Hello,I have heard quite of few people having problems loading long band guns so I thought of sharing a technique I developed long time ago.I had just bought a Cressi Apache 110 and mounted 20 mm graphite bands thinking of getting the longest range achievable.I went in the water and I soon found out that I was not able to load the beast. I also hurt my finger in the process. I could only load the gun onshore, I was desperate. The desperation soon turned in the determination to find a solution which I found and used ever since.The basic problem is that when one start pulling the bands towards the notches the gun tip gradually lifts and the angle of pull decrease and the effort increases.Here is the trick which can work with even the stiffest bands:1- Adjust the spear line so that from the muzzle it reaches the line release in the handle and back to the muzzle attachment point. A set up commonly used. If you have a reel make sure that the line does not pay out while pulling.2- Float on the surface belly down; leave the line unattached to the release so that it forms a loop. Put the foot (fin) in the line loop so that the line is under the sole of the fin.3- Put the gun handle against the weight belt buckle. The belt should be loose enough so that the belt and the gun can slide up a bit.4- Grab the bands and start pulling towards the notches. When pulling starts getting hard stretch the leg with the line under the fin so that the gun stop lifting and actually starts pointing down. Adjust the angle to optimize the pull by stretching the leg. .5- All of the sudden you'll see that the loading effort is reduced by the more vertical and a lot more efficient pull which is more in axis with the gun. Getting to the last notch will feel like nothing. I am sure that a lot of people after trying the technique will think of getting larger diameter bands. Why not, you may as well have the most power one can provide with the same effort and time.The technique is also safer due to the better control of the bands since one is never at the limit of the effort. Time wise should take just as much as the conventional but harder two step loading. Another advantage is that the belt bears the load and in part distributes it around the chest instead of having a concentrated pressure in just one spot. For convenience I also use a special gun handle rest that can be mounted on the belt. I bought it in Italy years ago but you can do without it. The people I taught the trick love it.CheersGiovanni