Help choosing float/board

[devondave]

The time has come ( again ) to buy a new float .
After searching through db I'm down to two :-
Omer Shardana
Best Hunter Okipa
My requirements are fairly simple , stability , not too much drag , a good flag and somewhere to attach a gun or two with a few bits and pieces , oh and a little bit of abrasion resistance would be good .

I'd really appreciate any experience or comments people may have about either or both of these floats .
Regards ,
Dave .

 

[ekinoderminator]

I got a chance to check out first hand in the flesh a Shardana while in Kauai last week and here are my thoughts - flag mount is very lame, buoyancy not enough, materials that encase the thing will fall apart. I know that one member here (Tunny) has a problem with it leaking.

The other float you mention is France's best selling planche. I think it looks comfy, has plenty of options for holding items. With it I also feel the flag support is minimal. I also feel it will break down.

I have become engrossed in the world of planches, platellas, plancettas, plats, etc. after embarking on my journey to develop one. From those I have seen that are commercially available I like the Talarmin and the Seatec - oh yeah and of course most of all I like mine.

 

[podge]

Get yourself one of these mate, its one of the best bits of kit that I’ve got.


BEST HUNTER SEVYLOR DIVE HUNTER BOARD+

 

[devondave]

Thank you guys , your replies are appreciated .
I did think about making my own , I'm supposed to be a practical sort of chap , unfortunately I'm also a bit lazy .
Podge , if you wouldn't mind one more question , how robust do you think the Divehunter is ? Does it have good resistance to abrasion ?
Sorry , two questions , it's just that all the inflatables I've had eventually leak and die , even the expensive ones .
Regards ,
Dave .

 

[ekinoderminator]

here is a pic of the Talarmin dressed up.

Here is a pic of the Seatec....

Mine isn't a DIY at this point as it will be going into production and sold by many retailers, e.g. neptonicsystems, picasso america and many more.

For me the Sevylor Dive Hunter would probably not be the greatest because I love sea urchin so much, plus I think UV and salt will eventually take it's toll. I would question whether or not the webbing attached is polypropylene, nylon or polyester. My guess is that it is the less expensive polypro. Also, with a device that is not rigid how can a sturdy flag support exist? At least with the others one can make a sturdy modification.

 

[Mr. X]

Do you have any more info. on the Talarmin, ekinoderminator (link/price/etc.)? That looks cool? Although lightweight & inflatible would probably be advantages to me. apnea.co.uk have a flat, inflatible float from Imersion:

https://www.apnea.co.uk/product_inf...=1028&osCsid=5640cf7b75a8d742c1b8f460c7cb8d0f

 

[ekinoderminator]

Yes - here's a link. 99 euros. Keep in mind that what you see in the photo is modified and modification must be done correctly to insure no leaking.

Planche de chasse Talarmin Apnée Ys

Here is a link to the forum I grabbed the photo from...

Forum chasse sous-marine et apnée -> Planche Talarmin

I like the simplicity of the Talarmin and I assume it is rotomolded polyethylene which I feel is the material of choice. I'd like to find out more about it myself.

 

[ekinoderminator]

One nice feature I can show off that is optional in my board is a deck plate. Other cool stuff will be added and optional as well.

 

[spaghetti]

It boils down to priorities: robust or easy to carry? compact or with plenty of room for stuff? Very visible (safety/boat traffic wise) or light and stealthy? There are not many out there, if any, who can match all of these requirements together.

Seatec Nautilus is very robust, but just like any other rigid board (non deflatable), it's a bitch to carry around if you have to walk to your dive spot.

On the other end, all the inflatable or semi-inflatable ones from Dive Hunter to Okipa or Seatec Island are relatively vulnerable to abrasion, some of them more, some of them less, depending on quality.

On a final note: if it's good for Podge, it's got to be fairly robust! :t

 

[azapa]

i am on my second now ONLY cause the outer wore out and sun faded, but any round torpedo bladder type, replacing the bladder with a 14" truck innertube and you have it.

It has enormous lift, cheap, hydrodyanamic. Must take some pics.

OMER BUOY MASTER TORPEDO

Imersion Torpedo Doble Vejiga. Accesorios Boyas, precios en Scubastore.com ,buceo-submarinismo

THE SECRET TO LONG LIFE AND AMAZING LIFT is replacing the crappy white plastic bladder with the truck/car innertube.

 

[devondave]

On a final note: if it's good for Podge, it's got to be fairly robust! :t

That has to be one of the best recommendations I have ever heard .

Drat , I thought I'd got it down to two , now I'm not sure what to get .

 

[willloomy]

almost everyone in hawai'i uses these

they are strong buoyant, and pretty versatile you can get a bag for them or spear gun straps plus you can fill them with foam for blue water hunting

 

[podge]

Thank you guys , your replies are appreciated .
I did think about making my own , I'm supposed to be a practical sort of chap , unfortunately I'm also a bit lazy .
Podge , if you wouldn't mind one more question , how robust do you think the Divehunter is ? Does it have good resistance to abrasion ?
Sorry , two questions , it's just that all the inflatables I've had eventually leak and die , even the expensive ones .
Regards ,
Dave .

Dave I’ve had my dive hunter coming up a year now and it does get USED and ABUSED most weekends. I’ve had NO problems with it what so ever, if you’ve got a big enough car you can leave it blown up or just deflate it if you need the space. I’ve had mine full of Scallops and Oysters and as you know they have the odd sharp edge and as of yet its made no difference to the float. It does come with a long flag pole and flag which sits down in a couple of Velcro straps and even in a bit of wind mine has always stayed put.
Get one mate you wont be sorry.

 

[agbiv]

I use my rescue float as pictured above with the flag and bag attachments from Makospearguns to good effect...however I WANT THE NEW FLOAT eckinodominator is making! Hurry it along! :martial

 

[devondave]

I've pretty much decided on a divehunter , ( the mighty Podge's opinion is not to be taken lightly , plus Kev Daly's got one too ) .
The cheapest I could find comes from the db shop , £204 with shipping .
Thats a lot for a float , so if anyone knows of somewhere cheaper I'd be grateful for a pointer .
Now I just need to think of an excuse as to why it is absolutely necessary for me to have this indispensable piece of equipment ( I mean life saving indispensable piece of equipment ) .

Thank you for all the help .

Regards ,

Dave .

 

[Spear0Joe]

devondave google is your friend type dive hunter into google you will find UK shops, around 100 quid.

 

[scottwilson]

Pm sent Dave

 

[devondave]

I took my new Divehunter for a trial run today .
The cheapest one I found was from aquastuff .net , £108 + £10 P+P , it took two and a half days to arrive and the staff were friendly too .

It was choppy so a good test for a first outing , the hunter is pretty stable in a swell and I like the fact you can lie on it for a rest or to paddle it along .
Overall I like it a lot , rugged constrution , lots of good features .
There are a couple of things not so good about it , it's very heavy with all your kit on it , especially when wet ( carry straps are a good idea , cheers for that Podge ).
The speargun holders are crap and need changing .
A couple of pockets would be useful to stash small stuff .
Just minor things really , easily fixed , apart from the weight and even thats me being a wuss .
Only one trip to go on but so far very pleased , a lot of float for the money .
Once again thanks for all the help .

Dave .

 

[strangelove]

Anyone knows if that cressi board is available in U.S.

 

[podge]

I took my new Divehunter for a trial run today .
The cheapest one I found was from aquastuff .net , £108 + £10 P+P , it took two and a half days to arrive and the staff were friendly too .

It was choppy so a good test for a first outing , the hunter is pretty stable in a swell and I like the fact you can lie on it for a rest or to paddle it along .
Overall I like it a lot , rugged constrution , lots of good features .
There are a couple of things not so good about it , it's very heavy with all your kit on it , especially when wet ( carry straps are a good idea , cheers for that Podge ).
The speargun holders are crap and need changing .
A couple of pockets would be useful to stash small stuff .
Just minor things really , easily fixed , apart from the weight and even thats me being a wuss .
Only one trip to go on but so far very pleased , a lot of float for the money .
Once again thanks for all the help .

Dave .

Dave glad you like the dive hunter, tis a good bit of kit.