KENT TOOL RATCHET REEL REVIEW

KENT TOOL RATCHET REEL
This review starts with a wee bit of a story. I had a reel, a plastic mass manufactured thing that I absolutely hated. It had a wee switch on its back to select STOP/RATCHET/FREE modes. The truth is this wee switch wasn’t up for the job and the reel had a habit of switching into the free mode, this often resulted in line spooling out of the reel causing a right mess which could be potentially dangerous. I put up with it though, as I knew of the fault etc and would keep an eye on it.
Surfacing after a dive I started taking some images of the boat, while I was involved in this, my wee reel did its party trick. The dive boat came in close to pick me up and I made to fin to the lift. I couldn’t move. I was trussed up better than a pig on a spit! The reel had disappeared into the depths and done the best thing it possibly could have by running right off the line never to be seen again. Was I sad or upset "NO" good riddance! So once I managed to get back on the boat and unwind the line from me I switched over to my back up reel which performed a lot better.
Anyway I was over the moon when I was given the opportunity to test a couple of Kent Tools Dive Reels. In the UK there is a big following using these reels. I was given 50 and 100 metre reels to test. These are solid units made from marine grade 316 stainless steel.
First impressions were a solidly engineered tool with a fantastic ratchet operation. A solid chunk of metal with counter sunk screws and no rough edges, a quality product.
These ratchet reels can be supplied to your desired specifications and come in left or right handed set up’s. Narrow or wide spools can be specified holding line volumes from 40-125 metres for sport divers and even larger spools for the extreme technical diver or cave diver. Lines can be supplied in Yellow, pink and White for the fashion conscious. The reels also come supplied with a nice P clip for attaching the reel securely to your D ring. No clip is supplied for the end of the line though, so if you intend to use the reel for a DSMB you will require to invest in a clip for this job.
Underwater I used the reel on a number of cold dives with 5mm gloves and I found the ratchet system a joy to use once I got used to it.
When holding the reel, the ratchet lever can be depressed by the thumb of the same hand allowing the line to spool out. Releasing the leaver locks the spool. At the end of the leaver is a knob, which can be manipulated to lock the spool free and running. John of Kent Tooling who sent me the reels told me that I could use this function if I ever experienced a problem. Lock the reel open, inflate the bag and throw the reel away. I decided to give this a try the buoy went up, the reel hit the seafloor and my hands were free to deal with any potential problems. It worked a treat on the flat sea floor, where the reel couldn’t disappear anywhere.
Another feature I really liked was that the reel is heavy and it holds the line taught and straight in the water. With the spool locked the reel sat in front of me, while I made adjustments to my camera.
In conclusion a beautiful reel made of quality materials designed to last a lifetime of use. The 100m reel was ideal for diving deep wrecks and the 50 m real was great from the shore or for shallower boat diving.
So apart from the weight of the larger reel which some people may not like but I found to be an advantage the only thing I saw that could improve this reel would be for the handle that winds in the reel to have a bulbous end or a grove in it? This is purely so that when I attach bungee cord to the reel to secure my DSMB I like to loop the bungee over the handle to secure it. A grove would just keep the bungee in place and stop it slipping off. It’s a very small point!
This reel cant be compared to plastic reels as they are just not in the same league in design or the fact that the Kent Tool Reel is indestructible and will outlast many a plastic version. I suppose it comes down to the type of diving you carry out. If you want to invest in one of these reels, which cost almost twice as much as some of the plastic reels on the market. I would say it’s a wise investment as the Kent Tool Ratchet Reels are a quality product.
Prices for the supplied reels are-
50m- £92
100m- £103
Mike Clark