New section for deeper blue

[Murat]

Here is an great idea for deeper blue.

I and many others are tight bugget guys.So when i decide to buy spearfishing equipment i must think about it more than once.But i don`t know if its good or bad without of using it.Unfortunatelly our dealers don`t let us the try the products before buying.

I am thinking that may be the deeper blue operators may want to add a new directory to the site.May be product review or something else and they collect freediving gear for test and comparision.Eg: This mounth you may want to make longblade fin test and comparision.How???Simple you collect all available brands this month then test them next month.By that period of time you can collect other month`s equipment.

If you agree with me post post your accept messages here plz.:inlove

 

[Iyadiver]

AGREED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHY ????? CAUSE :

01. Very few freediving equipment here in me country, so I need input.

02. GUNS, only 3 brands here in me country. Riffe, JBL and Mares. The Riffes and Mares are not even stock in full line/models...of course..........cause selling spearguns take ages.

03. Since the forum dudes are from all over world, they can do equipment testing in their own waters and that not only tell of the equipment function and bla bla bla, it also tell if that unit/s is suitable for which water viz and bla bla bla.

I done two testing , one of Riffe Standard #2 and Cyrano 850. Now I think other guys should help out too. If the test is like my Riffe #2 with plywood and plastic target evidence/record.... I THANK YOU. Not that I do not trust only words but it allow us to see how accurate a certain set up is in good hands...tempting.

I'll attach again my test :

Riffe Standard #2. 124cm . 8mm Hawaiian Shaft. Shot from 4 meters. 3 x 9/16 bands. Single hand shots. Shooting line is 400 lbs mono at 3 wraps or 6+ meters. The aiming zone is the circle in pencil, not the + (cross hair) of the wide black tape.

IGNORE THE "4 BAND" IN THICK INK.


Want some more test, I have a Riffe #4 target test slip.
OK OK, most of you have good enough waters, testing instead of shooting fish might be a waste of time. As for me , seeing even one 5kg pelagic is a happy 40 minute scuba dive. These past few months water & weather been bad and I can't go to my regular fish spot. I believe that fix target testing is the only way to confirm improvement on the gun set up. All in depth testing always involved fix target shooting. No fun but educational.
Used to shoot Coca Cola can but this is more reliable and can be kept for comparison against other set up. You might not believe it but I have hard time aiming cause my water viz is so bad this few months, I hardly can see the target from 6 meters.

Now, may I see a 110-130cm RA shooting a 7mm shaft with 2 x 16mm from 4 meters ? SA, Ivan, Anthony & Abri ?

Rig, How about showing ur MT4 accuracy from 5 meters ?

Sven, may u show us ur Island shooting from 6 meters .

 

[Murat]

Good effort and info IYA.Can you try 9/32 hawaian shaft with (2) 5/8 and (3) 5/8 bands for me plz?

 

[Iyadiver]

No Promise but I can try the Riffe #2 with 9/32 (7mm) shaft. In fact I been using it more often than with 5/16" (8mm ), I think more accuracy, rough guess shooting at pier wooden pilings.
Never done plywood target yet.

I don't use 5/8 bands with my #2, don't have any. It is not that I do not want to help you but 3 of 5/8 bands can get me a bottle of Chivas or Jack Daniel at some club....so.....you know....he he he he.

My 9/32" uses only two wraps of shoting line, so about only +-4.5 meters. 400 mono too. If I use 2 bands of 9/16 ( 14mm ), the recoil is so decent .....sweet but the shaft doesn't pull the gun. If I use 3 x 9/16 rubbers, the shaft shoots lightning fast and wants to rob my gun from my hand at the end of its travel. Decent recoil, If I may say so. Accuracy still fantastic, I mean I shoot 5" long and 1.5" diameter squid and small rainbow runners....it tell the story.
I never even tried 4 x 9/16 rubbers on 9/32 shaft unless I lengthen the shooting line to 6 meters or 3 wraps. Next time friend.

The 5/16 (8mm) Hawaiian shaft with 4 x 9/16 rubbers with 400 lbs mono and 6 meters/3 wraps shooting line, still have left over energy to pull the gun away from me.

My other set-up of 5/16 shaft with Ice Pick and 6 meters/3 wraps of 500 lbs coated cable shooting line, this does NOT have left over energy at the end of its travel to pull my gun away from me.

If I freedive, I use my 9/32" shaft. If I do my usual wrecks I use my 9/16" shaft + Ice Pick with the cable. I have got so many 7+ kg Trevally with Riffe Ice Pick that are usualy lost when using JBL detachable Tri Cut, even on gill shots. I love the Ice Pick so much. It is a forgiving spearhead that rarely let fishes go even for bad shot and does not damage much flesh. Not reccomended for 7mm shaft though, too heavy and a drag during flight.

U know I scuba and do not use float. Trevaly has a habit of tangling the shooting line to the wreck, once tangled, it pull with all its might. By then it will be how good the spearhead will hold without tearing the flesh. There is nothing I can do to play braking effect. If I ascend fast after each shot to clear the line from the wreck, I risk decompression sickness and will be blasted away by the strong current. The only time I can get away immediately from the wreck after a shot is when I am done shooting and want to surface.

One or two of my wrecks are trevaly guaranteed if u do 3 scuba dives a day. I mean at least u get to pull ur trigger twice on those three dives. Sucks to many but to me, this is good enough. In coral reef area, a big trevaly has less chance to tangle than on wrecks but to see them there.................. not in my close by waters.....NO WAY !!!! Once in 10 dive is already lucky.
85% of my fish are either from wrecks, FAD and oil rigs.

This shows that equipment preference differ from region to region. Ice Pick is considered by many as a blue/open water spearhead but not to me. With my lack of fish, I managed to boost my catch many times over with Ice Pick and a Riffe. There is only one place I been in South China Sea, on an oil rig where the trevalies are so dumb and plentiful, they come to you. Here, any guns with cable shooting line will get u plenty of fishes. Don't talk about the 1 meter Barracudas, even Hawaiian Sling will get them.

Here is the typical trevaly we get in a 2 day trip of five divers with 4 dives each on our wrecks. Poor me already happy with these low productivity. On the other hand, I am still luckier than you Murat. Sorry.


IYA

 

[SASpearo]

He he he

I almost flamed ya for that one, untill I saw the diver and dives stats. Nice one!

 

[Hamrrhed]

From Iya.........Now, may I see a 110-130cm RA shooting a 7mm shaft with 2 x 16mm from 4 meters ? SA, Ivan, Anthony & Abri ?

IYA,
Soon enough Ill be back in Florida and Ill do my best to do some testing for you.
In the mean time you can check out the Hawaiian (sp?) Skin Diver article on the test they did from 14' w/some of the popular Euro type guns.
Unfortunately they cut their testing of the RA short claiming it was too hard to load. IMHO that is a total cop out though:naughty , its not that hard to load. From the one shot they did it was dead on.
What I'd like to see is some testing on the Riffes, unmodified as purchased. And no not the smaller guns but the bigger mid handles. IE No Ka Oi and up:hmm .
I personally think its unfair to lay down all that money on a Riffe just for it to be relatively inaccurate as purchased. As witnessed with my No Ka Oi (It was dead on though when only load with a single band). To get it the way it should of been I would have had to kick down another estimated 200$.
Wa Wa Wa! I know Im whinning :waterwork but why cant Riffe include some test fire info for individual guns the way Collins does?:duh
And for all of you Riffe Fanatics Im not tryng to trash him or his gear but dang.

Anthony
Torrance CA
Somewhat proud owner of at one time two Riffes.

 

[Iyadiver]

Anthony,

I have a No Ka Oi with me. Not mine, my friend ask me to baby it while he is away. I'll do some testing next time and let you know.
This one has 5/16 shaft + Ice Pick and a reel with 3 x 5/8 bands.
Comes with 2 wraps of 1000 lbs Kevlar. He has caught even Rainbow Runners with it. I personaly hate mid-handle butt being close to my teeth but I like the balance. How is ur No Ka Oi set up like ?

If I ever get visibility of 25 feet, only then I can test. I been dying to test more of my Standard #4 Baja but viz...viz..viz. I hate two hand shots and Jay Riffe mentioned that for No Ka Oi power, 2 hand is a must.

The Hawaiian Skin Diver test is a waste, I realy love to see the RA perform.

I did not know Collins come with test sheet...DAMN.
I wish all guns come with it, I think it is only fair to us buyers.
Who ever get to be Riffe tester, I think his arm will look like Popeye's...ha ha ha ha ha

IYA

 

[Abriapnea]

Originally posted by Hamrrhed
....Now, may I see a 110-130cm RA shooting a 7mm shaft with 2 x 16mm from 4 meters ? SA, Ivan, Anthony & Abri ?

Sorry Hammrhed , can't tell you anything worth a damn about specs , but you can see the results in "spearing photo's"

 

[Murat]

Hey IYA how many meters did you dive to hunt these uluas???

So you have that many fish, boat,Riffes,so many dive buddy and still call yourself poor????????

R u trying to blame me:vangry :vangry :vangry :naughty

 

[Murat]

Oh almost forgot.

Is that you sitting on the scuba tank???? If yes you better to watch your ass.

 

[Murat]

 

[Murat]

Come on boys. Waiting for more vote for new section.

 

[Iyadiver]

Hi Murat,

I don't think these trevalies are called Uluas. I am under the assumptin that giant trevaly are what they call Uluas in Hawaii. The fishes I caught are Golden Trevally. Same family but different a bit.

I shoot this fishes in holes of the wreck or sometime when they swim along side of the wreck. With my #2 with 4 x 9/16 rubbers, sometime I shoot them at the edge of the visibility, some 5 meters. Me is scuba dude ..... ha ha ha ha. If viz is real bad, I see the yellow tail it has and aim in front of what I assumed as the body...many times I hit the fish. This fish if say 10 kg and not stoned, it give a very worthy fight.

I tagged along a friend who has a boat...lucky me...but I worked for it. I have plenty of buddies to choose but I tend to choose those with good conservation in mind. I am never out of buddies, I am in demand.... ha ha ha ha.

I am not blaming u dear friend....just that when I think others are in better waters than me, some of us are in worse waters.

IYA

 

[Hamrrhed]

IYA........... How is ur No Ka Oi set up like ?
Same set up minus reel and Ice Pick. The gun is definately a two hand weapon, for that matter its a two hand gun with arms locked. I was lucky when I caught it in the face, just a swollen lip I understand some people have had worse incidents.:blackeye Anthony
S. Cal

 

[Murat]

Originally posted by Iyadiver
Hi Murat,

I don't think these trevalies are called Uluas. I am under the assumptin that giant trevaly are what they call Uluas in Hawaii. The fishes I caught are Golden Trevally. Same family but different a bit.



IYA

I intensionally told it ulua coz i know you will understand what i mean.:duh :duh

you didn`t answered for ass question.Damn its start to sink:yack

Hey guys don`t forget main porpouse plz.Its vote for new section.
Unfortunatelly none of our mentors didn`t post something positive or negative.I am starting to think that they don`t care about me enough:vangry :naughty

 

[andrsn]

Originally posted by Murat
Unfortunatelly none of our mentors didn`t post something positive or negative.I am starting to think that they don`t care about me enough:vangry :naughty

easy there pal.

we've been discussing new sections for quite a while. yes, this topic is one of them. we're trying to figure a few things out first.

keep it real,
andrsn

 

[Murat]

ok then; keep working on it.I am looking forward to hearing something good from you.

 

[ahinalu]

my vote and ulua or papio?

Yes, yes, yes... A very good idea to have a "spec section". I would like to know if there are any JBL users out there. Not all of us can afford a Riffe :waterwork (Christmas is coming soon ) I have been very lucky to have been given three new shafts (2-5/16 and 1-9/32), and two new tricut slip tips. I've been using a 7/16inch shaft, and is it slow, which makes me better 'cause I have to get closer. I haven't had a chance to try yet (maybe tomorrow if the surf goes down). Anyone have any preferences to shaft diameter for the JBL 450?

Ulua or Papio. All trevalies here in Hawaii are called one or the other. This holds for the giant trevally, jack crevelle (sp?), etc. The main fish we call ulua are: white ulua and black ulua. The term ulua is reserved for trevallies over 35-40lbs. Anything under that are Papio, and Omilu for the blue ones. And of course anything over 100lbs gets you into the 100lb+ club, free diving only, no help. Alas, I am not a member. :waterwork I hope to change that soon.
If your not confused yet, think about this:

Tuna:
yellow fin: ahi, shibi (over 100lbs) koshibi, shibi-ko (under 100lbs)
skipjack: aku (all and or under 15lbs) watado (over 15lbs)
kawa kawa (it's like a bonito, no english name)
albacore: tombo
It does get worse, because you have to know the Hawaiian and english, and sometimes the Japanese or even Filipino names. It's taken me years to perfect the naming thing, and even then you meet someone who has an entirely different size definition.:head

Ulua or otherwise, that is one hell of a nice catch iyadiver.

Aloha ahinalu

 

[fuzz]

Actually, Ulua is any papio over 10 pounds, not 35-45.

 

[Iyadiver]

Great, Chief Anderson is working on the new section.

Murat, sitting on scuba tank is safe.......trust me.

Gee, so many name is Hawaii for different size fishes...my my.
Here we do that too but we either call it with BIG xxxx or SMALL xxxx....... ha ha ha ha.

AHINALU. Your JBL 450 XHD need a minimum of 5/16 shaft. The original is 3/8". The rubber should be 3 x 5/8. If you use 9/32", the plastic slider will not support the shaft properly. The best wasy to test is to see it from side way with shaft installed, if there is light between the shaft and the slider, it means the gap too big. I am afraid the shaft will bend during launch cause the rubber will push it down. 5/16" will ge u the speed and 3/8" will give u the impact. Make sure ur slide ring is accurate for each size of the shaft. If u want, try Riffe rubber or that Mean Green from BlueWater hunter or something. Don't use old wishbone for new rubbers, they will break fast. If ur shaft uses the twin dot slide ring stop at the rear, be ready with a few new slide rings. With powerful rubbers at 450 size, I don't expect ur slide ring to last more than 40 shots before it goes oval, crack or jam up. My gang been thru that years ago.


Ur XHD trigger can take the stronger rubber but do expect heavy trigger pull. Watch out for ur plastic muzzle, it will break easily !!!!!! Use nylon tie wrap to secure most outwards rubber on muzzle or it sometime fly off ....the most outer one.

HAVE FUN
IYA