99% of cave divers around the world stake their life on Dive Rite reels. These are by far the simplest, most straightforward and streamlined reels that are mainstream. There are a few others that are more elegant and more indestructible, but are usually custom made or limited production. Halcyon reels IMHO look great on the shelf and are models of architectural styling, but in use fall short of the mark. The pathfinder is awkward to lay line and keep tension with your finger. And that stop screw leaves gouges in the edge of the spool which create nicks that tend to "click" and hang up when unreeling. Unacceptable. A design which puts the stop screw in the side of the spool is more desireable, as it only leaves a groove with wear and doesn't hang. The pathfinder also has awkward balance, is awkward to rewind, and is goofy to hold a goodman handle with. And it is much heavier than similar reels. The biggest gripe I have is it's lack of balance in comparison to a conventional reel that puts the spool directly below the divers hand. After trying the pathfinder I found myself with a cramp from having my hand in "the claw" position. No good.
Halcyon finger spools should be outlawed in caves. They routinely pop off the clip and have a habit of unwinding all over you and the floor of wherever you are diving. I lost mine and I will not be replacing it. Dive rite makes small safety spools that are a much better choice.
Full Tech Cave, Full Trimix DM, A.I.,50 logged hours in overhead in 2004, blah blah blah
