85 cm gun advice needed

[foxfish]

My guns have indeed been converted to use the mamba seal system. On occasions, if I don't seal the O ring in the barrel successfully, you are in fact firing a conventual air gun, makes you realise how effective the mamba system is!! When watter is allowed to enter the barrel the range decreases very noticeably, the gun jumps in you hand, it seems all hell lets loose & the spear falls short to the sea bed!

 

[vjanda]

I spoke to a few local Croat fish slayers and I thought I'd share their recommendations with you.

OMER EXCALIBUR 2000
CRESSI COMANCHE
BEUCHAT MUNDIAL ELITE
SEATEC Gabianno - bloody pricey

As you can see they think an aluminium gun is better value for money in the 90cm size than carbon.

 

[Fondueset]

The new Omer Cayman looks pretty cool. charts say it has a very nice trigger pull.

 

[spaghetti]

The b@st@rd strikes again!

Somehow on topic, just a quick note to say that my Omer XXV 82 has been stolen, as well as my very expensive Rekord fins, by some bloody bastard who salvaged my bag left on the beach while I was diving in freaking cold water. It happened on the same beach where last year somebody stole me a T20 carbon mimetic in the same situation, so I suspect somebody living in the building in front of the beach. The bastard this time he gave me a mortal blow.
Just to share the "lesson" with you: never leave any expensive gear on the beach.
So....I'm back on the market to get an 80-85 speargun.
Vjanda: Excalibur Carbon is good for a 90 or a 100. For me an 85 and a 90 are not the same thing, the difference is noticeable much more than between a 75 and an 85. From your last list, for a 90 I would definitely choose the Gabbiano because it's more accurate, while for a 75/82 an Excalibur or Comanche because they're more easy-going.
Mr-X: I love the Mares Medisten because it's a speargun with which you can do everything. Mine is 75 long (it's a "Medisten Competition", 5cm longer than the standard Medisten) and shoots as long as an 85cm bandgun, and with more punch and penetration, while it's much more handy for weed and holes hunting. In general, an 85 airgun will always have more range and power than any 85 bandgun.
Personally I switched to bandguns in 1996 just because I was a fashion victim, and I don't switch back to airguns now just because it would be too much confusion to change totally again (aiming is different), so I use air only for short ones. But If I had a time machine, I would go back to 1995 and stick on the dark side, which I shouldn't have betrayed.
Cheese: in favour of italian cheese I can mention the HUGE variety: there are so many. Our country goes from the Alpine glaciers to as south as Tunisia, so we have over 400 traditional cheeses (not to mention all the recent commercial specialties).

 

[Fondueset]

Spaghetti,

Sorry to hear of your gun and fin tragedy. You need a bigger float to take everything with you! One day I had my glasses ?! and a pair of wonderful cressi gloves stolen. Probably by someone who thought they would be warm in the winter. (not many freedivers around here) Be sure whoever stole your guns will have no luck.

I have an omer Cobra 90. Very nice gun - it feels clunky in the water to me but I think this is because I'm used to my little Riffe MT0. I may get a longer Cayman H when they come ashore. They look like they will track very well.

What do you think the accurate range of, say a 100cm euro gun with two 16mm bands is?

 

[spaghetti]

Spaghetti,
Sorry to hear of your gun and fin tragedy. You need a bigger float to take everything with you!
What do you think the accurate range of, say a 100cm euro gun with two 16mm bands is?

The accurate range of a 100 on a straight shot for me is 4 point something to 5 meters, depending on the stock material and general construction as well as band quality and shaft weight. Wood and carbon are supposed to give longer shots, if the gun is built solid. But if what they say about the HF barrel is true, I think a 100 can be accurate much over the average. If the barrel is rigid and doesn't flex, the shot will be longer.

 

[vjanda]

Hey spaghetti sorry to hear about your loss.
I hope the bugger who nicked it shoots himself in the foot

As for my gun, the dilema is between the 90 and 100 length.

What's the story with the rail guide on the new cayman?
Does it aid accuracy?

Thx and keep safe

 

[Marwan]

Spago! sorry for your loss my friend. its the shit always accompanied with shore diving last time i went shore diving, i was afraid someone might steal my car, i was out far and didnt have a waterproof pouch for my key, had to bury it in the sand....looks like youre in th emarket for guns and fins once more
Vjanda..
i have the omer carbon, i installed the rail, cant say i noticed a notable difference, its just a bit fancy really unless you overpower the gun a bit, maybe then youll feel the need for it. I have a C4 mr carbon 105 with no rail and its dead accurate....
go for the 100 you wont regret it in your viz conditions......

 

[spaghetti]

Hey spaghetti sorry to hear about your loss.
I hope the bugger who nicked it shoots himself in the foot

As for my gun, the dilema is between the 90 and 100 length.

What's the story with the rail guide on the new cayman?
Does it aid accuracy?

Thx and keep safe

1) Ha ha, thx
2) A 100, no longer an 85? I have the Excalibur Carbonium 100 and do well with it. But I warn you: it's not pin-point accurate as a Gabbiano. I like it because it's simple, light and easy going, good for my "nervous" hunting style.
3) A rail (or a semi-rail) helps significantly with circular bands, or with bands working obliquely, or with a very powerful band/shaft set-up. While on euroguns like Excalibur and Comanche, a rail does not help much.

 

[dave]

SEATEC Gabianno - bloody pricey

Not if you know where to look
cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

 

[Spaniard]

I hope the w****r who stole your gear drowns, I hate pikey thieves.

 

[foxfish]

You are right there Dave What in your opinion is the best all round band gun you sell for our British waters? I mean regardless of price which gun feels the smoothest & shoots the straightest?

 

[Mr. X]

Spaghetti, did you check with the local police station? Someone mentioned on the Devon thread seeing some scousers rifling through his bag on the beach. They spoke to him when he high-tailed it in to shore, which he thought was a cheek. Although I wonder if folk see stuff left on the beach and just figure it has been left behind. It strikes me as a bad idea stealing from somebody carry a loaded speargun & knife. [I leave only grotty, 'orrible shoes on shore -- I'm more worried that folk will think they were washed up & throw them away! They are prob. fearful of infection though, & rightly so.]

The Gabi Elite (with the reel) looks good value Dave. Is 20mm overkill for the UK?

 

[dave]

You are right there Dave What in your opinion is the best all round band gun you sell for our British waters? I mean regardless of price which gun feels the smoothest & shoots the straightest?

Gun choice is a very personal thing, but when I use a rubber gun in the UK it is either a;
Gabbiano77, single barb 6.35mm spear (grotty viz and hole fishing),
Gabbiano Elite90, no reel, twin barb 6.35mm spear (all round diving, competitions)
Gabbiano Elite120, no reel, twin barb 6.5mm spear (offshore reefs)
Mind you, most of the time these days I just use a 110 Mamba, (same length as a 90 rubber gun, range like a 120!)
cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

 

[spaghetti]

Gun choice is a very personal thing, but when I use a rubber gun in the UK it is either a;
Gabbiano77, single barb 6.35mm spear (grotty viz and hole fishing),
Gabbiano Elite90, no reel, twin barb 6.35mm spear (all round diving, competitions)
Gabbiano Elite120, no reel, twin barb 6.5mm spear (offshore reefs)
Mind you, most of the time these days I just use a 110 Mamba, (same length as a 90 rubber gun, range like a 120!)
cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

I have two questions for Dave:
1-How do you compare Rabitech and Seatec? (I've seen you have both in your trade)
2-Why do all the english spearfish with no reel?

 

[dave]

We just dont need reels most of the time. The only time i use one is when fishing on fairly deep wrecks, and that is just so that when a bass wraps up around a girder I can leave it, then swim back down the reel line to untangle it on the next dive. We just dont have the big open water fish that might need a reel, and even big Bass dont fight like Dentex!. Mind you, a few years ago a friend shot a big conger during a competition. He left the gun and went up for air, when he dived back down he arrived just in time to see the gun disapearing into the hole, he never saw it again. A week later i heard of a trawler pulling up a conger, with the gun still attached, 10 miles away!
Rabitechs are great guns, and i have many happy customers.For tropical diving, the heavy duty nature of the Rabitech is great, it is almost indestructable, but for the UK, I just prefer the feel and balance of the Gabbiano. Also, I like thinner spears; you can put a 6.35mm Seatec spear in a Rabitech, but it is neccessary to smooth the notches so that they dont cut the dyneema wishbone, and I just cant be bothered

cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

 

[spaghetti]

One more question for Dave if you're still there: any feedback on the Skua, which is available in the 83cm length? There's a shop here making a very good offer. Should I make a bet on it?

 

[dave]

The Skua is a great little lightweight gun, I used to sell a lot of them before Seatec ceased production. No problems with them at all
cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

 

[Mr. X]

... buy a mamba & never look back! Dave sells mamba 90s - the power will blow you & your fish away.

"...Well considering that this is a [Mamba 90], the most powerful [spear]gun in the world, and will blow your head clean off...........you have to ask yourself a question: 'Do I feel lucky?'. Well, do ya punk?"

 

[foxfish]

I remember that film, Dirty Foxfish, or something like that?