Hey All
I'm just getting started spearing. My roommate spent a few months in the the Cook Islands and got totally hooked on the sport; we live two blocks from the ocean and are always surfing and fishing anyways, so spearfishing is the perfect recreation/dinner catching activity for the times when the waves go flat.
I've ordered some gear online and it should be here any day now. Here's what I'm getting:
JBL Explorer 22: I got a pretty good deal on this thing, otherwise I was going to start with a AB Biller Mahogany, at least. I figure if I like the sport and this gun isn't doing it for me, I'll get a new one pretty quickly.
Omersub Alien Mask
Apollo Full Foot Bio Uni: I got them brand new for 40 bucks so it's hard to argue with the price. Most of the diving will be near-shore, shallow water (<20 or 30ft) for smaller fish. As with the gun, if I find that I really enjoy spearfishing, I'll upgrade without hesitation. I realize these fins aren't the classic long-profiled freediving fins but they'll get the job done.
I also bought a $20 knife, Blue Reef Cobra Titanium Knife point.
That should be a good start, I think. I'm an information and equipment junkie and have spent hundreds of hours reviewing stuff in this and other forums, along with articles, equipment reviews, etc. I know the tools I have will be rudimentary but, hey, 20 years ago people were killing fish with a lot less than we have today.
Let me know what you guys think; I'm especially interested in the gun length/band combos in relation to stopping power and distance. For instance, it seems like a gun that would be more powerful could also shoot further. After all, force and distance are both related to exit velocity and spear mass. I guess it comes down to barrel length: short barrel is less accurate and even though it CAN shoot far, it can't do it accurately. My early goal is to track down some legal halibut. Any SoCal hunters have recommendations for guns for this kind of hunting? Will guns similar to the NW guns work (JBL 38 Special, Special NW, etc)? Are guns similar to the Riffe #2 too much for the smaller stuff? Eventually I'd like to move to yt, wsb inshore and maybe even jump in on some kelp patties for exotics, but that's a bit down the road.
Let me know what you guys think. Thanks in advance for the input. I've definitely put in my time reading through the forums here but it's always nice to hear fresh and localized comments.
Dan
I'm just getting started spearing. My roommate spent a few months in the the Cook Islands and got totally hooked on the sport; we live two blocks from the ocean and are always surfing and fishing anyways, so spearfishing is the perfect recreation/dinner catching activity for the times when the waves go flat.
I've ordered some gear online and it should be here any day now. Here's what I'm getting:
JBL Explorer 22: I got a pretty good deal on this thing, otherwise I was going to start with a AB Biller Mahogany, at least. I figure if I like the sport and this gun isn't doing it for me, I'll get a new one pretty quickly.
Omersub Alien Mask
Apollo Full Foot Bio Uni: I got them brand new for 40 bucks so it's hard to argue with the price. Most of the diving will be near-shore, shallow water (<20 or 30ft) for smaller fish. As with the gun, if I find that I really enjoy spearfishing, I'll upgrade without hesitation. I realize these fins aren't the classic long-profiled freediving fins but they'll get the job done.
I also bought a $20 knife, Blue Reef Cobra Titanium Knife point.
That should be a good start, I think. I'm an information and equipment junkie and have spent hundreds of hours reviewing stuff in this and other forums, along with articles, equipment reviews, etc. I know the tools I have will be rudimentary but, hey, 20 years ago people were killing fish with a lot less than we have today.
Let me know what you guys think; I'm especially interested in the gun length/band combos in relation to stopping power and distance. For instance, it seems like a gun that would be more powerful could also shoot further. After all, force and distance are both related to exit velocity and spear mass. I guess it comes down to barrel length: short barrel is less accurate and even though it CAN shoot far, it can't do it accurately. My early goal is to track down some legal halibut. Any SoCal hunters have recommendations for guns for this kind of hunting? Will guns similar to the NW guns work (JBL 38 Special, Special NW, etc)? Are guns similar to the Riffe #2 too much for the smaller stuff? Eventually I'd like to move to yt, wsb inshore and maybe even jump in on some kelp patties for exotics, but that's a bit down the road.
Let me know what you guys think. Thanks in advance for the input. I've definitely put in my time reading through the forums here but it's always nice to hear fresh and localized comments.
Dan
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