Reel Line measurers?

[stardust]

I know someone's prlly aware of these, but I looked and didn't see it. Is there anything to add to a reel like every 'x' feet to mark it so that one can tell how far one has gone? They're nylon so painting is impractical in that it chips off and dyeing would have to be done at a high temp. Permanent marker wears off in salt water. Clips? Whatever it is has to not foul the reel. Educate me please. This particular question came up in the context of wreck penetration so warmish salt water.

 

[onfloat]

Tie a simple knot every 10 ft. You can put 2 at 20, 3 at 30, etc.... and start over after 50 ft or 100 ft. I do it at 50 just because it's easy to see 5 knots and I know about how far I'm already down.

 

[PerroneFord]

Yep, knots...

 

[Cave Diver]

I third the knot option.

 

[stardust]

Thank you, thank you

 

[Rev. Blade]

It may be a small issue in a line on a reel, but knots will be a weak point on the line. I haven't used a spool or reel underwater, so consider my opinion less than expert in that regard. I do have a small amount of experience in mountainering though. An overhand knot my reduce the strength of the line by as much as 50 - 60% at that point. http://www.animatedknots.com/ http://www.realknots.com/knots/stoppers.htm I suppose many people use #24 line, rather than something smaller (of which more will fit on your reel or spool), for it's abrasion resistance ...but if you plan to pull on your line, you may not want knots in it.

I plan to use a marker pen on my line (since I just bought a reel). On a reel, the knots may have another undesirable feature. They'll be another thing to catch on the line guide. As I said, it may not be an issue in a dive environment, particularly on a spool. For me and my reel though, I plan to start with a black marker; or smear some black silicone one on it, and try to get it as smooth to the line as possible.

 

[Jason Ooi]

knots will be a weak point on the line, you can monitor depth by your depth gauge or computer

 

[PerroneFord]

knots will be a weak point on the line, you can monitor depth by your depth gauge or computer

:shakehead

 

[ZenDiva]

ok I realize I"m blonde....and a newbie...however.....how do knots weaken the line? when the line is not being used for it's strength but as a guide and she specifically stated this was for wreck penetration.

I may be missing something everyone else isnt'

 

[Rev. Blade]

Knots become weak points in a line because the fibers are being pulled toward each other... a kink, but not the good kind. The harder you pull, the tighter the bend in the line. Some knots do very little to weaken the line, but I suspect an overhand knot is what is being suggested ...and it happens to be one of the more offensive line weakeners. (made-up word, but it seemed to fit)

As I said in my previous post, I am not an expert in underwater line use, nor penetration SCUBA. #24 line has a breaking strength around 230 pounds. Half of that is still pretty strong... but if you don't need it as strong, why not use thiner line? You could use a smaller reel or spool, or have more line on your spool.

Using figure 8 knots would slightly increase the chances of snags on your reel (it's bigger), but it retains more of your lines strength... perhaps 80%. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure-of-eight_knot