Revisiting the old style DR reels

[phillip1]

I agree all reels can and will jam at some point, but the DR ones are much easier to jam in the first place and way harder to unjam, if a DR is really birdnested I challenge you to unjam it even outside in the open in less than 5mins I just do not believe anyone who claims they can do it, I have jammed a few and there is no way you can do it in less than at least 5mins so don't lie.
I totally agree practice with reels, along with many other things I practice reels jams a lot in my pool over and over and I got really good at it, I have tried with DR ones and they are just a hassle and much easier to jam and way harder to unjam compared to other reels.

The DR reels as I have posted previously are very poorly designed and the line will get caught between the spool and handle super easy and will jam in there nice and tight, the Halcyon/Salvo reels are much more precise in manufacture and the line is very hard to actually get in there.

Hey I don't mean to bash DR in any way as I have said before they make some great products many of which I use, but of all the reels I have used or seen DR rank as the lowest in quality and design and highest or as high as the most expensive reels out there.
All and I mean all 4 of the DR reels I have bought have fallen apart in less than 20 dives, one on the very first dive!

Can you truly look at a DR reel and honestly say it's even comparable to a Salvo or LG?
Even the OW plastic reels used by the LDS here to send up SMB's seem to be better quality.
I would have no problem with DR reels being what they are if they were sold for much less, but I find it incredible that they actually sell they're reels for the same price as a really high quality Halcyon, Salvo. LG reel.

Another really good quality reel with a big handle worth checking out are Reef Scuba reels, they have the traditional handle and are really tough and super high quality, all aluminum build, and you can unscrew the entire spool if it jams and simply pull out the loops and screw it back. Thomas has two and they are indestructible.

I mean a reel should be a piece of gear that last for years and years and be super solid, no?

[stairman]

OK they jam easily if any slack gets in the line and pulling the spool underwater isnt an option because I know the c clip is gonna be deep six, so I wind the line around the body and surface. Once on land I can unjam it in way less than 5 minutes, more like 1 minute unless the c clip goes flying and gets lost. As far as falling apart I dont see that happening to the old style, maybe a sidewinder I dont have any of them. I do think they should have made the spool so if line spills over it can be easily pulled free or make it bigger so it wont pull thru but they didnt. Have I cussed the reel? oh hell yea, did I cuss Dive-rite? nope. Im still gonna try to modify the old primary to be more user friendly and make it much harder to spill and jam.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I've had a couple dive rite reels come apart in the water. I only use them for towing flags now, and since then I've actually gotten pretty profficient at catching the parts mid-water, in surge, and putting it all back together :P

I use a Salvo in the caves.

I like the LG/RH reels too though.

[Sludge]

unless the c clip goes flying and gets lost.

Been there, done that?

[JerseyJersey]

.......

Another really good quality reel with a big handle worth checking out are Reef Scuba reels, they have the traditional handle and are really tough and super high quality, all aluminum build, and you can unscrew the entire spool if it jams and simply pull out the loops and screw it back. Thomas has two and they are indestructible.

I mean a reel should be a piece of gear that last for years and years and be super solid, no?.........

Recommended them in a previous thread...excellent reel and yess have taken one apart, on a night dive, in over 80fsw while wearing 5ml gloves.... and I have trouble keeping my keys separated.........

[Xenia]

Hehehehe, actually yes and more importantly have done it coming out.

I have been a witness of that ... and he was also on the rebreather. Hate you Bobby!

I have learned the hard way from a tough teacher: if you cannot use my reel you cannot dive with me. So even with having small, girly hands, I still have a DR reel as primary.. and have a lot of fun when other people dive with me and jam the heck out of it.

Plus I do not believe in "unjammable" reels! I do believe in practicing and keeping skills sharp though..