I hear people talk about the Van Staals and the Daiwa Saltiga Z spinning reels for surf use (water proof). Of course the other group go w/ Nautil (Neptune was the original name) or Penn packed w/ marine grease.

Any one fish the Shimano Stellas in the surf? Curious to the durability of them.

I use the Shimano Spheros and like them a lot for the $. I use the Stradic as well (smoother, but I don't like the faster gear ratio) but not near as much as the Spheros. I've gotten splashed plenty of times by not paying attention to the water .... lol. I've never submerged one and had to tare it a part yet either.

I'm waiting for that new Daiwa waterproof "emblem" style surf reel that mikecc teased us with to show up!!! :D

I can't get myself to buy a Saltiga Z. I can buy the other "waterproof" reels used for a lot less $$. Some how I can justify owned several medium prices reels over one extremely expensive reel. ;)

i'm a new spheros user. i have the 4000 and 6000 and 8000.
i frequently dunk the 6K and 8K. i tend to be very rough on all my equipment. i pack all my reels with grease. i remove the body after every use and lightly wash the guts just to get the salt off.

no problems yet. i had a penn slammer last year and so far have been more satified with the performance and durability of the spheros.

VS...enough said.
I use my rod as a walking stick, the reel has been 3 feet under many times, I don't even rinse it everytime, works like new when I need it. How can u compare that to any reel? Ask Canalman, he'll confirm. I've used Stradics,Spheros,704s, 710s, Daiwa Emblems, and a few others, they work great if u feel like taking them apart after every use, not me, I want to go to bed when I get home from fishing.:) Not do reel surgery.

The problem with using reels like the Saltiga and Stella from the sand is that they're built to very close tolerances, and sand can get up between the rotor and the spool and cause grinding, and in extreme cases, binding. That new "Saltiga Surf" has an Emblem-style spool and rotor design and should be able to tolerate a diet of sand better.

The reels that digest sand best are still the old Penn 700 series Spinfishers. Loose tolerances between the spool and rotor cup. Give 'em a quick dunk, and grind the sand out on your next cast. Van Staals are built with closer tolerances between the cup and spool, but you can dunk them and rinse the sand without a care in the world.

I haven't had a Saltiga apart yet, and don't know that I'd even like to try, but they supposedly have bronze and stainless steel main and pinion gears. The Penns have a bronze main and a stainless pinion, and the VS reels are all stainless inside. I think the Stella has aluminum gears, something Shimano calls "Duraluminum". Not sure how they'd hold up for "guerilla jigging" in the Canal.

Van Staals are built with closer tolerances between the cup and spool, but you can dunk them and rinse the sand without a care in the world.
Exactly Mike, I've had sand in mine many times, a quick dunk and it's gone.

Last night as we were marinating in salt water, my partner made the comment "Thank god we have VS's"

It really is true. I'd wager we fish some of the most physical areas in RI. Our stuff gets tortured water/rocks/sand. The VS's work like new.

I need a VS .....BAD!!! I fish a Stradic most of the time...it constantly gets splashed and the occasional dunk.....but I do very little to it.....light rinse....some oil and WD.......oh......gotta clean and dry the washers once in a while.....always worried though....and trying to protect it half the time.....wish I could be worry free
next year........VS all the way

I had a stella but sold it, bought annother VS instead, it would be a nice reel for a boat but not from the surf.
Slingah, i use a stradic on one of my sticks that doesnt have a vs and i love it, smooth and ive beat it up pretty bad and it still works. I still use it a decent ammount, its been dunked, and had fish up to around 30, good reel for the money.

lilbassboy....no complants on the stradic ....i love it.....but I need complete waterproof.....nothing worse than a wet drag.....it is time for me to step up...

I was told the current Stradic has ceramic drag washers? If it gets wet it shouldn't be an issue.

I don't need to know any more about VS reels. :) They pretty much do it all except they still arent perfect. The larger reels wind braid on well - smaller ones don't do as good of a job. Supposedly when you do your yearly service drop a note in there about it and they have a fix for it.

I want to hear about folks who use/no longer use the Shimano Stella. :D

libassboy - you had the current Stella or the genration before that was more silvery? WHY did you sell it?? (u just wanted another VS so you sold it?)

I fished it a few times and figured for the money..id rather have annother VS. It was the newer one(blue). Its a really nice reel, smoothe as anything and well built, but the Vs with the bail came out..had to have it.:D

VS w/ a bail? That just isn't right .... lol. I hear the new anti-reverse in the bailed reels are much better/stronger designed. Too bad they can't retrofit that to the old style.

Ok, so it wasn't anything really wrong w/ the Stella - what you don't like the blue .... lol. ;)

Let me know how you like/dislike the bail on the VS at end of the season. You are only person I've seen them post to say they had the bail verson (not shop or store).

I wonder why Shimano shows no interest in the waterproof high end market? The price fixing good enough for them and they don't want to add more sku number?! :P

I just use what works...if it reels the fish in...works for me!

VS w/ a bail? That just isn't right .... lol. I hear the new anti-reverse in the bailed reels are much better/stronger designed. Too bad they can't retrofit that to the old style.



They've never made any improvements that could be retrofitted to the old style reels :rollem:

After all, folks with the old $400 ones would have no incentive to spend $700 for a new one :doh:

Have both VS and Saltiga. VS is definitely a tougher reel, but feels like a coffe grinder. The drag is outstanding. Saltiga fishes like a wet dream,but I can see where there may be future wear/tear issues with the bail assembly. I wouldn't purposely dunk the saltiga,and don't swim unless forced or provoked, so its good for my applications. The drags are absolutely super too. I personally like the smoothness of the saltiga over the vs, and fish it exclusively now. Can't give a real good report on the durability. Ask Tlapinski,the tackle testing and torture technician :musc: about that,he's had one for a while and recommended it to me.