Reel waterproofing & you.

[Slazmo]

Anyone else notice that the majors are all trying to out-waterproof each other?

The carefree use of IP (Ingress Protection) labels on reels is becoming near comically normal.

Daiwa with its Oilseal and subsequent Magseal. And shimano basically just using physical wiping / crush seals on a swath of subsequent reels throughout time.

But as the many reel testing / reviewing people out there (for the love of them...) what's the main goal of these systems? Is it to enhance sales through perceived "waterproof'ness" or is it actually hoping to get a reel to 'Skishing' standards?

Will we see reels so waterproof from the outside that they may become a wet gearbox design in time?

From my viewpoint, no reel is waterproof, no reel should be treated as so, some reels with seals suck in more water than those in the decade old and without any seals whatsoever.

Monday morning thoughts?

[BRONZEBACK32]

I don't need waterproof, its a nice feature but if it slows down my retrieve in any way I would pass on it.

I have noticed that Shimano reels do have less rubber seals then Daiwa.

Its been about 10 years since I dunked a reel.

I only fish fresh water, I might think differently if I was fishing salt.

[hoohoorjoo]

I dont mind a sealed drag, but anything else is marketing hype imho. Making a reel with superior corrosion-resistant materials is the best avenue, not trying to waterproof a reel. Sure, tight tolerances are always a good idea, but seals are just another drag/friction point to make the reel feel slower and/or less smooth. Just my 2 cents.

[tywithay]

I dont mind a sealed drag, but anything else is marketing hype imho. Making a reel with superior corrosion-resistant materials is the best avenue, not trying to waterproof a reel. Sure, tight tolerances are always a good idea, but seals are just another drag/friction point to make the reel feel slower and/or less smooth. Just my 2 cents.

I've found in the past that extremely tight tolerances can actually be detrimental once you inevitably get some dirt or grime in a reel. My Calais 100A has to be cleaned fairly often or you can actually feel the grit in the gears. Meanwhile, I have a Fuego CT that I use wading rivers and I've never cleaned it...just keeps on trucking.

[rando]

I dont mind a sealed drag, but anything else is marketing hype imho. Making a reel with superior corrosion-resistant materials is the best avenue, not trying to waterproof a reel. Sure, tight tolerances are always a good idea, but seals are just another drag/friction point to make the reel feel slower and/or less smooth. Just my 2 cents.

I've found in the past that extremely tight tolerances can actually be detrimental once you inevitably get some dirt or grime in a reel. My Calais 100A has to be cleaned fairly often or you can actually feel the grit in the gears. Meanwhile, I have a Fuego CT that I use wading rivers and I've never cleaned it...just keeps on trucking.

Fuego is a humvee, not very comfortable, but keeps going.
I think I would like a comfortable humvee.

[doomtrprz71]

I dont mind a sealed drag, but anything else is marketing hype imho. Making a reel with superior corrosion-resistant materials is the best avenue, not trying to waterproof a reel. Sure, tight tolerances are always a good idea, but seals are just another drag/friction point to make the reel feel slower and/or less smooth. Just my 2 cents.

I've found in the past that extremely tight tolerances can actually be detrimental once you inevitably get some dirt or grime in a reel. My Calais 100A has to be cleaned fairly often or you can actually feel the grit in the gears. Meanwhile, I have a Fuego CT that I use wading rivers and I've never cleaned it...just keeps on trucking.

Fuego is a humvee, not very comfortable, but keeps going.
I think I would like a comfortable humvee.

So you want an original zillion

I don't get the sealing against water, I fish way more salt than I do fresh and I honestly could care less about magseal on my daiwa reels. I get it for wade fishing the surf where you may be reeling with the reel under water, but even Penn reels aren't waterproof, even the ones that they build in the us instead of getting an oem to build them aren't waterproof.

[slipperybob]

They could Teflon coat my reels and that's about how much water proofing I'll need.

[rando]

They could Teflon coat my reels and that's about how much water proofing I'll need.

No coating would survive on gears.

[Slazmo]

They could Teflon coat my reels and that's about how much water proofing I'll need.

No coating would survive on gears.

A cerakoter I spoke to ages ago said that a clear coating of some particular thickness would work wonders.

[slipperybob]

They could Teflon coat my reels and that's about how much water proofing I'll need.

No coating would survive on gears.

PTFE grease...

[mark poulson]

They could Teflon coat my reels and that's about how much water proofing I'll need.

No coating would survive on gears.

PTFE grease...

Will that grease work on a baitcaster's main and pinion gears, and would it last?

[SSS]

Worth it for saltwater, but completely pointless for freshwater. In freshwater its just marketing near you "x-ship" etc.

[slipperybob]

They could Teflon coat my reels and that's about how much water proofing I'll need.

No coating would survive on gears.

PTFE grease...

Will that grease work on a baitcaster's main and pinion gears, and would it last?

Of course it would.

[Slazmo]

Most greases are PTFE fortified as a % added. Even the TefGel I have been trialling isn't pure Teflon for all intensive purposes - certainly quietened my noisy Calais DC Aluminium main gears buzz a good fraction. The Teflon is at play somewhat however the suspension / grease is so thick and high NLGI (to quote) that I feel its playing more of a role than its additive.

Ive got pure* liquid Teflon oil from when I worked at Inox (to which they made Inox MX5) and that's also a high volume of Teflon in a suspension of oil as you can't really get pure liquid Teflon per se.

Even the likes of Liquid Molly 'MOS2' is only 3% MOS2 per volume weight of the oil in the can - but by god it works... That's another discussion altogether...

[slipperybob]

It's amazing what a little teflon will do.