Primary Reel

[Mako Mark]

xiSkiGuy


what are you going to be using your reels for?

it makes a big difference.

 

[Johnny Richards]

For a primary reel, my absolute favorite is the Ralph Hood with a Jasper handle (side handle). See http://www.northernatlanticdive.com/reels.htm.

I've used most available reels and find the Hood to be most efficient.

Johnny

 

[xiSkiGuy]

xiSkiGuy


what are you going to be using your reels for?

it makes a big difference.

Initially, to satisfy the requirements of my upcoming basic cave class, and then strictly for cave diving. I use spools for shooting bags and I have an OMS reel (POS) with #36 on it for wrecks.

Right now I think I'm deciding between the Salvo primary and the Ralph Hood primary, but I'm curious about using a spool as a primary. Is it difficult to reel them back in fast enough in high flow?

 

[TSandM]

The Ralph Hood reel looks very nice, but there's a metal-to-metal connection where the bolt snap is attached to the handle. It looks like that's just a bolted-on connector -- can anybody who owns that reel confirm that it would be easy to remove and replace with a tied connection?

 

[PerroneFord]

TSandM, reels tend to be the BIG exception to the metal-to-metal DIR rule. You snap onto them with a double ender, and you snap the other end of the double ender onto your d-ring. The WKPP guys do it this way too. I've never seen it done any other way.

 

[xiSkiGuy]

TSandM, reels tend to be the BIG exception to the metal-to-metal DIR rule. You snap onto them with a double ender, and you snap the other end of the double ender onto your d-ring. The WKPP guys do it this way too. I've never seen it done any other way.

I may be misunderstanding your answer PF, but I think TSandM is referring to the standard (non-double ender) bolt snaps that are secured to the Ralph Hood reels semi-permanently with a metal to metal connection: http://www.northernatlanticdive.com/reels.htm

Do the WKPP divers remove the standard bolt snap and use a double ender with that (Ralph Hood) style reel or do they all use the Pathfinder-style reels?

 

[TSandM]

That IS what I was referring to.

 

[Whale Whisperer]

The Ralph Hood reel looks very nice, but there's a metal-to-metal connection where the bolt snap is attached to the handle. It looks like that's just a bolted-on connector -- can anybody who owns that reel confirm that it would be easy to remove and replace with a tied connection?

I don't own one but looking at the pictures, it appears as if the snapbolt is secured with a small SS looped band and a short bolt with a Nylock nut. You should be able to take it apart, remove the existing brass snapbolt and replace it with caveline to a SS Snapbolt. My concern would be the sharp edges of the small SS band and caveline. I own a Manta reel (One that I want to replace badly) that has the same design for the snapbolt placement, so I removed the Snapbolt and installed a small SS keyring so I could hook my Double ender to it. Would this be acceptable?

 

[PerroneFord]

Yikes,

Sorry, I didn't realize the question was specific to the Ralph Hood reels. Sorry.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

I think that I would remove the fixed bolt snap and tie a loop of bungee through the hole so that I could use a double ender. Sorta like this...
http://www.mossmanscuba.com/gear.php?pics=5