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At 09:37 PM 4/02/1996 -0800, L. Allen Beard wrote:
>Has anyone ever used a line reel with lift bag for an up line rather 
>than a 'jersey' up reel when wreck diving?  Up reels are bulky and it 
>seems that using a line reel would be more streamlined.

>If a line reel is used as an up reel then what size line would be 
>needed?

I carry a 12cm (5") line reel with 100m of 3mm polypropylene line.
It doubles as a wreck reel and an up-line. The only time I used it as
an upline was after I swam off a wreck at 48m. My 'buddy' only had
a single and a pony so we didn't have a luxury of time to back-track
and find the anchor. I sent the lift bag up, tied the line off on a big 
rock and we went up and did our deco.

Gratuitous Advice Section: Keep your reel nice, and hook into the 
bottom before you pop the bag or you could go ballistic. 

Only problem is the replacement cost of the line - $30. My old line,
however, will still be tied to the rock, and because poly floats it'll be 
standing up in the water. Next time we're on that wreck, I should be 
able to pick it up with a sweep search.

I was worried that, with a lift bag and a couple of divers attached, the
line might break in strong currrents. But Kahuna told me he and Pat 
Bowring once tied their 3mm poly line to an anchor at 50m and then 
to a wreck before they went off for a look around. The current was 
filthy and when they got back, the anchor had dragged out of the wreck
and the poly line was the only thing holding the boat (and another dive
boat which had tied on to it) to the wreck.

Now I only worry a little bit.

rgrds                             billyW

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