Primary Reel Size Recommendations

[Dsix36]

I also think the 400' would be a good choice. LM reels are great and I don't think you will ever have a problem or complaint.

My primary reels are 400' and they have only been a bit short on one deep dive that had some serious current. The SMB's all went sideways and the reels ran out of line rather quickly, but in this case 800' would have done the same thing.

 

[Instructor_Tom]

I can’t decide on a new primary reel. I am looking at the Light Monkey reels and don’t know if I should get a 400ft or a 800ft as my primary. I am just getting into tec and hope to be doing some northeast wrecks as well as doing a cavern/cave class on my next visit to MX or northern FL. I just don’t want to buy one too short or longer than needed. Why one size or another?

Thanks

if your going into tec you'll need a 400' primary reel ( I use the Hollis JR), safety reel 140' (I use dive rite) and 2 spools/jump spools 50-100'.


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[Scuba.com]

800' is a lot to carry. I agree with those that are saying 400' should be enough! You'll probably get more use out of it.

Have fun and be safe!

 

[Chilly_Dipper]

If you're doing a drifting deco on a deeper wreck with a decent amount of current often times a 200' reel isn't going to cut it.

That doesn't sound like a OW situation to me.

 

[TSandM]

I don't know about doing an ascent up 200 feet of line, but I can tell you that finger spooling in the almost 400 feet you need to get to the mainline in Carwash would be a major PITA . . . a 400 foot reel is good for just about any cave application you might have, until or unless you begin exploring, or unless you are using the GUE Cave 1 reel strategy

 

[Tortuga68]

That doesn't sound like a OW situation to me

The ocean is OW

 

[rongoodman]

unless you are using the GUE Cave 1 reel strategy

OK, I'll bite...what's the Cave 1 reel strategy?

 

[TSandM]

It's a standing joke. The rule is that you can't do any jumps at C1. But if you can run your primary reel to a jump line, you haven't put in a jump, right? Still no navigational decision. And if you can parallel the mainline to the first jump line and then parallel the first jump line to the SECOND jump line and tie in there, you haven't technically committed a jump, right? We found very large reels useful, right up until Danny found out what people were doing and had a conniption fit about it. But some of us still refer to the big exploration reels on the wall in ZG as "Cave 1 reels".

 

[Chilly_Dipper]

The ocean is OW

Yes right up until you hit deco. Then it is a tech dive not an OW

OW means you can come to the surface at anytime without significant risk of DCS. The moment you have exceeded your NDL time you have effectively put on ceiling on the ascent and therefore it is not OW.

 

[Tortuga68]

I believe James was using OW as an environmental distinction from physical overheads - not as a procedural distinction from virtual overhead/decompression as you are doing