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Cornwall 2009

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
1) Padaxes - lovely gun there mate!
2) Interesting all these tales of trouble on the high seas. I finned out from Meadfoot to Thatchers Rock in Torbay last year for some freediving with a buddy. By the time we got to the rock the sea was really choppy yet my mate was off attempting to circumnavigate the rock. We got into some turbulent s##t on the other side of the rock and sticking together was really difficult. At times my mate just vanished amongst the waves and I was feeling hypothermic. It was one of those moments when you are right on the verge of panic taking over and feel very alone and vulnerable. Not nice. In the end we managed to ride a current to shore both clinging to the buoy.
I think I learnt how dangerous panic could be in such a situation. We had to work together to get back to shore and if one of us had lost the plot it could have been an even worse scenario.
 
Cheers Lazuli :) Im pleased.

Dave I also think I will be loading that Gabbiano 90 from the hip or thigh as I cant seem to do It from the chest. (Oh and you havn't replied to my email :p )
 
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Obviously you can load by any method you like, but chest is by far the easiest, followed by stomach, weightbelt, hip, then finally thigh.
Unless there is a pressing medical reason, I can see no reason not to chest load. You CAN do it, my petite 12 year old niece can chest load a 90 Gabbiano easily. Thigh loading takes vastly more strength than chest loading as you are not using your muscles in an efficient direction
It is all about technique, not strength. If your arms are too short to reach the rubbers, hold the rubbers in one hand, and the handle of the gun in the other, and push the butt of the gun round into your chest, then bring the hand that was on the handle out to the rubbers. There is a good pictorial on the Rob Allen website, Rob Allen spearguns, railguns and other spearfishing and freediving accessories. in the diving tips section

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

ps padaxes, you have email!
 
Obviously you can load by any method you like, but chest is by far the easiest, followed by stomach, weightbelt, hip, then finally thigh.
Unless there is a pressing medical reason, I can see no reason not to chest load. You CAN do it, my petite 12 year old niece can chest load a 90 Gabbiano easily. Thigh loading takes vastly more strength than chest loading as you are not using your muscles in an efficient direction
It is all about technique, not strength. If your arms are too short to reach the rubbers, hold the rubbers in one hand, and the handle of the gun in the other, and push the butt of the gun round into your chest, then bring the hand that was on the handle out to the rubbers. There is a good pictorial on the Rob Allen website, Rob Allen spearguns, railguns and other spearfishing and freediving accessories. in the diving tips section

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

ps padaxes, you have email!


Dave,

Get a video of you 12 year old niece chest-loading a Gabbiano 90 on here straight away - I'm sure we'd all love to see that! rofl:)rofl
 
Dave,

Get a video of you 12 year old niece chest-loading a Gabbiano 90 on here straight away - I'm sure we'd all love to see that!

I'm personally not into asking people for videos of little girlsrofl... but have to say I find it slightly hard to believe.

I've competed in national and inter-national weightlifting and I still find it takes quite a lot force to chest-load even a 75.

Can't see a litle girl doing it...
 
LOL beaten by a twelve year old girl! That's put me in my place!

Its the process i think i find harder, i agree it takes more muscle strength to hip load but I find it faster and easier overall?

Maybe it will be different in the sea , suited up and with gloves on.
 
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Here we go guys... pretty straight forward tutorial which you may find useful... however we all know not to dry load a speargun now don't we
:naughty

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85gFOPcDjF8]YouTube - How to load a speargun 2[/ame]

Cheers,

Huw
 
I'm personally not into asking people for videos of little girlsrofl... but have to say I find it slightly hard to believe.

I've competed in national and inter-national weightlifting and I still find it takes quite a lot force to chest-load even a 75.

Can't see a litle girl doing it...

It is often weight lifters/ body builders who say they cant chest load, which shows that it is technique rather than strength:). Anything other than chest loading takes a lot more strength, as you are pulling at an angle. A set of 20mm bands exerts a force equivalent to about 50kg at max stretch, so chest loading is only like doing one rep of bent over rowing with 50kg (actually its less than that as for most of the loading cycle the force is lower)
One of the secrets is to load in a quick, confident movement, another thing to try is holding the wishbone with your palms facing down, as this uses bigger muscle groups (although personally I prefer palms up, its just what I am used to). It is actually a lot easier to chest load in the water than on land for some reason. Trying to chest load in a T shirt is always going to hurt!

cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment
 
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I must say I have never really had any problems loading from the chest & my normal use band gun is a 100cm.
I guess it is more about commitment & technique? (& very long bands rofl)
 
Hi,

I am a convert from pneumatics and thought I would find the laoding of a rubber far harder than in fact I found them easier to load than my omer 75! I am built like a weeble - you know we wobble but don't fall down, but following years of upper body wheights I think it is all in the shoulders.

I also agree that in fact it is far easier in the water than out.

Stay Safe

Diver9
 
NOT REALLY!!!roflroflrofl

Ive got a commanche 90 with g20 rubbers that are about 2 years old and i still struggle every time, often ending up loading on the stomach as my reach is a bit short. I tried the method in the video but my hand always slips into the wishbone and even in gloves that can be painfull.:crutch
 
It is often weight lifters/ body builders who say they cant chest load, which shows that it is technique rather than strength:). Anything other than chest loading takes a lot more strength, as you are pulling at an angle. A set of 20mm bands exerts a force equivalent to about 50kg at max stretch, so chest loading is only like doing one rep of bent over rowing with 50kg (actually its less than that as for most of the loading cycle the force is lower)
One of the secrets is to load in a quick, confident movement, another thing to try is holding the wishbone with your palms facing down, as this uses bigger muscle groups (although personally I prefer palms up, its just what I am used to). It is actually a lot easier to chest load in the water than on land for some reason. Trying to chest load in a T shirt is always going to hurt!

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

Lol - I do my bent over rows with 120kg for sets of 8 rofl

I totally agree with you about the confidence thing - I'm always slightly suspicious that in loading the gun I'm going to somehow slip and tear my fingers off :D

I usually pull the band up slowly, carefully and not particularly confidently! Need to buy some of those nice Kevlar diving gloves!
 
I'm always slightly suspicious that in loading the gun I'm going to somehow slip and tear my fingers off :D I usually pull the band up slowly, carefully and not particularly confidently! Need to buy some of those nice Kevlar diving gloves!

Or make the switch to Dyneema wishbones (:crutch). Oh, if anyone in the southwest who ties their own bands finds themself in dire need of some Dyneema 1.5mm, PM me and I may be able to send you a couple of meters. I've got quite a bit sitting idle.
Laz
 
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