Originally posted by w3ac
Okay Fuzz,
Being a Hawaiian transplant and occasionally diving back home, what euro set up would you suggest? I will be getting a euro with reel in about a month and am torn between a RA 110 with two 9/16 (16mm?) bands or an OMER Excalibur 110 with a single 16 mm which I would change to a single 18 mm. Reason being is that my 55 Wong is an awesome gun but is a bit bulky for dives of more than 70 feet. I love the range and power but not the bulk. Target fish would be goats, Mu, Uku, Omilu, occasional Kahala, and open water Ulua. The Wong would be a cave gun, and the cannon would rule the blue. Most Big Island guys like the wood hence very little exposure to the euro. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Brad
What's up man?!! How's the diving been?
9/16 bands are actually 14mm. The double-banded 16mm's on the RA's are 5/8"(but pretty easy to load). The RA is a great gun. The one thing it doesn't have that you're looking for is a good reel or reel mounting system. The 2 most common things I see people doing is to either use an OMER pelagic reel or drill into the barrel, silicone the area, & mount a bracket for an OMER or Picasso reel. I have 2 OMER pelagic reels that are wonderful mechanically-speaking... but I can't use them. Just too dang bulky & hang too low.
If you really want a reel-gun, the best(that I've tried) is probably an OMER Alluminum with a omer50 reel. This reel is soooo smooth in comparison to the plastic junk I've used. It fits well, doesn't get in the way of the line release, & is still pretty streamlined. The Excalibur is a very close option & the reel would fit the same. Unfortunately, the reel costs a bit too... :waterwork:
If you want power, then the RA is the way to go. It'll give you the oomph you need for penetrating larger fish.
A lot of this also depends on your primary targets. For bigger fish, I'd say RA. The RA's handle the thicker shafts a bit better & the shafts are cheaper when you tag a big ulua or kahala

For more accurate shots & overall smoothness I'd use an Omer - especially the reel.
In any case, PM me & we'll work something out. I have a reel or two you could play with.
Originally posted by Amphibious
As I have neither an Omer or a Rob Allen speargun, take the following for what it's worth.
I had a single 16mm band on my 96cm Mundial Elite (rail and reel) and found it grossly underpowered. stepping up to twin 16's made for impressive power, but longer range accuracy suffered and i greatly disliked the loud "whump" when fired.
last summer I finnally got a single 20mm on it and was quite happy with the power and accuracy. yes it's a pain to load some times, the second notch is a HUGE BONUS, during long days on the water.
what fish are you after?
Willer!!! Long time no talk!
If my memory serves me correct, wasn't that 16mm band too long for the gun as well?
I still use my trusty Beuchat quite a bit. It's been through a lot, but it still works like a champ!

My only real disappointment with Beuchat is their bands - weak stuff & dies quickly compared to other bands. IMHO, it's just not great quality. One of the primary reasons I converted it to an open muzzle gun.
