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Need help with order I'm about to make? Please

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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C

chris84

New Member
Feb 3, 2013
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0
1
Hi,

I'm a complete novice with spearfishing having never done it before. Next year I'm cruising around the Caribbean for a couple of years. I'm trying to be self sufficient in that i don't have a lot of money. I've been on here a few times and I'm just about to put in an order with the dive Inn. The only thing is that I'm not sure what I need haha. I've decided on a Cressi Commanche 100cm as I'll mainly be in open water and want a gun with some power. But what else should I purchase for spares? I may not be able to get to shops at times?

List

Cressi Commanche 100cm
Reel with 20m of line
2x Rubber Bands What size?
Do I need spare tips and shafts? What size would I need?
Is there anything else I should order in case something breaks or gets damaged?

Any feedback would be very much appreciated? Thanks
 
Get a pole spear (7-8 ft) a lion fish pole spear and a lobster net / bag.

You can't use guns in all of the caribbean and of you want self-sufficiency, a polespear has no moving parts and lobster and lion fish are an abundant food source!
 
The Comanche 100 sounds good. You don't want to be spearing big fish, as it takes a long time to eat that much, which I assume is your plan.
I would go with 3 or 4 spare 140 cm shafts
You need 16 mm bands, 28 or 30 cm long (3X to 3.5X stretch).
You will need 250 lb to 300 lb mono for a shooting line. It will need to be replaced from time to time. About 3 m each replacement.
crimping tool and crimps for the mono.
dive float, with anchor line
fish stringer
dive knife for dispatching fish (or make an ikli spike from an old screw driver by sharpening the tip)
dive gear
 
Consider the foldspear.

Great to have on you at all times and super portable and durable (won't bend).
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Yes your right. I won't be shooting fish I can't eat within a 2 day period but I might want to go hunting offshore for larger fish If I think I can sell them back on land. I've heard about Ciguatera Fish Poisoning so maybe steer clear of inshore reef fish or those I think maybe infected. Also thanks for the heads up on guns. I know the Bahamas allows Poles but no guns and the BVI is strictly no guns so lobster only. Antigua have relaxed there laws and Trini & Tobago should be OK. I'll try to find somewhere that sells poles in the EU. Thanks again guys. PS I was going to order the nylon 2mm line by Mares instead of mono is this not a good idea?
 
You should put in consideration that in some places (like in my country) is illegal to carry your speargun in some specific beaches, parks and islands. It doesnt matter if you had it in a bag or in a boat, so be aware.
 
hteas said:
The Comanche 100 sounds good. ...
Click to expand...
Ditto - good choice. A 100/110 railgun (e.g. Rob Allen/Mako/Rabitech), Omer Cayman or Beuchat Marlin would be other options, but probably more expensive.
Touch wood, so far I have not had to replace a spear. Carrying at least one spare on a 2 year trip sounds prudent - 4 sounds a little high to me but I guess the frustration of loosing/bending your last spear would be quite bad. Also, some of the Caribbean fish are quite large and/or tough - compared to the UK, judging by some of Dr. Mike Ladles pictures. I wonder if any of the speargun brands are available/popular in the Caribbean?

16mm bands are fine. I guess you could consider taking a set of 18mm bands. One set might easily last you for 2 years -- depending on how much you use them -- but if you leave them out in the Caribbean sun and/or don't wash them, they might last much less.

Spear-line, I think I normally use around 1.6mm line these days - somewhere around 1.5mm-2mm is probably in the ballpark (thicker lines might not fit through the hole in the back of your spear). Thicker lines can take more use & abuse and typically don't need to be changed as often as lighter lines (check your spear-line often ). Take a spare muzzle-bungee if you get a lightweight one - probably unnecessary if you get a heavy duty one. You don't need to spend a lot on a crimping tool, I use a very cheap lightweight old electrical crimper - it is more than adequate as the crimps are soft & easy to crimp. A cigarette lighter (I like the cheap refillable Clipper type - simple & more effective than the cheapest disposable type, at about £1 each, take a few) will allow you to mushroom (melt) the ends of the monofilament spearline, to prevent it pulling through the crimps & superglue is very useful for making sure everything is properly & permanently set. Might be handy for other repairs.

DON'T FORGET: post to DeeperBlue & tell us how you are getting on, that way we can enjoy your trip & learning experiences too Have fun!
 
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