Cressi Beginners Guns

[skatanafas]

Hi, First post - Hope you guys can help with some simple advice for a newbie...

I've been looking at beginner guns for use in the Med - thinking about 60cm Cressi Apache or Sioux for use around rocks.

Would anyone care to nominate which of the two would be better, or perhaps recommend any other good entry level equivalent? Thanks!

 

[mishu1984]

Welcome to DB. you will find that this is probably the most comprehensive board available. one of its best features is the "search" function

ok, first thing you have to consider is the environment you will be diving in:

average vis, target species, etc.

given that i dont dive UK waters i cant tell you exactly which gun to use, but as a general rule, bad vis and rock working require smaller guns. However you will often be presented with opportunities to shoot free swimming fish that feed on prey neer rocks. this is important because more than anything it will determine your band and shaft setup.

free swimming fish often require faster shaft speeds than rock-work. however since you intend to hunt around rocks you need a thicker shaft that is less viable to bending and will hold its tip. in my opinion i have found that a 6.5mm shaft is a great all rounder, with my preference being a 7mm.

pencil points are nice and sharp till you hit a few rocks and they start to loose its point. for that reason i prefer a tri-cut tip. also, re-sharpening a tri-cut tip is much easier.

overall, i would have found that a good tri-cut 6.5mm shaft, coupled with a 80cm gun with 16mmx2 bands works best for rocks and free swimming fish that frequent rocks.

check Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment for more information from the retailer. you will find that cressi-sub is right on the money for a starter gun. i started with them and i can honestly say taht they are perfect for begginers. save your fingers and convert your wishbones to either dynema or steel wire, and polish the notches on the shafts.

use the search function and you will find a lot of usefull info.

good luck

 

[marco15499]

You better get a Comanche. For a few pennies more, It's worth it.

 

[Mr. X]

They both sound like reasonable choices.
Soiux:

Apaches:

If you plan to do a lot of spearing, e.g. continue in the UK afterwards, then I too would go for the Commanche. But if you just want to potter around on your holidays without major investment, the above should be fine.

Tri-cut tips (i.e. those with a single point ground using 3 flat surfaces) are easier to sharpen than conical tips. Though for close-in, reef work, & flatties, trident/multi-prong tips are quite popular as they are less likely to be over-penetrate a fish, and are more likely to immobilize a fish, reducing line snag hazard.

60-75cm seems like a good size for close-in reef work that you mention. For a general purpose gun for the UK we normally recommend 75-90cm. For a beginner I think 70-75cm is probably a good size, depending on your plans/location. Near London, i.e. SE, shorter guns for lower viz. - 60cm-75cm would make sense to me. For the med. viz. reputedly often a bit better, so I might be inclined to go for a bit longer gun - maybe 75-100cm (probably 80cm if beginner - maybe 100cm/110cm later - depends what you learn from your experience there).

 

[skatanafas]

Thanks guys. After a bit more research, I find that I'm REALLY limited on what I can take with me in the suitcase - basically, I will only be able to get the Cressi Apache 45 (spear length 77cm) into my case.

I'm only looking to catch small fish: 6 - 12" (15 - 30cm) MAX - I usually see Grey Mullet, Bass and Bream (if lucky)

So.... I started thinking - will the Apache 45 be any good for fish that size?

Or should I start looking at Pneumatics (the Cressi SL 55 with the reduced power looks like a good bet...)

Any advice, most welocme...

Thanks!

 

[scottwilson]

I'm only looking to catch small fish: 6 - 12" (15 - 30cm) MAX - I usually see Grey Mullet, Bass and Bream (if lucky)

I know nothing about the legal minimum size in the Med but bass and mullet between 15cm - 30cm are way under the legal size in the UK which is punishable with a heavy fine as well as your gear confiscated if caught by the fisheries.

The soiux guns have very weak stock rubbers as standard , the comanche guns are a far better gun in build quality and power

 

[skatanafas]

I know nothing about the legal minimum size in the Med but bass and mullet between 15cm - 30cm are way under the legal size in the UK which is punishable with a heavy fine as well as your gear confiscated if caught by the fisheries.

The soiux guns have very weak stock rubbers as standard , the comanche guns are a far better gun in build quality and power

Thanks Scott,

The Bream rarely exceeds 6" and Mullet and Bass rarely exceed 12" where I'll be - you'd be lucky to see anything bigger serverd on a plate in the restaurants...

I looked at the Comache, but there's no way I'll get the spear for a 60cm gun in my luggage, hence the dilema about the 45cm Cressi Apache or the 55cm Cressi SL.

Would a 45cm banded gun be any use? would a 55cm Pneumatic be any better?

 

[spaghetti]

Would a 45cm banded gun be any use?

No.

And as Scott pointed out, the Sioux has very feeble bands that you will want to upgrade after the first shot. I suggest you to start with a Comanche 60, or with a Cressi SL 70.

 

[skatanafas]

I just don't have the space in my luggage for anything bigger than a 75-80 cm shaft. So it's either the Cressi Apache 45cm or a pneumatic...

 

[spaghetti]

Get a 70 pneumatic, not a 55. It will stay in your luggage.

 

[marco15499]

I just don't have the space in my luggage for anything bigger than a 75-80 cm shaft. So it's either the Cressi Apache 45cm or a pneumatic...

If you can't take AT LEAST a 75 cm band gun or a 70 cm pneumatic gun with you, you better go collecting mushrooms or berries....

 

[hteas]

IF you are that limited, you might want to look at a take down pole spear.
My Ray Odor comes in 3 X 24 inch (60 cm) sections, and has a separate tip which adds another 12 inches (30 cm). Available tips are fixed, slip tip, and 3-prong (used extensively in Hawaii for small fish)

 

[Mr. X]

Thanks Scott,

The Bream rarely exceeds 6" and Mullet and Bass rarely exceed 12" where I'll be - you'd be lucky to see anything bigger servered on a plate in the restaurants...

I looked at the Comanche, but there's no way I'll get the spear for a 60cm gun in my luggage, hence the dilemma about the 45cm Cressi Apache or the 55cm Cressi SL.

Would a 45cm banded gun be any use? would a 55cm Pneumatic be any better?

Restaurants and supermarkets usually sell plate-sized farmed bass these day - and those are, for some perverse reason, allowed to be undersized. So those wild fish you see might well be below the local minimum landing size. Not sure about foreign fisheries but the British Fisheries have impressive powers to hold, fine and confiscate (equipment & vehicles). Don't imagine you'd get much satisfaction out of killing immature fish - better to let them be, so they can grow & breed. Maybe look for something bigger or take a waterproof camera instead?


Are you aware that a, say, 60cm band-gun will actually be longer than 60cm? The quoted size is only the length of the barrel tube - not including the trigger mech/handle, muzzle or spear extension (spears are typically 30-40cm longer than the quoted barrel length).

A short pneumatic sounds more likely to meet your needs. They are sized differently (shorter than equivalent sized band-gun) and pack more power for a given size. Heed Spaghetti's advice though - it is the result of years of experience and will save you time & money. Have you considered buying/borrowing longer luggage (e.g. rod bag/ski bag/golf bag)?!

 

[marco15499]

Why don't you get a polespear? You break it in parts and will have far more reach than a 60 cm speargun.
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[bobdonny]

Foldspear -The only Holstered Polespear

Thats what I take on holidays... the holster means you can walk in to the water and then assemble and disassemble and walk out and the other people don't know any better