New Gun For Sourthern California Coast!

[ThePunisher]

Hey,

After researching quite a bit on some guns it seems that for beginners, most people recommend Euro guns as they don't require a ton of modifying to perform well and most perform great out of the box.

Anyways, what do you guys recommend for a begginer to spearfishing? It seems like the Rob Allens and Aimrites are pretty hard to beat for the price and I've heard great things about them. I've also heard soe great things about the new Hammerhead. Anyways, any and all opinions are welcomed!

I'll be diving mostly off the coast but will make occasional trips out to Catalina. The usual dive spots that I'll be going to are White's Point, Marine Land, Malaga Cove, Lunada Bay in Southern California and anything along the coast really.

Thanks guys!

[Bill McIntyre]

I hope he won't mind my adding that he plans to scuba dive. We just spent a lot of time giving him the wrong advice on Spearboard because most Californian spearos freedive, so we were assuming he would be too.

The species of fish available to scuba divers in SoCal do not include our only larger game fish, so the appropriate guns choices are different.

[miles]

Hiya

As Bill Mc has indicated, guns for freediving do differ from guns used for scuba spearing. As scuba spearing is illegal here, i can't offer much advice.

However, when freediving, you WANT your gun to be bouyant when the spear is discharged. When on scuba, having your gun float to the surface each time you pull the trigger, could end up driving you crazy!!

Both the RA and Aimrite guns will float with the spear discharged. I have read of guys that spear succesfully on scuba with these type guns, so hopefully some scuba spearo's can chime in!!

Regards
miles

[Bill McIntyre]

Originally Posted by miles

Hiya

However, when freediving, you WANT your gun to be bouyant when the spear is discharged. When on scuba, having your gun float to the surface each time you pull the trigger, could end up driving you crazy!!

Both the RA and Aimrite guns will float with the spear discharged. I have read of guys that spear succesfully on scuba with these type guns, so hopefully some scuba spearo's can chime in!!

Regards
miles

Aimrite does offer a solution. Actually, its usually offered in the Wong MG Special guns, but since they use the same handle, it would work in the Aimrite rail guns too. Its a clip weight that slides into the handle and makes the gun negative. If you want to take it out and freedive, there is just a small screw to loosen at the base of the handle.

[cdavis]

The preference for sinking or floating guns for scuba diving probably depends on conditiions other than scuba. For example, when shooting free shaft, a floating gun is a considerable advantage. You shoot and as you swim towards the fish, the arm goes through the rubber sling and the gun is thereafter out of the way, behind and above you, but safe and available. I can imagine other senarios where a sinking gun might be preferable.

I don't know the conditions in California so can't comment on specific guns.

Connor

[Bill McIntyre]

I think the preference for sinking guns on scuba comes from guys like those on Spearboard that are on Nitrox at 180 feet and freeshafting. If the gun got away from them, they couldn't even go after it because of decompression requirements.