Recently I have asked about buying speargun for a beginner here
Speargun and the rest of equipment for a noob
Tis is my first speargun and first time I'm using a rubber band gun because I used friends Mares sten 60(or 65)cm on vacation in 2015 and 2016.
I am making this review from point of view of a real beginner.
Xdive is Greek company that makes spearfishing equipment.
Speargun "Alfa" is not their cheapest neither their most expensive model and it cost me around 60€. First thing that i have noticed when gun was delivered is that this gun feels heavy and it looks very well built in hand. Plastic parts look very good. Gun has railing for spear all along the barrel that has elliptical crosscut. This probably adds precision and strengthens the barrel. There are some notches on upper side of gun for better aiming. Spear has interchangeable tip (7mm thread). Spear and tip are covered with brass or some similar yellowish metal/alloy layer. Spear has sliding ring with a groove, so I used constrictor knot to tie it to the gun.
In the evening of that same day we were on Sarakiniko beach near Parga (Greece), just before sunset when there wasn't anyone on the beach I decided to test my new "toy".
Then the first and biggest
"negative" of this speargun showed. The rubber is "usa black" 16mm thick and it is hard to pull it even to the first notch. Just to mention I am 189cm 90kg 35 years old, maybe not the strongest guy you know but sure I'm not the weakest.
There was a lot of waves and fish wer rare but I saw a pair of mullets (around 400-500g) and started to considering to shoot them, a little too long maybe. So I squeezed the triger and "headshot" under the gill plate . After that I managed to arm speargun only once more before it become too dark and I needed to shot it in empty water. When returned back to hotel I have noticed that spear point was blunt (second negative) but it was easy to resharpen it.
For the money spent gun looks like excellent buy not just for beginner, and because of it's strength I think it isn't intended for beginners. If I had the opportunity to feel it in my hand before buying it I would have probably chosen 75cm model because it would be easier to load. It looks precise and strong enough to stop a nice sized fish on a decent distance.
My next move is to buy thinner rubber, and maybe use it again in September.