What should I look for in a SCUBA speargun

Hello everyone this is my first post.


I am interested in getting into spear fishing on SCUBA and was wondering about a few things about guns.


1. What is better wood or metal?
2. What size should I get? I live in CT and would be going after striper, blackfish, and black sea bass.
3. Do I want one with a shock cord or a reel?
4. Do I need a gun float like when free diving or do you connect the gun to yourself or just hold it in your hand?


Any other info that you think I need to know would be cool also.


THANKS

You want a gun that can shoot hard out to the limit of the visibility. You probably do not want a reel for scuba, more chances for entanglement and problems. Wood or metal.. pretty much personal preferance with wood being more cost and more maintenance. No float to the surface, you do not want the float tugging on the gun all the time while you are scuba hunting.

a smaller ocean rhino.... its tuff as hell and super easy and fast to reload
Ocean Rhino Spear Guns

here is some ocean rhino action
Last spearfishing trip before the end of the world - YouTube

I have been spear fishing for many years, my advice is:
1. Wood is better than metal- Spearfishing Specialties (Ocean Rhino is one of their models) and AB Biller wood guns are great examples.
2. 48 inch AB biller or Spearfishing Specialties 48 inch guns will work for all the fish you mentioned, and larger fish as well.
3. Guns I metioned all come with shooting lines, although I would fit an AB Biller with Spearfishing Specialties Quick Load Kit. Reel is too dificult to deal with and not necessary on scuba as we can stay down and subdue our fish, unlike freediver.
4. A float is not necessary on scuba, again we have time/air to get our fish under control string them and hunt another.
One suggestion, it sounds like you need to get some instruction on spearfishing and have someone show you the proper techniques. At 25 dives you might not yet have the skills to handle the significant multi-tasking that spearfishing requires. Good Luck, feel free to PM if you want to talk off line.

Construction Nut:

Hello everyone this is my first post.


I am interested in getting into spear fishing on SCUBA and was wondering about a few things about guns.


1. What is better wood or metal?
2. What size should I get? I live in CT and would be going after striper, blackfish, and black sea bass.
3. Do I want one with a shock cord or a reel?
4. Do I need a gun float like when free diving or do you connect the gun to yourself or just hold it in your hand?



Any other info that you think I need to know would be cool also.


THANKS

Click to expand...

You probably do not want a reel or to connect a float to the surface. Just hold the gun and hang on if you shot a big Bass..

You might be well served by taking a look at a MAKO 70, 80 or 90 cm predator Pro.

Out guns have all stainless steel components, including the trigger, sear, line release etc. We use the best quality shafts imported from South Africa. Each gun is hand made in our facility in Virginia and the bands are not constructed (hand tied) until the day you order it.

Since MAKO has no domestic retail stores, you are buy direct from the manufacturer, so we cut out the retail middleman and this significantly reduces YOUR cost.

We would be happy to talk on the phone and answer any questions you may have.

This link will provide a lot of useful information.

Why Choose a MAKO Speargun (Railgun)?

lots of good advice here. I can't even say much different.
The 2 guns I shoot are:
1) A B Biller 48 Special
2) Cressi SL Star Pneumatic

The Biller is a great all around gun. Instead of the cord it comes with, i use mono-filament. With the Biller....fish gonna die.
The Cressi is my "not serious" gun. I'll take that when i'm lobstering in case i see something to shoot. It is VERY accurate but has nowhere near the range of the Biller. And pneumatic guns take a lot of maintenance and care. the plus side is that i have never snapped a band on the Cressi!

There are a lot of good guns out there. it can be an agonizing choice! One warning....when you buy your first gun....you will shoot a bit...you'll buy a second gun, maybe bigger, maybe smaller, maybe metal, maybe wood but it will be a different gun than the first. Then you'll buy a third....a fourth......you see where ths goes......