Boat style floats/buoy

  • I'm looking at getting a "boat" buoy and have found it hard to get information on some of them. So far I'm looking at these:



    * Omer Clipper
    * Beuchat Guardian
    * Best Hunter Okipa 2
    * Sevylor Dive Hunter



    I haven't had time to look for information on the Beuchat and Omer yet, they are my newest finds.


    I can't find much on the Sevylor though, some people say it is no longer made, but on their webpage they still advertise it (http://www.sevylor-europe.com/p-36-divehunter-sdb120r.aspx).


    The Best Hunter is also not easy to get info on (some places say you can put 2 guns, others 4, others 6, etc) there is a general mixup between the two since they both have "Hunter" somewhere in the name :-).


    I a surprised nobody has actually been able to test all 4 and writeup a comparison article, have none of the magazines/websites thought of this?


    Has anyone here tried one or several of these?


    I am thinking of getting one because I often have to walk up to the place were I will hunt and I could put useful things on it like my spare guns, water/food, documents, phone, sandals, dive flag, stringer 1st aid kit, etc. It would also allow me to rest it needed.


    Thanks,
    Gabriel

  • Carrying alot of accessories will get old real quick. When I do beach dive (even kayak diving which i do more often then beach dive now) I still carry a minimum amount of equipment, just what i really need to dive and maybe a few granola bars, water, small safety kit. I cant imagine towing around a board with an extra gun and other accessories Id probably never use.


    where exactly do you usually dive?

  • I have seen some great inflatable floats used for spearfishing comps where they were setup with two hulls like a catamaran with a central mesh tunnel to keep the fish out of the water and away from sharks, and also plenty of room for spare guns etc.
    They were quite large and custom made from hypalon, but I've also seen a ghetto version made from two normal inflatable floats lashed together. Unfortunately I can't find any photos.

  • I hunt around coral and rocks, at most I'd say 20m in depth, in the Mediterranean sea and Atlantic ocean. I only have to worry about sharks around the Canary, Cape Verde and Madeira islands although I have never seen any sharks close to the shore.


    I want to mostly carry some water, small amounts of food, my shoes, 1st aid, extra gun (different size), documents and phone.

  • Carrying a lot of accessories will get old real quick.


    I was thinking of putting a tall flag pole on it and the gear I mentioned above, then using one of those small anchors, make it a base camp type of thing. I will then fish around it, I have a smaller float with a smaller flag. I can also string up the fish on the boat float.

  • If you want the float to do all of that you will need to accept some compromise on certain things. More storage is more drag. Collapsibility means less structural rigidity. Buoyancy to sit on requires a larger float.


    I would try to prioritize your goals and then evaluate the options based on what is more important to you


    I needed to get fish out of the water and be seen. My main concerns. Then minimizd drag. Lastly a place to rest. Extra gear is all in a small dry box and out of the way

    i like to spear fish

  • If you want the float to do all of that you will need to accept some compromise on certain things. More storage is more drag. Collapsibility means less structural rigidity. Buoyancy to sit on requires a larger float.


    I would try to prioritize your goals and then evaluate the options based on what is more important to you


    I needed to get fish out of the water and be seen. My main concerns. Then minimizd drag. Lastly a place to rest. Extra gear is all in a small dry box and out of the way


    Understood, I don't need to be able to sit on it, I was just surprised it was possible :)

  • Don, thanks for the picture, so you can sit on them, nice to know. Would you mind writing up a small review?


    Cheers,
    Gabriel


    Gabriel, sorry to mislead you. I just downloaded that image to give you a idea of how large they can get.


    I have only used hard floats, similar to a banks board when I shore dove with 2 guns, flash light and mesh fish bag bungie'd to the deck. In Tahiti, the French and the Comp guys had hard float/bins that looked like a kick board as sharks are ever present.


    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.

  • I got the Best Hunter Okipa 2 in the end and I am very happy with it. It travels well, has lots of room and is well built. We use it either standalone with an anchor and hunt around it or with an extra round and flat buoy that we tug around with us if we venture farther (using the Okipa as a base camp). We don't tug the Okipa as it is usually heavy once loaded with food and fresh water. We use it in shore/reef/rock hunting only.


    Thanks all for your input!

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