So you heard retractor is a bad idea, I had my first hand experience today

[antattack]

I have coil cords and retractors. I chose them and I paid for them. They are more expensive than bolt snaps. They are don't hold gear secure like bolt snaps. They create interesting entanglement opportunities. They offer interesting though experiments during a dive like "can I cut a steel line with my knife?"

Starting last month, my collection of coil cords and retractors are kept safely in my garage, while my slates, gauges, camera and lights are connected with bolt snaps. Bolt snaps always work the same way, always have the same cutoff point where they are tied with cave line. I get confused sometimes, and the idea that all the connection points are the same gives me comfort.

I just figured out my preference for bolt snaps this season! I'm 100% converted. Maybe I'll use the retractor for dive slates in pool sessions? Hmm, I have to think about that a bit.

---------- Post Merged at 07:21 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 07:20 PM ----------

Oh, Thanks for this post Eelnoraa- I hadn't thought about this until your post. My mind is now made up!

 

[gcarter]

I have coil cords and retractors. I chose them and I paid for them. They are more expensive than bolt snaps. They are don't hold gear secure like bolt snaps. They create interesting entanglement opportunities. They offer interesting though experiments during a dive like "can I cut a steel line with my knife?"

Starting last month, my collection of coil cords and retractors are kept safely in my garage, while my slates, gauges, camera and lights are connected with bolt snaps. Bolt snaps always work the same way, always have the same cutoff point where they are tied with cave line. I get confused sometimes, and the idea that all the connection points are the same gives me comfort.

I just figured out my preference for bolt snaps this season! I'm 100% converted. Maybe I'll use the retractor for dive slates in pool sessions? Hmm, I have to think about that a bit.

---------- Post Merged at 07:21 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 07:20 PM ----------

Oh, Thanks for this post Eelnoraa- I hadn't thought about this until your post. My mind is now made up!

Here is your next bit to chew on: brass or stainless steel?

 

[xdjio]

Here is your next bit to chew on: brass or stainless steel?

Hey now, that's an easy one. Marine stainless all the way! I have everything I attach attached with bolt snaps and cave line (or bungee mounts for my computer and compass) and I like it a lot!

 

[DaleC]

You are blaming the retractor because you were diving in kelp and only one of you brought a knife not suited for the purpose?

retractor resmacktor. Whether you use one or not shouldn't be a problem if you are using the right gear and the right training on the right dive. Seems like too much focus on looking DIR instead of thinking DIR.

 

[karlimmergut]

If your retractor cable is made of metal, you can always attach one end of the retractor with a plastic zip tie that can very be easily cut even with a blunt knife. If the suicide lock on the diver side is too hard to operate with gloves, just cut it out and attach a large bolt snap with a plastic zip tie. Plastic zip ties are your best friend. I use lots of retractors and am happy with them. How else would I attach a spare light, for example, I will probably be panicking when I need to use it. I would not want to drop it into the ocean and have no light left... I definitely would not want to wrestle with a tight bungee, either, or leave it dangling even 24 inches. My spare light is attached with a retractor and just tucked behind the BCD on my chest. Never dangles, it will not accidentally disconnect, and when I need to use it, I can extend it as far as I want without the fear of losing it.

 

[SnorkelLA]

I follow a "modified to my own preference" style of DIR setup. I ditched the "cave line and bolt snap" method to securing my computer (also going against DIR, I love my Suunto Cobra, so why spend extra money to have the same thing (pressure and computer) when you can have it in one console. Doesn't make sense)

Anyways, I keep my "Gear Keeper" Retractor (that secures with a brass bolt snap) on my left hip D-ring (where you'd normally keep the jerry-rigged cave line bolt snap solution) and it works flawlessly, if need be, it has a nice, strong buckle where the console can be seperate from the retractor, so I could disconnect the retractor from my D-Ring and then disconnect the console and by completely freed from it to work it's way out, and then completely reassemble it.

Long story short. Retractors work better than anything else for me.

 

[AfterDark]

This is kinda what I was asking about before. Any sort of cable retract, especially one with a small diameter steel cable (which could encircle a body part) should be designed to come to pieces under pressure. E.g. I have a retractor for holding my employee ID at work. Not a "dive retractor" but fairly sturdy with a stainless cable...but it has a cheap plastic link so if you snag, it breaks and you are free. Dive retractors should do the same thing, right? If it is really so strongly built that an adrenaline-soaked 12 year old girl couldn't break it off and swim away during a scare maybe you need to take it off and reattach it with a zip tie...

Yeah, I don't understand why cutting is an issue? Every one of my retractors has a plastic snap/hook/clip I'm not sure what to call it, that clips to a D-ring or wherever, it sure doesn't take cutting to break it. I'm pretty sure I could break all 3 of my retractors at the attachment points to my harness within 5 seconds. Even if if took 5 times that long I'm sure I don't need a cutting tool to to it. I've broken simlar type attachments before and it didn't take much. This seems like a lot about very little to me.

 

[eelnoraa]

You are blaming the retractor because you were diving in kelp and only one of you brought a knife not suited for the purpose?

retractor resmacktor. Whether you use one or not shouldn't be a problem if you are using the right gear and the right training on the right dive. Seems like too much focus on looking DIR instead of thinking DIR.

In a ideal situaion, I do agree both of us should have brought a knife, BUT it wouldn't change what happened nor the outcome, at least this time around. Don't you agree?

And no one is trying to look DIR and this isn't even about DIR. My buddy isn't a DIR diver. The only reference to DIR I have ever made was to indicate the size of the knife. So let's leave DIR out of this.

 

[DaleC]

Sure, but not in an ideal situation - in every situation. This is a good time to look at two different styles of diving.

One is self sufficient, in which, even though you may be a close attentive buddy, you gear up and act as though you will solve all of your own problems. In that case, your choice of cutting tool should be equal to the task and either have a retainer strap of some sort or a second cutting tool to replace it (ever drop something when you're nervous?). For me, the retaining strap is a small loop of bungie or surgical tubing that fits over my wrist so that, if I drop it (especially with cold water neoprene gloves) it will not fall away. I often carry a second cutting tool which are EMT shears (these can be reached with either hand).

The second style of diving is team based in which each diver carries the other divers redundant gear. In this case again, each knife must also be equal to the task. I know those small *** style knives are somewhat in vogue, especially the proverbial snapped off steak knife, but one should remember that many of "those" divers don't wear thick gloves and are mainly interested in cutting thin cave line. In my neck of the woods we sometimes contend with boat mooring lines and three fingered lobster gloves. Whatever the situation, the tool should be equal to the task and to tie it all back into the topic; a retractor or loopy retainer should not be a problem to cut away with most knives/shears provided you have one (or two).

You probably know all this but we are in the basic forum and many newer divers may be reading along and trying to decide what is best for them so I am offering my 2CW.

BTW, I do not sell, endorse or profit in any way from the world wide proliferation and distribution of retractors - I don't even use one any more.

 

[eelnoraa]

So specific in our case, since one of us had a retractor with a metal cable, one of us or both, should have a cutting device that can handle the metal canble. Do I understand you correct? This I do agree. We didn't consider that.

However, besides having the right tool to cut myself out, better yet to avoid getting entangled altogether at the first place. And I still stand that retractor was a poor choice by us. It is my opinion that I want to share with new divers too.