How do you mount your gun to your kayak/float

[TihSon]

I am rigging a sit on top kayak for spearing and I am curious to know how others have mounted/stowed their guns. In transit it will be attached to the float line, which is in turn attached to the kayak, but I haven't settled on a solution to mount the gun to the boat.

Ideas?

 

[Mr. X]

Hi, you asked a specific question which deserves a specific answer (although not from me in this case), however you might find some interesting/useful information & pictures on this old thread: http://forums.deeperblue.com/spearfishing-equipment/65152-rigging-sit-kayak-spearfishing.html

 

[TihSon]

Thanks Mr. X, some good tips.

I noticed some discussion on the dive flag. I actually mounted mine on a tall length of pvc pipe, which I mounted to a screw on base. In transit the flag is down, and once I am in the water I just screw the flag in place and voila! Highly visible and just plain groovy. My anchor solution is a kelp clip, cheap on weight and keeps me in depths I can manage safely.

I also have an awesome gps unit, marine rated so water is not an issue, and after reading the thread I have decided to make it part of my standard kit. Wasn't planning to, but the idea of fog rolling in sounded so logical, I feel foolish thinking I would leave it behind.

As for my original question, I am thinking I will hard mount two heavy duty velcro straps to the side. My only reservation is the possibility of the method being too fiddly while I am trying to return the gun to it's place. Cold hands don't like details.

 

[Scoobaru]

Another option is to glue plastic clips to the side and ten use an elastic loop that goes over the gun and clips over a hook

Here's a picture (sorry it's not the best quality, just borrowed off the Internet)

If you look along the gun barrel you can just make out the rubber slings and plastic hooks. I would recommend replacing the rubber with elastic as the rubber is known to perish with the salt water

 

[TihSon]

That's the other method I was thinking of Scoobaru. It seems the easiest, and if I screwed the clips in I imagine it would be pretty secure. If I could find those clips locally I would probably have already done it, but the shops that sell kayak gear seem to no longer sell kayak rigging.

... but I had a thought ...

Has anyone ever tried mounting a large PVC tube on the kayak which the gun can simply be slid into? Imagine the rifles of the wild west, carried on a horse in a thick leather sleeve. I thought of it today, and it seemed worth considering. Nothing to fiddle with like elastics or snaps, and as long as the gun is secured to the boat via the float line ... as I plan on it being ... it would be safe if the boat capsized. Add a small elastic or velcro at the open end to hold it in place and it would be even more secure.

Of course, it probably suffers the curse of being butt ugly to look at. C'est la vie. I will probably end up going with the Scoobaru plan, if for no other reason than it means less hardware on the boat.

 

[Scoobaru]

That's not a bad idea mate but the PVC tube will have to be quite big to fit the muzzle and rubbers through aswel.

I'm not sure if these would work at all, or how strong they are
Self Adhesive White Plastic Hooks large oval strong fixing pack 2 Securit S6356 5019923163568 | eBay

Thinking maybe bond them onto the kayak with araldite or something similar, or screw it in if you fancied

 

[Scoobaru]

Another option would be use a PVC tube as you said, cut the top off so its a u shape (the whole length of the tube) and then slot it at one end wide enough for the handle to slide into. Screw it to the side of the kayak and use elastic loops to go over the top to secure the gun in place and one across the handle to stop it moving backwards. Just make the length of the tube long enough to fit your shortest gun then you know it will fit all your guns

 

[Jonny250]

I am rigging a sit on top kayak for spearing and I am curious to know how others have mounted/stowed their guns. In transit it will be attached to the float line, which is in turn attached to the kayak, but I haven't settled on a solution to mount the gun to the boat.

Ideas?

just seen your post...
i have loads of spare bungee on my kayak, with clips at 1 end. so i can just stuff the gun under a bungee at the bow and then clip it further back. works ok. when im paddling the gun butt is between my feet with the spear pointing forward off the bow or a little to one side.
you dont want it mounted beside you or it will interfere with your paddle stroke...

 

[TihSon]

... when im paddling the gun butt is between my feet with the spear pointing forward off the bow or a little to one side. you dont want it mounted beside you or it will interfere with your paddle stroke...

When I read that I thought you said the gun butt is between your TEETH ...

Seriously though, I hadn't thought of the issue of the gun interfering with my paddle stroke. I have cleats set up for the float line on the stern, and I suspect that I will be mounting the gun there. I am very glad I asked for input on this, as that one point alone is going to save me a whole pile of abuse.

I will be busy trying not to capsize as boats and surf try to knock me off. Considering the last kayak I used was three decades ago ... at least ... having to deal with my oar getting banged around by my badly placed gun would have sucked at a truly historic level.

 

[TihSon]

Just following up. I took the kayak out for the first time a few weeks ago, and the solution to my problem made itself evident the second I finished wrapping the float line. In front of the cleats is the large hatch, where I store my fins etc. As I was loading the boat, it was very clear I could place the gun into my boat, close the hatch over the still attached float line, and not have to worry about the gun ever getting lost. I spent an hour practising getting into and out of that boat, capsizing it twice, and there was no way that gun was going anywhere.

Problem solved.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! As usual I had questions answered I didn't even know to ask, and the solution is very much simpler than I expected.