SMB Deployment: Reel or Spool

[Diver0001]

Do you tie your SMB or lift bag to a reel or a spool?

Spool. Try it both ways to convince yourself.

R..

 

[Cacia]

? : Is a reel used more with the bigger lift bags?

 

[Atticus]

I use the Halcyon 6' SMB with a 130' spool clipped to it. When conditions warrant I also carry a reel, but the reel and the SMB are not pre-attached. I have rarely desired to deploy an SMB from deeper than 70'.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

For a dive where the length warrants it I will use either a 150' or 100' spool. I like delrin (just a fancy name for black plastic) because if I should let go of it delrin remains fairly neutrally bouyant, stainless spools will drop. I have a double ended bolt snap that I keep at my end of the whole assembly, and I make the attachment to the lift bag with a loop through procedure. On the end of the line used for attaching to the bag I have a large enough loop in the line to put the entire spool through for the knot and in the very end of that loop is a small decorative hair bead so I can grab it with gloves on should I need to. A spool is more compact in my pocket and less expensive, it is also almost impossible to foul. I have a knot tied in the line every ten feet so if I have a depth guage failure I have the knots as a rudimentary backup depth indicating device. The knots are certainly not perfect, especially in a current, but they are easy to tie and cost nothing; that makes for a pretty sensible reason to have them. The double ended clip gives me an easy way to secure the line onto the spool at a certain depth, so I don't need to worry about drifting deeper.

Mark Vlahos

 

[Cacia]

yes, I keep hearing about the pony-tail ball trick..

 

[Jcsgt]

For a dive where the length warrants it I will use either a 150' or 100' spool. I like delrin (just a fancy name for black plastic) because if I should let go of it delrin remains fairly neutrally bouyant, stainless spools will drop. I have a double ended bolt snap that I keep at my end of the whole assembly, and I make the attachment to the lift bag with a loop through procedure. On the end of the line used for attaching to the bag I have a large enough loop in the line to put the entire spool through for the knot and in the very end of that loop is a small decorative hair bead so I can grab it with gloves on should I need to. A spool is more compact in my pocket and less expensive, it is also almost impossible to foul. I have a knot tied in the line every ten feet so if I have a depth guage failure I have the knots as a rudimentary backup depth indicating device. The knots are certainly not perfect, especially in a current, but they are easy to tie and cost nothing; that makes for a pretty sensible reason to have them. The double ended clip gives me an easy way to secure the line onto the spool at a certain depth, so I don't need to worry about drifting deeper.

Mark Vlahos

Thanks, Mark! I just got a delrin spool, and now I have an idea how to use it!

 

[Mark Vlahos]

yes, I keep hearing about the pony-tail ball trick..

It needs to be small enough to fit through a small D-Ring, assuming that your lift bag has a small D-Ring to tie into. The little doodad that I use is actually a bead used in decorative hair braiding. Think corn rows or Bo Derrek in "10" and you will get the idea. Most of the pony tail things are too large, and believe me I know, since my hair is down to the small of my back. I'm gonna go see if I can snap a good photo and post it into this thread.

Mark Vlahos

 

[BarryNL]

Halcyon cold water spool - there's something I wont bother buying a second one of. Nice try but it's no better than the standard spool - the handle thing just doesn't work.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

It needs to be small enough to fit through a small D-Ring, assuming that your lift bag has a small D-Ring to tie into. The little doodad that I use is actually a bead used in decorative hair braiding. Think corn rows or Bo Derrek in "10" and you will get the idea. Most of the pony tail things are too large, and believe me I know, since my hair is down to the small of my back. I'm gonna go see if I can snap a good photo and post it into this thread.

Mark Vlahos

Here are some photos that show how large the bead and loop at the end of the line are, how to secure the spool to the bag, what the knot looks like as you tighten it, and how to secure the line at the spool end with a double ended clip.

Mark Vlahos

View attachment 34361

View attachment 34362

View attachment 34363

View attachment 34364

 

[TheRedHead]

I have a spool and a reel. The Dive Rite reel has a little red ball. I like the locking mechanism of a reel better in a current, but I like the ease-of-use of the spool.