Beginner Spearfishing gun

[adelmorsey]

Dear All,

I am beginning to spearfish, but I am confused and can't choose for myself at this moment.

I have three options of spearguns each of which the seller is trying to convince me that this is best for me:

1. Rob Allen 100=110cm (I kindly prefer this one but in Egypt I can't find anyone selling them)
2. Beuchat Espadon 900.
3. JBL Travel Magnum Combo Speargun (contains two spearguns with one handle, long and short)

I prefer the Rob Allen but as I mentioned in Egypt it's very hard to obtain that fine railgun, as our customs confiscates spearguns as the sport is claimed to be illegal in Egyptian shores.

I would like someone to give me a bit of advice as I said am a beginner and the matter is very confusing to me.

 

[hank49]

Sounds like you're in for a tough time. If it's illegal to spearfish with a gun in Egypt, why is it easier to get guns other than Rob Allen? Just curious,
If guns are illegal, can you use slings? Maybe go that route. It's a good way for beginners to learn to get close to fish, which is the real art of spearfishing anyway.

 

[hteas]

If spearfishing is illegal, then any of the guns may get you into trouble. A take down pole spear or a hawaiian sling would be much easier to hide in order to keep a low profile.

Personally, I prefer my Rob Allen guns to anything else I've ever used. Never let me down except when I tried to modify one of them (120 x 6.5 shaft on a 90 cm gun). When I went to a correct shaft 130 x 6.5 everything was fine again.

 

[adelmorsey]

Thanks a lot for the replies, actually spearfishing is illegal, but locally made spearguns are being sold everywhere, it's hard to get them inside Egypt because of the customs, but trust me I came across a huge community who are spearfishing and even fighting to legalize the sport in the red sea.

The reason why Rob Allen mostly is unavailable now, as I came to know that they used to be brought by a person but he no longer deals in Rob Allen spearguns.

I guess that even slings would be illegal, as the law has been enforced to protect the reef.

I hope I answered your question !

 

[hteas]

The shaft on the JBL is 5/16 inch (about 8 mm), so is heaveir than most euro shafts. It would be better for penetration on large fish. Otherwise, take whatever you can get. Anything is usually better than nothing.

 

[e.m.p!]

or you get the RA parts sent in single packages…? Maybe contact dive factory and ask for some advice.

 

[Mr. X]

Can't encourage law breaking. Have you actually checked the law though - do you know the statutes & paragraphs involved? You need to learn your rights. As Egypt is in a state of political flux at the moment, you might consider getting such restrictions loosened - although I dare say there are other priorities. Be careful though - dangerous times

I too would go for the RA first. Beuchat second - although I think they have nicer models than the one you mention (e.g. Marlin). I like Omersub products too - e.g. Cayman. Not keen on JBL personally.

 

[Bourini]

Yesterday, I just got through the airport in Cairo, with my new Spearguns. It was a Rob Allen Tuna 1100 and 1300 and 1500 to replace my Omer Cayman ET 105... Lucky I arrived before Iftar time, and the guys at customs were anxious to leave and eat, or I could have been in deep trouble. Now is Ramadan, and it is forbidden for Muslims to eat, drink or smoke from dawn till sunset, so my flight arriving a few minutes before sunset had its merits

Answering your question, go for the RA. It is a great, reliable and accurate gun... one of my friends had his for the past 9 years and experienced some heavy use, without a problem. That is the reason why I got mine

 

[adelmorsey]

Thanks for the answers guys, I recently purchased a Pathos Speargun 110 cm with Dual Band setup, the gun is excellent and I feel like I got my money's worth. I couldn't purchase a RA cause I couldn't find anyone selling so I picked up the Pathos when it was available.

I am currently using a single band on my gun and I am starting to feel I am needing the second band for longer shots on scaredy fish which tend to run away.

As for Bourini, it was nce you have slipped through with three guns just make sure you dismantle them complteley and you can go anytime with your guns from cairo airport, as well are you thinking of selling your RA 1100 ? just curious!

 

[Bourini]

Sorry Adel, I just got my 110 gun. Have to use it for catching more fish before I am comfortable selling it. You can catch big fish with a 110 cm gun with two 16 mm rubber. This fish I forgot to weigh it, and now she is fillets. It is a golden trevally. I caught it threedays ago using my RA110 and had no reel or float, I struggled to reach the surface and she nearly got me under. Don't underestimate the power of a 110 cm gun or a big fish

 

[adelmorsey]

A nice catch you got there, I am envious of your Rob Allen mate, and I would like to try it to know the difference between the RA and my gun.

 

[Mr. X]

I wouldn't worry too much about brand names - I just Googled images of Pathos spearguns and they look fine to me, in fact some of them look very good. I have came across them before - perhaps on Spaghetti's "exotics"/speargun "porn" type thread. You probably have something a little more interesting, less main-stream/mass produced than most of us.

What barrel length did you go for?

Nice fish Bourini! No float & no reel - sounds like hard work with a fish that size.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

I haven't used a Pathos gun, but the guy who imports them to the US was on my boat a week or two ago, and his gun seemed nice. He shot this fish with it, but part of the fish went missing.

 

[Bourini]

A nice catch you got there, I am envious of your Rob Allen mate, and I would like to try it to know the difference between the RA and my gun.

Maybe one day we can arrange a trip and you can try one of my RA guns. My friend Mohamed El Qurashy imports Pathos guns to Egypt and he speaks highly of them. So you have a good gun

 

[Mr. X]

... He shot this fish with it, but part of the fish went missing...

Yes, I sometimes get a little peckish after spearfishing for several hours too! Actually, I did once have a primordial urge to take a bite out of bass after a particularly long (~4 hour) and fruitful diving session - which surprised me. I blame Hugh Fernley-Wittingstall going on about Sashimi!

Shark?

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Shark?

We think so.

The fish was wrapped up in thick kelp on the bottom at 55 feet, and it was very murky down there. On his second dive trying to cut it out, a very large (200 to 300 pound) black sea bass had the yellowtail in its mouth. While he was breathing up for the next dive, he felt a big jerk on the float line. Then when he dove, the fish wasn't where it had been before. After a couple more dives, he brought the fish up and our first assumption was that the black sea bass took the bite. But black sea bass don't have the right kind of teeth to take a clean bite like that. Their teeth or more like rows of little needles. We figure a shark must have been involved.

The area is well known as a nursery for small (6 to 9 feet) great white sharks. Now and then the surfers seem them in the break and exit the water, and Marine helicopter pilots flying down the coast to nearby Camp Pendleton see them from the air. When they get bigger their diet shifts of marine mammals, but at that size they still eat fish.

The other likely possibility is a 7-gill shark. Down in the San Diego area, 50 to 60 miles south, divers have a lot of problems with 7-gills stealing their fish. I've never seen one up here, but its certainly a possibility.

And it could have been a hammerhead. Several years ago a 6 to 7 foot hammerhead took a bite out of a yellowtail shot by a guy on my boat.

 

[adelmorsey]

I wouldn't worry too much about brand names - I just Googled images of Pathos spearguns and they look fine to me, in fact some of them look very good. I have came across them before - perhaps on Spaghetti's "exotics"/speargun "porn" type thread. You probably have something a little more interesting, less main-stream/mass produced than most of us.

What barrel length did you go for?

Nice fish Bourini! No float & no reel - sounds like hard work with a fish that size.

I have went for the 110 cm gun and I started using one band on the first notch, on my last trip I started using the 2nd and 3rd notches with double bands, started taking longer and more daring shots, believe it or not I was doubting why I didn't go for the 120 cm but the shot is still very powerful, and according to how I progress the gun is fine for some time still!

 

[adelmorsey]

Maybe one day we can arrange a trip and you can try one of my RA guns. My friend Mohamed El Qurashy imports Pathos guns to Egypt and he speaks highly of them. So you have a good gun

That would be great Bourini, where do you go to spearfish? And yes Mohamed Qurashy speaks very highly of himself that he once told me Pathos is far better than Riffe .

 

[Bourini]

Nice fish Bourini! No float & no reel - sounds like hard work with a fish that size.

Thanks Mr. X and yes it was a good fight, for a second, I nearly went for my weight belt to release it and make the fight easier. But it surrendered quickly, as I shot her right behind the gills

 

[Bourini]

That would be great Bourini, where do you go to spearfish? And yes Mohamed Qurashy speaks very highly of himself that he once told me Pathos is far better than Riffe .

hahahaha well my RA 1100 Tuna is a piece of art, I threw my Omer Cayman ET 105 and storage and using the RA since I got it. I doubt that the Pathos, is better than them. I never tried a Pathos, but I think the thickness of the Aluminium barrel is a bit too little. The Omer Cayman ET 105, has a 1.5mm thick barrel and the RA Tuna 1100 has a 1.45mm thick barrel. While the Pathos has a 1.25mm barrel. If you land a BIG fish and have no float line, the Pathos will undergo more deflection on the barrel than the others, due to the reduced thickness of Aluminium. Just look at the records, you will find that most large fish were landed using RA guns. So opinions aside, the numbers speak for themselves