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Brand:
Dive Rite
Located in:
Add-On Gear, Reels
North Florida cave diver, Woody Jasper, first invented the Explorer Reel around 1980. As cave explorations were becoming longer, deeper, and more extensive a reel was needed that could help an explorer make some serious penetrations into a virgin cave system. Less likely to entangle than other reels on the market, Woody's original reel was made of aluminum and a PVC spool. The side-handle style of the reel lent itself to exploration because it could easily switch fromhand to hand while laying out line. Twenty years later, sidewinder-style reels were popularized in the technical diving community when DIR aficionados began using them for paying out line in deep caves at high speed on a DPV.
Our Sidewinder series of reels are designed to be anti-jam by using precision machine tolerances between the frame and the spool making it nearly impossible for the line to slip between the spool and the handle. Choose between our Cave Explorer Reel (RE51900) with 900-feet (274.3 meters) of (#24) DuPont fiber braidline which has 220 lbs (99.80 kg) breakage strength and our Wreck Explorer Reel (RE51550) with 550-feet (167.65 meters) of (#36) DuPont fiber braid line which has 350 lbs (158.76 kg) of breakage strength both with extra large stainless bolt snap.
Both reels have an injected molded ABS spool which is breakage and crack resistant, they come with a stainless steel axle and high quality aircraft gradealuminum frame which are both corrosion resistant. A knurled lockdown screw has a low profile to prevent snagging and is easy to use even with gloved hands.
Our Sidewinder series of reels are designed to be anti-jam by using precision machine tolerances between the frame and the spool making it nearly impossible for the line to slip between the spool and the handle. Choose between our Cave Explorer Reel (RE51900) with 900-feet (274.3 meters) of (#24) DuPont fiber braidline which has 220 lbs (99.80 kg) breakage strength and our Wreck Explorer Reel (RE51550) with 550-feet (167.65 meters) of (#36) DuPont fiber braid line which has 350 lbs (158.76 kg) of breakage strength both with extra large stainless bolt snap.
Both reels have an injected molded ABS spool which is breakage and crack resistant, they come with a stainless steel axle and high quality aircraft gradealuminum frame which are both corrosion resistant. A knurled lockdown screw has a low profile to prevent snagging and is easy to use even with gloved hands.
[5 of 5 customers found this review helpful]
not as good
By RTech
from North East U.S. on 6/13/2008
from North East U.S. on 6/13/2008
Pros:
Easy To Use, Functional, Improves Diving Experience, Lightweight
Cons:
Low quality, Poor Construction
Best Uses:
Cold Water, Extreme Depths, Professional, Recreation, Warm Water
Describe Yourself:
Divemaster
Bottom Line:
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Comments about Dive Rite Dive Rite Sidewinder Explorer Reel:
Although this "WAS" a well designed reel, it has no longer kept up with the standards of today's high end reels. Whereas the other brands similar reels are made of delrin, have a metal tension screw and a wider handle that your whole hand can fit in, this one is made of plastic, has a nylon screw which strips rather easily and the handle is too thin to put a gloved hand through. Was a good product but clearly outdated.