Spear Gun Too Long?????

[crbbndiver]

Hey Guys! I have gotten myself into a strange situation. I borrowed a speargun last weekend and got two nice fish with two shots. Needless to say, I came out of the water feeling like Rambo! My next move was to go to the Ft Lauderdale spearfishing show. At the show, I got to speak with all of the major speargun manufacturers, including Mr. Riffe. He landed me on a Riffe (of course) C3 X. I had three different other people say that the C3 is perfect for my height (6'2") at 55 inches. The other gun that I used was a 42" JBL. This one seems HUGE. Very nice gun, with a 20' range, but HUGE! My concern is that I am just beginning with spearfishing, so this may be too much gun to start with. It's kind of like sticking a 16 year old behind the wheel of a Porsche. I plan on using the gun with scuba on the South Florida reefs. Any thoughts on whether I should try to get the next size down or stick with the thouroughbred?

 

[DennisS]

I have the C3X, I'm 5'7" and don't have a problem with it. It's a nice size for a reef gun. If you get a JBL make sure it's one of the newer ones, they have an improved 3 piece trigger (info courtesy of the spearfishing show last weekend).

 

[crbbndiver]

Thanks DennisS! I talked to the shop where I bought the gun. The said that I could trade it for a C2 if I wanted to, but I think I'll stay put.

 

[DennisS]

Whoops! I have to correct that, when I went home I found out I had the C2X, 48 inch. I like it, it's just the right size for me. With your reach the 3X should be no problem.

 

[crbbndiver]

Thanks! I have spoken with some people that I know to be very experienced in spearfishing, and they are all in agreement with you, so I'm going to roll with it. My problem is that I have been messing with it too much out of water. It's too awkward to aim when you don't have the neutral boyancy going for you. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Hank49]

Gun length choice shouldn't have much to do with your height but more about visibility...and fish species. You can use rest tabs for loading. I have a C3X and it feels small in 100 foot vis on the reef dropoff. It's nice having a little extra range to reach out and nail the wary snappers, or passing mackerels and jacks....or get down to the groupers.
I don't think the choice is about a "beginner" gun. It's choosing the right gun for conditions and fish species.
My son is 5'7" and he uses a Standard 5....65 inches. If I'm trying for blue water, I use a 63 inch Wong. It's also good for any midwater fish.

 

[crbbndiver]

Thanks Hank49! It seems to be unanimous. I'm going from zero information on spearfishing to getting a better understanding on some topics. I appreciate the feedback! We'll see how I do with the new gun this weekend!

 

[Hank49]

If you get lucky and run into a fish over say....20-25 lbs, you should probably let it pass. You may lose your gun and fish.
If you get to the point of shooting bigger fish, you'll need to add some gear. Reel or floatline. But, for now, go out and have fun with the smaller ones.