Riffe Warranty for them Reels- World Class !!

[Iyadiver]

As some of you might have known that a friend of mine damaged his spinning knob on his Riffe reel, sounds stupid but it happened. Anyway he told Riffe about it and Riffe sent a new one for him ( less Kevlar line of course ). The best part is that, there are two other divers in my group who has the same reel, Riffe sent them too !!!! The new reel is suposedly the new improved model over the new one. I notice the material is different, seems stronger. Anyway the fun part is that the 3 reels shipment went to India instead of Indonesia.............wha ha ha ha.

It was shipped by post office and the country code of Indonesia being ID, was read wrong by the US post office staff. Thus the 3 reels went to India........ My friends thought Riffe was bulshitting them cause the shiptment was like 3 weeks late. They received the goods yesterday and passed on to me for viewing. The box has stamps stated 1st of May 2003. The post office guy ( a good friend...lucky for the tax rate that it is... ) tracked the numbers down and it did went to India first and came back to Indonesia. What a journey............

Here is what the new improved reels looked like. It shocked me that Riffe went to the trouble to ship the 2 extra reels for my other friends, whereby their reels are working so well !!! This is good service on the Riffe part. Only one condition Riffe told us : To destroy all the previous reels.

Now I have a new toy to destroy !!!!!!!! for free, my friend broken reel !!!! He he he. I will get a wood block, screw that reel on it, tie it to my house gate and pull it with my car. I want to know which side break first....he he he. Photos coming soon boys.

My scanner can't scan dark object well.


IYA

 

[Hawkeye31]

Iya, sounds like a fun test. How are the reels attached to the barrel of a Riffe? Screws? Bolts? And, when a reel has been taken off, how badly damaged is the barrel?
Thanks Adam

 

[Iyadiver]

On wooden Riffe there is two way to install the reels. One is regular wood screws (3). Or ask factory to place 3 stainless steel inserts, if u are itchy handed and like to dismantle the reel often. This way they give you 3 machine screws.

On Metal Tech series like mine, the factory will install 3 machined inserts on the aluminum barrels. The screws will also be provided. This must be factory done. I heard the new way of installing the reel is on the teak wing kit ( if there is a wing kit ).

No damage will be done when u remove a reel but there will be screw holes or naked inserts.

On the Metal Tech which have reel inserts on the barrels, my advice is ( since my group has 3 with reels ), make a small cut or drill small holes on the reel mounting frame. This way no water will be trapped. The new reels have area to trap water, it is the renforcement grid of the casing where the 3 screws are. It save weight using those grids. The older Riffe reel ( I have one ) is all solid and thus very heavy. Other way is to fill those water trapping area with regular silicone, I think this is better.

Any gun as long as it is aluminum or even stainless steel, should not have area to trap water . Minor corossion will occur it not material pitting in case of aluminum.

Even the Riffe reel capacity is not big enough for me. I wish for 300-400 feet of 1000# Kevlar, now I only get 150 feet. The rest of the reels on the market seems to have even smaller capacity. The thing I like about the Riffe reel is the one way braking. When a fish pull the line, the braking is applied. When you reel in, it free spool...all automatic by design ....... beautiful !!


IYA

 

[Hawkeye31]

Iya, or someone else with the knowledge....
Due to mental lapses, I am now without my beloved riffe #H. Im looking at a used Nokaoi as a replacement. I believe it should behave real similar to my old departed love. Have you ever seen/ used this gun before? I read the old threads here in DB, recalling that I read somewhere that the aiming was innacurate, but couldnt find it. Im gonna bite the bullet, but curious what others had to say.
Id go with the Island, but being only 5-8, and 145, I want to be able to load the gun without needing to ashore to rest.
Thanks, Adam

 

[icarus pacific]

somebody say Riffe?

Not that I'll cop to knowing anything about Riffes, but the No Ka Oi, being 6 inches longer than a Hawaiian is in my mind a better all around gun. I've not heard of anyone having any problems relating to the gun and most of those owners are about your size. Once they got used to having to nut up when pulling the trigger and then got past the macho crap and went down to 9/16" bands for smoothness, they were all eating much better.


sven

 

[Hawkeye31]

Man, that is good to here. Ive been bashing myself for losing my #H all week. Someday I may build the nuts and humility to explain HOW I lost my gun, but presently I am way too embarassed. With some calculation, every fish caught with that gun (worth noting) cost me about over $60. I take some solace in the knowledge that experience does not come cheap, but still...ouch.
Ill go with the 56" stock this time and hope to keep it a bit longer.

thanks,
Adam

 

[ivan]

hi

Hawkeye what about instead of getting another Riffe check out the new Carbon Rob allens you would be the most unique diver in California and all the other riffe guys except Sven of course will be dropping there guns on the beach and chasing you down for a better look

Just my non biased opinion of course

cheers

 

[Iyadiver]

IVAN,

Where u been man ? U have not posted in this part of the woods for quite sometime.


Hawk,

A Canadian friend of mine has a No ka Oi, in fact he kept it in my house. He used it only when he comes here to hunt, maybe twice a year. He works in Singapore. So far so good, he often hit rainbow runners, I think it fair to say that it takes an accurate and sweet tracking gun to do that. Unfortunately no muzzle re-inforcement , so he uses only 3 x 9/16 bands, 5/16" shaft and Ice Pick with 2 wraps 500# coated cable and a reel . I used to think that No Ka Oi was big but not anymore, when I got my #4 Baja. The rubbers length is the same as my #4 Baja and so is the shaft at 60".

No Ka Oi is the last mid handle in the series before the stock get beefed up like the #Island. 4 x 9/16 bands are the max. It is a sweet looking gun. It s about 7 years old now and still look great. Been used heavily for the first 3 years and when he quits his job in my city and moved to Singapore, its been with me ever since. I oil it once in a while.

I have another friend with a No Ka Oi, 3/8" shaft, Ice Pick, 4 x 9/16 bands, 3 wraps 500# coated cable and pizza stabilizer, he loves it.

Do you mind sharing with us what happen to ur Hawaiian ? No laughs, no worry.

Oh yeah, the new Rob Allen Ivan talking about is Sarachen ( I think that's what it is called ).

IYA

 

[ivan]

hi

Iya ive had no Internet for bout 3 months so no connections.

Dont worry Ive been tagging the local Mackeral population while I was gone. I see you got some brute Doggies 80lbers that is really good. Like you said though it sure is a shame that there playing grounds are so deep, you have to be able to do apnea like our South african friend to get a chance when freediving

Honestly Iya if you had my Ra 150 in your hands that day would you have been able to get a shot in

cheers

Ps when are you coming down under I see on the Aussie forum you are quite popular with the Tech info

 

[icarus pacific]

When you get your mitts on the gun Adam, lemme know and I'll go over reinforcing the muzzle with you if you think it needs it...


sven

 

[Hawkeye31]

Yeah, after I inscribe my name on the gun ( something EVERYONE should do ) Ill definitely look into the muzzle reinforcement, although I am not planning on trying to supercharge it with extra bands. My last gun was so accurate with its stock componants that I have no inclinations (yet) to customize.... except for the ice-pick, re rig for breakaway, etc.

Okay. Its not cool, brave or scary. Last weekend I had a good run catching wsb. About a #20 on friday night, and a #30 again on Sunday. Climbing up the steep, dry, dusty trail with a backpack full of gear, and a fish tied on, I was dog ass tired. I set my gun against the side of my trucks' camper shell and opened the shell door to grab the broom handle that holds it open. I set down my backpack and unwrapped my fish. I probably stared at its beauty for a moment before closing shop, getting into the cab and, turning on the radio ( which was actually playing some good tunes for once in how #$%^#$ long I dont know), and drove off listening to (I shit you not- Zeps' good times bad times)....with my gun lying in the dirt on the side of the road.

It was over an hour before I realized what I had done. Sunny 3 day holiday weekend. More transient traffic than normal. My gun was history. Ill miss her.

Hawkeye

 

[Iyadiver]

You see Adam, that's why Sven is a Sultan of Smooth, he is a nice guy and handy with wood works.





Hi Ivan,

Gee .......I thought some shark got you or something....

Don't worry, it was not the gun problem that I had to surrender my beloved MT3., the slip tip got engaged so well I could not tug it out by force hence...bye bye speargun.

My custom C02 powered float and the replacement MT3 are coming soon. The "secret" float should do wonders ....at least I hope it will.... he he he.

Yesterday I landed a Potato Cod, I feel kind of bad because I think it is protected in Australia but ...........not here in my country.
Funny, Maori Wrasse ( Napoleon Wrasse ) is legal in your place but not in mine. This is my first Potato Cod and probably a last one too. It is delicous though, I have to admit. Even my choosy son loves it. We fillet some for dinner.

It was shocked to see me and swam off fast on the sandy bottom, that's when I shot it from about 6 meters above it. If it were to stay still I probably will not shoot it. Nothing like in the Discovery Channel where you can come close to them and they just linger around. It seems all the fish in my hunting area are allergics to hunters....

Yesterday was a shitty trip, dive 1 is the only dive with 20 feet viz at 90-120 feet deep, that's when I got the Potato. The rest of the 3 dives it was like 9 feet viz. Last dive on the deep pinnacle, the viz open up to +- 20 feet only at 140 feet and it was so dark at 4 PM that deep.....scarry.

The fishing boys were getting multiple strikes from Wahoo and Dorado just 1000 meters more offshore. I just can't believe it, those two fishes are supposed to be active only in good viz...how come my dive spots are so shitty ??? I am confused !!

The Potato is quite big but the pull power is not as fast as a dogie even half the Cod size. It was trying to enter a hole after the shot, so no more roller coaster ride, not so fun. I was using a borrowed MT3 with the new replacement reel I posted.

I cut the fish this afternoon and man........the scales were quite thick ( Napoleon Wrasse scales I think is the thickest & widest of all ) but the skin was even thicker than a Napoleon. I think I can make a wallet and a handbag out of the skin....

Anyway how's your hunt been ? Have your depth improve ?

IYA

 

[icarus pacific]

20 and 30 pounders eh?

Originally posted by Hawkeye31
and drove off...with my gun lying in the dirt on the side of the road. Ill miss her.

Hawkeye

Yep. I was going over the list of ways I've lost guns and your example was number three or four I think. :head I'd lob some karma your way but that bullshit screen saying I have to spread the love gets in your way.

Hey, if you're popping Whites like that, I'm a mere 7 hrs away buddy .


sven

 

[rigdvr]

Originally posted by Iyadiver
The fishing boys were getting multiple strikes from Wahoo and Dorado just 1000 meters more offshore. I just can't believe it, those two fishes are supposed to be active only in good viz...how come my dive spots are so shitty ??? I am confused !!
IYA

Iya...we get alot of hoo's and dolphin in dirty water. They are not bothered by it like marlin and the like.

 

[ivan]

hi

Iya how big was the Potato cod we have a spot up here at Lizard Island called the cod hole they hand feed big beasts I mean ones that I think will swallow little children Dont feel bad bout it man if it was legal here id be shooting them too. Your vis sounds like costal diving around here very poor 90% of the year but man being at 120ft with 9ft vis thats pretty scary.

Ive been doing to much Scuba diving lately that I think I forget how to freedive properly anymore this is on the boat I work on so no spearing. Errr I did a breathold a while back of 6:30 but I guess that doesnt mean that my freediving will improve

Hunting weve been getting lots of Spanish macks but no giants just lots of 25-30lbers the big ones should come in at winter time. My old man shot a 26lb Coral trout a few weeks ago which was quite a nice fish bent his spear up big time

Hawkeye you must have felt physically ill when you realised that you left your gun on the side of the road that would suck man



cheers

 

[Iyadiver]

Thanks Kapiten Rig, that's one important info on them hoo's and Dorado.


Ivan,
I read about the Cod Hole, it is famous for scuba divers. The photo shows 2 meter long ones.

Can you just imagine how bulky and noisy we are on scuba gears when hunting... he he he. My Potato is about 35-40kg, the fish market of the village where I hunt sell & land much bigger ones. Coral trout is yumy...yumy. I read at 99cm the Potato have matured enough to reproduce, so I did not feel bad much, mine was like 120-130cm.

This bad viz is rather unusual, it was like that + 2 knots current 3 weeks ago. Out of my almost 6 months hunting this area, this is the worst viz I have witnessed. Usually up to 60 feet lousy and deeper than that it opened up to a better viz. Last week I was at another dive spot, the rock that pops out to the surface. Viz was good but no fish. Out of the blue I saw yellowfin tuna, 5 of them at almost on the surface and I was at 70-80 feet. Not so big though 10 kg at the most. I ascend as slowly as could but my computer was beeping fast ascend all the time. By the time I got to be at 30 feet and the fish directly on top of me, it went warp speed. This is my second sighting of YF tuna in this place. Last time was bigger school but fast swimming but at +-40 feet, this school was more relaxed, maybe it loves the turbulence caused by the current against the swell and the rocks beneath. I jumped in free dive mode later but could not spot it, anyway I do not have experience floating on the surface with 2 meter swell and choppy water white water, it gives me headache.

IYA

 

[Hawkeye31]

Thanks for your thoughts...The gun I had my eyes on was sold to someone else, so in the meantime Ill have to focus on Halibut wth my competotor 0. Or maybe Ill go out without a gun, and practice some new stalking techniques. Ive been looking for a reason to do this, and losing a gun seems like a damn good one.
Later
Adam

 

[Iyadiver]

Be patient Hawk, you will find your way to get a replacement.

 

[ivan]

hi

Geez Iya 40kg is a very good sized fish man, at first I thought you may be taliking about a 10kg or so. Dont worry our costal vis just as bad as that. Your lucky to even see yellowfin tuna, over here they dont live on the pinnacles but instead out in the 4km deep depth range

cheers