Spearguns that float with the shaft in

    It's generally considered undesirable for a speargun to have so much buoyancy that it floats with the shaft in, although I've heard a few people say they like it to float with the shaft in. I never paid much consideration to this detail because I use wood guns, with a preference for slim stocks, and as a rule they all sink with the shaft in even without ballasting.


    Recently I tried to use a speargun made of a carbon tube which has plugs and is consequently very buoyant. I added some ballast at the rear end of the tube/in front of the handle but the gun still floated with the shaft in. Another 150 grams would sink it but I didn't want to put the lead at the other end of the tube (muzzle end) because the gun would be even harder to swing, it's a 120cm.


    I did some target practice and found that the floating gun messes up my aim. It's hard to describe exactly why but it was more difficult to maintain the gun aimed at the same spot. Has anyone else experienced this with a gun that floats with the shaft in?


    What are the other reasons against having a floating gun? A safety consideration could be that a gun floating horizontally on the surface puts the diver at more risk in case of a misfire.

    Dan--another reason to NOT having a floating LOADED gun is that it would be more likely to get tangled in a float line.
    A POSITIVE reason to have a floating LOADED gun is in case the gun gets away from the spearo,; like a flipped yak in the surf, or falls out of a boat, or comes disconnected from a float line, etc
    IMO, I do not like a floating LOADED speargun for the same reasons as Dan. I like to let go of my LOADED gun in the water and prefer the gun stay exactly where I let go of it in the water column.

    SPEARFISHING and RECREATIONAL FISHING NEEDS THE NRA
    Spearfishing Store

    Edited 4 times, last by hau ().

    My gun floats with shaft in. I didn't like it at first, but now that i'm used to it, i prefer it. My gun floats all the way down to 95ft. I let it go and it comes up slowly. I am sure it floats deeper too. I cannot tell a difference when firing at all. If you want to let go of the gun on the surface to readjust your weight belt, mask, or simply need 2 hands to do something, it will float. It's really cool to know that i will never lose my gun from it sinking. Sometimes i remove the fish from the shaft and just throw the shaft back into the water and the gun will still float. I just jump back in the water and reel up the line.


    I do not think its dangerous because i point the gun in the direction nobody is. And i do think a floating gun is not good for lobstering.

    Quote from hau

    A POSITIVE reason to have a floating LOADED gun is in case the gun gets away from the spearo,; like a flipped yak in the surf, or falls out of a boat, or comes disconnected from a float line, etc.

    I don't see any reason why a gun would get disconnected from a float line. I check my rigging once before I start diving, if everything is connected properly nothing will ever come apart. It never has.

    Quote from hau

    I like to let go of my LOADED gun in the water and prefer the gun stay exactly where I let go of it in the water column.

    I don't know how you would achieve this. The gun would have to be neutral at all depths which is impossible. I like my gun to sink, maybe slowly but still always sink, that's what the float line and float are there for.

    I'm reaching here. But maybe if you were diving in a rocky, but relatively shallow area with a substantial current or surge. If you had to let go of it, a sinking gun would get dragged along the bottom and beaten up or maybe snagged. If it floated this would not be a problem and the gun could be quickly retrieved by an alert boat driver?


    I'll admit it sounds like a pretty specialized situation that is probably rare.


    Or maybe if you were diving over a relatively deep wreck that extended a good bit off the bottom. If you had to drop a sinking gun, it might get snagged in the wreck deeper than you could dive? Although I guess that could be mitigated with a floatline of the right length?


    I don't know, just thinking out loud.

    Quote from Dan

    I stand corrected then. Would like to see it though.


    Dan I tried to post a U-tube of a C4 urukay called A Faithful Dog. but I haven't been able to without errors.
    Have any of you guys seen it?
    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

    Edited once, last by Don Paul ().

    That's why we pay him the BIG bucks.;):D But you have too put a good swivel on the drag-line to
    do spins like that.:D


    My gun is the polar opposite of this. I have it weighted heavy, but well balanced in my hand.
    I point it down and let it pull me into the target. I dive pinnacles with big current, so I don't like my gun
    bobbing at the tip as I aim. I leverage my mid handle blue water double at the butt pad and it swings through the water like a hydrodynamic crow bar. I'm not trying to sell this heavy gun philosophy to anyone
    but it works very very well for me. I can shoot my gun with one hand and 550# of rubber on a 72'' 3/8 shaft.When I shoot 9/32 on Hoo I pull out some wt.
    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

    Not to derail, but I always thought that the low height profile mech on those C4 guns was interesting.
    Especially if that C4 mech could be incorperated into a high euro grip.
    Seems like the perfect mech to enable putting the shooters hand up in perfect alinement with the shaft.


    X2 what Don Paul said about heavy guns and recoil. Big heavy long wood guns is the way to go to throw a lot of steel fast and accurate :D

    Quote from hau

    Not to derail, but I always thought that the low height profile mech on those C4 guns was interesting.
    Especially if that C4 mech could be incorperated into a high euro grip.
    Seems like the perfect mech to enable putting the shooters hand up in perfect alinement with the shaft.


    X2 what Don Paul said about heavy guns and recoil. Big heavy long wood guns is the way to go to throw a lot of steel fast and accurate :D


    I like the reversed C4 sear box, it picks up almost 2'' of barrel. I would take advantage of this.
    My gun looks like wood but is trick on the inside.kind of like a Pro Stock car.;) And she's as skinny as a runway model.
    Cheers, Don





    J.Maloney Copyright Image.

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