need some help...

[fish2keel]

Hey guys,

Im brand new to the board. Nice to meet everyone.

So I started free diving when I was about 13 years old. Im now about to turn 17 in a month. I spear fished for my first time at 13 on the island of palau. My father has been in iraq for the passed 3 1/2 years and still goes for business but is mainly living and building his orphanage in palawan,phillipines. He has been over seas in the microneasia islands for 9 years..

Im looking for Im thinking for a band gun. I would perfer an american tree trunk. I would also like to have around 2 or 3 bands. Ill be spearing in clear water from 0 to no more then 60 feet. All reef...no kelp. From small to larger fish but nothing like tuna, etc. Got any ideas?

I will consider a euro gun also but when I started I didnt use a pistol handle with no butt section. Your opinions would be great guys.

You can also reach me at fish2keel on aim too. Thanks guys and safe spear fishing.

 

[cigarlung]

fish2keel i have no good advise on gun. i used a small gun off the island of cebu and was able to spear clown trigger. i have a question for you however where in palawan is the orphanage being built i love the prison colony and puerta princessa , sabang beach, port barton really nice people in all those places. i hope some day to live in negros oreintal around dumaguete
rob

 

[fish2keel]

Its in coron. Its really nice. We own a good bit of land out there now and soon to have 73 kids I believe in the orphanage. My dad is building it with his own money to give back. I dont know if you have been to palawan at all. If you have have you been down to the sea dive? If so thats our buddy jim gold. We bought the big sailboart out there. Its now black and gold and if you go to the end of the dock we have a yamaha utality boat. It was the austrailian flag boat for the olypmics.

Ive been to cebu. Its really nice. Well any gun help would surely help.

 

[cigarlung]

fish2keel those places mentioned are all on palawan south of coron. i never made it up to coron. i read a good book about american leper living in coron called the man who walked alone. palawan has great diving and wildlife have good pictures of monitor lizards and monkeys in trees good luck in your hunt for the perfect speargun i am sure you will find it rob

 

[fish2keel]

Thanks rob. It doesnt seem like theres alot of help coming for a speargun. Kinda dissapointed. I would even consider paying someone to build me one. Possibly.

 

[cigarlung]

I Would Try Scuba Store Prices Are Good Its Thru Deeper Blue. What Would Be The Harm In Buying A Inexpensive Gun And Upgradeing After You Gather Experience And Know What You Need. What Country Do You Live In Now Shipping Can Be Costly.

 

[fish2keel]

I live in florida right now

 

[cigarlung]

I Would Google Florida Spearfishing I Bet You Could Find A Good Gun For Couple Hunred Good Luck Hope To See You Posting Pictures Of Fish You Have Speared You Should Ask Your Dad How To Make Kinelow Great Philipino Dish I Find Myself Craveing Rob

 

[Gyro]

Hello Mr. Fish2keel
Which side of florida are you on? As I have a brother on one coast and a father on the other who are very much into spearing and might be able to better direct you?

 

[fish2keel]

Gyro,

I live in melbourne...by cocoa beach. 45 minutes from orlando on the beach.

 

[Gyro]

My dad lives in Jensen east of Stuart. I'll drop him a word and get some beta for you in the next day or two

 

[fish2keel]

thanks bro

 

[Marwan]

try a riffe comp#1 or #2, it should suit your needs, i know that Austin's Diving Center - Spearguns sell them in florida, doug is the owner, great guy, he should be able to hook you up with the right gun... you could also refer to him for more local experience. alternatively one of the members here is also an experienced floridian "jimdoe2you", try dropping him an email or
pm

 

[Gyro]

Hey Fish2Keel,
My Dad just gave me a shot and said the best place to pick up a spear world be
Professional Diving Industries Melbourne FL 407-254-1200He said the guys there are pretty hip and will give you all kinds of insight and let you handle all the guns. Good luck to you in finding a piece and happy hunting...

Ever surf the Hole? Drop a line if you ever want a spearing budr we can arrange hunt in some of the spots I know in Fl. In the mean time check out the springs as the are an untouched area. I'm down that way every couple months

 

[fish2keel]

Marman,

Thanks man for your advice. I have read a good bit on the riffe comp 2s. Thats what I saw and it looked good I thought too but I read a post on one of the forums saying they werent accurate at all.

I would really perfer a wood good but a euro but be good too. I know riffes are euros.

Gyro,
Tell your dad thanks a bunch and thank you bro. Im going to give htem a call and try to go this week and see how it goes.

I do surf on another note. The hole? Im not sure where that is. I surf second light if you know where that is. Its by tables. Where slater surfs. You surf? Man Id love to get in some spearing sometime. My buds all lobster in grante. I dont though.

In the mean time. What you guys think of building a gun? Just curious. Doubt it will be my route this time around though. Dont have enough time. Whats a good wooden piece for the reefs? I know wongs are but frankly I dont have 650-700+ bucks to just throw out there at the moment.

 

[fish2keel]

By the way I forgot to ask this. I know you guys are probably sick of questions but I got a few until I get some more info under my belt.

But since ill be hunting reefs from 0-60 feet(highly doubt ive even come close to 60) what about these reefs or float lines? The reefs seem nice but the floats seem like I can just let my gun go and its fine. The floats also have that 60+ feet of line that will get me wrapped up. Frankly in the phillipines I dont want to worry about another fishing line hung up around me.

Oh and guys ive read all the forums about spear fishing for dummies and making spear guns for dummies and wear that you will need,etc. It helped but not well enough. If you guys could tell you where you hunt, what you use, and what you use it for, and maybe even a pic. it would help. Im going to find yall a picture of what im looking for and maybe yall can help.

 

[deep thinker]

For the type of hunting you rever to I dont think you really need a canon like youve described, on reefs most of your shots will be short to medium range with very few long shots, because reef dwelling fish tend to use the reef to their advantage when it comes to hiding and feeding spots. I think the best way to start is by getting a 1.1m gun or even a 1m wich is a good start out all rounder gun with one or two 20mm bands, I use just one 20mm on my 1.1 and theres not really much loss in power or range, a float and stringer on the float is also not such a bad idea. This gives you a place to store your fish and also something to play the fish with if its something bigger. I was also sceptical about getting wrapped up in the line when I started hunting with floats but you quickly realize its not so easy, you just work in a general direction away from the float and youll be fine, you can also get a drop weight and keep your float in one place and work the area around it, if getting tangled really bothers you. What I also found was that the 1.1 gun was a bit cumbersome in small spaces like gullies and holes, so I got a .9m just before december and what a pleasure. For short range hunting I definately recomend something in this lenth, so maybe another way to go for you would be to buy 2 euro guns, probably still gona be cheaper than one timber, one longer and one shorter and store the one not in use on your float for when you need it. Just my 2cents worth though.
Cheers and safe diving

 

[fish2keel]

deep thinker,

Thanks man for the help. Ill take that into that. That sounds like a good idea to me. Although I would perfer not to buy a euro it is looking more and more that I will have too. I was thinking something around 48". That sounds around right? That would be a riffe #2. I like the float. I tihnk ill end up getting a float. Ive heard that you want a longer gun to hit the fish from farther away because its so clear. I mean you can see down into hundreds of feet. Just thinking guys. Keep the opinions and everything coming. Ill check back later on.

 

[deep thinker]

Yep the longer the gun the longer the range, Id say a 1.2 - 1.4m gun should do it. 1.2 Is minimum lenth for open water hunting here so youll start from there I think

 

[fish2keel]

Ok so ill go with around 48". Thats a riffe 2x. Which isnt to bad. Now I have to find some post on it.

Good news though guys. Im going to go ahead and throw this on the table for everyone to think about.

My friend wanted to know what to get me for my up coming birthday. I told her I was looking at spearguns and we were talken about how her dad does really nice wood work. I asked her if she thought maybe he could build me a speargun stock. She asked and he said it was possible and that we would talk. SWEET!!!

Although it may not happen it surely would be pretty cool. So now its time to start looking at building guns. Still going to do the specs of a riffe 2x I believe. I like those specs for what I am planning on doing. So now I have to find someone here in florida with some mahoganey to spare. Guys please keeping all the info coming on reef guns. Thanks a bunch.