What Spares Should One Have Handy?

[Bill McIntyre]

Originally Posted by Blesum

(I'm negative at the surface when I exhale).

That is weight too heavy, but I've expanded on that in your weight belt thread.

At one spot I dive at Little Gibralter at Catalina Island, a rock comes up to about 25 feet with far deeper water all around. The Long Beach Neptunes, who will be the first to tell you that they are the best in the world (even if its not true) have put a nice plaque on the rock in honor of their former President, Bill Kroll. According to Terry Maas's book, Bill was fond of being negative at the surface when he exhaled so that he could sink onto the white sea bass. He died at that spot.

[ROBERT REYES]

The RA shafts, are kind of special, they wont break the fine wish bones, so I dont think you will be able to use any other shaft on your RA.

[Mr. X]

I shore fish but I always take spares, especially if away on holiday. I take a bag with a cheap "Swiss" army knife, cheap mini-leatherman type tool and disposable lighter (total cost of that lot, less than £5/$10). Spare spearline, pre-cut with one end loop already tied/crimped & spare uncut line. Spare dyneema wishbones, wishbone tool, whipping cord, crimps, superglue, some nylon braid (for cinch knotting the wishbones into the rubbers), bungee rubber. Best of all, I now have a spare gun!

Originally Posted by ROBERT REYES

The RA shafts, are kind of special, they wont break the fine wish bones, so I dont think you will be able to use any other shaft on your RA.

Some other companies (e.g. Picasso, Rabitech) make (some) spears with notches smoothed for dyneema wishbones, although you can smooth the notches on a regular spear (somebody posted some instructions & images to help on another thread). Not sure if the spears will work in the RAs though (they probably would). The RA spears are quite tough & usually significantly cheaper than stainless steel spears.