Posts by makoa

This is the gun built for me by Akiradkt...Josh.

LOST at the point Custom Rear-Handle Hybrid, Teak Stock with Carbon Fiber barrel, AR handle, Neptonics euro mech, Aimrite three hole muzzle, three gray 14mm small id bands, Epsalon real with 1.9 mm blue dyneema reel line. My son’s friend dropped the gun swimming back into the boat ramp from the outside middle where the swells hit the reef and jack up and break. He got hammered by a set and dropped the gun and had a carbon fin ripped off. This was borrowed gear from me. Gun built by local spearo/builder.



If any of the Hamakua boys diving Laupahoehoe point this week working the far middle to shore side outside the break water found that gun on the bottom please try call or pm me.

I own a large quiver of guns from blue water wood enclosed tracks to reef and blue water euro guns. I've built and had built for me guns and have used Speardiver parts and gear. You will be hard pressed to find better prices or more reliable, quality built gear. Last year I even purchased two Speardiver Phantom guns for my commercial and charter use and have been extremely pleased with those guns. Like Josediaz says the handles and handle placement are ideal. I prefer those handles over my Pathos Open Carbon, and my Aimrites (I have 5 Aimrites). The other issue I can vouch for is that Dan, Speardiver, won't just sell you a gun or gear but will make sure that you are getting the right stuff for your needs. You can make any gun more accurate by optimizing the rigging with the right shaft and band pull, but not all guns are well built. So the secret is to buy the best built gun for the money you have and then work on rigging it the way you need for your shooting style and conditions. When I hunted Upolu Island (Lefaga village in Matautu) I used my 60" hybrid and my son used his 120 cm King Venom. Those lengths were perfect for the clear water.

Rob Allen builds a good gun, but between Rob Allen and Speardiver, I would go with Speardiver. Price, quality, and Shop support hands down the better deal. And I am just a customer and not a paid spokesman! Lol

Good luck!

Aloha

Makoa

Talofa!

The issue you'll have with a 100 cm gun in that kind of visibility and those Island fish that are akamai-smart, is that you'll be way under ranged. For ledges, holes and the occasional dumb fish the three prong will do. If you're looking at buying a gun make sure you're going to get a gun that has the range to kill fish. A 120 is ideal for clear viz and the bigger game fish on the outside reefs. I've hunted Samoa and Pacific Island fish aren't easy to hunt especially if you don't have the range needed. There are guys that can hunt those waters with short or primitive guns, but they usually have incredible breath holds and know how to attract and ambush each species. For the average spearo though a longer gun in those conditions is a necessary tool.

Here's a technical question I'm curious about:

How do you prefer to load your bands? From front band slot (muzzle end) to the first tab, then second band slot to second tab, then last band slot (closest to trigger end) to last tab (closest to trigger mech)... or last band (closest to the trigger end) to first tab, then second band (middle) to second tab (middle) then first band (closest to muzzle end) to last tab (closest to trigger mech)? I've used both, but prefer now to tie my bands in a consistent measurement and load as first described. I think the band pull ends up more consistent and even?

Just curious.

Yes, it's the 1.9 mm Aussie spectra. I use the 1.7 for tying wishbones. I use the Rob Allen Knot on all of my connections, but started crimping the line at the shaft after reading some technical testing stuff on another forum by the "pool testing guy". The stiff spectra I'm using burns into a very hard stub that holds firm from slipping out of knots or crimps. I've had good results with these crimps and line not slipping. I like how the crimps make a smoother profile than a knot so causes less disturbance in the water and flight path of the shaft...not that with my simple minded level of shooting it matters all that much!:laughing3:

The knot I used to use to tie the line on the shaft is the bowline. That knot is strong and never slips.( see below reply with pic)

After testing set ups on this gun I've finally gotten it set up exactly the way I want. The long version measures 142 cm from end of 3 band Muzzle to trigger mech. The band pull from band slots to respective fin tabs are 128 cm at 380% stretch of Speardiver's "no hole" 14 mm band material. The only 3 shark fin tabbed euro shafts that I could find in 160 cm x 7.5 mm was from Benthic and are Salvimar. The rest tab really helps on this length of gun and tight bands to get the gun chest loaded. Why don't more manufacturers produce 3 fin tabbed euro shafts?! These are stainless but I would like to see the stronger spring steel shafts in that configuration. The smallest version of this gun measures 80 cm from tip of roller muzzle to the trigger mech. The actual band pull from rollers to first tab is 65 cm. Again, rigged with Speardiver no-hole 14 mm bands.

If I could get a steady supply of the Speardiver no-hole 14 mm rubber and 3 fin tabbed euro shafts x7.5 mm in spring steel I would be stoked.

Anyone familiar with hunting Hawaii will appreciate these stringers...need I say more? Water was clean and super clear which made for the perfect conditions for testing the longer version of this travel gun. Most shots were taken at max range as is pretty common with these variety of Hawaiian fish. Gun performed great.

That's really a great history. And yes, spearguns are prohibited IN Hong Kong but permissible for connecting passengers to have. You have to be able to show you're flight booking to customs and they will "babysit" your junk for you. The crazy thing is that they only wanted the spearguns and shafts in the gun bag and set me loose into the airport terminal hand carrying three filet knives, two dive knives, a couple of stringers made from old spear shafts (so one end a sharp pencil tip)...oh well

Thanks for the back story on your pneumatic gun. I wiould love to try one.

Killing time in Denpasar, Bali and Hong Kong

Yes, I always refer to it as fishing gear. But now the airlines X-ray the checked bags and I got a personal invitation to accompany a customs officer to a back room when I stepped off the plane in Hong Kong. Haha The great thing though is that the guy was a fisherman and the hole experience actually turned out to be a "fish story" telling session before we agreed that they will keep my "fishing gear" in their customs office until my departure the next morning.

The video is pretty cool. I've never been around pneumatic guns before and really had no idea of their potential.

I've never shot a pneumatic gun. Does it have blue water range? It would be interesting to see what the customs implications are in countries that prohibit firearms. I know with my roller and banded spearguns I have had to do some verbal gymnastics with customs officers in Hong Kong and else where to explain that these are not "guns" but fishing gear! One look at the AR style handles and triggers and they get very suspicious. I wonder how a pneumatic gun would appear to them?

I love seeing your pictures of you with your boys by the way! Looks like you've had some great spearing trips.

Here are some close ups of the wood work and design that show Josh's craftsmanship, skill, and ingenuity. The way he worked the teak blank shows a connection to the wood's unique grain characteristics. This isn't your mass produced, production line product. I've seen some of his other unique builds and speargun concepts, and they're all pretty impressive. Best decision for a speargun build I've ever made. As you can tell I'm pretty stoked about it. The trick now will be how to keep my boys from boosting it from my wall rack!

Every knot is done using the Rob Allen knot...secure and strong, but easy to undo for quick rerigging of gun. I use on the roller band long anchor line, not the short wishbone that loads into shaft notches, and on the pig tail swivel connected to the reel line. So no cuts or line loss when changing barrels and shafts. I love this knot!

The Rob Allen knot

75 cm (need a shorter shaft...I like minimum overhang), 105 cm ( complete rigging) and 135/140 cm all with shafts. Changing barrels and shafts under 3 minutes...with roller bands under 5.

The 75 cm

The 105 cm

The 135/140 cm

Speardiver's new stainless roller muzzle...more beefy than the MVD and Merou.

From 75 cm to 135/140 cm to match my 55" RHP

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If you have ever owned a boat, a motorcycle, surfboard, or firearm, the question you end up with is "which boat, motorcycle, surfboard, or gun is the perfect one?" The only answer that most satisfies that question is "more than one." And for us spearfishermen that spend our time in the ocean or fresh water hunting for the next tasty meal the question, and it's inevitable answer, is the same..."which gun is the perfect gun?....The perfect gun is more than one!" Sometimes we go and hunt only to come back frustrated that our gun choice just wasn't good enough for the conditions we found. Especially if you have access to a wide variety of spots that have the potential for different fish species and conditions; shallow reef, deep reef, open blue water, ledges, holes, clear visibility, or low visibility. Or if you travel you do the research, select your quiver of guns and rigging, only to be told by those pesky airline people that your bag is over weight! So the"more than one" issue, while being the usually perfect answer for the "perfect gun," ends up not so perfect. Having travelled to many locations far from home to spearfish with my sons has always been a case of hauling an impressive arsenal of guns for every possible condition. It totally sucks to "need and not have" when you are remote and the conditions are perfect for the one gun you left behind hanging on the the gun rack. Conversely, we've hauled an entire quiver of guns for every possible condition only to end up using one single gun the entire time. That sucks too. So we've hauled gun bags all over Mexico, Caribbean, South Pacific, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Paific and Atlantic coasts of the mainland US. And of course many of those pacific rim and south PAC destinations require connections in Hong Kong, Narita, Auckland, with plane changes, visits to customs, and carrying your gear back to the airline check in counter...a true hassle, but one we're willing to put up with because in our minds we know we're in for an epic dive experience. BUT...what if there was a solution to have the "more than one" perfect gun without having the overloaded quiver of guns? Like maybe the perfect gun is "ONE!"

Rewind a couple years...I originally saw the Riffe travel euro gun at a dive shop in San Diego and thought that it would be a great gun for hauling on our duel sport motorcycles (yes, I have "more than one") when in AZ and headed to Mexico for a fun weekend of riding and spearing. But while the concept seemed like a great idea, the ridiculous price of that gun didn't seem so great. Then last winter I read a post by hometown spearo Akira dkt where he mentioned he had a home built "take-down" gun...or travel gun. So I contacted Josh and while standing in front of Tokunaga's in Hilo, I asked him if he would build me a travel gun. And he did. It's a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, and a very accurate shooting gun. It's a 100-105 cm roller...a great all around length for a roller. And it breaks down to no longer than my long bladed fins, perfect for packing on a motorcycle or in a back pack. But after traveling to various Indonesian destinations with one of my sons this summer and going through that hassle of hauling the quiver of several guns, it occurred to me that if the gun is able to break down and be disassembled, I should be able to have multiple barrels of varying lengths that could be interchanged depending on the conditions...so Josh and I corroborated on what lengths would cover the needs of my hunting. I decided a 75 cm roller, a 100-105 cm roller, and a 135-140 cm conventional gun would be "the perfect gun." So I got on line and purchased a C1 carbon barrel from Speardiver (since Josh used that same barrel for the original build) along with one of Speardiver's new stainless roller muzzles, and had Dan cut and plug the barrels. As always Dan was on top of it and helped me get my set up perfect for my project. I had a few issues with fit etc, but he helped me work through it. I've found that he is more than a "store." He is a solution guru! :cool2: Most places will send you what ever you pay for...even if it's the wrong stuff. Dan at Speardiver takes a personal approach to making sure you're getting exactly what you think you need.

So now I have one stock, but three carbon barrels giving me the "perfect gun as ONE." Carbon barrels weigh a lot less than three complete guns. I haven't bought Riffe travel shafts (which I'll have to do if I travel by motorcycle), but I have 7.5 mm shafts to fit all three lengths...and the weight I save can help accommodate spare shafts when traveling. I've shot the 75 cm, the 105 cm and the gun is perfect. I'll shoot the 140 cm back in Hawaii this fall and will report on it then. I can't express how stoked I am on this build. Akira dkt...Josh...produced one of the nicest looking guns I own! Hopefully he'll post on the build from the beginning to the finish with the pictures he took during the build. Below I will post the pictures of the completed gun minus the rigging.

I know every spearo has personal preferences that differ. This gun is the result of what I wanted in a gun. I'm sure there will be some tweaking to get the characteristics of the gun just right. Like maybe a three band muzzle on the 140 instead of the two band muzzle I have on there now. All bands, including the rollers, will be Speardiver's small id 14 mm rubber, or the "no hole" 14 mm rubber that I have saved for this build. I can't wait for the next trip somewhere distant when my gun bag will be lighter and smaller! And the great thing is that as long as you have shafts that fit, there is no limit to how many barrels you can have! And one great advantage to this set up is that I will always be shooting the same gun no matter what length of barrel I install. Kinda like the interchangeable 9 mm barrel Glock has for the .40 cal...same gun, different bullet. :thumbsup2: Now to have a couple more of these builds made for my boys!

Mahalo for reading!

Aloha
Makoa

Estoy de acuerdo!

That's funny you mention barracuda Dan because I was thinking all along that these fish look like cudas. And I think cuda is one of the best tasting mellow fish for sashimi! I would be interested in shooting some of these pikes and preparing them in a variety of ways to test their culinary value for me personally. There are only a few fish out there that aren't pleasing no matter how you prepare them! I know Eastern Europeans like the variety of carp they have making meat balls and such. I have tried our American variety of carp and I just don't like it....but my father does (he's hard core!) Looks like a trip to Colorado or Montana for some pike would be an adventure. But first there are those giant striped bass in the Colorado river I would love to hunt. A salt water fish in a fresh water environment...wonder how that affects the flavor?