I used to use "super smoothies" dry, per mfr., and they worked great for one season. It seems like the fiber washers would stick to the metal washers during storage, even with the drags backed off during storage. Moisture was the culprit as we saltwater anglers always rinse our gear after use. I now use carbon-tex washers, with a light coating of Cal's reel and drag grease, and all is good. The Mfr. of the carbon-tex washers says dry or lightly greased. I tried them dry 1st, and they felt like sandpaper. They work great after greasing them up with Cal's. I will no longer use any drag washers that recommend dry installation. I also noticed a lot of metal drag washers being sold in the aftermarket that are not ground and lapped to be perfectly flat and parallel. Do NOT use those because effective surface area can be reduced significantly, affecting smoothness, and their overall braking performance. Don't try to sand or lap the cheapos either. By the time you get them flat, they will be too thin anyways.
I just edited this to reflect the fact that this has been my experience with my Diawa, Abu, Accurate, and Newell reels. I do not own an Avet yet, unfortunately. Best results usually obtained following the advice of the Manufacturer of the Drag washers, not necessarily the reel if the washers are not OEM.
-Mike
