Why use a spool when you can use a reel?

[tomfcrist]

But it's downside is can't be deployed from 115ft deep and doesn't work inside an overhead environment.

30ft spool? Totally works in an overhead environment...just not for shooting a bag.

 

[lionfish-eater]

Unroll about 20 ft and put a rubber band around the spool and wind it back up. If you fumble the spool it will prevent it from completely unwinding and it is easy to remove when necessary to deploy more line.

 

[BRT]

@CuzzA something to consider, although this is sort of late since you've already purchased, steel spools are heavy. They sink REALLY fast. The delrin or plastic spools are much easier to handle, especially if you lose hold of one. While it looks hilarious watching somebody chasing a spool as it unfurls with a handful of line, best to not be in that situation anyway.

I have dropped my plastic spool and was surprised that it didn't unspool that fast.

 

[gr8jab]

Unroll about 20 ft and put a rubber band around the spool and wind it back up. If you fumble the spool it will prevent it from completely unwinding and it is easy to remove when necessary to deploy more line.

Wow, I wouldn't have considered this a good plan, but maybe I'm missing something. Maybe you mean when towing a flag, but that's what the bolt snap is for, keeping it from unwanted unwinding.

Do you use a rubber band when deploying a SMB? I see some problems with that:

1. That SMB will be almost twice as buoyant (at 20 feet above you) as when you filled it. If you haven't dropped the spool, and are just holding it, can you get the rubber band off before that extra buoyancy pulls you up considerably? Seems that this would be beyond your normal range of control.

2. The line is spinning out and you're just getting situated, and then it hits the rubber band and yanks the spool out of your fingers and up (not down) and gone. Then the boat follows the SMB in the surface current instead of staying with your bubbles?

 

[Cyborg Pirate]

Wow, I wouldn't have considered this a good plan, but maybe I'm missing something. Maybe you mean when towing a flag, but that's what the bolt snap is for, keeping it from unwanted unwinding.

Do you use a rubber band when deploying a SMB? I see some problems with that:

1. That SMB will be almost twice as buoyant (at 20 feet above you) as when you filled it. If you haven't dropped the spool, and are just holding it, can you get the rubber band off before that extra buoyancy pulls you up considerably? Seems that this would be beyond your normal range of control.

2. The line is spinning out and you're just getting situated, and then it hits the rubber band and yanks the spool out of your fingers and up (not down) and gone. Then the boat follows the SMB in the surface current instead of staying with your bubbles?

I don't necessarily agree with the use of a rubber band either. But what I think he was referring to, is if you dropped the spool.... the rubber band would keep it from running away too far and unspooling all of the line on it. Leaving you in a potential entanglement hazard trying to recover the spool with 100ft of line out while at a safety stop.

again I don't agree with a rubber band on the spool as you have indicated about hang ups and being yanked up in the water column etc.

 

[gr8jab]

I don't necessarily agree with the use of a rubber band either. But what I think he was referring to, is if you dropped the spool.... the rubber band would keep it from running away too far and unspooling all of the line on it. Leaving you in a potential entanglement hazard trying to recover the spool with 100ft of line out while at a safety stop.

again I don't agree with a rubber band on the spool as you have indicated about hang ups and being yanked up in the water column etc.

After SMB deployment? Yes, that was one permutation going through my mind. But, that's what the bolt-snap does, no?

I'm curious of the exact use case he's recommending, since I have trouble visualizing the benefits vs the traditional usage paradigm that is shown in so many youtube videos.

Cheers

 

[vincerice12]

What benefit is there to using a spool over a reel in open water? I just bought a spool for an up coming class, but fail to see the benefit and justification for their popularity. The best comparison I can come up with is it's like hand fishing with a stick and some line when you could use a rod and reel.

What benefit is there to using a spool over a reel in open water? I just bought a spool for an up coming class, but fail to see the benefit and justification for their popularity. The best comparison I can come up with is it's like hand fishing with a stick and some line when you could use a rod and reel.

Have a look at "SCUDARR in action" on YouTube inflates deploys and retracts line to son and fits in bc pocket

 

[vincerice12]

Have a look at "SCUDARR in action" on YouTube inflates deploys and retracts line to son and fits in bc pocket

smb not son

 

[vincerice12]

 

[swimlikethefish]

Have a look at "SCUDARR in action" on YouTube inflates deploys and retracts line to smb and fits in bc pocket

No thanks, I can do the same task with rudimentary devices. A spool and a smb. Less to go wrong, less parts to break, and in a smaller package. And when I inflate my smb, it doesn't hit the surface looking like a wet noodle as the demonstration shows. I can expel more air from my lungs allowing me to maintain buoyancy than that device.

His problem was, he was using what looked like a co2 cartridge of some type. While nice in theory ... He is just making himself extremely buoyant. He can not maintain the bag and his depth so it rips out of his hand. If he were to use lung volume, as he expels air his buoyancy does not change. He could then take another breath and exhale again to really fill the bag so that it would be properly inflated. The other option is to use your drysuit inflator hose or subsequent inflator hose on a bottle. This would fully fill the bag as well much faster than that contraption. Great in theory, poor in practice.

Just my $.02