daily-llama's Full Review: Diamond Super 8 Belay Device
The good old figure 8. I remember these large chunky bits of gear from abseiling at Scout camps when I was little. Several years later, when climbing got its hooks into me, a Black Diamond super 8 was the first friction device I used.
The Good Stuff
The Black Diamond Super 8 is fairly light. At 87 grams, it's not the lightest friction device out there, but the Black Diamond version is quite a bit lighter than clunky old Scout camp 8s.
It provides a very smooth, very quick, very stable abseil. I'd say it's the best abseil device I've ever used (although I haven't used any specialist ones, since my obsession is with going up rather than down).
When things are cold and windy, almost all climbers would rather be inside. However, mountain climbers don't always have that choice. Which is why I love being able to easily operate the super 8 with gloves on. It's also simple enough to set up with my eyes closed.
The figure 8 can be used to produce fairly smooth stops. If you know what you are doing. Usually, I just lock the rope up as quick as I can, but I've seen some stylish belaying with a figure 8.
It also looks pretty old-school. Which isn't much of an advantage, since climbing's not about image. But I really love the elegant simplicity in the idea of the figure 8. The Black Diamond Super 8 has a suprisingly refined design. They've improved the basic 8 shape to reduce weight and increase its lifespan.
The Bad Stuff
When using the figure 8 to abseil, it twists the rope slightly more than other devices do. This obviously makes the rope a little more difficult to manage - which is a bad thing.
It tends to heat up a little with use (although when it's less than zero, that's not much of an issue). However, it can be hard on the hands / gloves, since you have to hold on tight when braking.
It is a bit heavier and quite a bit bigger than the small, tube style devices. The metal itself is fairly light though, and it's a nice flat shape, so it's not actually awkward to wear when not in use.
Overall
The Black Diamond Super 8 is a solid, hardwearing, all round device. I believe that it provides the best abseil of all devices, at the cost of twisting the rope. It is also easier to use in ugly conditions than smaller devices. You'll look fairly old-school if you have one of these, but they still work.
The Black Diamond Super 8 is anodized, super light and full-sized for belaying and rappelling. Its simple, classic shape allows the rope to flow smoot...More at TravelCountry.com
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