spool tangles

[Mdemon]

I think I'd rather fill the blob so it can be seen on the surface. Now with my favourite self-inflating toy I just crack it and wave bye-bye.

I've mucked about with drogues etc to slow deployment and while it worked, it's not worth the effort just for firing a blob alone.

A tip I was given was to pull a few metres from the reel first. This means you have valuable milliseconds after you release the blob to check all is clear. Of course, in a current you run the risk of the loose bit drifting into you and entangling but with care it works well.
HTH

[daz]

Originally Posted by Mdemon

I think I'd rather fill the blob so it can be seen on the surface. Now with my favourite self-inflating toy I just crack it and wave bye-bye.

I've mucked about with drogues etc to slow deployment and while it worked, it's not worth the effort just for firing a blob alone.

A tip I was given was to pull a few metres from the reel first. This means you have valuable milliseconds after you release the blob to check all is clear. Of course, in a current you run the risk of the loose bit drifting into you and entangling but with care it works well.
HTH

Heretic! You mentioned one of those self inflating thingies on the DIR forum.... Just go away and learn how to use a proper SMB and spool properly rather than propping up your inadaquate skills with unnecessary gadgets

Daz

Anyway back to seeing if I can dish some more rep out, I'll give you a green blob for mentioning the self inflating in the DIR forum though.

[Mdemon]

Originally Posted by daz

Heretic! You mentioned one of those self inflating thingies on the DIR forum.... Just go away and learn how to use a proper SMB and spool properly rather than propping up your inadaquate skills with unnecessary gadgets

Daz

.

Cheeky twat!

Where does it say DIR can't use self-inflators??!

And I slipped "drogues" in. And reels. ;-)

[daz]

Originally Posted by Mdemon

Cheeky twat!

Where does it say DIR can't use self-inflators??!

And I slipped "drogues" in. And reels. ;-)

tee hee Anyway I'm DID (Do it dou....)

Nuff said....

Daz

(Sorry DIR boy's I'll go and play somewhere else )

[Bob Cooper]

You need to be quite anal about spools and reels......

From new, they tend to have too much line on them. So strip some off so they are not "overloaded". This will reduce the risk of tangling.

Also, make sure that the line is neatly laid on the spool/reel after each use.

I had to bin a dive recently after a reel tangled in a high flow cave quite near the entrance. My own stupid fault for not ensuring the line was laid tidily on the reel.

[Dominic]

I was practicing with my spool recently. Bloody thing...

What's the cunning trick to stopping the line tangling around the boltsnap when you use it to wind the line back in?

[daz]

Originally Posted by Dominic

I was practicing with my spool recently. Bloody thing...

What's the cunning trick to stopping the line tangling around the boltsnap when you use it to wind the line back in?

Aaahhhh, well this is really cunning... clip the bolt snap to a D ring and wind it by hand

Daz

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by Mdemon

Cheeky twat!

Where does it say DIR can't use self-inflators??!

And I slipped "drogues" in. And reels. ;-)

Top Man

By the by I thought spools were supposed to be better than reels because reels tangle up?????

ATB

Mark Chase

[Snash]

Originally Posted by Graham Sykes

Ive just been diving in France, and the guide/leader didnt use a reel on his DSMB. the cord, about 20m long, was attached to a lead "bobbin". he just let the bobbin unwind below him and filled the blob, ran the cord through his hand and up we went. It seemed much simpler with no reel to faff around with and no jamming problem. It was a pain to rewind, but it gave us something to do at the stop. They also call the DSMB a "parachute". I wouldnt like to jump out of a plane with one though.....

As well as a DSMB and reel, I use this system. I use a 2lb weight with 10ms of line wrapped round it and a small DSMB. It just sits in my BC pocket and is there if the main DSMB goes wrong.

Truth is, I actually use it in preference to a reel and DSMB if I only have a couple of minutes of stops and it has not been a deep dive. It is easier to deploy than a reel and I have never had a tangle. Also if push comes to shove and I need to get rid off it in a hurry, I just do so and dont worry about the cost.

I usually let the boat pull it back in for me as it only has 10ms of line it is not much of a faff for them.

It works for me.

Regards

Simon