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Is it worth it to put a reel on a 75cm gun?

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Jun 3, 2021
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I'm very new to spearfishing and diving in general, most I can go down is about 4.5 meters. Obviously the gun floats, but I'm thinking of maybe having a fish go in a cave and having to leave the gun down there vs being able to go up with it
 
Use a rig line from the back of the gun to a float with a diver below flag. Much safer than a reel & the “speed rig” ( the needle looking thing) is great for threading fish onto the line so you don’t have to swim back to the float after shooting each fish.
54DA3A4B-4C4F-4073-BD85-C71F246A760E.jpeg
 
I was going to do that actually, but the guy at the store told me to not use it just yet, because I'm still learning and might end up getting tangled
 
I was going to do that actually, but the guy at the store told me to not use it just yet, because I'm still learning and might end up getting tangled
There’s nothing stopping you putting a reel gun on but I think floats should be mandatory. As already stated they are much safer. Yes they can get hung up on the reef but beats being run over by a boat or not having extra floatation if you get into trouble.
 
There’s nothing stopping you putting a reel gun on but I think floats should be mandatory. As already stated they are much safer. Yes they can get hung up on the reef but beats being run over by a boat or not having extra floatation if you get into trouble.
Yeah figured that it wasn't solid advice. I'll go to an other store that actually wants to help and sell
 
Yeah figured that it wasn't solid advice. I'll go to an other store that actually wants to help and sell
Reel guns have become real popular lately because they are becoming very cheap and new divers haven’t had any near misses yet.
 
Reel guns have become real popular lately because they are becoming very cheap and new divers haven’t had any near misses yet.
Sorry for the dumb question, but makes them dangerous? The fact that they'll keep going farther since they are not as tethered to the gun?
 
Sorry for the dumb question, but makes them dangerous? The fact that they'll keep going farther since they are not as tethered to the gun?
When you dive, no one can see where you are. I have being the boaty when mates don’t use floats. And as said, something to hang onto if you get into trouble.
 
When you dive, no one can see where you are. I have being the boaty when mates don’t use floats. And as said, something to hang onto if you get into trouble.
Went out and got a few things (tomorrow I'm getting the flag) but I went a bit overboard with the rope (it floats). Maybe I should take it down to 10 or 15 meters?

Most I've gone down is about 4
 
I just attach a float line to the speargun. I have the mako spearguns floatline which floats and has dyneema inside. Not as cheap as a rope from a hardware store. But it does not tangle. I have ordered the Salvimar line that is 4 meters long and extends to 15 meters with dyneema core.
I never needed a reel, also if I drop the speargun, I am usually spearfishing in green water where you can’t see the bottom from the surface and there is usually strong current, so tethering the gun is the reliable way to retrieve it.
I regret not having bought sooner a strong float line. I would never attach the float line to my belt because in rough seas it can get tangled to rocks when you are at the bottom.
maybe someday I will get a reel if I ever do blue water pelagic spearfishing. If you are a beginner invest on a good float and floatline before you spend on a reel.
 
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I just attach a float line to the speargun. I have the mako spearguns floatline which floats and has dyneema inside. Not as cheap as a rope from a hardware store. But it does not tangle. I have ordered the Salvimar line that is 4 meters long and extends to 15 meters with dyneema core.
I never needed a reel, also if I drop the speargun, I am usually spearfishing in green water where you can’t see the bottom from the surface and there is usually strong current, so tethering the gun is the reliable way to retrieve it.
I regret not having bought sooner a strong float line. I would never attach the float line to my belt because in rough seas it can get tangled to rocks when you are at the bottom.
maybe someday I will get a reel if I ever do blue water pelagic spearfishing. If you are a beginner invest on a good float and floatline before you spend on a reel.
Reels are not recommended for large fish or hunting large pelagic fish either. Reels have a terrible habit of muzzle wrapping at the worst possible moments & for the largest fish they are a risky choice at best.
I personally don’t use a reel on any speargun or for any type of diving from surf zones to bottomless blue water. Having a rig line from a gun to the float is much better for safety & also several other utilitarian reasons.
 
Reels are not recommended for large fish or hunting large pelagic fish either. Reels have a terrible habit of muzzle wrapping at the worst possible moments & for the largest fish they are a risky choice at best.
I personally don’t use a reel on any speargun or for any type of diving from surf zones to bottomless blue water. Having a rig line from a gun to the float is much better for safety & also several other utilitarian reasons.
Yea. I never felt the need for a reel. Also on the reel it is a thin line and that would be easy to get tangled around rocks with barnacles and mussels. A thick floatline is less likely to get tangled than a dyneema or mono line. I really regret having cheapened out on float lines. The mako floatline with dyneema could have me towed by a boat. It is so strong. I wish it had smaller tuna clips, less heavy.
with the reel you have to deal with the tension and so on .
With the floatline attached to the gun often i drop the gun after a successful shot, go up for air and go back down to retrieve the speared fish from the rocks. If I put a GoPro on my gun, which I always do, the gun does not float anymore.
 
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If you just want something cheap grab yourself a roll off telstra/telecom rope. It has a few different names. It’s cheap as chips. Is tough and lasts. I get years out of just one rig. It floats and you don’t care if you have to cut it and throw some away. It’s also easy to splice and work with to form nice loops etc. is it the best option, all round I would say yes. Doesn’t float as well as some options but when it costs only $10 instead of over $100 it has never bothered me.
 
Sorry for the dumb question, but makes them dangerous? The fact that they'll keep going farther since they are not as tethered to the gun?
With just a reel, you have to accept that you may lose your speargun. Provided you are willing to let your speargun go, it should not be any more dangerous than anything else. If you try to stay down too long trying to free your tangled speargun...

The spear does not go farther with a reel, that's a misunderstanding of it's use. Nor should you try to play fish with the reel, using you speargun like a fishing rod. There are numerous videos on using speargun reels on youtube - many don't mention the above. Florida Freedivers have a good one, featuring Ryan Meyers I think(?).
 
As to the original question - is it worth putting a reel on a 75cm speargun - it depends. :) Probably not for complete beginners.

I've speared for many years without a reel, I always use a floatline attached to my speargun which means I don't have to worry about loosing my speargun. I don't find it an encumbrance. And the float is an important warning indicator to boats, etc.and a handy place to attach fish, crabs, lobsters. I always fish from shore though, usually alone so I need to be self-sufficient, if you dive from a boat you may find a reel more convenient, especially when diving with others. Also, I don't dive real deep, sometimes less than 1m, down to about 10-15m. Also UK fish are usually not particularly big or troublesome.

I recently bought a cheap reel, just to try one out rather than from any real need. Not sure which of my spearguns, if any, I should fit it to. I currently have it fitted to my new 60cm twin band speargun but, so far, it seems like an unwelcome and unnecessary encumbrance, extra weight and hydrodynamic drag. I might switch it to my 95cm roller speargun but that would be very heavy. No plans to fit it to my 2 main spearguns though (75cm & 90cm), as it would negate the benefit of their superlight, super-slim design. I guess I'm still looking for a need/benefit.
 
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As to the original question - is it worth putting a reel on a 75cm speargun - it depends. :) Probably not for complete beginners.

I've speared for many years without a reel, I always use a floatline attached to my speargun which means I don't have to worry about loosing my speargun. I don't find it an encumbrance. And the float is an important warning indicator to boats, etc.and a handy place to attach fish, crabs, lobsters. I always fish from shore though, usually alone so I need to be self-sufficient, if you dive from a boat you may find a reel more convenient, especially when diving with others. Also, I don't dive real deep, sometimes less than 1m, down to about 10-15m. Also UK fish are usually not particularly big or troublesome.

I recently bought a cheap reel, just to try one out rather than from any real need. Not sure which of my spearguns, if any, I should fit it to. I currently have it fitted to my new 60cm twin band speargun but, so far, it seems like an unwelcome and unnecessary encumbrance, extra weight and hydrodynamic drag. I might switch it to my 95cm roller speargun but that would be very heavy. No plans to fit it to my 2 main spearguns though (75cm & 90cm), as it would negate the benefit of their superlight, super-slim design. I guess I'm still looking for a need/benefit.
Yeah, for now the most I can go is about 5m down, so yes I'm working on breathhold, but more than anything I'm working on hunting technic. I'm in Greece btw (originally from Puerto Rico).

Now that you mention the dual band... my gun has a closed muzzle.. Been thinking about putting a second band, since it has the loop to use it.. good idea or nah?
 
Puerto Rico... I lived there for 7 years and love "La Isla del Encanto". Now I'm in Miami.

I don't see the need of a second band on a short speargun. If you want to make longer shots, get a longer gun. A 75 is for what it is. Just learn to be more hydrodinamic and make the fish get closer to you.
 
Besides, why anybody need second band on long spearguns? They are long and therefore already powerful enough.
 
Besides, why anybody need second band on long spearguns? They are long and therefore already powerful enough.
Plenty of reasons to need a second, third, fourth...... rubbers on a speargun.
Spearfishing is a broad church & people will target fish from 500g in estuaries & lagoons to large offshore pelagic species. “What is best” will differ & there may also be several good options for the similar task depending on the persons preference.
Part of my current quiver for reference ( also note the absence of reels).
56EDEC77-51CA-4ABD-9C30-F399F42BBB68.jpeg
 
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