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Basic Equipment/Spare Parts

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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NiceGuy27

Member
Apr 27, 2017
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Hey Guys!

First of all I'm sorry for my bad english, but I try my best :)
I will visit Thailand for a few weeks and i bought a Salvimar Predathor 85cm (with reel), after some research.
Now I'm trying to get the rest of my equipment together and I really need some advice.

I have no local dealer in Austria, so I will have to order on the Internet.


.) Shafts

Since me and my friend are backpacking through Thailand, weight is a big factor.
I need some good shafts and better tips ;)
How many could i possibly need in 4 Weeks?
Do 7mm shafts, made from hardened steel, really band? Or is it more likely that a tip needs to be replaced?
Could you tell me a good brand to buy?
What is the difference when using a one part shaft or a shaft with a replacable tip?
How can I see what shaft fits my speargun?


.) Line

Can i use a Monochord on the Predathor Vuoto with reel? Does that make sense?


.) Spare Parts

I know i need these Muzzle Seals for the Predathor and i ordered them with the Speargun.
What else could possibly break? Piston? Shock Absorber?
I won't have access to spare parts in thailand, so I would really like to buy anything that could get broken.


.) Rest

As i said, I'm new to the sport, but I've fished for many years. So I really don't now much about the gear.
Fins, snorkel, mask, gloves, knife... that's obviously, but what else?
I know i need some line sliders. I wanted to buy the salvimar line sliders. Can i use them with any chord?
I need clamping sleeves!? Or do I tie a knot with Mono? Do I need a special tool for the clamping sleeves?

I would be thankful for any tips/information. Please help a novice :angelic:


Best Greetings from Vienna
Christian
 
First of all, Welcome! And congrats on the gun, it will serve you well.

Where To Buy
Now, for your parts , I would recommend getting everything from the knowledgeable Edo at http://www.edosub.it/. His website looks a bit old school but he has everything you need and knows more about pneumatics than most other shop owners. He ships fast, packages it nicely and wont sell you stuff you wont need.
There is another shop nearer to you, that I used to recommend but twice has that shop now shipped out later than they promised (and then denied it) so I can't really get myself to put them forward any longer. Finally, there is Scubastore but while they are cheap, you can never trust their estimated shipping times. If you order more than just 1-2 items they are notorious for taking quite a while to ship out.
So, my recommendation will have to be Edo. He is fast on email, too and his prices are actually very competitive and you get the satisfaction of having helped a small shop exist in the "Walmart World";-)

Shafts
Get Devoto Sub or Sigalsub. They are made out of stainless 17-4ph and probably equally good. Edo carries both. Popgun Pete will prefer replaceable tips but, personally, I would get 7mm tahitian shaft (no screw in tip). These will be the fastest and most precise which I fin preferable knowing that most fish in Thailand will keep a bit of a distance. I would just get two shafts.
I have two guns in your size and have shot their shafts into reef a bunch of times and still haven't managed to bend any of them. Both are still using the first 7mm Sigal shaft I got for them (come to think about it, the only tip I have actually bent was a screw-in one - it was the stock one that came with the galvanized metal shaft of my first gun). Blunting the tip, yeah, that can happen, but you can file it sharp again on a rock if need be. Also, often restaurants in Thailand will have a grinding stone in the back and I have had luck borrowing those.
Measure the length of the shaft you have now and just order the same. Possibly you can even go slightly shorter but you would need to measure that carefully.

Sliders
Salvimar's early sliders were said to be brittle and break easily. Now, they should be fine, so you can get an extra of those or possibly buy a few from Tomi/Marko (look for Tomi on the forum). They are very low profile and made out of Delrin, so less brittle. Yes, you can use the Salvi sliders with any line. Tomba sliders have quite small holes, so if your mono is too thick you can't fit it through, but then it would be too thick for performance reasons anyways.

Line
Do not use monofilament on the reel, use some dyneema. It is hard to find a dyneema that works equally well for the reel line and as a shooting line, which is why most people use mono as a shooting line (from spear to reel line). 1.3-1.6mm mono is fine for you gun. Do not go larger, it will just have more drag. If you really have to, in a pinch, you can use the dyneema on the reel as shooting line, also.
But you can also decide not to use the reel at all. But then you really should get a float, see below.

Crimps and Crimping Tool

It is kind of annoying having to travel with a crimping tool/crimping pliers as they are a bit heavy. But it is the safest way. Alternatively, you could rig both your spears at home with mono and then you might not even have to change out the mono on your travels. Just change the spear if you cut the mono badly on the first spear. If you wear both of them out, then you could use dyneema from the reel, but it is not ideal. Or you could always tie mono, you probably know much better than me how to make nice, low profile knots.
BTW, don't pay more than E20-22 for a crimping tool. That's still more than twice what I pay for OK quality ones in China and I suspect all brands get them from here - so when I see Omer charge E40 I kinda feel sad for the customers.

Piston
Get a spare Mares 13mm piston. They are tough as nails, affordable and will work perfectly in your gun, too.

Shock Absorber
I had a few issues with the shock absorber on one of my Vuoto muzzles, but there's no need to buy a whole absorber - in all likelihood if anything breaks, it will be the o-rings on the shock absorber, so you could just bring extra of those, if you can source them cheaply. On the other hand, chances are you wont even notice if they break. I didn't until I took the gun apart. But I guess there is no harm in getting one, they are pretty cheap anyways.

Wetsuit
A wetsuit will prolong your time in the water substantially. I dive with 3mm in the tropics (Philippines, Thailand). Maybe you can get away with 1.5mm but often they aren't really cheaper. But at least you will need less weights. There aren't tons of fish in Thailand, so often you will spend 4-6 hours swimming around getting a (few) fish. It'll get cold in shorts and a rash guard. Also, a suit will protect your from the sun, coral scratches and anamone stings. You will need weights, too. But I'd probably try to rent on your location, unless you are in a place with no dive shops. That said, I do travel with lead unless I am 100% sure I can get it where I am going.

Pump

You should bring your pump, too and buy a service set of o-rings (the latter is about E5). That way, if you do have to take the gun apart, you can pump it back up. And in the very rare case you need to change an o-ring, you'll have one that fits. You need a bit of a specialty tool to take the gun apart (pump valve tool) and a properly sized wrench for the muzzle. You can make the pump inlet valve tool in a pinch on locations. I have even used a metal file once, mounted in a vice, for that purpose.
BTW, if you have to pump up your gun up, then take breaks to let it cool down. Otherwise, it can get so hot the pump seal will wear out too fast. I had that happen and a bit of rubber even got into the pump valve of the gun and got stuck so the whole gun leaked all the air I had just pumped into it. I managed to repair it, but I think I would have been OK if I had just let the pump cool down from time to time. The problem with a busted pump seal is that, afaik, they don't come with the replacement o-ring sets:-(.

Fish Stringer
Get a fish stringer to hang your fish on your belt or the float. Even if you are diving from a long tail boat, chances are your skipper wont be right next to you and you wanna have a place to put the fish. If your stringer is made with nylon line make sure you don't string fish with sharp teeth through the mouth as they will cut through the stringer and you will lose the fish and possibly the stinger, too. String toothy fish through the eyes or gills instead.

Float and Floatline
Consider getting a float, but it really doesn't have to be anything fancy. Don't buy a fancy float line either. You can get really cheap polypropylene rope in Thailand in the shops for fishermen. It floats, is plenty strong and is what the locals use. Tie that to a styrofoam ball (which you can also get locally), stick your stringer into the ball and the other end of the float line to your gun and you're good to go.

Mask
Make sure you try your mask on in a shop before buying it. Ideally, the same with a suit if you get one.

Gloves
No need for expensive neoprene gloves. Consider getting some PU rubber coated working gloves. They will last longer and be cheaper. They even make some cut resistant ones with Dyneema weaved into them.

Traveling
BTW, I have stopped emptying my guns of air before flights... Yes, it is a pressurized container but your gun probably has about 18 bar in it and a volume of 18 liters, so not really much of a bomb there compared to a scuba tank. As always, don't say you have a gun with you when you check in your gear. Call it fishing gear and no one should give you trouble. I have flown on a ton of airlines with guns by now. Also in Thailand. If you don't have a bag long enough to put the gun and shafts in, then you can consider getting some PVC pipe. But I think your 85 should be able to fit in a fin bag - my Seac 90 does and despite the difference in naming, I think the Salvimar might be 2cm longer.
 
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I'm a big supporter of carrying a first aid kit with you. On the boat or with your dive bag. I'm getting myself a shark attack response kit (just in case, I doubt I'll really need it). But there are lots of potential injuries from getting smashed on the rocks to getting cuts on reefs. A first aid kit can save life and limb.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Oh my god :eek:
Thank you Gecko and Davos.
That was so much information I didn't even think about.
priceless, really.
I will do as you adviced, luckily I have 3 months left to get everything together.
and again, thank you sooo much. I feel a lot more prepared now.

Just one last question on the dyneema/mono:
Does the Mono give better performance cause of the smoother line release/less tangling effect or does it give a greater distance to?
If so, are we talking about a 3-5% greater distance, or even more?

If you have any more Ideas on stuff i need, maybe some small parts or stuff, it would be VERY welcome.

Have a nice day
Christian
 
I have never really used dyneema as shooting line, but what I hear is that most dyneemas tangle quite easily if used as shooting line. They may also have a little more drag, but that may not be the main issue. There are some dyneemas that people are using now which are better suited for shooting lines, it seems. The trick, supposedly, is to use a much stiffer dyneema which resists tangling better. Mono works well and is cheaper, so I think that's why people tend to use it.
 
I edited and added a bit to my first post so go through it again but also ran into a maximum limit, so I took the last section out and will post it here:

Once There
A lot of the reefs in Thailand are pretty over-fished or they are protected being part of the marine parks that incorporates most islands. So, it can make sense to try to go out on boats. Often the long tail boats that normally do snorkeling tours will charge you too much. Look for fishermen instead, maybe away from the main beaches. That said, a lot of fishermen do snorkeling tours in the high season, haha. Also ask around for local spearos. The seafood restaurants sometimes knows who spears. Spearfishing in Thai is called "ying pla", I think. Just keep a pic of your speargun on your phone to help in getting the message across.

Last time I was there, they had put a ban on spearing parrot fish. Check if that is still in effect. Thing is, parrot fish actually taste amazing and might, depending on your spot, be one of the easier fish for a beginner to catch. Some spots they have many, others are depleted. They keep the reefs healthy so I used to only take one or two on a trip if they were plenty. Barracudas are actually not too hard to shoot in Thailand - if they are in your spot, that is, as they have no fear. Same with trevallys. The latter will actually come pretty close to check you out. For that reason, I used to call them "Stupid Fish" and imagine my surprise when they were very smart in the Philippines, haha. But they taste great and I will rarely pass on one. Of course, groupers and snappers are amazing but I haven't really seen or caught that many snappers there.

Most seafood restaurants will be happy to cook your fish for you. They may or may not charge you a cooking fee. Just buy extra dishes and drinks from them and normally they are fine. I often travel on my own and bringing home fish to your own resort and inviting the staff to eat with you is a great way to make friends - or other guests for that matter.
 
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I just measured my Salvimar shaft for the 85. It is 97cm long. The Devoto is either 95 or 105cm and the Sigal is 94 and 105cm. I would have to assemble my gun and trial load it to see if you can use the shorter ones as spares - but perhaps Edo would know from experience. Otherwise, just buy 105cm and consider having them cut down by anyone with a good lathe who can cut a thread.
 
Buy a spare hand loader in case you lose the one supplied with the gun. Over the years I have lost many hand loaders, although once tethered by an elastic cord loop to my wrist I have not lost one, although the elastic loop needs to be replaced periodically as it deteriorates over time. Losing the gun's hand loader means you will be hard pressed to load the gun in the water.

A metal working file is useful, as are pliers to hold the shaft or tip while you use the file to correct any slight damage. If you flatten or knock the end off the tip then a grinder is really needed to restore the tapered shape, which is the reason why replaceable tips are more suitable for areas where you may hit a rock. Spare tips can be transported in a small plastic container and I usually carry spare tips with me on a dive, either pushed up under my wetsuit sleeve or in my dive boot top with a rubber cover over the end of the tip and tape over the rear end of the floppers holding them shut. The problem with storing tips in your dive boots is the tips can fall out as you wade out in surf with water causing the top of the dive boot to flare open momentarily and then the tip falls out. I use zippered dive boots and I lost two spear tips that way before I figured out what had happened to them.
 
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Good tip on the loader. Another one is to tie/connect the loader to the gun after use. I have dropped in once or twice with all my gear except my loader... Tying it to the gun, you will have it with you and then move it to your wrist once in the water. Since I started doing that, I haven't forgotten any.
 
A snap of my loader with a wrist strap:
SINGLE_LOADER_WRIST_STRAP_02.jpg_700PIX.jpg
 
That is very nice guys!
I feel like I have a real chance now :cool:

I will order at edosub.it and hopefully I can get to croatia before my Trip to test everything. I will report as soon as possible.

Thank you all!!!!
 
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