[Mal Bridgeman]

I am presuming since you've asked in the DIR forum, you were interested in a DIR answer.....

DIR guys use a combination of spools and reels for all their line laying activities.

In caves and wrecks when laying guide lines, they tend to use a Pathfinder reel or something similar.



The main requirement AFAIK is that the reel must not be capable of catching the line, has no ratchet, can be held in the same hand as the light head etc etc.

Spools, which come in 30m and 45m lengths, are used to "jump" off the mainline in caves but in the UK they are mostly used to deploy dSMBs from the 21M stop.



It is possible to use the Pathfinder reel to deploy a dSMB too but only if the skipper requires you to do it from the wreck, for example.

I'll have both with me at the DIR day at Stoney and will happily show you how to deploy a dSMB with a spool.

Rgrds
Mal