Safety Reel Question

[Jason B]

I'm with rjack, skip the safety reel and go with a spool. I cannot count on one hand the number of people I know that have had a safety reel literally explode on them during a lost line search (or jam on them during it) deeming it useless. A spool will not do that. Also, a reel won't really fit in a pocket and makes for some unneeded danglies.

 

[Bubble Junky]

In preperation for my upcoming cavern training I recently purchased my first safety reel. I see that Diverite sells an adjustable drag for it, so... I'm wondering if I should get one.

I'm no cave diver, but I use the Safety Reel for shooting my SMB. I didn't care for the drag thing at all. Found it hard to lock the reel completely, and ended up with the plastic lock nut snapping. Have since bought spare lock nuts and ditched the drag thing (which was already on the reel when I bought it). Much happier bunny now.

 

[OneBrightGator]

Not trying to start a flame war here...
But most people use a penetration reel and a safety spool

The (finger) spools have no moving parts and are basically impossible to jam in the dark or under stress. They are ideal for safety purposes.

The penetration reel is used to tie into the mainline and needs a handle+crank.

I understand some divers use a small reel with a handle + crank for safety purposes (lost line, etc) but I suspect this is a rarity.

What is the sample size for points 1 & 4?

Point 2 is incorrect. A spool is not safer then a cavern/safety reel because a spool has separate parts, whereas a reel is one unit, a reel is much easier to retrieve and re-deploy, quicker and easier to correctly tie into a line, less likely to be lost and carries a more appropriate amount of line more securely.

Spools have their place (jumps/gaps) and they are acceptable for safety purposes, but they are not the best. Birdnesting and similar problems are user error. A cavern/safety reel carried on the hip or butt D-ring and presents no more of a dangle issue then a spool in the same location. The faster you can deploy your safety, the better. Carrying this item clipped off and stuffed into a full pocket is a questionable practice.

 

[KMD]

Less of a rarity than you think. I let the cave dictate the size of the safety reel/spool. If I dive some more common caves that have side walls about 50' apart,then a conventional spool is acceptable,but frequently I am in places with side walls at least 100-150' apart,then something like a Jasper reel is very handy. I've have found that safety spools have let a lot a divers down since they easily come off the gear when not stored correctly,only to the divers surprise that they did their dive without a safety spool. I have found may safety spools in the cave and have mated them up with people in the parking lot.

Very junior cave diver here and carries a 150' safety spool in his pocket.

Question: In your large caverns that the side walls are so far apart, are you going be that far off the line that you would need such a large amount of line on your safety spool? Or are you talking about making large jumps?

To my mind, for something to be clasified as "safety" I want it to work all the time, every time. Don't want to get into an emergency and not have it work.

 

[KMD]

What is the sample size for points 1 & 4?

Point 2 is incorrect. A spool is not safer then a cavern/safety reel because a spool has separate parts, whereas a reel is one unit, a reel is much easier to retrieve and re-deploy, quicker and easier to correctly tie into a line, less likely to be lost and carries a more appropriate amount of line more securely.

Spools have their place (jumps/gaps) and they are acceptable for safety purposes, but they are not the best. Birdnesting and similar problems are user error. A cavern/safety reel carried on the hip or butt D-ring and presents no more of a dangle issue then a spool in the same location. The faster you can deploy your safety, the better. Carrying this item clipped off and stuffed into a full pocket is a questionable practice.

Never had a spool jam on me but I have had reels do it several times. And I agree with you that the jamming was usually due to user error. But in a safety type situation where you are relying upon that device to get you home, why would one ever want to risk it jamming and complicating things? Sure skill, training and experience helps eliminate error, but everybody makes mistakes especially when the stress level/zero viz crops up. Also, if I drop a spool it probably wont sink far when I make a grab for it. My reels tend to sink like stones. (but I will admit I don't know how negative the safety reels are)

I disagree, if its in your pocket, you know its safe and secure for when you need to deploy it. Your safety equipment should be the best maintained and most secure of all of your equipment.

 

[Daedalus]

I keep two 150' safety spools with me on all my dives in my left pocket. I keep the jump spools on my butt ring. This is to make accessing the jump spools more convenient and to keep the safety spools more secure.

The main reason I chose to use the spool route instead of reels is because I feel that the reel has a lot more places to trap lines, especially when you have to cross under the line. A spool can only trap line under the notches underneath the double ended bolt snap, everywhere else is a rounded edge that it will slide off. The average safety reel that I have seen can catch line under the bolt snap, between the spool and the frame, under the drag nut, etc etc.

If you like using a reel, use a reel. If you like using a spool use a spool.

 

[karstdvr]

Very junior cave diver here and carries a 150' safety spool in his pocket.

Question: In your large caverns that the side walls are so far apart, are you going be that far off the line that you would need such a large amount of line on your safety spool? Or are you talking about making large jumps?

To my mind, for something to be clasified as "safety" I want it to work all the time, every time. Don't want to get into an emergency and not have it work.

Typically not that far away. I think one mistake people make is that we assume that ones path to the line in a silt out,when using a reel/spool,will be perpendicular. I've had to do some lost line searches,and found that my traverse was more of a hypotenuse,and the extra line becomes necessary in a larger cave. I've heard some people say they'd use their wrist mounted compass to travel in a straight line,but I'd sure like to see that in a silt out.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

If you like using a reel, use a reel. If you like using a spool use a spool.

Agreed.

Just get proficient with whichever one you choose, better yet get proficient with both. Also know the advantages & disadvantages of both and act accordingly.

I prefer a reel for locating a lost line or looking for a lost buddy.

I have found several more spools in caves than reels. I have seen several more spools with a lot of line trailing behind a diver than reels.

 

[OneBrightGator]

Never had a spool jam on me but I have had reels do it several times. And I agree with you that the jamming was usually due to user error. But in a safety type situation where you are relying upon that device to get you home, why would one ever want to risk it jamming and complicating things? Sure skill, training and experience helps eliminate error, but everybody makes mistakes especially when the stress level/zero viz crops up. Also, if I drop a spool it probably wont sink far when I make a grab for it. My reels tend to sink like stones. (but I will admit I don't know how negative the safety reels are)

I disagree, if its in your pocket, you know its safe and secure for when you need to deploy it. Your safety equipment should be the best maintained and most secure of all of your equipment.

But when you deploy a spool you must separate the dbl ender from the spool and maintain control of both, spools are much more prone to having line float off mid-use and require greater dexterity when tying in, due to having to clip the line, then locate the appropriate hole, etc. whereas with a reel you lock, wrap, clip.

Reels are secure when clipped anywhere on the diver, they do not have to be in a pocket to be secure.

 

[KMD]

But when you deploy a spool you must separate the dbl ender from the spool and maintain control of both, spools are much more prone to having line float off mid-use and require greater dexterity when tying in, due to having to clip the line, then locate the appropriate hole, etc. whereas with a reel you lock, wrap, clip.

Reels are secure when clipped anywhere on the diver, they do not have to be in a pocket to be secure.

Don't know how you do it, but when I unclip the double ender, it immediately gets clipped to the D-ring. takes about 1/4 of a second.

It gets held with my thumb and fingers in either side of the hole, so there is absolutely no way for line to float off mid-use. If I want to stop playing out line one just makes a fist and no more line will play out.

As for tying in, it much the same as a reel isnt it? Measure the distance, clip the line to the reel then wrap twice and clip back to the line.

I would disagree with you on reels being more secure. The locking screw can always slip/get bumped loose and then one is trailing line behind the person.

Dont get me wrong, I am not getting down on reels, I am just questioning them in use as safety devices.

Kevin