airguns: Sporasub One Air 2012!!!

[Diving Gecko]

Well I did not know about it either, but the red sticker and other documentation was missing as once he got back to Omer the facts about the warning were relayed to him. This line release problem must have been noted in the beginning, and not being something that they could eliminate they printed the stickers instead. If it was an easy fix then there would be no more red stickers. I guess you could say the problem was down to him not reading the instructions, but that is pretty difficult if they have not been supplied in the first place! That is what happens when things are rushed to make a sale when stock is not readily available.

Hi Pete,
Right after posting this I went back and re-read he thread from page 11 onwards, where the issue starts. I then tried to edit my post, but being on tiny island connection to internet over my phone, I lost connection. But that's why we go on vacation, right;-)?
But you are right, his did not ship with red tag but he also states that he is sure he had engaged line release, so that makes things more complicated... But that said, I will let it be for now as I have not had any issues with the gun for the few days I have had it out. I do think, I might make a small sticker myself and glue it to the muzzle because I still forget the "line release first' at least a third of the time...

 

[Diving Gecko]

Thanks for The Feedback David.

Can you tell me what you think the kill range of the gun is from the muzzle?

My Asso115 (similar size) with tovarich kit is around 6mtrs, but i would say i am far more comfortable shooting something at say 5mts than 6.

Hi Gazz,
I would love to but to be honest, I can't. For a few reasons. The best one being that I am still quite new at this and haven't hit anything at range yet. Also, viz has been so so. I have been fortunate enough that the two qeenies and one golden trevally I got swam pretty close to me to check me out. I think both queenfish were within three meters of speartip. What I can say, is that all three ended up on the line. But then again, my aim is still a bit low and back and I tend to get them under the spine in the middle of the fish where it is likely softer.
I have taken it up to 25 bars and it takes all four wraps plus perhaps half a meter of the reel line. I guess that amounts to around 7.5 meters. Of course at that range there wont be any punch left.
But I have a few more water days in front of me, so will let you know if I come up with more firm observations. I'll be going out with a guy who usually shoots 120 RAs (I think) so I hope he will take the One Air for a spin and let me know how he feels.

I must say, that it would have been nice with a power reducer as half of the spearing has been on the reefs and snappers and groupers like to stay under the rocks (I hear). I did let go of a few decently sized groupers because at that short range, I just did not want to bang my spear into a rock. But maybe having a power reducer limits the total power also, I dunno.
But actually, that's why I kept the Hunter (Asso) 90 which will finally have a dry muzzle mounted today. I did take it out in stock mode twice while I also had the One 120 and I can totally see what people mean when they say, that having two guns can be stressful as you are likely to pick the wrong one;-). Also, we only had a boat hang around for us on two occasions and it moored far from us, so I couldn't easily change guns. And when I finally did, I had totally overpowered the 90 to the point where I couldn't even load it... Maybe tomorrow I'll get a chance to test it in vacuum mode. Could be a perfect grouper/snapper/reef gun.

BTW: I got the One Reel also. Not too happy about it and it's even supposed to be good. I have managed to get mono stuck on the side of the drum and its housing a few times. That might just be me. But the brake is pretty annoying. It has a lot of turns from inner most to outer most position but perhaps only a quarter of a turn or less makes the whole difference between very firm and freewheeling. The sweet spot is somewhere within turning it app. 2cm which I find is way too little. I looked at the LG Sub reels online and they look quite amazing but shipping was too much. I might still give them a go at some point.
But then again, this is my first ever reel and perhaps all/most of them are like this...?

More later

 

[carl_l]

Hi Gecko,

Thanks for posting your thoughts. I was also wondering for a long time what ever happened to all the hype around the One Air. Now we finally have some first hand thoughts.

I would like to hear more about the safety and loading procedure on the One Air. You describe that the line release trigger must be engaged before loading - could you elaborate and maybe upload some pictures?
Also disarming it - you have to shoot it off? is there any safety mechanism?

I have been desiring a 80 or 90 for quite some time now (actually since Broseidon was hooked - and then he had his bad experience with it.. never knew if it was first production failure or just a dangerous gun...)
I am diving in Danish waters - so need a short but powerful gun for trouts /grey mullets - and the One Air is / was the best candidate...

Cheers,
Carl

 

[Diving Gecko]

Hej Carl,
Er du dansk...?
No matter what, we may have to go spearing in DK when I visit home over the summer
But let's get to your questions and since I am new to spearing, I pondered the same things not too long ago.
All pneumatics (afaik) have to be shot to be unloaded. It's def one practical thing the bandguns have over us but as you already know, the airgun is likely more powerful for the same size gun.

The line release is just a small tab next to the trigger that you flip out with a finger and then it holds the line at the handle end. But thing is, Sporasub states it HAS to be done before starting to load the spear. It is not a biggie as long as you remember, but I am one forgetful dude...
To load the gun, you put the butt of it on your foot, insert the spear, put a handle over the tip of the spear and pull the spear into the gun until it locks into the trigger mech. I think the trigger of the One Air risks not fully engaging with the spear unless line release is engaged first. Gun is packed away right now. Tide is at its highest for next few days, so changing my plans and wont go spearing until late mid next week or so. Then, I'll snap some pics. But as said, mine has stayed put and when cruising on Italian forums I have not read about any misfires either.

You could try to contact bmwgsboy from post #256 and ask if he indeed is looking to sell his 90cm One. If he is within the EU, there shouldn't be any import duties on it at all.

Alternatively, and perhaps a bit cheaper, look for an Asso or Hunter in the size you want and get a dry barrel kit from Marko and Tomislav (or elsewhere) and a 6.5mm spear. It will give you the same (perhaps a bit more) efficiency as a One Air. The smoothness of the trigger is nice on the Air, so to get to that level you would have to get a trigger mod for the Asso. Less needed for the Hunter (which has a 2mm trigger pin) and not neeeded if you get the new Salvimar airgun which has a 1.5mm trigger pin. If you go down this path be sure to calculate all costs to get the gun dry modded. Gun + Spear(s) + Trigger Pin + Dry Muzzle. Might not be that much cheaper than a One Air. But if you can get an Asso 2nd hand, then you should be able to put together a really nice mullet gun at a nice price.

Best,
David

 

[Jegwan]

...I have been desiring a 80 or 90 for quite some time now (actually since Broseidon was hooked - and then he had his bad experience with it.. never knew if it was first production failure or just a dangerous gun...)
I am diving in Danish waters - so need a short but powerful gun for trouts /grey mullets - and the One Air is / was the best candidate...

Cheers,
Carl

I have not tried the One Air yet, but I think you will appreciate having a gun with power regulator here in Denmark. I believe you need the power regulator when hunting trouts in the seaweed close to the shore at night and when the mullets play and eat in the stones very very close to the shore in the summer.

I think (like David suggests) a shorter (60-80cm) Asso, Cressi SL or the new VentAir plus with a dry barrel kit is a good idea. I'm considering to try something similar in the coming season. You can bye the VentAir from Vidrax quite cheap...

 

[carl_l]

@Gecko: Actually I already wrote a private message to bmwgsboy.. but haven't heard from him yet...
And, yes, I am from Denmark, Copenhagen

Seems like it is a routine that one just have to adapt and remember when swimming around with the One Air. It seems a bit of a hassle to mod a cressi, salvimar etc. But I will look into it...

@Jegwan: thanks for sharing your thoughts too. You definitely have a point with the power regulator - wonder how much different the regulator gives on the Cressi, Asso or VentAir...
Otherwise would it make sense to just keep the pressure of the One Air at a max of 20-22 bars?? I mean, visibility is often low/poor in Denmark, and I normally don't fire unless I get within 2-3 meters of target..
Let us know what you end up choosing.

 

[Diving Gecko]

Hej Carl,
Cool, at du er fra Kbh. Det kunne være fedt at tage ud med en, der ved, hvor der findes fisk i DK. Er hjemme forbi Kbh til juni

The One at 22-23 bars is a great gun. bmwgsboy explained how it pierces an archery target (?) at a distance. A few days ago, I involuntarily blunted the amazingly sharp tip on my new spear by banging it through a fish and into a rock. Prolly at 3.5 - 4 meters from the tip and the spear tip was flattened a lot. Powerful gun.
I am sure, it doesn't swing as fast as a 28mm alu gun, but perhaps with a 80-90 cm it is still fast enough.
In reg. to the power regulator, I am pretty sure it about halves the output on the guns that have it.
For the line release on the One, yes, I do think it is just about getting into a routine.
I just put a Seatec Evo-Air dry muzzle on my Seac Hunter 90cm and a new piston as the Seac pistons are known to corrode (and mine actually had in just the six months or so that I have had it). It was pretty easy. You just "deflate" it, unscrew the old muzzle, pop in a new piston (if need be) and screw on the new muzzle and bring up to pressure again. You can of course do a full rebuild, but I didn't see the need. I have also read that some spearos polish the inside of the barrel to get it even smoother, so one could do that at the same time.

Here are a few pics from today. Nude spear (as they are called in Italy) is around 10 cm longer than the old one, but it is lighter and thinner. I am sure, it will be quite a bit faster.

 

[Jegwan]

Sure you can use the Sporasub One at a suitable reduced pressure - but maybe you will like to have the full power if you see a trout hunting over a reef...

I looked at a just arrived 85 cm Sporasub One at Sportsbutikken. It really looks and feels nice. So I can easily understand why you would like one of them. Give Søren a visit and have a look at it.

Inspired by another thread on this forum I think I will try to get my hands on a 600 or 700 mm Taimen from Russia - if possible. This is also a dry barrel gun and it comes with a power regulator. Good luck with what ever gun you decide to get.

 

[Diving Gecko]

I second Jegwan's statement on the One feeling like a nice gun. My 120 certainly is so far. The handle is likely the best handle and stock trigger on any pneumatic gun. Also, and I don't know if this is really important but it might help if you come from band guns - the handle sits higher on the gun, a bit more in line with the spear, than on most other airguns where is sits well below the barrel. It might help in aiming it.
But also bear in mind, what a lot of other people have pointed out - this is still a very new gun and any potential teething problems may not have showed up yet.
Some people also say that a front tied spear is more likely to get stuck under rocks and in small caves (the One Air's spear is front tied). I don't know how much of that type of hunting you'll be doing but I'm likely going to use my 90cm for groupers and snappers in exactly those type of spots, so I am a tad worried, but it'll be good to get some experience with it myself.
If you need a dry barrel muzzle with a slider, then def look into Tombas. (Tomislav's creations).
I actually had the One Air spear stuck at 14 meters the other day. I can easily dive to that depth on the days when my silly right ear agrees with me and luckily, this was one of those. But first, I tried swimming around to create all sorts of angles to the spear while pulling the line, but finally just had to dive down and get it out. Looking at how it was jammed, I am 100% sure that particular situation had not happened if the spear was tied at the end instead of the front.

Best of luck and perhaps I'll see you Danes in Øresund or whereever you go

D.

 

[tromic]

After crimping the mono, or better before crimping, would be good to make a "ball" on the end of mono using lighter, to make it more secure. What kind of damper have you in Evo-Air muzzle?

 

[Diving Gecko]

After crimping the mono, or better before crimping, would be good to make a "ball" on the end of mono using lighter, to make it more secure. What kind of damper have you in Evo-Air muzzle?

For the nude spear I did make a small ball - but as with so many things, I had read contradictory things. Some say, the heating can weaken the mono further up, some say it wont. So, I just made a small ball

Ah, stupid me, I forgot to take pics of inside parts of the Evo. Sorry about that.
But as I remember it, the first one I got (wrong thread) had a piece of Delrin with some clear rubber tube around it. The second one (the right thread for my Seac) had a slightly different setup. It had a Delrin insert in the front and then behind it (towards the piston) it had a reddish/pinkish elastomer. Neither looked very advanced;-). But I guess at least in the second one, the piston hits the rubber which then compresses against the delrin. The first model, I got, the piston would actually hit the delrin part. So, perhaps the piston on rubber version is less noisy.

D.

 

[tromic]

For the nude spear I did make a small ball - but as with so many things, I had read contradictory things. Some say, the heating can weaken the mono further up, some say it wont. So, I just made a small ball

Ah, stupid me, I forgot to take pics of inside parts of the Evo. Sorry about that.
But as I remember it, the first one I got (wrong thread) had a piece of Delrin with some clear rubber tube around it. The second one (the right thread for my Seac) had a slightly different setup. It had a Delrin insert in the front and then behind it (towards the piston) it had a reddish/pinkish elastomer. Neither looked very advanced;-). But I guess at least in the second one, the piston hits the rubber which then compresses against the delrin. The first model, I got, the piston would actually hit the delrin part. So, perhaps the piston on rubber version is less noisy.

D.

Thanks! The second one you've got is the latest - that is the silent damper. What do you think is the purpose of delrin part in that configuration? Here is a link to the kit. According to picture delrin part does not go inside the elastomer part, right?

http://www.seatec.it/p/153/evo-air-free

 

[Diving Gecko]

Thanks! The second one you've got is the latest - that is the silent damper. What do you think is the purpose of delrin part in that configuration? Here is a link to the kit. According to picture delrin part does not go inside the elastomer part, right?

Seatec- EVO AIR FREE

Bummed, I didn't take pics of the insides of it. A bit hard to explain, but I'll try.
I think the delring part is just to create a bigger surface for the elastomer to rest on at the front. I think, I remember, the front having a flange, so it is less wide without it. Also, it might be to center the spear a bit?

Actually, just looked at the pics at the link you linked to. The last pic is how mine is, except the elastomer in mine is more pink. The parts go in as they are pictured with the delrin part sitting flush with its flange on top of a wider inside area of the muzzle. Hope it makes sense.

D.

 

[tromic]

Awaiting your impressions from comparing Evo-Air with x-power on One Air.

 

[bmwgsboy]

I spoke with sporasub US they have informed me
That there is a float kit for the one air,comeing out soon,
And a updated piston for the one air.
The told me to send in free of charge.
Anybody got this updated piston ??!
I do have to say Omer- sporasub US
Have great service.

 

[Diving Gecko]

I spoke with sporasub US they have informed me
That there is a float kit for the one air,comeing out soon,
And a updated piston for the one air.
The told me to send in free of charge.
Anybody got this updated piston ??!
I do have to say Omer- sporasub US
Have great service.

Interesting, wonder what the new piston is about. The Seac pistons are not great. The can corrode and supposedly scratch the barrel (I just put in an STC instead).
I just emailed Sporasub about a few other things as well some days ago and now again asking about the exchange piston, it was a good way of kindly reminding them about my first email

 

[Diving Gecko]

Awaiting your impressions from comparing Evo-Air with x-power on One Air.

Hi Tomi,
As mentioned, I am def not the best tester as I am relatively new to spearing and these are my first two guns
(I am getting schizophrenic and not knowing where I should post my thoughts on my Seac-Evo 90. But I think I will put them in my original post on the dry barrel mods).
Yesterday was the first time, I ever shot the two back to back and I can't say that much, other that they both just work. I did forget to loosen the Evo Air before firing a few times, but I didn't see much of a difference in output if any. I have the Seac Hunter up to 18 bars and it is bit hard to load. The One Air is at 25 and much easier.
Not to do with the muzzle, but I agree with the people who feel that the trigger pin modification is almost a must-have on "older" airguns. The Hunter has a 2mm pin which is soft enough when shooting on half power. But when on full power and coming from the Air One, I actually twice thought I had the safety on because the trigger was quite hard. I can only imagine how hard a 3mm Cressi pin must be on a gun with a lot of pressure.
Def another vote for the trigger/handle of the One Air.
We are still only a few days out of full moon and resulting high tides so not sure how much more spearing this trip will give me. If I do find out more things, I will add them.

Best and thanks for all the help in past months to you all!
David

 

[tromic]

Hi Tomi,
As mentioned, I am def not the best tester as I am relatively new to spearing and these are my first two guns
(I am getting schizophrenic and not knowing where I should post my thoughts on my Seac-Evo 90. But I think I will put them in my original post on the dry barrel mods).
Yesterday was the first time, I ever shot the two back to back and I can't say that much, other that they both just work. I did forget to loosen the Evo Air before firing a few times, but I didn't see much of a difference in output if any. I have the Seac Hunter up to 18 bars and it is bit hard to load. The One Air is at 25 and much easier.
Not to do with the muzzle, but I agree with the people who feel that the trigger pin modification is almost a must-have on "older" airguns. The Hunter has a 2mm pin which is soft enough when shooting on half power. But when on full power and coming from the Air One, I actually twice thought I had the safety on because the trigger was quite hard. I can only imagine how hard a 3mm Cressi pin must be on a gun with a lot of pressure.
Def another vote for the trigger/handle of the One Air.
We are still only a few days out of full moon and resulting high tides so not sure how much more spearing this trip will give me. If I do find out more things, I will add them.

Best and thanks for all the help in past months to you all!
David

Had you been loading guns under water, not emptying water from muzzle?
If I had a Evo-Air I would load the gun this way:

1. Put shaft in muzzle so water from muzzle being replaced with the shaft tail.
2. Tighten the screw to have sealing.
3. Load the shaft.
4. Untighten the screw to be ready for shooting.

I believe this would be the best way if not emptying the muzzle before inserting the shaft.

If emptying the muzzle above water surface before inseting the shaft, step 1. should not be done, just steps 2., 3. and 4.

More difficult loading with Evo-Air vs X-power is what I would expect. Proper functioning of Evo-Air (movable O-ring) requires high friction to the shaft so O-ring could be moved in front position after shooting. In other words friction force, O-ring to the shaft, must be higher than the oposite force of the water on given depth. Unlike Evo-Air Tovarich and TombaF have the lowest possible friction all the time so the loading should be easier, but inserting of the shaft should be done above water.

 

[bmwgsboy]

I don't understand the post above
When loading the one air you need to be above
Water?? I was told no. I was expecting to do
Scuba diving with it. Just wondering.
I dident see that in the instructions. Or is that just
Gor the EVO ?? Thanks again

 

[tromic]

You can load One Air with x-power under water, as well as Evo-Air. But, I would not do it with Evo-Air omitting step "1." above. If loading the gun under water from step "2." some water will be injected by the shaft what may cause water hammer effect or if not, may cause some small amount of water pass by the piston, behind it into the barrel. That is only what I think! Maybe I am wrong.