beginner needs general equipment advice

[kunser]

Hi, I'm new to UW hunting, but I'm taking a trip to Panama this Spring and figured it would be the best time to get started. I'll be able to continue in freshwater when I return, but I'm looking for equipment to get started.

My questions are as follow:
I need a speargun. I've looked at hundreds on ebay, and I'm hesitant to make a selection as ignorant as I am about the sport. What should I look for in a first gun? I want a complete package for a reasonable (not necessarily cheap) price, and I want something that's good quality, but not top of the line. I don't want a pneumatic, I want a good band gun. Also, I'm 6' and 220 lbs, so I imagine I can handle most draw weights. I'm not hunting for monsters or records on this trip, just fun. One final caveat, anything I buy has to be able to fit in my airline luggage.

Second, what extra equipment should I invest in for a 12 day trip to a locale where I don't want to have to buy anything? Am I going to bend up spears left and right if I shoot lobsters on rocks or something?

I appreciate any information anyone can give me, and I sincerely apologize if I've posted this in the wrong forum.

[spaghetti]

Welcome, but first: where do you live? (We need to know, just to tell you where to buy online without killing you with shipping costs).


PS-Just remember that this is not a dangerous sport, just as long as you know what you're doing and accept your own limits. To say: it may be dangerous. If you drop yourself in water with no knowledge, be prudent. Don't go deep and don't stretch your breath hold to the limit.

[kunser]

I'm a student in Fayetteville AR, United States. My upcoming trip will be to Panama, and I will be doing primarily (if not exclusively) surface hunting with small dives. I'm trying to keep it as simple as possible as I will not have an experienced guide with me.

[Johann]

I have just read the article "playing in the band, spears other than britney". but also have a few questions.
I know that different dives or places will need different gun sizes and band thickness, but what would make a good all-round gun for a beginner?
Could a certain length of gun be TOOOO long for a first gun?
When should one start thinking about adding a reel to the gun?
Are there guns sold with reels or is this a after market mod?
Lastly, I am in kuwait at present, so, would the best all-round gun for here still be the best all-round gun for me when I get back to cape town SA?
As with kunser, Im not going for a gold medal straight away. But I am looking for something that is easy to learn with yet effective.

[deep thinker]

Originally Posted by kunser

anything I buy has to be able to fit in my airline luggage.Second, what extra equipment should I invest in for a 12 day trip to a locale where I don't want to have to buy anything? Am I going to bend up spears left and right if I shoot lobsters on rocks or something?

Originally Posted by Johann

but what would make a good all-round gun for a beginner? Could a certain length of gun be TOOOO long for a first gun?
When should one start thinking about adding a reel to the gun?
Are there guns sold with reels or is this a after market mod?
Lastly, I am in kuwait at present, so, would the best all-round gun for here still be the best all-round gun for me when I get back to cape town SA?

Ok when I bought my first gun I was advised by more than 1 person to go for a 1.1m gun with double 16 bands but mine came with a single 18 which works just fine, you have range for decent vis but its still short enough for not so decent vis, I hunt mostly in Cape waters by the way. Kunser I presume youll have good vis, so unless your airline luggage is loong I think you should invest in a gun bag that can parhaps take your fins aswell. Rob Allan and Rabiteck guns are available in most areas and as far as Im concerned those are 2 of your more popular brands for first guns, or here in Sa atleast, you also buy them from most places fully assembled with mono spear and bungy intact. Also if you want to shoot lobster on rocks and maybe in caves Id suggest you get a pronged speartip to attach should you so wish, also carry a iron file with you so that you can resharpen your tip if need be. Rocks can really mess up a speartip. Bending on the other hand Im not so sure of, spring steel shafts can take quite a beating but if you really want to a extra shaft may not be such a bad idea.
Johann, a gun is only too long when you cant load it, loading comes down more toward technique than strenth so when you work your way up youll easily get the hang of it. You can request a reel with your purchase and they will install it for you but if your planning on doing a bunch of shore dives when you come home I advise start with a float as they sell most guns and add a reel to maybe a second gun if you would like to use a reel. Personally I still prefer my float, it keeps fish away from you when theres not a boat close by to store your catch in. I dont know about Kuwait waters but I dont see a problem in swapping from one place to another using the same gun, its more about what you feel comfortable with anyways

[Johann]

They say the target species along kuwait are the same as most of the persian gulf with tarpon, king fish, barracuda, macarell, and the odd sail fin or dorado closer to the saudi border.
the landscape under water is alot like that above : lots of sand with a few scattered rocks here and there. There are some reefs (coral and rock) out here but one needs a boat to get to them.
I think what Il be hunting is mostly musselcracker, see bream, and barracuda.

[deep thinker]

Then a 1.1 or 1.2m gun would be perfect for you and when you come back to sa we can organise a dive. Where in Cape Town will you be situated?

[Johann]

I stay in Kuilsriver, near Zeewenwagcht wine estate. I kow more or less what guns go for in cape town, so Il check the pricing here. There's a big 2nd hand market in kuwait aswell, the locals dont keep anything for too long, then they get bored so I should be able to get a good deal.
One last thing, if I buy a used gun and there is no cable or rope on it, can I use normal fishing line (mono - 30 or so kg)?

[deep thinker]

Thats just around the corner form both me and covert, and theres a whole crowd of spearos in the area doing regular trips out to sea. Im not so sure about using normal fishing mono. My gun came standard with a black mono about 1.5mm diam and I didnt need to replace it yet so I can honestly say I dont know but I also dont think 30kg breakforce line will be strong enough.

[Johann]

Ive seen some of the rabitech guns come stock with a coated cable, but before I change anything on my gun theirs something else. When I shoot, the spear hits higher than I aim. I thought it was the trident tip so I tried it without and still it happens. Now Ive read about how the elastic can pull the back of the spear down and I think thats whats happening. The gun is quite old and the band is moubted under the spear, it also has a piece of stainless wire and not cable that hooks into the spear. Could'nt I just replace the front end with a new'r one that holds the band along side the spear?

[miles]

Hiya

What gun did you end up buying??

All rabitech's come out with mono and not coated SS wire as shooting line. The only guys who use coated SS wire as shooting line is spearo's hunting oil rigs, where the rig legs would cut the shooting line or spearo's hunting in very rocky area for dirty fighting fish like GT's (Ignoblis Kingfish). Most spearo's use 2.0mm mono. The breaking strain varies from 150-250kg's, depending on the manufacturer. If i recall correctly, the black mono Rabitech uses is 2.0mm and has a breaking strain of 160kg's. Anything over 120kg's breaking strain is pretty much unbreakable for normal spearing. Its fairly easy to get 2.0mm mono and matching crimps. Most fishing tackle shops and spearo shops sell them. Some help in rigging your mono: http://forums.deeperblue.net/beginne...-speargun.html

Spear shooting high. Look at your spear. It could possibly be bent. If you're not sure, roll the spear on a flat surface and you should be able to see quite easily. Too powerful bands is another cause of in-accuracy. Try and post some pic's and we'll be able to better assist.

Regards
miles

[Johann]

Here are some fotos of my "little cricket"
The shooting line does not attach to the spear, there's a guide in front that it runs through where it's tied on.

[deep thinker]

I shot my very first fish with a gun very similar to yours, only difference is mine didnt have the ring line tie and I must say till this day Im dissapointed that it got lost along the way. You could replace the muzzle on the gun like you said, cause your bands could be buckling the spear when put under tension. Just make sure your barrel width is the same

[atom10]

A 1.1 or 1.2m gun might work for you.

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[andysodyssey]

[Hi , I find that the tube guns are great value and the new guns coming out of south Africa are in my opinion the best on the market , I personally like the Rabitech and think that a 1200 gun is the ideal all round gun size , still easilly controllable and capable of landing a good sized fish but still practicle for smaller fish, always carry a knife for emergencies and for killing the fish quickly and humanly and always dive with abuddy , good luck ANDREW.