Advise on guns anyone?

[Pisces]

Hi everyone ,I'm new here at the forum and looking at buying my first speargun , which will probably be used mostly in the UK, but as i do like to travel, I will probably lug it around to most destinations (Med., South Africa, Dubai - to name a few). I'm currently looking at getting either the Omer Caymen HF-90 , or the Omer Excalliber 3000 - 90, but can't make up my mind. As I am pretty new to spearfishing ,I was wondering if anyone has any input or advice, as they seem to be quite different in design. Any input would be greatly appreciated.Also does anyone know if and where one can find any Rob Allen guns and gear in the UK?

[Marwan]

Looks like youre on the right track... i would say get the Cayman HF... I dont think there will be much difference in performance, but probably the Cayman will be a more comfortable gun to use with its newly designed Grip and better balancing due to the design of the barrel. This will have a positive impact on accuracy ofcourse, but i dont think the difference will be notable...
Not sure where you will find rob allens in the UK, but dave (spearo.co.uk) sells Rabitechs that are very similar to Rob allen

[deep thinker]

Marwan is rite you seem to be on the rite track for the type of gun and different destinations you plan to use it on. A RA or Rabitech will work well for your applications as they are sturdy weapons designed to be used in extreme conditions. They mite be a bit heavier than your normal euro gun setup but once you get used to them they are a dream to use...

[Pisces]

good peace of mind to know that I was on the right track.thanks for the advise guys. Much appreciated.

[Amphibious]

be sure to handle the gun with your diving gloves on. UK water is pretty cold, and you'll be wearing 5mm gloves I'll wager? we do here too, and a lot of guns just don;t handle right when gripped with thick gloves on. Omer & RA trigger mechs fit well in my 5mm gloved hands...

[Pisces]

I never even thought of that Amphibious. Thanks dude. Hey, my missus is from Vancouver , maybe I'll have to catch up with you next time we visit.

[spaghetti]

As said in another thread, our friend Dave at Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment has a nice stock. He sells Rabitech, but I guess that Dave himself will tell you that Seatec is his own preference for hunting in England.
Indeed if I were in your shoes I'd give a serious look to the Seatec Gabbiano 90. It's probably the best european made speargun in the intermediate price range: it's more solid and accurate than any other of its category.
The Omer you mentioned (Cayman HF and Excalibur 3000) are really good, but for hunting bass and mullet in Uk, If I were to pick an Omer gun, I'd prefer the Omer XXV Gold: maybe it's less accurate on long shots, but it's very lightweight and quick, deadly effective for hunting in murky waters with short visibility. But anyway, my personal advice is to check the Seatec Gabbiano first.

[Old Man Dave]

For starting out in the UK I'd recommend a simple sturdy gun like a Beuchat 75cm. Cheap strong reliable, the original brick sh*thouse. Then if you managed to catch a few fish I'd move on to an omer XXV Gold. Only when you are good with that would I recommend something more fancy, even a mamba 90 air gun.

However, I am sure you will ignore this advice as it is much too sensible and frankly boring. Most newbee's buy a fancy gun but then most of them catch very little and give up.

If you were a learner driver I'm sure you'd like to own a Ferrari but would it be of any use to you? It would be way more than you would need or could handle. Better to but a Fiesta, get some experience and then try the Ferrari.

Bet you ignore this anyway .

Dave

[spaghetti]

Originally Posted by Old Man Dave

For starting out in the UK I'd recommend a simple sturdy gun like a Beuchat 75cm. Cheap strong reliable, the original brick sh*thouse. Then if you managed to catch a few fish I'd move on to an omer XXV Gold. Only when you are good with that would I recommend something more fancy, even a mamba 90 air gun.

However, I am sure you will ignore this advice as it is much too sensible and frankly boring. Most newbee's buy a fancy gun but then most of them catch very little and give up.

If you were a learner driver I'm sure you'd like to own a Ferrari but would it be of any use to you? It would be way more than you would need or could handle. Better to but a Fiesta, get some experience and then try the Ferrari.

Dave

Very Good Post, Old man Dave.
In facts the more I read your post, the more I think you're right. Both the Gabbiano and the XXV Gold take some experience to be handled: the open muzzle is an advantage, but might also be an annoying extra hassle for a beginner. Moreover, the Gabbiano has a big mass and you must get used to it, and on the opposite end the XXV Gold has a very slim shape so you must handle it properly to counter the recoil with adequate wrist-arm position.
So at the end of the day maybe OMD is right suggesting a simple traditional closed muzzle 75.
Bet Pisces will ignore this anyway as we both did

[Marwan]

hey i listened, started out with an old cressi 60cm....then i never stopped, buying spearguns that is

[spaghetti]

Originally Posted by Marwan

hey i listened, started out with an old cressi 60cm....then i never stopped, buying spearguns that is

Great! I still love my Cressi 60: it's a lifetime gun. In facts, talking of beginners, a short gun forces you to learn how to get close to the fish. And when you upgrade to longer ones, the short 60 is still useful as a hole gun
As they say "A diamond (and Cressi 60) is forever!".

[Mattedhead]

Another gun worth considering is the Cayman Aluminum. Simple no-nonsense gun, aluminum barrel and rail, great trigger mechanism, and simple closed muzzle. Not very pricey and I feel the biggest advantage it has over the Beuchats that I am aware of is the side-line release. If you are using a float line then this is a non-issue, but if you ever plan on using a reel-the side line release will be a much better fit. Good luck choosing a gun, you will have a blast regardless.

[Marwan]

im almost ashamed to say it, but i just received a cayman aluminum 90 today (i wanted a 90 gun for this area i hunt in, or at least thats the excuse im telling my wife for getting anoher speargun ), looks good, i love the line guide on the handle that takes your shooting line out of the way when you load the bands... ill try it out his week, but it looks like a pretty sure deal...line of sight is also fantastic for a closed muzzle gun...
i dont know whats with the new circular band movement from omer...i feeel that they are not as accurate and probably you loose some power as the force is not parallel to the barrel, so it pushes the spear down and forward instead of just forward...or at least thats how i see it...anyone agree?
i like the traditional euro setup...

[spaghetti]

Originally Posted by Marwan

im almost ashamed to say it, but i just received a cayman aluminum 90 today
i dont know whats with the new circular band movement from omer...i feeel that they are not as accurate and probably you loose some power as the force is not parallel to the barrel, so it pushes the spear down and forward instead of just forward...or at least thats how i see it...anyone agree?
i like the traditional euro setup...

Marwan...Marwan.......! So did you once again tell your wife that it's a rare piece of collection and that one day it will be worth lots of money, as you ALWAYS tell her when you buy a speargun?
For your second question, this rail & circular fashion is...a fashion. Seatec and C4 have screw in bands but they're pinpoint accurate. However, Seatec has oblique screw in bands with a semi-rail, and that's deadly accurate.

[Spaniard]

It's funny but at the end of the day, with experience, you will catch fish with any gun, fins, mask etc. etc. I spent years obsessing with buying all the best kit that money could buy; now my favourite guns are an old Dessault from the 80's and a relatively old Omer Excalibur, 10 yrs old at least. If spearfishing turns out to be your 'thing' you will buy any and every bit of gear that seems 'sexy'. If you perservere to being an older git, you will eventually settle on the rig that best suits you, whatever that turns out to be. Have fun, it's a great adventure!