Primary Dive Reel - How to carry it?

[mahjong]

Any suggestions on how best to carry your primary dive reel in a BP/wing setup? What's the DIR protocol? Thanks!

 

[PfcAJ]

Clipped off to your rear crotch strap d-ring. Sometimes I'll put it on my left hip if I'm going to use it at the beginning of the dive, but that's more the exception rather than the rule. Rear d-ring is probably the best and most common spot.

 

[mahjong]

Thanks. I'm having trouble imagining how the rear D ring mount could be workable for me diving from a small Zodiac, where I gear up mainly sitting or squatting in a rather tight space before tipping over the pontoon and into the water.

Any pictures of the reel mounted on the rear crotch strap D ring?

 

[AfterDark]

I put mine where I can reach it. That's on the right shoulder strap lower D ring.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Thanks. I'm having trouble imagining how the rear D ring mount could be workable for me diving from a small Zodiac, where I gear up mainly sitting or squatting in a rather tight space before tipping over the pontoon and into the water. . .

Too easy to lose gearing up & clipping off at the rear D-ring while on a zodiac/skiff, and then positioning to do a back roll (I know cuz I clipped a primary reel off to my buddy's rear crotch D-ring, and she promptly lost it on the back roll entry). Secure the primary reel at the Left hip D-ring w/o deco bottles, or if rolling in with deco bottles, clip it off on the top bolt-snap ring of one of the deco bottles that are clipped-off to your left shoulder D-ring.

On egress from the wreck --now you can clip it off and secure to your rear/butt D-ring, before gathering and clipping off your deco bottles. . .

 

[PfcAJ]

Ya, I'd put it on the hip if I was doing a backroll like that. But I'd probably move it to the rear once things got going underwater.

 

[TSandM]

I think it really does depend on how long you intend to carry the reel. If you are deploying it at the beginning of the dive, as one does with cave dives or if doing a wreck search from the bottom of the downline, left hip is fine. If you are going to carry it a long time, as one might when contemplating wreck penetration, getting it to the back would put it where it's less of a bother. In other words, AJ said it

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

I usually put it on my right hip d-ring that way it's out of the way of my spg.

 

[mahjong]

Thanks all! I got the picture and can now work it out on my rig without thinking I might be missing something.

 

[LiteHedded]

put it on your butt. if it's a problem there put it somewhere else