• Welcome to the DeeperBlue.com Forums, the largest online community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing. To gain full access to the DeeperBlue.com Forums you must register for a free account. As a registered member you will be able to:

    • Join over 44,280+ fellow diving enthusiasts from around the world on this forum
    • Participate in and browse from over 516,210+ posts.
    • Communicate privately with other divers from around the world.
    • Post your own photos or view from 7,441+ user submitted images.
    • All this and much more...

    You can gain access to all this absolutely free when you register for an account, so sign up today!

flopper on top or bottom?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

flopper location

  • top (hawaiian)

    Votes: 12 42.9%

  • bottom (tahitian)

    Votes: 10 35.7%

  • both (double flopper)

    Votes: 5 17.9%

  • No preference

    Votes: 1 3.6%
  • Total voters
    28

willloomy

Well-Known Member
May 7, 2008
199
23
58
I have always been a fan of the hawaiian style (flopper on bottom) shafts, and many of my dive partners swear by that method. Im just curious to what your opinions are. Do you like the flopper on the top, bottom or both (double flopper) and why?
 
On the top for me, no real reason, guess I’ve always used spears that have come with the flopper on the top and that’s what I’ve got used to.
 
On the top it lays flat on the spear so there is no compromise when it comes to aiming. By the way the shaft will spin no matter what so its anyones guess what is best as far as that goes. On the bottom, it will lay flat when you squeeze the trigger so it's really a personal thing.
 
Reactions: strangelove
I mainly use single flopper on top as that's standard on my euro guns. I own one custom gun thats set up with a single flopper on the bottom and I own a mamba with a double flopper set up.

I've noticed that on a couple of fish that have got off the spear and then been respeared (rarely by myself and more commonly by a buddy) that the fish have not torn off but that in their struggles the flopper must have closed and the spear simply fell out leaving a small hole.

Several fish that have got off and not been recaptured I suspect got off for this reason although some others have torn right through or made a big hole in themselves (usually gut shot) and torn the spear free.

I am impressed by the long double floppers on the Mamba and impressed by their sleek design. I would like to try this sort on my band guns. I believe they are more difficult to get out of the fish once caught and killed but that doesn't seem to be too big a price to pay if you lose less fish.

Do underneath or double floppers need to be held closed with a small O-ring or do people just let them dangle, so to speak?

Dave.
 
I am strong believer in double floppers. 0 chance of a fish slipping off from a flopper resting on the shaft & better flopper displacement on the body of a fighting fish.

Problem is they are just too hard to come by in Tonga , so I mostly use Rob Allen shafts.
 

Agree with blueface, on the top.
 

I do agree to.

Tomy.
 
I could be wrong but I was under the impression the flopper on the bottom is Hawaiian and on the Top is Tahitian.
 
strangelove said:
I could be wrong but I was under the impression the flopper on the bottom is Hawaiian and on the Top is Tahitian.
Click to expand...

I believe you are right. I didn't think about it till you mentioned it. If you purchase a Hawaiian shaft from Riffe, the flopper would be on the bottom.

Still a good thread though.
 
your correct tahitian is the top and i prefer it this way just feels more streamlined and then there's the debatable question wether or not a flopper on the bottom can throw off the tragectory of your spear i hear this often, never really noticed a difference personally ive used both.
 
I prefer the hawaiian style flopper (on the bottom) it never seemed to mess up my accuracy with riffe or rob allen shafts. Now an improperly machined slip tip on the other hand......:head
 
strangelove said:
I could be wrong but I was under the impression the flopper on the bottom is Hawaiian and on the Top is Tahitian.
Click to expand...

your right i must have put that in wrong

i got it right in the first post just not in the poll
 
Last edited:
Reactions: Davis

I don't know if it is true that it spins I might be testing it out this afternoon I'll get back to you guys. however with a hawaiian style shaft you have a less obstructed view down the shaft, possibly increasing acuracy
 
ON TOP is a must for me, lots of hunting between rocks and caves.

Guess what happens when you stick the muzzle into a crevice with a bottom "hanging" flopper - yep, it flops open and you can't get the gun out without farting around for an age.

Regarding the correct flopper tension: if you hold the spear only at the breach end, a sharp tap in the middle of the spear should flip up the flopper, and it should stay up.

If it flops down, you will loose fish. The flopper needs slightly squeezing just above the rivet (the exact place is a PITA to find) to get the right tension. This must be done every 5 dive days or so.

I have a video somewhere...
 
Reactions: strangelove


Amen ! Well Said !
 
azapa said:
ON TOP is a must for me, lots of hunting between rocks and caves.

Guess what happens when you stick the muzzle into a crevice with a bottom "hanging" flopper - yep, it flops open and you can't get the gun out without farting around for an age.
Click to expand...

i never thought about that but it makes sense. when i use my gun around holes (very rarely, i usually use a 3 prong pole spear) i tend to shoot into holes holding my gun sideways so i have never had a problem getting the gun stuck with the flopper on bottom.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…