What Back-Up Reel?

[Zdu]

I currently own a Manta Junior as my main reel but am looking for a small back-up to tuck away in my dry-suit pocket. Anybody got any good recommendations?

[tom]

Custom Divers 50m pocket reel - Custom Divers Reels

I like mine a lot, and it's about the same size as the spool it replaced. Fits nicely in a pocket pre-rigged to my backup blob.

[The Duck]

Spool?

45m (150ft) Safety Spool, Reels and Spools at divingniknaks the UK's No 1 scuba gear online store

I find they fit into my drysuit pocket quite nicely.

[Juz]

Without doubt I would suggest the Kent Tooling spools.

I carry them as back-up on every dive and can be multi tasked as appropriate.

Juz

[Zdu]

Originally Posted by tom

Custom Divers 50m pocket reel - Custom Divers Reels

I like mine a lot, and it's about the same size as the spool it replaced. Fits nicely in a pocket pre-rigged to my backup blob.

ah, yes I've had a look at one of these in my LDS... v. nice looking bit of kit.

[Zdu]

Originally Posted by The Duck

Spool?

45m (150ft) Safety Spool, Reels and Spools at divingniknaks the UK's No 1 scuba gear online store

I find they fit into my drysuit pocket quite nicely.

I've got to admit I tried out a spool recently but found them quite fiddly... maybe that's just me.

[Zdu]

Originally Posted by Juz

Without doubt I would suggest the Kent Tooling spools.

I carry them as back-up on every dive and can be multi tasked as appropriate.

Juz

Another vote for Kent Tooling... must investigate...

[Ivon]

It all depends what you want it for but you should have a dedicated reel for line laying and DSMB, not the same one for both jobs. Depending on your diving you may find a spool to small, the Custom Divers pocket reels have a very small handle.

I have a Manta Senior 120m for line laying and Junior 56m for DSMB, I also carry a 30m spool.

For line laying I would say the bigger the better, I have got to the end of a 150m reel before, pain in the ass getting back though.

I would get another Manta personally, either the Mini or SNR depending on what you do.

[Digger]

You've got a manta as a primary and you like it? Get another one. Backup kit wants to be as easy to use as possible (one reason I carry a spool as an absolute emergency don't want to ever have to use it but if I really had to I could) as you will have lost one.

It might not be cheap, but you won't go wrong with the Manta.

Digs.

[Mark Chase]

I use a Kent tooling 100mSS ratchet reel as a primary and i use a Halcyon Pathfinder 125m to lay line on wrecks. The Pathfinder is used as a back up to the main reel should I lose it sending up a SMB but rather than have it as a single function I use a friction reel which is better suited to laying line than sending up blobs but it will do for sending up blobs if I need it.

In my pocket I keep a KT 35m spool for doing line serches on wrecks.

If I were to only need a back up for a 50m reel Id use a 30m spool but personaly I wouldent deploy a 30m reel or spool any deeper than 20m or even 15m if the tide was running and i was deploying from the wreck.

If your going to use a 30m spool on a 30m wreck you have to be doing a mid water drifting deploymnet or you could end up without enough line on the spool.

ATB

Mark Chase