Posts by Don Paul

  • Goulio Campopiano RIP

    Quote from Marco

    Are you 100% sure Don? I have been reading the italian forums since he dissapeared and the didn't foud the body. There is still some hope...


    Yes. I'm sure... Sorry. I'm sure something will be said soon over there. I have a Italian friend.


    Don

  • Omer Airbalete 110

    Quote from Marco

    Nice report. You must be a homer fan to do all these mods to make it work...


    Thanks Marco.
    I am a Pursuit fan:thumbup: and like both the simple and the complex. I love seeing if a engineer has left any performance on the drawing board or on the board room floor when the bean counters have their way controlling costs at the sake of performance.Every gun design is a compromise in some ways,performance verses cost and dependability. My friend in Mexico has a Mares 130 Comp gun with 27 years of use, he just now resealed the gun due to a slight air leak. Now that was and is a great gun. I will post picts of mine some day, but I would never mod that gun from stock....too much history and good times.


    If our buddy Dan keeps going forward with his well thought out quality products, I will always be a fan.
    I would love to hear your Omer story some day.


    Cheers, Don

  • Goulio Campopiano RIP

    Missing Giulio Campopiano,:(:(owner and craft master of Eban Sub.




    The other day he was out spearing with a friend. His friend lost eye contact and went down in search of him, but only found his gun. Boats, rescue divers and helicopters were deployed . He is 35 years old




    Prayers to family and friends that he will be found.



    Sincerely Don Paul



    Marco is 100% correct no body found is my latest news. I apologize for the mistake, I should of used more then one source of information.

    Sincerly, Don

  • Omer Airbalete 110

    Your Welcome Dan, I just saw how soft that last image is in my post:@ and the gold pin is just a door key bit...not Homer.


    I have a shaft like that on a vintage Cressi spring gun. I know you know where the shaft brakes on grouper.;)


    Cheers, Don

  • Catalina Update!

    I wait till dinner with the fillets on ice on one's taken in the AM. I love Yellowtail on the BBQ but the Bonita are killer raw. How is ling raw Fuzz I have never shoot one?


    Cheers Don

  • Omer Airbalete 110


    Tape has lived through two small bonita, a pair 25ilb ish White Sea Bass and a few more fish and the price is right.


    The source of the small air leak is the real seal on the piston or a hair line fracture of the piston itself.
    I will find out after after I install the new piston on order, Ultraviolet dye will be in the barrel my mid week with a inspection to follow. I all so will be using a mod'ed piston snubber to reduce impact shock on the piston. Mares use a softer material. I have a extra used inner barrel I have already ported and enlarged the barrel/tank ports. Here is a early preview, I will share my findings with shaft impact data at the end of the build up and compare it to stock.


    Cheers, Don

  • Omer Airbalete 110

    The Omer patented flopper ring is said to help to quickly remove the spear from the fish by securing the flopper to the shaft on removal. I have shot a few fish with it at this point and do not find this to be the case. If one looks at the
    small fast Bonito in the last image you will see the retainer ring has ended up on the opposite side of the fish. Try sliding the ring through the tight entry wound and broken sharp bones if you want proof. On skinny fish thinner than the length of the flopper this may not be a issue. I usually use the twist and pull system anyway.


    I have a very simple cure that takes only seconds to rig that also helps to open and limit closing of the flopper and a lost fish.


    Image #2 and 3 show the the 1000 grit wet paper I use to polish the shaft and the sharp edges of the flopper. After a acetone wash I apply 2 wraps of 3m weather proof electrical tape with the front edge 7.0 mm rearward of the closed rear edge of the flopper. this prevents the flopper retainer from sliding through the fish.
    image #4. shows the retainer ring slide forward after applying slight pressure to secure the flopper and withdraw the shaft from the fish.
    Image # 5. demonstrates how the retainer wedges the wing from closing no even if the fish shakes and unseats a tuned flopper or a slack shooting line. This mod has held up for a couple of Bonita, 2 27# White Sea Bass, and a few calico Bass.
    Very simple but effective. At first I was going to lay down a small TIG weld dimple, but this had the same result.
    Image #5 also shows the Omer 6.5 mm cone I split and Gflex epoxy I bond filling the small gap and polishing smooth,
    I could not find 7 mm cones in the US catalog although this is a popular shaft in the US with it's increased mass and stiffer
    spline cycle. When I strip the handle down next I'll show the softer SS spring I fab'ed in exchanged for the stiff stock one.
    After the dry barrel hunts I plan on stripping the gun down for elongation of the air tank to inner barrel orifices at the rear of the barrel.along with piston snubber exchange.
    Cheers, Don Paul
    Images to follow...

  • Omer Airbalete 110

    A delay of game....
    Sunday in need of some upper body exercise I passed on my Nitrogen tank and fill setup, and attached the stock hand pump. Two espresso and a little techno music later my air gauge was at 21 bar @ 80 degrees.


    Next step was to assemble the Tomba shaft seal parts and do a trail fit. After sliding the cone O-ring and slide ring into position I was surprised to watch it slowly rise and dislodge the O-ring with a slight hiss. I than inserted the shaft 75%
    a couple of times to attempt to improve the piston seal/ inner barrel sealing.


    A test submerge in fresh water reveled 5mm bubbles coming from the piston/seal every 2 seconds. Cocking the piston into the sear box only increased the rate of air bubble release. see image.


    The Airbalete I have was used before I received it so I have no record of it's duty cycle or maintenance.The piston was cleaned with lint free wipes and re-lubed with Omer grease before careful reassembly. I cleaned and
    pressured two times with the same result. I am ordering 2 new piston assembly's from my local Omer dealer today. Sorry for the slight delay in fish procurement and seal trials. No tank leaks were found and the Tomba kit parts fitted perfectly as expected.
    PS....At least these bubbles in the tub don't stink.:@:@^^;)
    Cheers Don Paul

  • Omer Airbalete 110

    I doing some testing on a prototype vacuum/dry barrel kit from Croatia for my Airbalete.


    Some images of the Tomba parts for Airbalete and the stock piston assembly
    as removed from my Airbalete.


    My first step was to wash the gun in fresh water to remove any trace of sand or salt deposits. The handle was then removed to take a pressure reading and depressurize the barrel assembly by releasing the fill valve pin. I am happy to report the Nitrogen I filled the gun with many months ago still held at 30 Bar at the same temp.


    After using a short rod to press the piston 6'' back into the inner barrel I
    carefully unscrewed the end fitting with a thin rod. The piston was removed
    and the inner barrel was inspected with a borescope I have had kicking around many years.The inner barrel was found to be un-scored and water free.
    After several sandy beach surf entry's.


    The next image shows the piston assemble with very small droplets of water from the wash down process on the scraper ring.


    I washed the affected parts in rubbing alcohol and followed with a canned air blow down. After a application of Omer Airgun grease to the piston assembly and the O-rings the Tomba parts were installed.
    I plan on pressurizing the gun tonight followed by a tub submersion to check for any leaks.


    Cheers Don,
    Images to follow....

  • One more breath

    Quote from Dan

    Don's post got me thinking.How much more time will one breath give you?


    I recall some category or record in competitive freediving, where the diver took another breath at some point.


    I've never done this because I never had an air source. But I figure I'd get very little time considering how oxygen starved I am at the end of a dive. Maybe I'll have someone watch me and attempt another breath hold after one breath.


    Dan, My '' one more breath'' will be at the surface.;) The vinyl tubing is just used as a path to follow out in a cave or jetty rock hole with limited Vis when a wave brakes on it. .....You calling me a bubble butt Frank ?^^^^;)


    Cheers, Don

  • Speardiver carbon fins roll call

    Hey Dan, just wanted you to know I saw the diver you sold the round edge fins to last night at a meeting.
    He is very happy with the performance and the low cost of the fins. way to go buddy...making quality
    hi end dive gear affordable to all divers. Will post some more pic's of mine when I can have some one watch my land camera while I on a bug dive at night...Mine are still kicking ass on surf entry's.


    Cheers, Don

  • Mission Bay Freediver dead

    Last year I started putting a short sealed 25' 3/8'' vinyl tube on my dive light I use for the Cock-a-Roach's.
    On the end I have a mini light that strobes. If I get stupid ( not implying this poor soul did) it helps me find my way out to another breath. The tube can easily be cut with my sharp knife if needed. I'm going to spray dayglo paint through it next week. The hoopers were getting a little too close to me the other night.


    Don

  • bluewater euro

    Great post Steve.... you let the wife have the washing machine in the shop....how can you focus during the spin cycle?^^^^;)


    Mori says Hi.. :toast::toast:


    Cheers, Don

  • Mission Bay Freediver dead

    I did not know him but RIP brother.:(...be careful in the rain run off low Vis guys. And please don't get in too deep on break wall crevices and caves. The Long beach Brake Water comes to mind and can really ruin your day if a rouge wave break and produces a white out while you search for the way out. Now that I'm a dad I don't do the same dumb shite. Bugs are not that good.




    MISSION BAY — A lobster diver who was pulled unconscious from Mission Bay by his diving partner Tuesday night later died at a hospital, authorities said.


    The victim was identified by the county Medical Examiner's Office as Luke Ausdemore, 25, of Rancho Penasquitos, where he lived with his parents.


    The area where the men were diving, under the bridge east of Mariner’s Point, is a popular lobster diving spot. Lobster season for recreational divers opened Saturday.


    Ausdemore and his 35-year-old diving buddy became separated in the water for about 10 minutes, said San Diego lifeguard Lt. Andy Lerum.


    The partner came out of the water, thinking Ausdemore may have gone to his car. He then looked back into the water and saw his friend’s diving light, Lerum said.


    He pulled Ausdemore over to some rocks and asked people nearby to call 911 about 8:30 p.m.


    A San Diego police officer was the first to arrive and started CPR. Lifeguards arrived shortly afterward, followed by paramedics.


    “CPR was in progress for some time,” Lerum said.


    Ausdemore was taken to UCSD Medical Center, where he died about 9:30 p.m.


    Lerum said it was not yet known how the accident occurred. “That will be part of the investigation,” he said.

  • Norcal diving - Mendocino

    Nice Fuzz....but now I have to go get my Starbuck's mud rehearted^^ and when I get home I'm going to build a big fire in the fire place just to get over the thought of cold water up there. If it ever stops raining down here I'll get wet again. I only grabbed two legal bugs on amateur night, but Dan's 5 mil suit was as warm as seared Ahi .:thumbup:


    That clip reminds me of the Blair Witch Project.... I can't stand the suspense...I keep thinking any second.......
    a Big White Shark nose is ready to enter the frame and make me piss my jeans.


    Is that place anywhere near the Pebble Beach area ?


    Cheers, Don