assistance with loading please ?????

[Murat]

Alison i think there are loding assistan devices of some brands. If you can't reach the bands when you put the butt end to your chess those devices may help. Can't remmember which brands has it though.

[Alison]

Problem that I have are eight broken ribs and a cracked Sternum I can reach the bands ok its just Im not going to be able to pull against my chest at all for a good while. I remember someone telling me to try loading from my hip, I tried but Ive not been able to manage it so far

[Ben Gowland]

Alison - you may be able to try switching the wishbone to a 'brazilian' type which allows you to have attchements to help pull the bands in from a distance....

[dave]

Glad to hear you are already thinking about getting back in the water Alison!As much as I generally dislike double rubbers on Euro guns, the best option might be to use 2 weaker rubbers ( a bit longer than standard), rather than the usual one powerful one. Since each would be easier to pull back you may find you are able to hip or stomach load
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

[mundial]

Originally Posted by dave

best option might be to use 2 weaker rubbers ( a bit longer than standard),
rather than the usual one powerful one. Since each would be easier to pull back you may find you are able to hip or stomach load
www.spearo.co.uk

first of all . euro guns cant take 2 rubbers bands like heavy wood guns so its most important to have a good strong pair of rubbers bands !!!
seens the 20-21mm rubbers bands are strong but difficult to load
use a 18-19 mm rubbers bands that are the same as strong as 20-21
but you dont need to use a lot off power to load them seens they are more
flaxible and even faster then the 20-21mm !!!!!!!
i suggest not to take longer ones
but to use a shorter gun (110cm gun-to use a 90cm gun )
that will help you load easy and have a strong gun
b.t.w what gun are we talking about????
alison take care i hope you will get fast to the water but you have to know
that you choose extream sport i think i will wait a bit more and feel beter
before i go spearfishing again if i had an injury like yours.....not just loading
a gun but also swimming !!!
best regards
eyal

[Huan]

Mundial
In the nicest possible sense you are talking rubbish when you say that Euro guns can't take 2 bands.
Rob Allen is a eurogun and is designed for 2 Bands same with most euro guns the muzzle is made to take screw-in and circular bands.
It is possible to buy rubbers down to 14mm and 2 of these would certainly be a lot easier to pull than 1x 18- or 20mm band
They would also provide enough power for most fish.
I would look at spreading the load over a greater area Alison, perhaps a plastic/fibreglass loading pad that is something like the RA one but larger?
If you have trouble loading from the hip due to slippage maybe one of those rubber blocks that sit on the belt and catch the speargun butt?

[DeepThought]

I have a construction idea for Colin.
(unordinary situations sometimes require unordinary solutions)
Am not sure it's practical, but here goes:
Attach two horizontal pedals near the muzzle - you put your feet on them with the gun in between and grab the rubbers with your hands. Most of your pulling will be done with your legs.
Will need to make sure those pedals are break proof and slip proof or you might launch the gun towards your body while pulling (ouch! ).
A simpler "construction" solution is a rope on the muzzle for the same use, but loading that way with fins sounds too complicated.

Nobody knows this technique I mentioned before? using only both hands with the gun parallel to one's arm span?

[DeepThought]

Eyal, do you happen to know Nathan? I think he used to spearfish in Sidny alley, he is in his 40's, last time I saw him but it was years ago.
I think he is the one I heard mentioning this strange arms-only loading technique....

[Alison]

Thanks Michael
Thats probably the way I'll go, Adrian came up with the same idea as well. I discussed this last night with Colin and he suggested that as its only a tempoary thing that he might be able to rig up some sort of stirup thing out of thick cord that I could put my heels into? Not sure yet but we came at least try when we get home

[mundial]

Originally Posted by Huan

Mundial
In the nicest possible sense you are talking rubbish when you say that Euro guns can't take 2 bands.
Rob Allen is a eurogun and is designed for 2 Bands same with most euro guns the muzzle is made to take screw-in and circular bands.
It is possible to buy rubbers down to 14mm and 2 of these would certainly be a lot easier to pull than 1x 18- or 20mm band
They would also provide enough power for most fish.
I would look at spreading the load over a greater area Alison, perhaps a plastic/fibreglass loading pad that is something like the RA one but larger?
If you have trouble loading from the hip due to slippage maybe one of those rubber blocks that sit on the belt and catch the speargun butt?

hi huan i didnt say all euro guns .... i know that ra and rabi can take 2 slings
but i think that 2 slings make the shaft go out a bit vibrating....
i use pair of strong slings(18mm) and it is accurate
i also think in loading time so for me only a pair of slings
i am sorry i f i didnt explane my self good
as for the other option there is a gun i use to have by tecnisub
that you can load only with your legs by polling them down the gun
name is tecnisub super blitz....i dont know if they make guns like that

as for nathan i really didnt see him at all

[old dave]

Alison beg borrow or steal (ouch) buy I mean a compressed gun ie Mares Cressi to name just but two whereby you can pump to any pressure you require for ease of loading .short guns load hand to hand longer guns hand to hip or foot.I use both types in U.K. waters with great success.banded require less maintenance.Otherwise raid a castle and nick suit of armour!! warning NO weight belt !!Hope this helps

[Murat]

Alison, what about ab loading? You have problems with it too? I can not think any other "safe" loading method other than these.

[poacher]

Alison,
as other guys have said you could try 2 smaller dia bands maybe even make them a bit longer so they will be easyier to load.
Does your gun have a loading pad?
You could also try using a gun designed for hip loading , Surely a nice girl like you will have plenty of friends willing to loan you a gun till you are back in shape to load regular gun, most of the Ausie or American style guns are like this-longer butt extendind app. 25-30cm past the handle. For example Undersea, Sea Hornet, Riffe, AB Biller ect etc.
The Euro or Sth African guns designed for chest loading don't work well for hip loading -you have to pull too far down to get to notch.
The Other option is ask your buddy to load your gun, I regularly do this for my kids or mates that are new to spearing so they dont get frustrated or tangled up or accidently point gun at me while struggling to load.
regards
Peter

[Bill McIntyre]

I'm new to the forum and just noticed this thread. The method described by Gilbert four weeks ago is what I have done for years, but I'd like to suggest another option for consideration. I'm afraid it won't work for a Euro gun, and I do know that the starter of the thread was specifically asking about a Euro gun. However, those with wood guns may find it useful.

This idea was the brain-storm of Sheri Daye, holder of several woman's world records in spearfishing. She was using a Wong 63" ono gun and didn't have the strength to cock it, so had been using what is called a rest tab, which is simply a large shark fin tab welded to the shaft several inches in front of the loading tabs. You pull the band to the rest tab with the butt on your hip, and then move the butt to the chest to finish loading. The disadvantage is that the welding of the large tab weakens the shaft at that point and makes it easier for a large fish to bend it. Since Sheri is a mechanical engineer, she came up with a better way. The same line anchor that is under the muzzle of wood guns is screwed to the side of the gun. You pull the band to the line anchor (aka Sheri Daye tab) with the butt on your hip, and then without releasing your grip, move the butt to the chest and finish loading. Daryl is embarrassed that he never thought of it, but now he offers this as an option on all his guns. The line anchor costs all of $14.

I can easily load my guns without one of these things, but I have put one on every gun because its simply faster and uses less energy.

[Ntrik]

Brilliant. Been looking for a solution like that for ages. Nice one Bill.