How to make hawaiin sling?

[fatcake27]

So I have been looking at this fourm for a while, decicing whether a speargun or a hawiian sling would be better. I concluded a hawaiian sling would be better considering I am a begginer and constructing a speargun would be nearly impossible.

So my main quesion was is there one internet site or place I can go that can completely (I have vistited many many sites) guide me on how to make one, and possibly even where I can get the supplies.

And it would always be welcomed if you want help me out on my journey.

The last thing is, what would be the recommended pole spear for me. I would be hunting in 15-20 ft water and it would be very visible.
Thanks

 

[Lenny]

Firstly welcome to the sport

A few suggestions/comments:

Hawain slings are a fairly specialized type of hunting, it takes alot of skill to use them and I would not really recomend them for beginners. But if you like a challenge, go ahead.

Gun's are not that expensive, keep your eyes peeled and you should be able to pick up a second hand one for very little. Don't spend too much money on your first gun. Rather spend money on important stuff like getting a really nice fitting mask and comfortable fins. These are really important. Whereas a gun is gun, and almost anything will do to begin with!

Making a gun is not that difficult, There are plenty of great threads on this. and lots of expertise on Db.

 

[Padaxes]

If you want to make a simple spear why not make a pole spear? I made my first spear that way and really enjoyed it.

 

[hteas]

Fatcake,
Try this page for starters
It was developed by Mario Korf, who is very much into simple systems and DIY.
retrosub

 

[fatcake27]

Wow, I'm really sorry. I meant pole spear. I'm sorry for the confusion.

But actually I have found some great sources on how to build one, and have already bought all the materials (besides the rubber tubing-where do you guys get yours?)

So I will definately try to keep you posted on how my pole spear comes along.
I wouldn't say I'm too advanced in building most stuff, but I know I think I can tackle this. And plus my dad will definately help me (I'm only 15)

And I would try spearfishing, although I live in the Dallas area, and there is no ovbious place where I can regularly acess the water, so I figured a speargun and the supplies, along with a liscense would be a poor investment. (Do you need a liscense to go pole spearfishing?)

Thanks.

 

[Lenny]

Rubber tubing, is actually silicone tubing (if i remember correctly), it can be bought of e-bay or your local rubber/silicone supplier. It's often reffered to as surgical tubeing here.

I'm not sure what the rules are in Texas. In South Africa, spearfishing, polefishing, etc are all the same thing. You are taking fish out of the sea, and that requires a permit. It's not the gun that needs the permit but the act of fishing.

 

[FreeRestriction]

lets just clearify a pole spear and hawaiian sling are the same thing. as far as a lisence goes atleast in southern CA you need a fishing lisence the same as spearfishing and if your in the ocean you need a salt water enhancement sticker, thats an extra 4.75... i also chose the pole spear over a regular spear gun for a couple reasons. cost and enjoyment. i feel that shooting a fish at 30ft away is pretty easy once you get the aiming of the gun down. but either ambushing or sneeking up on a fish that you have a 4 foot range of shooting it with is pretty difficult. but you dont have to lug a big gun around either.

i will be trying my pole spear tomarrow for the first time and well see how i really like it. but the basic idea so far i like... i like things as simple as possible. this is why i dont wear a wetsuit or weight belt. just fins snorkel and mask. of course once winter comes around ill be forced to throw on the 5mm full length suite i have plus the 20lbs of weight.

 

[Jon]

lets just clarify a pole spear and Hawaiian sling are the same thing.

Polespears and Hawaiian slings are NOT the same thing. :head

Polespears are just a spear shaft with a rubber band on the end of it. A Hawaiian sling is an underwater sling shot that consists of a wooden, or plastic, tube about 8' long with a piece of tubing tied to one side. It shoots a shaft out of the end of it, like a speargun, but has no trigger and, normally, no shooting line.

I have customized mine to include a shooting line, because of the thick weeds around here, and even added a camera mount to it.

Polespear: [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polespear]Polespear - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

Hawaiian Sling: Hawaiian Sling

Jon

 

[Lenny]

i also chose the pole spear over a regular spear gun for a couple reasons. cost and enjoyment. i feel that shooting a fish at 30ft away is pretty easy once you get the aiming of the gun down. but either ambushing or sneeking up on a fish that you have a 4 foot range of shooting it with is pretty difficult. but you dont have to lug a big gun around either.
quote]

Firstly 30ft (over 10m) is way out of the reach of any gun i have ever seen! and even if you could shoot that far the chances of you hitting anything is very close to zero.You still have to stalk or "ambush" with a gun, and if you want to actually hit your target you would need be somewhere between 3-9 feet away from it. Anything beyond that would mean you would have to aim 20-30cm in front of the fish and hope he swims in that direction. However with a little experience you will soon learn that fish when starteled (like from the noise of the gun going off) they immediately switch directions, and thats when your spear simply glides past them. Also the difference in the lateral water resistance between a pole spear and a gun is almost nominal.

Really i suggest you actually try spearfishing with a gun before you start claiming that it is "too easy", but good luck with the polespear

 

[fatcake27]

Okay, well thanks for the information. I actually constructed a polespear. And it turned out pretty good, although the epoxy didnt set right, so its not very solid feeling. But I'm actually very interested in using a hawaiian sling now, and I think I get the jist of how to make one, but I was just wondering if anyone knew about the shafts, and the tube length.

Also, I was wondering, what is recommended as a "begginer" speargun?
I don't want to spend more than 100$ USD.

 

[Lenny]

Also, I was wondering, what is recommended as a "begginer" speargun?
I don't want to spend more than 100$ USD.

Depends on where and what you will be hunting? South African fish shot from shoredives range between 1kg-20kg, a 1.1 is the sort of standard all rounder. with 2x 18mm bands you can easily take out 15kg yellowtail. Although it is a bit bulky when you are in a lot of kelp. ummm, if you don't intend on shooting anything over 2-3kg go for a shorty, 750mm or something similar. But try to get something with a rail/track, it helps with accuracy, alot!

 

[fatcake27]

Alright, well I think the fish I will be hunting for will be about 4-6 kg fish, so i think I could use a relatively weak speargun. I have been looking at jbl sawed off magnums, and basically all jbl spearguns. Is there any you reccomend for under $100(USD).

 

[jtkwest]

Alright, well I think the fish I will be hunting for will be about 4-6 kg fish, so i think I could use a relatively weak speargun. I have been looking at jbl sawed off magnums, and basically all jbl spearguns. Is there any you reccomend for under $100(USD).

get a used one. look on ebay maybe. those little short spear guns just dont work well . unless your water is really dirty and you HAVE to use a short gun, buy at minimum a 42 inch gun. those 24 magnums and stuff, bounce of most fish, injuring them, but not landing them. a beginner speargun can be numerous brands , in florida, alot of people start with sea hornet or ab biller. they are solid and relatively cheap. more like 200$ for a 42 inch gun. personally i wont get in the water with anything smaller than 48 inches. but i have clear water and big fish to shoot,(not everyone can say that) but if money was no object i would get a sea hornet 42" from a dive shop . used if possible. that gun would last FOREVER! or just get a really high quality pole spear,(sea stinger 160$) those things are bad ass man!

 

[fatcake27]

Well Im looking at a AB Biller 24 special. It's really cheap, about 80 bucks, but it's wooden, so I think that's alot better than the other stuff. I'm also wondering about JBL's I've heard they are terrible and not to even bother, so what do you think about them?

Oh, and Jon, do you have a youtube video? Because I saw one over hawaiian sling fishing, and the fact it was in Michigan, and he had the same setup as you is really ironic.

And I completed a hawaiian sling. Honestly, it sucks. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but everything is right I think. I cant go straight for more than a few feet, and wobbles like crazy, any suggestions?

 

[hteas]

I spent a long time (20 years) with JBLs and their Voit predecessors. They are not high quality, but they kill fish, and they're almost impossible to break.
The sawed off magnum is a good choice for a starter gun. They do kill fish. I did it.
Just don't expect lazer-like accuracy or a nuclear explosion when the shaft hits a fish. They simply kill stuff, like the more expensive guns.
Howard

 

[fatcake27]

So what is the size of fish I can expect to kill with an AB Biller .24 special woody?

 

[hteas]

Up to at least 10 lb if you get close. Half that if you aren't close.