I think Robin and Keith have seen the light and use the safety slides now. They have also switched to retriever reels.

For 20-35lb fish, I've had no problem bringing them in with the retriever. For really big fish/stingrays/sharks/alligators you can use aslotted retriever and a float.

I can pull the pontoon boat across logs when I stick an arrow into a root and the safety slide won't break. AMS did come out with a new material for the slide this year. It's a bit softer so it doesn't loosen the safety stop. (Once in a great while the stop will start to loosen. Switch arrows and tighten and reglue the screw and stop. Otherwise it will come off.)