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New Seatec Gabbiano 2009!

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Hello again, I managed to get on the net here in Greece to write some things about seatec snake, first time I went in the water with it, had a bit of hard times loading and sorting out mono, as this is the first open muzzle gun I have, not my skills much better with loading. So on the first day, gun was very accurate, after half an hour the smooby wishbone just broke; I was a bit surprised for something to break even though it’s a miner. Thanks God I had a spear one. I fixed it; next day went again, for a dive. After 15 minutes one of the bands just snapped while I just placed the wishbone in the notch. Unbelievable how could new 17.5mm rubber just break, it broke just after the place where the bands where tightened up with dynamo. Did anyone have the same problems? What shall I do contact the seatec directly?

I went to the local store and asked them if they had any bulks of rubber, they had one called gorilla I don’t know who produces them and its 18mm comparing to seatec they are much stiffer and less elastic they did not have 17.5mm in stock. So now my gun has one 17.5 seatec original band and one 18mm gorilla. I think it became less accurate. But over all gun itself is good.
Any comments or suggestions very welcome thanks!
 
I think you may need to change both bands to the gorilla ones, other wise there would be an uneven pull on the spear when fired causing it to become less accurate
 
Ye foxfish knows wat im on about. 6m from me Eye.

Lost the gun as so used to having on a float and just droped it in curent to swim a skate to the boat.....BUGA

Cant get them in the usa but def want to get my hands on the new gab trb
 
Thanks for the advice, thats what I did, it did help!

DafyddRees said:
I think you may need to change both bands to the gorilla ones, other wise there would be an uneven pull on the spear when fired causing it to become less accurate
Click to expand...
 
just reading this thread now as I'm thinking of one of these guns. the damn Omer "One Speargun" has popped up though and could almost be my dream gun. All too expensive though.

I was wondering if a 20mm rubber was not overkill on the gabiano's. even with a 6.5mm shaft 18mm should be fine. Sometimes less is more...

more real use reports to drool over please. Spago: did you get one?

download and droolathon: http://www.onespeargun.com/manuali/cat_one_09.pdf
 
Has any British spearo managed to get hold of a Seatec Snake? Struggling to locate any dealers...
 
azapa said:
more real use reports to drool over please. Spago: did you get one?
Click to expand...

I finally decided to stick to my old ones: I still have the old Gabbiano Trb 77cm and Snake 120cm, both with the previous older handle.
I've been complaining about the old Seatec grip being too skinny, but then I realized that it has become the natural extension of my arm. No need of the new ergonomic handle for me after all: I have no doubt the new grip must be better but, again, I'm so familiar with the old one that I don't want to change. Fixed!

I've used my 77 Gabby a lot, while not so much the Snake: 120 is a very long gun for my waters and type of hunting, too long most of the times.
Despite the different muzzle (Snake's muzzle tend to be slightly positively buoyant, Gabbiano Trb muzzle tends to be slightly negative), Gabby and Snake are nearly equal as for accuracy.

I kept the Snake 120 with it's standard set up (2x16mm loop bands and 6,5 shaft), but I know people using only one 17,5mm loop band with 6mm shaft. Sounds like a correct balance if you don't want the extra-hassle of loading two bands.
I don't think anyway that 20 mm bands would be overkill on these guns: they have a good mass to endure the kick, but you can't use them with skinny 6mm shafts: at least 6,35 spear with 20mm bands.
 
DafyddRees said:
Has any British spearo managed to get hold of a Seatec Snake? Struggling to locate any dealers...
Click to expand...

YEP i got a 110 snake. try spearo dave, he got mine for me. Just read what spaghettie said, and i agree it is boyant and the nose. I put some soft led on the front to weight it down slightly.
 
Reactions: DafyddRees
I got hold of a snake 90cm and love it but it took me some time to get used to it! They are hard to get in the UK but if you PM me I will tell you how.

I had an 85cm seac x-fire at first and never missed a fish with it (well not often anyway)! It was light fast and accurate. The snake is heavier and more powerful, like cannon in comparison.

I missed a lot of fish with the snake at first and got quiet frustrated with it. I decided that this was down to the extra power it has. So I tried it with one band, no good at all. It hardly pushed the spear off the gun, so I went back to two bands. I then snapped a band trying to put it on the last notch! Seatec sent me a new one though!

After more disappointing results with the gun and two bands I started pining for my old x-fire. I was about to ditch the snake but then in a final attempt, I ended up changing the bands to a single 20mm -55cm, after some advice from an Italian spear fisherman I met on holiday this year. I am so glad I did! Now it perfect for me. Not quite as fast as the x-fire but solid, powerful and accurate. I am back to hitting the fish I aim at! I would still like to try a thinner spear and thinner rubber at some stage but as it is this combo suits me and I am very happy. You should feel at one with your gun, like its part of you and all you need to do is ‘think’ the spear to the target and it goes there. Finally I have that bond with my Snake.

[FONT=&quot]One thing I do find is that I need to replace the mono after every 4-5 sessions as the loop through the spear wears thin really quickly. I suppose this is because of the power and weight of the spear. It did come off once but fortunately I was in shallow water and found it again!
Spearheads...I would be interested to know how you are rigging your snake..



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Reactions: Claudio
Dave

Did you keep the same shaft all time or did you try any another variations ?

Is the flopper Hawaiian stype or euro style.
 
If you were using the single 16mm band you would want a thinner spear!

I had the same prob with mono with my gabi and switched to dyneema and its waaay better.
 

Dave, look at the attached. A properly prepared spear should get an entire heavy season out of the mono connection. I dive about 50 times a year and only change once at most.

Keys:
1. "Boat Tail" the spear end with a grinder. Note some newer Omer spears are coming like that from the factory
2. Coutersink the hole with a HSS drill, about 5mm seems good, lightly
3. Pass a round needle file to round corners
4. pass emery cloth, 100 and then 200 or so grit, cut in thin strips, pulled back and forth through the hole
5. (Optional) finish with metal polish and a rag, again, pulled back and forth.

You will be amazed the way the "boat tailing" makes the line hang better in the spear.

See photos (sorry, can't find the best ones, but they are posted on DB somewhere, will post a how-to again when i have the chance to prep a new spear.

Picture: Far right - emery and needle file, right - problem as the spears come. Left, standard spear. Middle, spear with steps 2 to 4 done. Sorry no boat tailing pictures
 

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Reactions: Claudio, foxfish and Spear0Joe
strangelove said:
Dave

Did you keep the same shaft all time or did you try any another variations ?

Is the flopper Hawaiian stype or euro style.
Click to expand...
I've not tried a thinner spear. I would like to though. The one I have is the one that came with it. It is extremely good quality and has a sharks fin rather than a notch for the wishbone. I really like it. Anyone know where I would find a thinner version of the same thing? Oh..its a euro flopper.
 
Hey! Thanks for this. Good advise! My spear does seem to have this done already but I will check it for sharp edges. I rekkon I might try some dyneema instead of mono and see if that last longer.
Thanks again
 
azapa said:
I was wondering if a 20mm rubber was not overkill on the gabiano's. even with a 6.5mm shaft 18mm should be fine. Sometimes less is more...
Click to expand...

20mm band are DEFINATELY overkill on the Gabbiano, I've got them on my 90 and they are too much, the thing fires like a cannon!!

A friend lent me some standard Gabbi 16mm rubbers and the gun was so much nicer to use!!!
 
I have a snake 90 and have tried it with only one band and the 6.5 spear. No good! The spear is too heavy. I now use a 55cm 20mm band and it is ok. I want to get a 6.25 spear and try it with a single 17.5 to see if it wil become lighter and faster. Does anyone have any advise in this or know where to get a 17.5 130cm spear with shark fins? I can't find one!!
Posted via Mobile Device
 
Meshari said:
can some one explain what is boat tailing ?
Click to expand...
I am sorry as a photo would say a million words, but I don't have one.

Its narrowing down the back of the spear, where the line goes through. Most spear backs are square, and the line hoop obviously wants to be round, so, take 45 degree corners off, and the width is now narrower, the hoop can therefore be rounder.

If you post a pic of the spear, line fastening end, taken from the top, I'll sketch where to grind.
 
I just got my NEW sea tec gabi OHHH myyyy i love it.

It is just like the old one that alot of us said oo this could not get any better and sea tec made it better. This gun is the dog

I did not relies it is a right handed grip tho as i am a lefty but its ok
 
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