The original sidewinder-style reel as designed by legendary cave diver Woody Jasper.

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 from hand 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 (RE 51900) with 900-feet of #24 line or our Wreck Explorer Reel (RE 51550) that has 550-feet of #36 line, both with an extra large, stainless bolt snap.

Made in USA
DuPont fiber braid line provides strength and minimizes fraying
Cave series reels use #24 braid line giving 220 lbs of breakage strength. Wreck series reels use #36 braid line giving 350 lbs of breakage strength
Injection molded ABS spool resists breakage and cracking
Marine-grade stainless steel axle is corrosion resistant
High quality aircraft grade aluminum frame is corrosion resistant
Marine-grade stainless steel bolt snap is corrosion resistant
Knurled lockdown screw has a low profile to prevent snagging
2.68 lbs (1.21 kg)