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omer shardana review

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

Gear Buying addict
Supporter
Sep 3, 2005
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ive been using it all last weeek in heavy swells, i thought there would be a lot of drag, but none whatsoever, its a great float, actually my best float so far.. i used it in conjunction with a speed stringer i got from rob allen and a 20m float line attached to the gun:
Pros:
0- very high visibility and flag always stays upright (people/boats can easily see you)
1 -excellent flotation, you could easily get on it and fin/rest (i had to at some point when the swell was a little rough)
2 - Almost no drag in towing even in heavy seas
3 - could accomodate easily extra guns, spears water, etc...
4 - Reasonable price

Cons:
heavy and bulky out of the water
 
I've got another 'con' for you - it's a sailboat in heavy winds. It also can be a bitch to dislodge from rocky breakwalls. I've replaced the original flag - which does not meet the standards for my state. I've had mine for close to two years of year - round heavy use. The nylon shell is showing signs of wear but is generally holding up quite well to some very rough handling. It holds my camera as well as spearguns etc. etc. I also like it because it is large enough to be a navigational hazard for boats - which helps it get noticed.

The main thing I'd fault it on would be gratuitous use of velcro.
 
Hey Fondueset just ship it to me, it will be at great personal sacrifice but I will take that old, cumbersome, beat up float off your hands. Don't worry about me, I will manage. It's the least I can do for someone who takes pictures as well as you.
 
thanks Fogish

I love my shardana - the more beat up the better. It's not it's fault that I dive in 30mph winds.

One day last winter I looked up from 10 meters or so and saw the flag pointing down - the wind got under the float and flipped it right over. That's when I discovered if I let my ice fins come just a little out of the water the wind would bend them up and I could wind-surf! Getting out to the dive site was extremely easy that day..
Not that I wouldn't like to give it to you - it must be really difficult living there in the pacific northwest
 
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Just to get further off subject, I recently moved here and more recently was cleared by the Doctor to dive, so I have no idea where to go and struggling to find consistent freediving partners. I would love to be out by the great lakes and do a lot of ice diving. I was planning on doing that in Utah, but I moved out here... I feel like a desert nomad who was thrown into a 285 day rainstorm.

Now that you and Marwan really like the Shardana I may just save up and buy one. I was thinking about making my own float, but I think it might be safer if I went ahead and bought something that would be more reliable and last longer.
 
It's a nice one - so is the Omer Atoll - which is much more portable. Might wanna try getting together with those Vancouver area canadian types - I think you've got pretty much the same critters livin around your area and that is an awesome group to dive with.

My dive buddy made his own float out of a boogie board and a ridiculous amount of PVC - with a compression fitting for the flag - pvc pontoons etc. etc. I think the flag pole is like 4 feet high. You should see the gravity actuated underwater chandelier he built to go under it. My guess is he saved about -$80 - $100 over just buying the most expensive one you could find(note the '-').
Not that it can't be done - and pretty easily if you're not obsessive/compulsive.
 
i didnt like the omer atoll, actually i hated it, my friend had one and we took it out one day and the winds were heavy, it kept flipping around like a kite, it does have the advantage of portability though. before i switched to shardana i used the riffe torpedo float, which is also great and provides a lot of floatation, only problem is i couldnt attach much stuff to it, like water etc... and a fish spike managed to put a hole in it...so now i have to patch it up...
i would imagine using it in tandem with the shrdana could be a good blue water setup when i go for the biggies
 
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