North Florida cave diver, Woody Jasper, first invented sidewinder-style reels around 1980.

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 enthusiasts 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 Sidewinder Cave Primary (RE50400) with 400-feet of #24 braid line our Sidewinder Wreck Primary (RE50250) that has 250-feet of #36 braid line, both with extra large stainless bolt snap.