Before using a reef hook, ensure you have good buoyancy control and can maintain a stable position in the water without putting too much weight on the reef. A reef hook can be a key piece of equipment in an underwater photographer’s arsenal, especially in strong currents. With the thousands of dollars in photo gear you likely lug around, it’s smart to invest in a quality reef hook to bring with you.

Reef hooks are particularly useful when diving in strong currents, as they allow divers to stay in one place without using excess energy or potentially damaging the surrounding ecosystem. They are also useful for photographers or videographers who want to capture images or footage of the local marine life without disturbing it. By using a reef hook, divers can remain stationary and observe the surrounding environment without impacting the reef or the wildlife that lives there. How does one use a reef hook? Originally designed for ocean racing multihulls, reef hooks are now being adopted by more and more cruising sailors, who are choosing to replace their current pennant reefing system with a hook. In olden days the first reef was known as the ‘slab’ and this term has rattled down over the years to describe the various methods of slab reefing. Actually the terminology surrounding this whole subject is vague, with different definitions describing different methods in different parts of the world. Usually, the words ‘line’, ‘pennant’ or ‘pendant’ are interchangeable and describe the various ropes used in lowering and securing the sail. The type of current that you have no chance of fighting for any amount of time is exactly when the reef hook is the most useful. If you were to try and maintain your position without a reef hook in these currents, you would burn through your breathing gas in no time. You would be exhausted and, CO2 will build up increasing the odds you get bend.

Reefing Your Mainsail: Are you onboard with reef hooks?

But again, you're changing the angle of force on the stay or mast and when the wind blows harder things are easier to break. The sheet bend has a tendency to slip out, which is why considerable care should be taken to make sure that it becomes fully tightened as the sail is raised. If you see the knot slipping, simply tighten it a bit more and continue raising the sail. It will become incredibly tight as the winch pulls the sail into position and will not come untied under any situation! Practice Your Hooking: Let’s just say you don’t want the first time you try to use a reef hook to be in a ripping five-knot current at 100 feet. It may seem silly, but try first taking your hook out and playing with it on a dive with zero current: You won’t be able to feel the sensation of hooking in and riding the current, but you can get accustomed to the length of the line, attaching, and putting away the reef hook. Then, give it a shot in moderate current.

The first time you shake out your reef, you will notice the advantage of a full sail and it will feel like you stepped out of a car after a long road trip, ready to stretch your legs and run. To “Reef” a sail means to shorten it. And really nothing more. It is the simple act of reducing sail area, so as to reduce the surface area and thereby reducing power. A sailboat is powered by the wind and when there is too much wind it is overpowered. Reef hooks vary in size from 4 to 12 inches in length. The line also can vary in length, from just a couple of feet to several body lengths. Some reef hooks have a line on a reel or are just a sturdy long rope. (More below on choosing the right reef hook.) We hope that this helps. Please feel free to send us some pictures of the boat in it’s entirety, the boom, and also the cabin top area from the mast, aft. Zooming out is always preferred. Add all these things and you get an incredible dive at incredible locations watching some of the nature’s most incredible animals. With no reef hook, you would be fighting in vain for a glimpse as we hurtled over the reef. And all because we used a simple stainless steel hook and some rope responsibly.Exporting quality and performance from Norway to the U.S One of latest additions to the upffront.com sailing hardware line-up are the Polyform fenders from the original Norwegian manufacturer - Polyform AS. Established over 60 years ago, Polyform AS is renowned for inventing the modern plastic buoy. Posted on 18 Oct Electric Furler from Facnor