Multiple questions from one beginner ;)

[NorthWesternAdriatic]

Hello everyone!
I tried to find an answer everywhere on the internet, but I couldn't find it anywhere!
A few months ago, I started spearfishing and here is my first question (and I kindly ask the moderators to "leave" this topic to me and all my questions, mostly related to underwater rifles
I recently had a Pathos Open Laser Pro 100cm rifle, a Pathos Wheel with 30 meters of fishing line, two OEM rubber bands black, natural latex, which come factory with a 2x16mm rifle, are mounted above.
As soon as I went diving for the first time, I was shooting a small black kavala fish (Sciaena umbra) and the original Pathos Sandvik 130 cm 6.75 mm arrow with one feather down got stuck in the rock,... After a couple of days I managed I took it out of the stone with a tool myself, but it was quite bent, and now, when it was straightened - it was not straightened 100% and I had to buy a new arrow - Kraken Sandvik, 130 cm, 6.75 mm with one feather that "looks" upwards.. .
My first question is related to rubber bands, I would like to upgrade, but before I spend any extra money, I'd better ask the experts here... whoever asks, doesn't go around
Does it make any sense, for me as a beginner, to replace these factory 2x16mm grips on this rifle with eg Pathos TNT or NITRO grips or something from Rob Allen? Will there be a big difference in arrow throw compared to these current "factory settings"? Does it make any sense to put a 2x18mm on this rifle of mine? Or will they not gain too much power and be ejected, the recoil will only increase? Kindly ask for your valued opinions! For now, I'm in the shallows of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, and up to a depth of 5-6 meters The "biggest fish" I've caught so far is a 25 dkg mullet
Well... to begin with, I'm a little interested in the discussion about replacing rubber bands and "upgrading" my rifle - how much sense does it make, if at all, what to replace it with, etc.? I can't find any information on the net if it makes any sense to replace it with 18 mm - or is it for exclusively longer or wooden guns?
Thanks guys!

 

[Andrew the fish]

IMO 2x16 bands you have now are about best for your gun. You have plenty of power from 100cm gun. Especially for mullets. To me, the ease of loading = more fun and better accuracy. I only speared mullets in Thailand, they are same to Black Sea mullets, and probably same as in Mediterranean. Slim profile, fast swimming fish, always at the distance. You need accuracy to hunt them.

 

[Scott Valentine]

Hello everyone!
I tried to find an answer everywhere on the internet, but I couldn't find it anywhere!
A few months ago, I started spearfishing and here is my first question (and I kindly ask the moderators to "leave" this topic to me and all my questions, mostly related to underwater rifles
I recently had a Pathos Open Laser Pro 100cm rifle, a Pathos Wheel with 30 meters of fishing line, two OEM rubber bands black, natural latex, which come factory with a 2x16mm rifle, are mounted above.
As soon as I went diving for the first time, I was shooting a small black kavala fish (Sciaena umbra) and the original Pathos Sandvik 130 cm 6.75 mm arrow with one feather down got stuck in the rock,... After a couple of days I managed I took it out of the stone with a tool myself, but it was quite bent, and now, when it was straightened - it was not straightened 100% and I had to buy a new arrow - Kraken Sandvik, 130 cm, 6.75 mm with one feather that "looks" upwards.. .
My first question is related to rubber bands, I would like to upgrade, but before I spend any extra money, I'd better ask the experts here... whoever asks, doesn't go around
Does it make any sense, for me as a beginner, to replace these factory 2x16mm grips on this rifle with eg Pathos TNT or NITRO grips or something from Rob Allen? Will there be a big difference in arrow throw compared to these current "factory settings"? Does it make any sense to put a 2x18mm on this rifle of mine? Or will they not gain too much power and be ejected, the recoil will only increase? Kindly ask for your valued opinions! For now, I'm in the shallows of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, and up to a depth of 5-6 meters The "biggest fish" I've caught so far is a 25 dkg mullet
Well... to begin with, I'm a little interested in the discussion about replacing rubber bands and "upgrading" my rifle - how much sense does it make, if at all, what to replace it with, etc.? I can't find any information on the net if it makes any sense to replace it with 18 mm - or is it for exclusively longer or wooden guns?
Thanks guys!

That seems like a very big gun for the fish you are shooting, and the fact that you hit a rock, leads me to believe you are shooting near a reef, at closer fish. Maybe you should use a smaller less powerful gun

 

[NorthWesternAdriatic]

are you saying that some other progressives, eg Pathos TNT, wouldn't be better than these factory black ones? i wonder, what's the "real" difference

 

[Andrew the fish]

Adriatic, if you tried you would know instantly, and with certainty. Better than relying on some half-brain deeperblue member like me. Sounds like you love the sport. Eventually you will have dozens of guns and rolls of rubber of different diameter, you can start buying now.


Will dual 16mm be better than dual 14mm, on 100cm gun? Define “better”. More power? Yes. More accuracy? No. Ease of use? No. Do you need more power than what you have now? No. But, like I said, it is fun experimenting.

”real difference” is also not easy to define. You can only know if you were to measure the shaft speed with both options. I don’t know of anybody doing that, everybody seem to go by “perceived” performance, and maybe penetration tests, which would be useless in case of mullets.

 

[NorthWesternAdriatic]

I figured out everything between the lines what you want to say this is not just a sport for "hunting trophies" exclusively, but testing, trying out equipment, having fun, some place where you need to spend money I understand the last one... and does it make any sense to put, for example, 2x18mm instead of 2x16mm, or would it be "unnecessarily imprecise and too strong", i.e. you would not get anything positive with that change?