Spool line options

[sea_ledford]

I'm looking to put a minimum of 200 feet of usable line on a spool for SMB use. I know I can do that with the flat braid line on the spool I have, but I've only found it for sale from Piranha Dive Mfg, and only in 100 foot lengths. Dive gear express sells replacement line for the apeks lifeline spools, which I think is flat braid ($40/200 feet). They also sell the Divesoft PES line that is stiffer, but similar in diameter ($40/200M, so 1/3 the price).

Does anyone have experience with the PES line? How would it work for a spool?
Any known sources for flat braid cave line?

 

[Underwater Tourist]

Shopping Categories Piranha Dive Shop |

www.piranhadivemfg.com

Piranha has 660ft spools

 

[tursiops]

Shopping Categories Piranha Dive Shop |

www.piranhadivemfg.com

Piranha has 660ft spools

The flat line the OP is looking for seems only to be in 100-ft lengths on the Piranha site.
I'd email Randy Barcomb at piranhadivemfg(at)yahoo.com and ask him if he can supply a longer quantity.

 

[Underwater Tourist]

Right I didn’t read carefully and missed the “flat” part

 

[sea_ledford]

Shopping Categories Piranha Dive Shop |

www.piranhadivemfg.com

Piranha has 660ft spools

All I found was the standard 24# line, not the flat line. Am I just missing it?

This is the only one I'm finding:

100 feet High Vis Neon Orange Flat Line

* So if you have one of our smaller finger spools we sell or want to reduce line spillage you may have just the answer * Our new flat line has the break strength of our #24 round dive line just now in a flat version. This flat version takes up less room on your spools so you have much easier...

www.piranhadivemfg.com

 

[Tracy]

If it is a spool you use regularly, stick with normal line. The flat line is nice for an emergency spool that you rarely use. It twists and tangles if you are using and manipulating it all the time.

 

[sea_ledford]

Generally a backup. Since I usually have my hands full of scooter mounted camera, I'm not the designated deployer. I have one with the flat line that I have only launched one time, and it didn't seem to be a problem. But I can see it becoming a mess with repeated use. I'll stick with some 18# line and see how much I can get on there.

 

[Badger7]

If it is a spool you use regularly, stick with normal line. The flat line is nice for an emergency spool that you rarely use. It twists and tangles if you are using and manipulating it all the time.

I've also found that the flat line is much more likely to catch on itself and tug the spool (potentially rip it from your gloved hand) when paying out a lot of line when shooting an SMB from depth, requiring extremely careful rewinding, and I didn't find that worth it at all. Going back to plain old round line is much easier to manage when winding and unwinding. I'd go further on your comment and say that in an emergency, something that is less futzy is far better, even if it takes up ever so slightly more room in your pocket.

 

[sunny_diver]

@sea_ledford What did you end up doing?

 

[sea_ledford]

@sea_ledford What did you end up doing?

I put 18# line on the biggest spool from Subgravity. It ended up being 185 feet and over stuffed, so I've pulled some off, it's probably closer to 165 feet now. Kept the flat line 200' for my emergency SMB.

I've had a bunch of students learning how to deploy with their own flat line spools and I'll say it's a bit of a mess. I managed to get as entangled as I ever have just trying to get one of them to stop what they were doing to keep them from getting entangled. Ended up with 3 smbs tangled with 2 divers. It was a disaster. When that stuff gets lose, it goes everywhere. Wouldn't recommend.

Ended up getting a light monkey 400' reel for primary deployment since I've moved into the 300 foot depth range.