Posts by fuzz

  • First ET build 56"

    Pretty much echo'ing everyone else's comments - I like the look & only picky thing is the handle recess. Unfortunately that handle does have the thickest plate of the production models available. Beefy, but hard to implement on low profile guns.


    The mistake isn't that bad... and I kinda like it. Makes it more personal. :)

  • Foot pockets without tendons

    Quote from Dan

    I believe tendons should be of moderate stiffness. Enough to give the blade some support (which very soft tendons don't, just like the tendonless footpockets), but not so stiff that they don't allow the blade to flex at all.


    Blades take an amazing amount of stress pushing us forward, we usually don't think about it and just expect them to work. And we want them to be light and reactive at the same time. It's too much to ask when using a footpocket that doesn't offer good support.



    I believe the amount of support a footpocket needs to give a blade is really blade-specific. Having helped lay up carbon fins before, if I were to do a rail-less pocket, I would do exactly what you did... add extra layers closer to the pocket/shoe attachment, but of increasingly longer lengths. Likewise, if I were to use a pocket with soft tendons, I would use a blade that has more integrated support. A graduated taper (i.e. progressively layered) has more backbone towards the back and softer towards the tip. The front still flexes well, while the back provides a second layer of power.


    A parabolic bend like most blades is great for general kicking, but (as you said) relies the tendons to keep the back half stiffer. No way around physics, tendons do damper the responsiveness of the blade material. The question is how much is necessary for support/guidance and where the point of diminishing returns comes into play. :)

  • gun question.....Sporasub One

    Quote from spearomen

    i didnt like the idea of omer first... but with time, I have tried out many of their products and i am not saying that im the fan of all of them - i had a few dissapoitments (excalibur).. but the omer ET 75, 85 are great for the Californian coast.
    also - my friend keeps trying different guns, yet hes falling back to the sporasub 105 over and over again. I also got an 80 version of it and I like it very much(!) These three (ET75/ET85/ONE80) became my favorite guns. In my opinion they are great for california waters and in the kelp forest....if its for 'blue' and 'open' than probably i woul pick something else. Maybe a Rob Allen or Rabitech..... By the way, i dealt with omer customer service (twice) and they exchanged my LED, and my shaft no question asked. I also like their wetsuit because it keeps me warm from 9AM till 3PM in a sub 50F water.
    .i do agree that the sporasub one is a little overpriced but if you do the math, reel, line, gun in one package (u can get it for 520 now not 600)
    the carbon vs alu issue is really not an issue... i have a carbon gun, yet i use these alu things all the time. Again, it's Just my opinion.... but you choose what you like :)
    Try it before you buy it! There is nothing worst than spending all that money and you hate the result.
    If you LOVE your Rabi 130 (its a great gun) and you just want a shorter gun with a reel, than just get a a shorter Rabi with a reel. You would exactly know what you get and its a sure thing.



    The Sporasub ONE is a great gun & my 80cm has a great balance.
    I did add some self-amalgamating tape to make the handle more "sticky".
    Personally, I really prefer the old match style reels to the new ONE reels.
    The stock shaft was horrible (IMHO)... the ring barb design did not last long and the shaft bent on a fish that I don't think it should have.
    The newer generation shafts are a lot nicer and I love the fin design on em.
    OMER USA - TEAM OMER


    Whether it's worth it to you, is more a matter of personal preference (& level of discretionary income).



    I second what spearomen said regarding getting a shorter Rabi with reel.
    There's a lot to be said about consistency between guns!
    When I got my caymanHF, I got a 75,90,110.
    When I went back to RA's, I got a 70,90,110... working on filling in other sizes. ;)

  • Recent Trip pics and Canon S100 review


    The s95 is slightly narrower at 28mm, but most all aftermarket lenses are 28 or 35mm native. You have to zoom into either of those two focal distances or you'll have extreme vignetting. This is where the s95 is a bit better. Though they both have f2.0 at their widest angle, if you zoom into 28mm on the s100, you lose that widest aperature.


    This leads to why I also wanted to go ikelite/WAlense vs getting the canon housing one. I figure the market for used WA lenses is really good, but one that's specific mounted for the canon housing is a bit harder to offload. Given how much gear I go through... I decided to go with the more "liquid" option. :)




    There's a tiny bit of vignetting, but not a lot... just the very corners. No focus issues with s95. *knock on wood*



    No adaptor necessary, the housing port is threaded for standard 67mm.




    Love the pics, btw. :)

  • Weight ratio vest to belt

    I used the pursuit vest with 6# & 9# in it. (1# & 1.5# weights)
    Normally wear 15# for 7mm suit (since relatively shallow diving here).


    Found it to be VERY top heavy for 9#... & still slightly top heavy for 6#.
    Not sure how much of this is familiarity with the vest, but looking at the 2to1 to 3to1 ratio in this thread... seems like I put too much up top.


    I sometimes switch between 10ft of water & 60ft of water here... so perhaps I could use 12 on belt and 4 in vest. That way I can use vest primarily as a removable shallow water tool.

  • elios sub

    I had 2 oceanos suits... worst suits I've ever owned. :(


    I went to a tailor to get very exact measurements.
    The suits I received did not reflect those measurements.

  • Speardiver diver down flag

    Here in Cali, almost no one dives with one, but this would be great for Hawaii divers. Lots of divers & it's Hawaii state law to have a dive flag on every float/kayak/etc. I know a few divers who've been ticketed already for lack of flag.

  • Speardiver line anchor

    Quote from Dan

    Phil has provided me with a few pics. He also said he doesn't need the line anchor I offered, so whoever's first to post they want it I'll send it to them.



    http://freedivingspearfishingg…-thickbox/line-anchor.jpg



    I'm you're huckleberry!


    :toast2:



    Would be great on my newest project. :D




    (If someone needs it for a gun that's going to be their primary or secondary gun, I will most definitely defer to them. But if not, I could always use free parts for my frankenguns!)

  • Dive torches? Lumens?

    Up here in Norcal, we use dive lights for almost all our diving... so I've become familiar with a lot of them.


    I have owned a full range from 1 AAA micro lights to UK light cannons.
    After using a wide assortment of Intova, PrincetonTec, Pelican, & Ikelites... I've settled on UK lights.
    Used to love the small Ikelite PCa series, but had too many of them die on me.
    Princeton Tec has some really nice lights as well; however, I had a couple issues with them.


    Ultimately it's all personal preference.
    For me, the UKs provided the best balance of price/durability/performance.



    My current lighting arsenal consists of:

    • 1 Q40 eLED Plus
      Supposed to be for mask strap, but never gets used.
      For the size, beam is surprisingly bright!
      Mini Q40 eLED® Plus Diving Light » Underwater Kinetics
    • 1 SL4 Xenon
      Older light, updated with a CREE drop-in replacement.
      SL4 Xenon Light » Underwater Kinetics
      Stock, not as bright as base SL4 eLED, and poor battery life (4-5hrs).
      With CREE upgrade, WAY brighter, but still poor battery life.
    • 3 SL4 eLEDs
      Workhorse light, great overall, excellent white light.
    • 1 SL3 eLED
      Round with 3 c-cells stacked.
      Bright, very nice light.
      Not a fan of the twist on/off, so doesn't get used much.
      SL3 eLED® LED dive light » Underwater Kinetics
    • 2 SL4 (L1) eLED
      400 lumens & 8-10hr burn time!
      Just a great light overall.
      SL4 eLED » Underwater Kinetics
    • 1 UK HID Light Cannon
      For throwing more light, rarely used.
      Contemplated replacing with eLED light cannon, but didn't due to lack of use.





    With all that, I've decided to trim down to just the two SL4 L1 eLED's. :)


    note: I have had trouble with a couple SL4 series switches get "sticky".
    Their customer service has replaced them, but it's annoying to have to do so.

  • sharpening a shaft

    Like Don Paul mentioned... I use the super ghetto... yet very effective way of sharpening pencil points.
    Much easier with 2 people, but I've done it by myself many times.


    After taping barb down & removing the shooting line, I slip the back of the shaft into a drill chuck... and spin the shaft. As long as you have the shaft supported well, it's an easy matter to touch a grind stone to the tip.


    Also a great way to polish shafts and get them mori-shiny. :)

  • Garmin 76cx GPS on sale for $149

    Quote from Bulit 7

    I have the 76c. color.


    You are right. great unit, easy to use. Topo, charts or street view. Gotta buy the charts separately and you can only load one type of map at a time. But still a great way to keep your spots organized. The desktop interface is easy to use and load into the gpster. Lots of accessories too.


    I've had the 76S, 76CSX, & the 78sc



    The 76 (& now 78) series is just a great line of marine GPS's - everything I want & more. 99% of my gps use is off my kayak, so I wanted a waterproof model that would work well in a dedicated drybag.


    To reiterate what the letter codes denote:
    c - color screen, not essential, but screen is so much nicer & clearer
    s - electronic compass, helpful since it recognizes direction to next waypoint without being in motion
    x - Sirf chip (for 76line), well worth the upgrade. Acquires satellites much quicker with stronger signals.


    I would recommend the 76csx, with the 76cx a close second.


    I love the 78sc, but haven't used it enough to see how much the upgrade was worth.
    One of the benefits of the 78sc model is that it comes preloaded with bluecharts.
    In hindsight, I probably should've stuck with the 76csx... but couldn't help but upgrade. :crazy:




    Bottom line to my ramblings... good deal Dan! :thumbsup2:

  • What is a clean kill?

    IMO... a clean kill signifies the graceful end to a successful hunt.
    To each person, that end may come in different manners.
    For some, it's a secured fish.
    For some, it's a stoned fish.


    My personal definition of a clean kill is a brain shot.
    Shaft passing only through the head, not passing through any part of the body.
    No suffering and no damage to flesh.

    Up here in Norcal, most fish are rather sedentary... offering easy shot placements.
    As such, I further push myself to take brainshots at an angle that does not ruin cheek meat.
    Anything less, I take as a learning experience & analyze what I can do better next time.




    Just like many things in diving... it's largely personal to each individual diver.
    Kinda cool to see how others view the same subject. :)