' of line, instead of the 250' or 400' options.

DGX Primary Reel, Medium S/S Snap

Also, if you don't need that much line, that also means you don't need that big of a reel. In which case you might be happier with one of the smaller DR reels.

Guideline Dive Reels | Dive Gear Express®

The DR Classic Safety is only $55, has 140' of line, and is a fair bit smaller in size, I think. The Deco reel is also smaller, $65, and has 180' of line.

Also, the DGX return policy is better/longer than LeisurePro's. Just sayin'....

 

[Aanderson81]

With the soft handle and being able to completely detach the bolt snap, the CR-2 is pretty easy to fit in a pocket. That is one of the reasons I personally would (did) pay the extra for it over any of those others. I can actually pre-rig it to my 6' SMB and fit them both, together in a thigh pocket of my dry suit.

I'm not sure how that switch thing works on the XS Scuba reel. It looks like it has the potential to break. The DR Classic is simple and solid. Between the 2, I would go for the DR. The screw thingie that is the brake on the DR is simple and effective. I don't know if they come this way, now, but mine is older. I recently spent $6 (I think) to get the "permanent" brake screw as an upgrade to mine. It just makes it where you can't accidentally unscrew the brake screw too far and have it fall out.

DGX sells that same DR reel for $10 more, but with 550' of line, instead of the 250' or 400' options.

DGX Primary Reel, Medium S/S Snap

Also, if you don't need that much line, that also means you don't need that big of a reel. In which case you might be happier with one of the smaller DR reels.

Guideline Dive Reels | Dive Gear Express®

The DR Classic Safety is only $55, has 140' of line, and is a fair bit smaller in size, I think. The Deco reel is also smaller, $65, and has 180' of line.

Also, the DGX return policy is better/longer than LeisurePro's. Just sayin'....

Interesting. One of the complaints I was seeing was loosing the brake screw on the DR classic. Is the line jumping off the reel an issue with the DR? This was the real deciding factor between the XS and the DR. It looks like the XS doesnt have a large enough of a gap to allow it, where as the DR looks like it does.

As for the CR-2 I didnt know they were based in CT. Something else to consider. Its kinda the reel I am leaning towards. I just havent found the reason to push myself the rest of the way to spending the extra $50 or so.

 

[stuartv]

I have only used the DR reel a couple of times. Since I got the CR-2 and the AP pocket reel, I have only used those and finger spools.

But, when I was researching reels a while back, from all the things I read it seemed to be the case that NO reel is impervious to having the line jump off the reel (except maybe fully enclosed reels like the AP Pocket reel) or to bird nesting. It SEEMS like someone who is well practiced and skilled at using a reel can use just about any reel without having those things happen. Of course, for the less skilled (like myself) I'm sure there are reels that make problems more likely and other reels that make problems less likely.

For something like this, I'd say go ahead and spend the extra $50. If you only ever use it twice and never have further use for a reel, well, it was an extra $50 spent. In Scuba Dollars, that's not very much. But, if you end up doing more diving where you use a reel. I think you'll be very happy you spent the extra money. The CR-2 is just a very handy all-purpose reel. It fits in a pocket. It carries enough line to use it as a wreck reel. It's small enough to not be too much of a pain just to carry it as a reel for your SMB.

If you get a DR or XS Scuba reel that is big enough to carry 250' of line, it's going to be a lot more of a PITA to carry around just because of the additional bulk. I think there is something to be said for paying extra to get something more compact that you will be more inclined to take it in the water with you. The best reel in the world is useless if you left it on the boat because you didn't think you would need it and the bulk was annoying. It's like the old DSLR versus smartphone camera debate. Except in this case, the more compact option is not lower quality - it's just a little more expensive.