Tips for good line work

[gsk3]

I don't do overheads, but even so find line work pretty useful (on boat dives with lots of metal around--so no compass--to find my way back to the anchor, for instance). I have a sense of the basic ties/wraps, and I'm somewhat competent at it but still often have a loop of line slip off and have to be nudged back on, etc.

What tips do you have for finesse while handling line?

Things I particularly have a problem with:
- Evenly winding the line on the reel -- it tends to pile up all the way to the left, then I try to correct it and it piles up all the way to the right.
- I'm never sure quite when I should apply tension by reeling in vs. with a finger vs. with the lockdown screw.
- When using a finger to apply tension, finger goes on the rim or on the side?
- What to do when you think you're about to have a problem (e.g. a loop slips out--what procedure do you use to clear it and not make it worse?)

Some helpful advice I've received so far:
- Don't try to put the woodie through the lockdown screw; it's the big loop so that the small loop still sticks out to grab.
- Use the lockdown screw whenever in doubt. Better to have to unscrew it again than deal with a bird's nest.

Thanks!

 

[elvisisalive]

Most important thing I have learned: if you have to put the reel down, ie you can't hand it off to a team mate, tighten the lock down screw and while keeping tension on the spool wrap the line around the lockdown screw 2-3 times, then put the reel down. If you don't do this line will almost assuredly spill off the side of the spool at such a prolific rate that undoing the rats nest will be impossible. I find that a finger on the side of the spool works better for me. When I put tension on the rim of the spool I find it difficult to not apply too much pressure and then fight the reel to let it unwind. Second most valuable skill I have learned/seen especially in the northeast wreck environment, is that it is the teams responsibility to manage the line; especially when reeling in. If you and I were diving, and you were the one with the reel, after we turn the dive and you are reeling back in, I would go in front of you with the line on my right and pinch the line between my thumb and index finger. This accomplishes several things 1) you can wind the line in but there would always be some tension on the line so that it isn't loose on the spool and 2) because only my right hand is being used for line work, you have both hands managing the line, my left hand now provides solid light for the exit, 3) I can now undo the tie ins before you get there and keep tension on the line while you take up the slack minimizing a birds nest possibility. When there is a birds nest: it is the teams responsibility to manage the line! One team mate holds there position and wraps the loose line around a hand while the other manages the reel. Once the birds nest is clear; reel the line back off your team mates hand. With four hands things get handled much easier than two. Oh, and after I unclip the reel I take the double ender off the handle and put it on the woody BEFORE I undo the lock down screw. Makes the primary tie in easier and removes the chance of the line slipping through the gate.

 

[RTodd]

Aside from the obvious of having good basic skills in the water and a good reel, the only trick is the line needs to always have tension on it. The above post covered some ways of accomplishing that but the reeling issues described by the OP sound like a lack of tension on the line when reeling.

 

[Dsix36]

Like RTodd stated, good basic skills first.

If you can maintain trim and buoyancy without thinking about it, then you can concentrate on handling the reel and line properly. Practice and it will become as natural as the rest of your diving.

 

[lamont]

slow down. its not a race.

deliberate motions that always maintain tension will make things easier.

 

[TSandM]

The biggest tip I got for line work was not to use my breath excessively for buoyancy control while putting in ties. That markedly reduced my gas consumption while doing reel work.

As already stated, the key to avoiding tangles is to avoid slack. I keep tension on the reel by dropping my thumb on the side of the spool as I'm putting the line in. When taking the line out, a buddy can help to take the tie-offs out, but if he does that where the line changes directions significantly, it will result in slack. The buddy can control the slack by creating a "Z" in the line, or another, more elegant way to do it is to take the tie off but leave the line as a placement -- this will avoid the slack, but allow the person with the reel to pass the point quickly when he gets there.

 

[lamont]

The 'Z' thing often gets overused when people are new to line work. I've been reeling up before when both teammates are in front of me doing Z's putting tension on the line, and it actually makes it harder to reel in and hugely slower when they're doing that.

If I'm in the middle or in front of the person reeling up I'll start by just running a single finger along the line to take up some tension behind me but still allow the person doing the reel to reel it in and get tension along the whole line. I'd only use the 'Z' if for some reason there was a whole lot of spaghetti to get under control, which isn't often.

And similarly when taking off a tie off, it'll generally result in some slack, so I'll take that up a bit, but I'll put a minimum of tension on it and let the person behind me easily and quickly reel it back in to establish tension along the whole line again.

 

[gsk3]

Thanks for the helpful advice! I'll give it a shot this weekend and see how it goes.