Newbie questions

[Spiderman]

Having owned just one 75cm band gun since I started spearing a few years ago I decided it was time to buy another gun. I wanted something more powerful but didn't want it to be too long so decided on a cressi SL100. I have two simple questions that I haven't found answers to after a bit of searching...

1. How do you guys carry the loader? I'm thinking attach to my wrist but wondered what others do.

2. How does the reducer work? (I don't like owning things and not undertsnading how they work)

 

[devondave]

Hi Matt,
on the Cyranos there is a space in the handle to store the loader but really it's easier to tuck them into your glove.
Buy lots of spare ones 'coz you'll lose a few.

Not sure how to answer your second question, do you mean how does it work to use it or how does it work in the gun?

 

[Spiderman]

Thanks Dave

I know what it does - I would just like to know how

 

[devondave]

Best way?
Take the gun to bits and have a look, you may as well so you can change the oil and stuff.
Basically the switch moves a plunger which either opens the front reservoir (full power).
Or closes off the front reservoir (low power).
The gun has two chambers separated by a plug with a hole in it which the plunger closes off or leaves open.
I take the power regulators out and bin them, makes the gun easier to use and a bit more powerful.

 

[popgun pete]

The answer to your second question can be found here http://forums.deeperblue.com/pneumatic-spearguns/86054-pneumatic-speargun-compression-ratio.html

 

[Crispin]

I take the power regulators out and bin them, makes the gun easier to use and a bit more powerful.

Interesting, I keep my regulator on. With the tovarich it packs a fair punch on full power, for me it's nice to have the reducer on there if i'm fishing in gullies or on holey ground, I wouldn't want to find a 10lb bass in a hole and not want to shoot it for fear of the spear bouncing back at me...

 

[devondave]

Interesting, I keep my regulator on. With the tovarich it packs a fair punch on full power, for me it's nice to have the reducer on there if i'm fishing in gullies or on holey ground, I wouldn't want to find a 10lb bass in a hole and not want to shoot it for fear of the spear bouncing back at me...

Well, you can listen to me, who knows next to nothing.
Or the likes of Popgun Pete, Tromic, Foxfish etc who know more about pneumatics than anyone alive.
And all recommend keeping the regulator.
Take your pick.

 

[Crispin]

Well, you can listen to me, who knows next to nothing.
Or the likes of Popgun Pete, Tromic, Foxfish etc who know more about pneumatics than anyone alive.
And all recommend keeping the regulator.
Take your pick.

personal preference is king I say you say potato, i say potato

I just do what feels good for me, and if it catches Bass - so much the better.

 

[popgun pete]

Like everything else in spearfishing that question is answered more by what you are hunting and where, the changes in terrain and to some extent the prevailing underwater visibility. In wide open spaces you do not need a power regulator (partitioned reservoir type) unless you use the "easy loading" feature that goes with it to get the spear into the gun with more than one continuous push. That will be very useful if the gun is at your physical stretch limit for loading the combined length of gun and shaft. If the underwater terrain continually varies as you change locations during a dive and some shots are towards the bottom or headed for nearby backing reef structures and you miss or drive right through the fish then you soon start demolishing your speartips. Speaking as someone who has worked their way through a lot of speartips (over many decades) even after resharpening and straightening them where practical (they were longer and much better speartips than the standard ones supplied these days) the use of the power regulator limited the damage. That said, some fish species had such acceleration while perched near or on a protruding rock I ended up shooting them on full power anyway to raise the shaft velocity, but often paid the price with a smashed tip. If you can switch to shorter or longer guns for the conditions then the power regulator becomes less important, but they make a mid-size gun more versatile for a wide range of prey and bottom conditions. Opinion varies as we do not all hunt under identical circumstances, so you need to assess what will work for you where you intend to dive.

 

[devondave]

Just because Pete is right and knows what he's talking about . . .
It's true I do carry three guns of different lengths with me and can just about load the long one on full power, so a power switch isn't such an issue.

Good stuff!

 

[poildeq]

omg alleluiah!!
at 1 point I thought it was me who was over prepared having been a yachtsman with the moto always bring the things that you think you will not need, because you will need them, anyway I always carry 2 guns with me on all dive a Mini Mares n my Mares Cyrano 100, I am chuffed as I am not the only one here...that does that..

 

[JimboBrit]

Does anyone know if you can use a reel with the Cressi SL100 with reducer? If so, what is the best one?