First gun recommendations

[Gareth711]

I'm looking to get into spearfishing in the UK, and hopefully over in Europe in the future.
I was considering a Cressi Cherokee fast.
Is this suitable? Or is there anything I should consider instead?

I love the look of a wooden gun, but would rather only pay upto £300 on a gun.

Help please

Gareth

 

[Mr. X]

Where in the UK & Europe do you expect to fish mainly?? (Quite important)

I think Cressi spearguns are ok/quite good on the whole. Although I think some USA members had spears fracture around the spear's shark-fins.

The usual recommendation for UK is 75cm to 90cm barrels. That seems a good range to me. Although some go shorter and/or longer. Say 70cm/100cm? Or even 65cm/120cm. For special circumstances. I think 80-85cm might also be a good length for UK (former well respected forum members OMD, Pav & Spaghetti were rightly fans of the 82cm(?) Omer XXV ( I use the 75cm & 90cm versions, love 'em but a single 82cm might have been cheaper, easier and better (?)).

For the med 100cm is a common recommendation. So for both med and UK 90cm might be a good choice to start with. . Somewhere between 80-110cm to start with perhaps.

Btw I've owned and like spearguns by Rob Allen, Omer and Apnea (although only very limited experience with my 2 new-ish Apneas, so far).

 

[Gareth711]

I live in North Lincolnshire so I doubt there will be much spearfishing near me. (Unless any of your knowledgeable members tell me otherwise) so I imagine it'll be the Dorset and corniche coast when I get away.
Are there any better guns you would recommend?

 

[Gareth711]

Cornish* flipping spellcheck

 

[Hamster]

I live in North Lincolnshire so I doubt there will be much spearfishing near me. (Unless any of your knowledgeable members tell me otherwise) so I imagine it'll be the Dorset and corniche coast when I get away.
Are there any better guns you would recommend?

A rob allen, 80-100 will do you fine

 

[Aquamacca]

Where in the UK & Europe do you expect to fish mainly?? (Quite important)

I think Cressi spearguns are ok/quite good on the whole. Although I think some USA members had spears fracture around the spear's shark-fins.

The usual recommendation for UK is 75cm to 90cm barrels. That seems a good range to me. Although some go shorter and/or longer. Say 70cm/100cm? Or even 65cm/120cm. For special circumstances. I think 80-85cm might also be a good length for UK (former well respected forum members OMD, Pav & Spaghetti were rightly fans of the 82cm(?) Omer XXV ( I use the 75cm & 90cm versions, love 'em but a single 82cm might have been cheaper, easier and better (?)).

For the med 100cm is a common recommendation. So for both med and UK 90cm might be a good choice to start with. . Somewhere between 80-110cm to start with perhaps.

Btw I've owned and like spearguns by Rob Allen, Omer and Apnea (although only very limited experience with my 2 new-ish Apneas, so far).

If you had to buy either a 75 or a 90, what would you go for? I'm torn at the moment and keep flipping between Riffe's Euro 75 & 90. Currently using a Cressi 100 and wanted to drop a bit of length but worried the 75 is going too far. Arrgghhh decisions decisions.

 

[GMurphy]

My suggestions for UK gun length:
Sussex: 60
Dorset-Devon: 75
Devon-Cornwall: 90
West Cornwall: 100 (sometimes).

If in doubt go shorter and more powerful (maybe reverse mech as well), then double wrap - gives you a lot more flexibility. Check out the Pathos Sniper.

 

[DiveHacker]

Have a look at the meandros line of guns

 

[Mr. X]

A rob allen, 80-100 will do you fine

Yes I agree.I thought a RA 70 (or 80) might work well in Dorset, east of Weymouth. I usually alternate between my 75 and 90. I used to use my fast, light, carbon barrel Omer XXV 75 more (after using my big, fairly heavy , RA90 Sparid for some years, which seemed too big and slow for the many close, fast moving fish like Mullet, gar and mackerel) I was increasingly encountering.

Even in Devon and Cornwall. But more recently I found myself using and preferring my XXV 90 in the often slightly clearer conditions of S. Devon and Cornwall (Cornwall can be much clearer, sometimes in some places but not always.)

So My recommendation for UK is a single 80cm-ish. I often start with my 75 but then switch to the 90. Depends on visibility and distance to fish.

 

[Mr. X]

FYI my new I bought my 2 new Apnea spearguns to cover the two extremes that I occasionally encounter:

A 2x14mm band ST-60 for poor Viz (perhaps better to stay onshore or focus on scallops?). Nice spearguns but perhaps more useful as 90 (or say 70-110cm).

A 95cm Apnea rollergun. Seems a great, very versatile spec. on paper. But It is much heavier, more complex and less agile than my carbon-barrel Omer XXV 90. Although similar in length, they are quite different to hold and use.

I still think the Apnea roller might be the answer to my occasional longer range needs. But still haven't had much chance to try both Apneas out yet ( due to injury) .

 

[Brochman]

I live in the very far north of the UK where the sea is crystal clear, I started spearfishing with a 75cm speargun and although I have had many years of stalking prey on land I soon found out that I just could not get close enough to a fish without it seeing me due to the clear water so I bought a 90cm speargun and put 2x14 mm bands on for more power also the 14mm bands do not create the recoil of thicker bands so more accuracy. .
I can just load one of the 14mm bands if I wanted to shoot close range or both bands for longer range.
For me I find the two band setup best set up as you can only take one speargun into the sea with you but you can shoot at short range or long range with the same speargun.
A Carbon speargun is going to be lighter and more easy to manoeuvre obviously due to it being a lighter weight speargun, I have been tempted to buy one but I am happy with the performance of my Sporasub One 90 which has a Cuttlefish bone design.

 

[Gareth711]

I live in the very far north of the UK where the sea is crystal clear, I started spearfishing with a 75cm speargun and although I have had many years of stalking prey on land I soon found out that I just could not get close enough to a fish without it seeing me due to the clear water so I bought a 90cm speargun and put 2x14 mm bands on for more power also the 14mm bands do not create the recoil of thicker bands so more accuracy. .
I can just load one of the 14mm bands if I wanted to shoot close range or both bands for longer range.
For me I find the two band setup best set up as you can only take one speargun into the sea with you but you can shoot at short range or long range with the same speargun.
A Carbon speargun is going to be lighter and more easy to manoeuvre obviously due to it being a lighter weight speargun, I have been tempted to buy one but I am happy with the performance of my Sporasub One 90 which has a Cuttlefish bone design.

Thank you, when you say very far north, what area do you fish? It would be closer for me to head north to fishing areas, than head to the south coast.

 

[Brochman]

Thank you, when you say very far north, what area do you fish? It would be closer for me to head north to fishing areas, than head to the south coast.

I live in the northern Isles Gareth roughly 700 miles from where you live.

 

[Gareth711]

I live in the northern Isles Gareth roughly 700 miles from where you live.

I see. I expect its lovely up there. I do plan on sailing around the UK very slowly in a couple of years. So hopefully will see for myself