Posts by Dan

  • Salvimar shafts

    The old Salvimar shafts were no good because the wire tabs would not hold the wishbones, the bands would slip off the rounded wire tabs.


    Old Salvimar shaft with poorly designed wire tabs


    In contrast the new (2020) Salvimar Pacific shafts, available from www.Spearfishing.store, are very nice. The sharkfin tabs are strong, hold the wishbone well, have a spacious hole in each tab including the rest tab, and are aesthetically pleasing. They are hard (17-4PH stainless steel) and bend resistant. The flopper is heavy duty 3" long, positioned on the bottom of the shaft. I prefer the flopper on the bottom, if on the top it pops up when aiming the speargun at a downward angle blocking the fish/target from view.




  • Speardiver vs. Mako wetsuit

    Welcome to the forum Ben.


    The ankle, wrist, and face seal you mentioned, I'm assuming you got this idea from "the best/the worst " marketing image from the Mako link you posted. That shit made me laugh. Anyone who uses open cell suits can tell you the sealing effect comes from the interior open cell neoprene that's properly fitted. And the "seal" happens throughout the wetsuit not just at the openings.

    Further, If the exterior black parts of the mako suit in those high contact areas is smooth skin, then that's bad because smooth skin is very sensitive to tears. It's a must to have durable Lycra material on the exterior protecting those areas. If the black exterior parts are Lycra lined neoprene (which I doubt, mako probably uses cheaper less stretchy nylon) then it's marketing ploy, implying it's proof of a better seal. I don't like those mind games (typical mako/Dano), and I don't like the aesthetic of black termination on the sleeves, ankles and hood. A camo suit is a camo suit.


    To me personally the knife pocket on the mako suit is a bad feature. First it assumes placement for the knife on the thigh. Most divers put the knife on the belt or calf (always inner calf to prevent entanglement). Second, there's no way it will correctly accommodate the variety of knives/sizes divers are using, and the different ways the knives are secured in the sheath (think accessibility in moments of emergency) . Third, taking out and replacing the knife puts repetitive stress on the stitching of the knife pocket and the open cell neoprene in that area, it will cause it to fail prematurely. Fourth, I'm pretty sure you'll poke the suit at some point replacing the knife in the suit.


    On the surface these are added value features but in reality it's just a mess. Like snorkels with purge valves and dry systems. I had to comment on the obvious, I'll let others speak to the real world usability of the Mako suits.


    Here's a link to Speardiver wetsuit reviews if you haven't seen it already.



  • Mono line adjustment on a new rail gun

    Rob Allen spearguns have a particular way of routing the shooting line around the muzzle then off to the side around the line attachment point. If you haven't done this the line will be loose. You need to rout the line in such a way that it will take up the slack. I'd take a picture but don't have a RA gun handy.

  • Best spearfishing snorkel

    To get less water in the snorkel I attach it to the mask strap in such a way that it points directly up when I'm face down in the water. I see everyone attaching the snorkel on the mask strap right behind the ear if not even over it. The snorkel ends up pointing forward, which makes it lower, and the snorkel opening pointed at head on waves. I attach my snorkel at the mask strap split on the lower strip. and make sure the snorkel is perfectly vertical when I'm looking down. I guess head shape will dictate to some degree where ideal placement is for different divers. Generally I see divers not pay attention to this detail and their snorkel is not positioned straight up.


    All the snorkels you'll ever need :) Spearfishing Store Snorkels.

  • Wetsuit + socks + gloves thickness

    Welcome to the forum. It would help to know where you're diving to answer your questions.


    First thing you need to know is that when we're talking wetsuits and spearfishing it's always about open cell wetsuits. Double lined scuba suits for our purposes are obsolete.


    Here are some general guidelines for open cell wetsuits. Keep in mind that people are different when it comes to experiencing cold. It depends on what you’re acclimated to and your physical constitution.


    1. Rashguard - 80° F (26° C) and up

    2. 1.5mm double lined suit - 77° F (25° C) to 80° F (26° C)

    3. 3mm open cell suit - 71° F (22° C) to 77° F (25° C)

    4. 5mm open cell suit - 59° F (15° C) to 71° F (22° C)

    5. 7mm open cell suit - 45° F (7° C) to 59° F (15° C)

    6. 9mm open cell suit - 33° F (1° C) to 45° F (7° C)


    When unsure which wetsuit to get consider that you’ll always be able to use the thinner suit at some point. So if it’s really close between a 5mm and a 7mm, I would start with a 5mm because it’s a good investment no matter what.


    Check out Speardiver wetsuits they'e high quality and competitively priced, see reviews here Spearfishing wetsuits by Speardiver