cressi SL??

hey fellas...

just got me a new cressi SL gun for my bday...

is this a good one?? enough for a newbie hunter?? or should i return it for something better...

thanks!

-dan

where are you located, what will you be hunting, how much flexibility do you want out of it as far as different species etc. We need to know all of this to help you

One of the most important factors is gun/shaft length. How long is it?
Also are you freediving or on scuba?

Chad

wow...

thanks....

here goes...

mainly near catalina island.....in southern cal....
hunting for bass.....how long? not that long....i'd say the pump is about 2 feet. does that sound right??

thanks guys!

cant wait..

ps> will be scubadiving.....mostly..

still no comments on the cressi sl fellas?????

please let me know!!

thanks!

-dan

ps> does anyone go spearfishing in southern cali?? can you teach me how it's done??

if you came up to nor-cal i would show you how its done. I'm not familiar with the cressi gun. I however use a JBL 38 special NW with the upgraded trigger mechanism, also referred to as the XHD model. Here in california and elsewhere on the west coast of the US, a shorter gun like the one I mentioned is likely to be the most popular with most divers going for the fish we target, mainly lings, blues, cabezon, small to medium halibut etc. It does us no good to have a huge long gun. We hunt mainly in the kept and rocks where a rock point is desired and with visibility being limited our shots are fairly close range.

I tried to look up the gun you have, the SL is a line of guns, which one do you have. Looks like its a pneumatic. IMHO I would return it and get a band gun, something like the JBL. JBL is known for good quality but at a price that is perfect for the first gun. Check out the 38 special. I like the NW edition because of the open muzzle.
http://www.jblspearguns.com/products/spearguns/4D38NW.html

I am sure that like just about everything, people will have differing opinions, but keep in mind their location and what they hunt. California diving is different than many other places around the world.

Completed your user profile helps us with your location and will help us answer questions better, especially for hunting.

my understanding of pneumatic guns are that they must be loaded at the surface, this would not be practical under scuba conditions. Bounce diving is not safe.

good point.....thanks, justin~

i think it is loaded at the surface, but it lasts for multiple shots.......not just a one-time deal....

that jbl looks cool. but this little cressi sl is so small and compact...kinda cool..

thanks again!

-dan

there are a lot of so-cal spearos over at www.deeperblue.net that can help you out. although you'll tend to find the majority are freedive Spearos.

I'll second the praise for the JBL NW Special. have had one for about 10yrs and can;t say enough good things about it. it's heavy, poorly balanced, UGLY, and is a serious killing machine when you get in around reef and rock. has been my grouper/rock gun since day one. you can power them up quite high. if you're in california replacement rubbers and parts (never needed any new parts, but always nice to have the option) can be found easily. my little NW Special has seen action in the Red Sea, Arabian Gulf, and Coastal BC. never failed me.

as for socal hunting, not a clue, I'll leave that info to the locals.

Deputy,
I have only used pnuematics over the last twenty years.
My first gun lasted 15 years without a rebuild. I bought a larger gun 5 years ago and it needs a rebuild this year. Both guns are Mares. Made in Italy just like your Cressi.
Personally I like pnuematics. They are powerful for their length and accurate.
They are good guns in low vis water. I dive off New England where 20 feet of vis is a good day. Fish come and go quickly so it is good to have a short gun that can be swung through the water to lead the fish.
As far as range goes I don't know how long your gun is but maybe you can relate it to mine. My gun is 34 " long, spear cord plus sprear shaft is 13 feet. This gives a range of 16 feet. Add that to an extended arm and you've got some good range for a short gun. When I miss a fish the spear will give a good tug on the shock cord at the end of its run.
You don't have to resurface to reload.
At the beginning of each season You might have to add a little bit of pressure once your gun gets a few years on it.
At about 90 feet you will notice your pnuematic will have a little less power than at 30 feet or so. This is because the gun is working against the ambient pressure. A band gun will not do this.
A pnuematic is also loud. This will spook all of your targets buddies.
If I were you I would keep the gun. If you don't like it buy a band gun or a bigger pnuematic. It is good to have a variety of guns to choose from depending on vis and type of fish you are after.