Rob Allen Float Kit?

[Ophiodon]

Is there a add-on kit for rob allen guns to make them float with the spear? I nearly lost my rob allen when it came off my keeper hook.

 

[Mr. X]

Is there a add-on kit for rob allen guns to make them float with the spear? I nearly lost my rob allen when it came off my keeper hook.

Spearguns are generally designed to sink (or perhaps be neutral) with the spear in and to float with the spear out. You could clip your speargun to your float line for safe-keeping. This is what I do. It is one of the standard set-ups shown on the Rob Allen website. BTW the clip that is fitted to most RA spearguns is designed to clip the float line over the double-wire hook that is exposed when you press the side of the clip - not the little single wire hook that pops out the other side.

Some tube-barreled spearguns use moveable bungs to seal the hollow barrel. I think this is the case with RA spearguns (I vaguely recall that a bung is moved to fit a reel) but I am not certain. I suggest that you contact Rob Allen/Jeremy at the dive factory via their website: http://www.roballen.co.za/ ...they are very knowledgable & helpful.

 

[ROBERT REYES]

The carbon model floats with the thin shaft.

 

[deep thinker]

What x said, connect your gun to a float, it should be part of your kit for all dives it makes you visible in the water and its a place to store fish and extra gear on if you shore dive. It also gives you something to play larger fish with and if you shoot a fish that holes up you wont have to leave your gun on the bottom without a marker. It stays a personal preferance so its up to you but it is advised. There are quite a few threads here on floats and float lines, so have a look if you ahvent read them allready

 

[Ophiodon]

It dosent do me any good to have a float line like on the rob allen site, i do most to all of my diving in kelp forests and areas with lots of things to get my float line tanglesd around. As far as shooting a big fish goes the biggest fish over here are lingcod so i dont have to worry about a fish going into its hole. I have seen wing kits for other guns like the riffe guns, is there such a kit for the Rob allens? i didnt see anything like that in the RA webpage.

 

[Mr. X]

The wooden wing kits I've seen are intended for the big multi-band wooden bluewater "cannons". Didn't realise they were used for buoyancy, I thought they were to stop the muzzle kicking up when fired. I haven't seen anything similar for euro-guns or SA railguns. Closest thing I've seen would be Foxfish's home made "stealth bomber" sleeve for the his "pimped" Mamba pneumatic speargun.

BTW Re. Kelp forests there is good thread from last year on the subject. Bill McIntyre posted some images of rigs they use in the kelp forests off California. Including thick float lines with optional tiny egg floats. [If you are in that part of the world(?) you might want to look through some of Bill's posts or PM him.]

Alt. Miles is an authority on all spearing things esp. South African. He lives there and uses a lot of the gear. He seems to have dealt with most issues that folk come up with re. railguns, tuna,...

 

[ROBERT REYES]

You can use a float line
no float necesary

 

[Ted Budion]

Since you hail from Northern California, check with http://www.norcalfreedive.com . They're Rob Allen dealers and I'm sure they can advise you. All my buddies from your neck of the woods either do not use anything or tether their euroguns to a thick float line with or without a small egg-float on the tip; this thing snakes smoothly through kelp.

Never mind wood wings. Those gimnicks are made to reduce recoil on wooden rigs: an euphemism for curing the shortcomings of an underweighed, overpowered and, likely, ill-designed rig. Your eurogun doesn't need that if you power it properly.