This new thread is to avoid further high-jacking of the "new Omer pneumatic" thread.
The best place for info is the manufacturer's web-site. The Aquatech spearguns have been around for years, being manufactured in the Ukraine. The "Black Sea" gun is an evolution of the standard Aquatech hydropneumatic gun; main difference is the auxiliary hydropump built into the rear end of the gun and the gun body being uprated for higher operating pressure. Without this hydropump you would never load it unless you were built like King Kong and the spear was made of "unbendium"!
The "Black Sea" gun was first developed to shoot big Tuna, the first guy to do so would be Fernando Abella, who sometimes posts on this forum. Later "Black Sea" models have been made in different lengths as not everyone has the need, or opportunity, to shoot Tuna, but would still like a powerful gun. The "Black Sea" gun is charged initially from an air tank, but it is a captive air system and loses no pressure during use, same as with all other pneumatic spearguns. The air inlet valve is on the side of the muzzle, the valve stem is actually the forward sight on the barrel of my gun. The guns are not floaters, however the latter ones have a fatter body diameter that has improved this aspect, going from 30 mm OD to 35 mm OD. My 2007 year model gun is one of these fatter ones and is not far off floating, only the hunk of stainless steel at the rear that the pump handle pivots on weighs it down. The plastic hydropump handle has helped in reducing weight at the rear as originally they were made of metal. I will be adding some flotation to improve this, right now the gun floats horizontal in the water unloaded with only my finger supporting it under the trigger finger guard. The original 30 mm OD guns sunk like stones because of insufficient water displacement to offset their weight. Most hydropneumatic spearguns are of this smaller body size because floating was not a prime requirement when spearfishing in a lake or river, but recent developments suggest that there will be a move to floating after spear discharge guns.
Main problem in getting one of these is shipping it in through the various channels. Although the regulations permit the import of spearguns (otherwise why would any speargun be sold in local stores?), not everyone in the shipping/customs chain knows that fact and unfortunately it only takes one "using his initiative" to stop your gun in its tracks. The best approach is to write for official permission at your end, you will be told it is not strictly necessary, but say that you want it anyway. This "approval" document will be a good investment as citing it will melt opposition like snow when and if it occurs, but you need to monitor the situation once the gun is posted at the Ukrainian end. My gun took one week to reach here, but cooled its heels for nearly two months while someone in officialdom here pondered whether it was a threat to civilisation as we know it. Once I found out where it was and explained what it was I received it two days later. Evidently the operating instructions, which clearly showed a speargun, had been of no help, plus the gun did not seem to work when they examined it. Not surprising as without water inside it the gun will not work.
The best place for info is the manufacturer's web-site. The Aquatech spearguns have been around for years, being manufactured in the Ukraine. The "Black Sea" gun is an evolution of the standard Aquatech hydropneumatic gun; main difference is the auxiliary hydropump built into the rear end of the gun and the gun body being uprated for higher operating pressure. Without this hydropump you would never load it unless you were built like King Kong and the spear was made of "unbendium"!
The "Black Sea" gun was first developed to shoot big Tuna, the first guy to do so would be Fernando Abella, who sometimes posts on this forum. Later "Black Sea" models have been made in different lengths as not everyone has the need, or opportunity, to shoot Tuna, but would still like a powerful gun. The "Black Sea" gun is charged initially from an air tank, but it is a captive air system and loses no pressure during use, same as with all other pneumatic spearguns. The air inlet valve is on the side of the muzzle, the valve stem is actually the forward sight on the barrel of my gun. The guns are not floaters, however the latter ones have a fatter body diameter that has improved this aspect, going from 30 mm OD to 35 mm OD. My 2007 year model gun is one of these fatter ones and is not far off floating, only the hunk of stainless steel at the rear that the pump handle pivots on weighs it down. The plastic hydropump handle has helped in reducing weight at the rear as originally they were made of metal. I will be adding some flotation to improve this, right now the gun floats horizontal in the water unloaded with only my finger supporting it under the trigger finger guard. The original 30 mm OD guns sunk like stones because of insufficient water displacement to offset their weight. Most hydropneumatic spearguns are of this smaller body size because floating was not a prime requirement when spearfishing in a lake or river, but recent developments suggest that there will be a move to floating after spear discharge guns.
Main problem in getting one of these is shipping it in through the various channels. Although the regulations permit the import of spearguns (otherwise why would any speargun be sold in local stores?), not everyone in the shipping/customs chain knows that fact and unfortunately it only takes one "using his initiative" to stop your gun in its tracks. The best approach is to write for official permission at your end, you will be told it is not strictly necessary, but say that you want it anyway. This "approval" document will be a good investment as citing it will melt opposition like snow when and if it occurs, but you need to monitor the situation once the gun is posted at the Ukrainian end. My gun took one week to reach here, but cooled its heels for nearly two months while someone in officialdom here pondered whether it was a threat to civilisation as we know it. Once I found out where it was and explained what it was I received it two days later. Evidently the operating instructions, which clearly showed a speargun, had been of no help, plus the gun did not seem to work when they examined it. Not surprising as without water inside it the gun will not work.
