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Hi Art. I don't use a canister light. I use the reel on my left side and use the right when I use Argon. Just can't seem to see the benefits of a canister. I would definitely NOT suggest putting it on the same side as the light. The reel does not interfere with the stages on the left. When I deploy the reel I don't do it by the end, always have my gloves close to the reel portion. I also deploy by wrapping it under something. I don't shoot the bag like you see in the old videos where the person fills it and let's it fly. I find that you have a lot more control and another person and easily help. You can also pull up on the line to create friction if it gets out of control. Naturally you look for a smooth pipe, not a jagged edge. Also, I don't have it so tight that it would actually cause friction. Certainly the amount of friction caused by the backplate against your suit is more than the reel. If you have it tight it's really uncomfortable if it's not positioned right. I tried this with a piece of PVC once I used to put a long crow bar in once. It was a very painful experience. Was really bad on the surface but I figured it would not be a big deal underwater. Became so uncomfortable that I turned my planned 70-minute dive in just 30 minutes and took it apart before the second dive. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other issues. Art. -----Original Message----- From: Art Greenberg [SMTP:artg@ec*.ne*] Sent: Friday, January 15, 1999 12:37 PM To: Paltz, Art; techdiver@aquanaut.com Subject: Re: Re[2]: Halcyon Stealth Pack & Surf Mat At 10:48 AM 1/15/99 -0500, Paltz, Art wrote: >No tugging, streamlined and easy to deploy. It sits under my >arm and I don't even know it's there although it's streamlined by my >shoulder below my armpit. Thanks Art, This position is also used by some folks for their light canister. Sounds like an okay place to stow the reel, but I wonder about wear on your drysuit from the spool end plates, or a chance of puncture from the handle. Is there enough clearance to avoid these problems, especially with your wings inflated? Which side? I have a canister light on the right side waist band, which might pose a deployment problem with this arrangement if the spool is on that side as well. I'm interested to know if you've found that to be true. I'm also concerned about the clip on the reel handle. At one time I had a split ring there, and used it to attach a leash so the reel couldn't get lost if I dropped it while deploying it. But that ring sure looked like a hazard while the reel was spinning. I imagined getting a finger caught in it, and the split ring is a potential entanglement opportunity ... I took it off for that reason. A better option might be a clevis pin or even a very weak cotter pin through the hole in the handle so the clip (or whatever) could be removed before playing out any line. >The one I'm using, and I think Art Greenberg >is also using, are the smaller ones not the older style ones that are >huge and use sisal line. Yes, small reel (about 12" total length, 4" diameter end plates, fixed handles) loaded with 1/8-inch braided nylon. >As for my 50 lb. lift bag, I put it in my left billow leg pocket. My new drysuit has pockets, so that is a possiblity. But I would prefer to adopt a system that works as well with either drysuit, so having to go to my backup drysuit doesn't cause a cascade of other changes. I could also add pockets to the old suit ... Art Greenberg artg@ec*.ne* -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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