Spearing Product of the Year?/Favourite gear?

[spaghetti]

I got my Italian mask from South Africa...I wonder what that means?

Same when you bought you Omer Cobra from USA and your Mares Cyrano from the UK: Michigan is still a felon State for the italian trade authority and the embargo is here to stay :rcard

BTW: Product of the year
2007: Folks say Mr. Carbon
2004: Old trusty Pussy Snorkel: an evergreen
http://www.pussysnorkel.com/images/jadenew.jpg

 

[Fondueset]

It's the petoskey stones, isn't it?

 

[spaghetti]

It's the petoskey stones, isn't it?

Yep, still the old petoskey stones affaire. The italo-michiganese relations will never be the same they were before this...accident :head

 

[Coral Sniper]

Omer zoom pro camo snorkel
Omer cobra 115
Omer camo weight belt
Cressi sub matrix mask
and those rubber gardening gloves

 

[Mr. X]

Tonga?! With full Omer mimetec kit (in blue?). Even more exotic that Ted in Rio! (Coral Sniper - surprised that you didn't opt for a matching Omer mimetec Alien/Bandit/... mask though. Any particular reason? The Cressi Matrix is a nice mask). The Italian score is increasing. (Any French/Spanish/Portugease/South American/US/Oz...products of note?)

Among the objects of desire which I don't own, have to agree with the aforementioned Omer Ice Fins -- brilliant idea for spearfishing.

[Also like the idea of a Speargun called Mr. Carbon!]

 

[James T]

I really like my Rob Allen railgun too but am finding the 90cm barrel can be a bit of a drag in normal vis. round here (originally I order at 80cm, thinking it would be the best all round size - but ended up with the 90, which is very good sometimes, esp. in Cornwall). Thinking of getting a 70/75cm - Rob Allen, Commanche or Seatec Gabbiano or...C4 (if they make one) perhaps?

Marwan, the C4s look fantastic -- can you tell us a bit about it?

Mr X - if you don't want to lay out for another shorter gun - have you considered just shortening the barrel and bands? can't believe it would be difficult - just a few hacksaw cuts away...

I use a home made teak 80cm gun based on a design I took from DB and Portinfer - thats my favourite bit of kit.

In addition:

Cressi Killer knife
RA Weight belt
weight harness
elios mtm camo suit - 7mm upper and 5mm legs
waterway fins
omer alien/cressi super Occio mask
D3 watch

 

[Mr. X]

Mr X - if you don't want to lay out for another shorter gun - have you considered just shortening the barrel and bands? can't believe it would be difficult - just a few hacksaw cuts away...

Interesting idea. I believe you can shorten an RA barrel with a hacksaw & moving the plugs; you can also buy other barrels -- so I suppose I might be able to get, say, an 80cm carbon barrel or 70cm aluminium barrel. To do it properly, you'd probably want a new spear & need to re-rig the spearline. On the RA, the spear line is clipped on, so maybe the thing to do would be to keep matched sets of barrel & rigged spear.

However, I like the 90cm gun, especially in Cornwall (would prob. be good for Guernsey & hopefully Devon) & it works ok in Dorset too. However, finding majority of recent shots have been close & swinging into position quickly is critical. The mullet yesterday was fast moving but quite a long shot. I missed a bigger mullet earlier &, while I reloaded, it swam past the end of my gun (perhaps checking out the muppet lure I had clipped on for the day) and then past the side of my mask!

Having a second gun, also means you have a spare and, if same/similar brand, a complete set of spares available when on holiday for example. Don't think I would take 2 in the water together though -- although I know that's Spaghetti's modus operandi.

The other tricky thing about Dorset, like yesterday, within a single dive, vis. went from awful (70cm or less barrel conditions) to probably 30 foot or more where even a 110cm gun could have been used without much bother (or much benefit); 75/80cm might have been a good compromise. Before entering the water, I would have expected worse conditions &, had I a choice, would have probably opted for a 70/75cm gun -- too small by perhaps the same margin as the 90cm was too big. Perhaps Spaghetti has a point. Although I don't want to carry any more gear (bruised & cut my shoulders quite badly last weekend yomping gear back).


Teak gun like Portinfers - sounds good to me!

 

[James T]

The D3 does log the dive history yes and you can download it to a computer with the sunto leads and software. I don't bother with this - it is good to know (for me at least) how I am performing, the water temp, the depth of dives, how many dives etc. - just a bit of a geek i guess.

Re the gun. I have RA 90 Ali railgun also. I have never used it since I have the shorter 80cm. For me at least the 80 is perfect for 90% of Uk based diving. I haven't looked back - up to you of course but it would probably make you life a bit easier going to a shorter gun.

Having said all that... I dive in the med every now and then and the gun is way too short - I just couldn't get close to decent fish - I could see them but not reach them. I made a 110 teak gun for those chaps - not yet been used.

Dived with Foxfish last week - the pneumatic 90 looks like a great option overall. Its length is shorter than a 90 band gun as they measure differently - the range seemed to be like a 110 and it seemed very quiet with the mamba kit. just food for thought.

I use a C8 torch from underwater kinetics which is nice and bright too.

 

[Mr. X]

...
Re the gun. I have RA 90 Ali railgun also. I have never used it since I have the shorter 80cm. For me at least the 80 is perfect for 90% of Uk based diving. I haven't looked back - up to you of course but it would probably make you life a bit easier going to a shorter gun...

:hmmThat is interesting - I'll be thinking over that for some time. You've used the same speargun -- presumably in Dorset & the areas I frequent too, as you are in Bristol. So that is a very good direct comparison. I just read the holiday thread -- sounds like you got a reputation as a hunter too:king. I originally ordered an 80cm, figuring that could be my one and only speargun; but a 90 turned up, perhaps because they knew I was heading to Cornwall. I was quite taken aback how long it was, as I had only seen short ones before ... & the specified size doesn't include the handle, muzzle or spear overhang - the actual size is closer to 143cm than 90cm. Now I have a 90, there is a temptation to try to cover the other end of the range (70/75) -- but moving to 80cm would get me back to the one speargun for all locations. Have also been thinking of getting a new spear too (the tail end of mine is getting quite rusty):hmm

The other thing with long guns is long range shots - our bass often aren't that big (compared to say SA Kingies or whatever it is they shoot on their reefs) and, being silver-grey, can be hard to see at a distance even in good viz because they blend into the milkiness. Saw one just like that yesterday. It was small-medium size, moving, hard to see (almost didn't see it) and would be well gone before the spear reached it...and the tide was ripping through between us. Can't remember if I took the shot or not, I was certain that I would not be able to hit it though.

Yup, the 90cm Mamba seems like the perfect gun for general UK use - the size of a 70/75 but more power and range than a 90. Pneumatics aren't for me though - not sure why but just not my thing, of that at least I am certain. Sounds like Foxfish has some more palpable reservations too (as did Eric in Sussex - checkout the Sussex thread). Foxfish, do you ever use your roller gun?

 

[James T]

Not sure what facilities/experience you have available - but I suppose you could cut the spear down your self. Grind a new (tri-cut) point, drill it and put on a new flopper and pin - you can buy them cheaply through some of the online shops. But then spears aren't that expensive anyway. Just an idea.

FYI - I bought 6mm devoto spears from Totemsub in Italy - nice and stiff with 17.5mm rubbers. They work for me. Again I followed Ed's design off DB (thanks Ed ).

 

[Spaniard]

James my lad, this time last week you were night diving.....Memories....

 

[James T]

James my lad, this time last week you were night diving.....Memories....

Hmm - You are right - straight back into the rat race it already seems like ages ago - thanks for reminding me - it was great - lets do one together in a couple of weeks - you up for it? got a torch? I've got a nice idea for a little spot in Devon

 

[Spaniard]

I'm all ears mate.......PM me some dates!

 

[Mr. X]

The (rather leaky) ban on new fishing gear is suddenly dropped! The better half has just suggested that, as our birthdays approach, a new speargun would probably be "authorised" -- as it is something I really want(?!). I think it was the talk of hacksawing the railgunrofl - thanks James.

 

[Coral Sniper]

Ha funny you asked about the alien mask. I had one and sold it to my dive buddy I just could not stop it from fogging, I tried tooth past mask defog and more and it still did not work,but it seems to be working fine for my buddy now ha!

I dont know why I did but I got the med camo for my snorkel I guess I thought at the time that it looked cooler?!ha.

So I will try now to get my gear pice by pice to omer blue camo Ha!

 

[spicer]

My best piece of equipment is my Totemsub Pelagos speargun - pity the bass have put a total pox on it. From a near perfect history I have had a very dry spell on the bass front with it missing the last six shots some even at three feet?????

 

[azapa]

kinda unrelated, but a little:

my fave thing about the spearfishing is making bits a bobs. Also, here in Chile, the shops stock real basic crap. I have modded most of my gear. My most useful things are:
Suunto Mosquito (bought used, modded with resets etc via freeware) used for surface time - CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT
Seac-SUB asso 65 - the best cave/rock gun I have seen, moded with homebrewed line tensioner, INOX shaft, heat treated heads, homebrew float attachmer, home brewed rubber cylinder protector (and old inner tube!)
Beuchat Torpedo Float and cheap but "floats just right" line. Its the cloth covered one and has put up with tons of abuse.
Home made stringer/ ike spike
Optical lenses in a Mares X Vision mask, BOY can I see well in those, amazing field of vision, tiny internal volume

 

[MARMIR]

...My favorites as follows:
fins: C4
suit: Elios
Musk: cressi matrix
guns: A powered Mares Mirage for high visibility and cressi sl with 11mm internal barrel and external thank of 20 mm for low visibility.....

 

[azapa]

My best piece of equipment is my Totemsub Pelagos speargun - pity the bass have put a total pox on it. From a near perfect history I have had a very dry spell on the bass front with it missing the last six shots some even at three feet?????

Spicer, re your missing everything period, happens to me too, then I enter the can't miss periods... the difference I think is "trying too hard" or "trying to aim" roflrofl. A relaxed instinct shot on a relaxed day seems to be the winner. I wonder which of the two (miss all / hit all) I will be having this w/end?

Cheers

 

[Fondueset]

I left out some other fav gear

Omer Ice fins
Cressi Matrix with script lens
Contacts!!!
Technisub Marina (it's a progression from the contacts - this mask is now elevated to Uber-fav status after many dives)
Technisub Sphera - some production lots of this mask correct my vision underwater almost perfectly (variance in the vertical curve of the lenses). The ones I have now still require contacts but it's a killer low vol mask with an unbeatable field of view - I use it when I really just want to rocket around with my monofin.

Omer Millenium Runners (smooth like the ice fins - but pretty much exactly twice as stiff)

Omer Mini-laser knife