One of the most important pieces of your scuba dive gear and diving tools kit that you should familiarize yourself with and invest in if you are a keen diver is a scuba dive reel. They have a multitude of functions, from helping you with the support team to guiding you back to starting points and so much more.
The big mistake divers make is trying to use the same reel for a variety of applications, even with the best reels this not only leads to frustrations and complications but can have dangerous results.
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10 Best Scuba Diving Reels
To help you navigate the potentially confusing and choppy waters of the dive reel line section of the market we’ve listed 10 of the best scuba dive reel reviews.
Underneath this list, you will also be able to find information on the different types of reels available so you can make an informed decision on the type of reel you choose to add to your scuba accessories.
1. Scuba Max 270-Foot Dive Reel with Thumb Stopper
If cave diving is a type of scuba diving you are into then it’s important to invest in a dive reel. This type of scuba accessory is so versatile and is a must-have when it comes down to diver safety.
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From a company brand Scuba Max, this reel features 270-feet of line and a finger/thumb stopper that helps you control the line. The reel is made from highly durable nylon and the unit of plastic composite with stainless-steel clips.
2. Trident Diving Equipment Finger Reel with Brass Clip
Next up we have this 160-feet length of a neon line. It has been designed to work with bare hands and cold-water gloves. The spool features a robust ABS construction designed to resist corrosion.
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The clip is a standard-sized double-ended stainless-steel. Lightweight, reliable, and compact making it perfect to travel with and throw into your scuba diving gear bag.
3. Scuba Max Finger Spool with Brass Clip
Another great option from Scuba Max is this Scuba Max finger spool. It also has an anti-corrosion and robust ABS build and features a double-ended brass clip at the end of the line.
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Just like many others, this dive reel can be used with a dive float flag, when deploying an SMB and is a must when you are wreck or cave diving.
4. Dive Rite Finger Spools with Double-Ended Bolt Snaps
From Dive rite, the next finger spool diver reel in our list offers the option between either a 60-foot or 125-foot spool and features a DuPont fiber-braided line that reduces the chances of fraying, while offering superior strength.
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In fact, it offers an impressive 220lbs in breakage strength, and will easily fit in a pocket or attach to a D-ring on your scuba BCD or belt.
5. Scuba Choice Finger Reel with Spin/Lock Latch
This Scuba Choice scuba diving reel has 100 feet of the white line and is just 3.5 inches in diameter so is easy to store away in a pocket.
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It features the spin/lock latch for control, with the handy adjustable lanyard for the convenience of carrying and has a standard 4″ brass double-ended clip.
6. Scuba Choice Scuba Diving Multi-Purpose Reel
This next divers reel is multipurpose, with the small size diameter of 4-inches, and features a white line with a length of 150-feet.
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The plastic handle is ideal for ease of use and makes it easy to pull in the string. It also has a single end 2-inch steel clip for attaching easily onto your BCD or dive belt.
7. Dive Rite Cavern Safety Line
Another from Dive Rite and this durable option is made from high-quality ABS. The Cave series uses #24 braid line giving 220-lbs of breakage strength and on this model is 140 foot in length.
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The handle is placed on top, allowing a diver using a handheld light to also hold the spool, but this can also be placed on either side ideal for left-handed divers. Marine-grade stainless used is anti-corrosive both in the frame and for the bolt snap.
8. Dive Rite Slide Lock Primary Reel, 250-feet, Orange Line
Yet another great product from Dive Rite, this sidewinder-style reel has a special lock and unlock feature and has an easy to operate one-finger spring-loaded switch.
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Made from anodized aluminum it’s lightweight, so great for traveling with but it is also robust and long-lasting. It comes with 150-feet of line perfect for all kinds of scuba diving styles.
9. Scuba Choice Stainless-Steel Heavy-Duty Multipurpose Dive Reel, 290-feet
Again, another great product from Scuba Choice. This multipurpose diving line reel features 290-feet of a line made from durable polymer.
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This dive finger spool features a special switch mechanism to allow you to stop, free, and skip when controlling the flow of the line. It comes with two clips too.
10. Storm Accessories Technical Diving Cave and Wreck Reel
Featuring 150-feet of white braided line and a highly visible yellow reel, this option from Storm Accessories features a ratcheting lock to reduce the possibility of entanglement and a tough ABS handle.
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The bolt snap included is made from marine-grade brass for reliability and durability. Ideal when wreck and cavern diving where you need a finger spool to hand.
Different Types of Scuba Dive Reels
To help you fully understand the diving applications of each type of safety line reel better, let’s look at some of the different types of scuba dive reels available. As a recap, here are our 3 best selling dive reels;
- Amazon's Choice
- 270 ft of line
- Durable Construction
- Great for Flag carrying
- 160 ft of line
- Amazon's Choice
- Corrosion Resistant
- Lightweight
- Double end Brass Clip
- 75ft White Line
- Use for Dive Marker
- Robust ABS
Jump and Finger Spools
These spools have two uses, they are best suited for use in the deployment of DSMBs (deployment of surface marker buoy) at shallow depths for your surface support team and as jump spools. Jump spools are used to connect divers from a line that’s already laid to another within a cave system. These safety lines help to keep you in constant contact with lines that will lead you back out when you are finished.
This type of diving spool does require you to have a lot of dexterity and you should be careful when you are wearing thick gloves. You should also spend a lot of time practicing using them to master this skillset and ensure you have the results you will need once in the ocean.
Cave Dive Reels
A cave diving reel has the biggest capacity and is, obviously a divers’ line used while cave diving as the name suggests. Although they often have a maximum capacity of 1000m of line, they function better when handling 100 to 200m.
They should have a light color and you’ll find many divers opt for white. They’re normally made from a negatively buoyant braid of either 24 or 36 gauge.
When using this type of reel, you need to make sure the start of your line is fixed securely to the point of entry and exit. It’s a good idea to get into the habit of looping your line around notable features in the cave to ensure it’s taut and use line markers, so you always know the right direction to go to get out.
Wrecks Diving Reels
Shipwreck divers reels normally consist of lines of 50 to 100 meters long and it’s often a good idea to use different colored reels to indicate specific divers or routes. These types of reels need to be very robust and are usually made from metal or toughened resin.
The most important thing wreck divers need to ensure with wreck scuba reels is not to get them tangled. Loop around parts of the wreck and use belays, but don’t tie knots and stay away from sharp points and edges that could cut the line.
Marker Buoy Diving Reels
The most common use for safety reels by the average recreational diver is to deploy a DSMB. If you are using one for this purpose you need to make sure you can release easily and that there’s as little sagging as possible.
