Posts by Chuckd

  • Foot pockets without tendons

    Quote from Dan

    In theory yes but practically no. There's a practical limit to how many layers you can use and how you can arrange them, and still have a light reactive fin. A uniform blade with an as you say parabolic flex pattern hasn't even entered my considerations. I don't know if you've used DiveR blades, they're as strong as it gets as far as backbone, so much so that I find them too heavy and uncomfortable, and they still broke. Barring a manufacturing defect which is always possible, this really demonstrates the problem with lack of blade support. If this happens with fiberglass it should be clear that carbon doesn't stand a chance. If the blade is going to be so thick in the back that it doesn't break, the fin will be too stiff to use. Otherwise there will always be a point of transition in thickness where the stress will be focused, and the blade will break there.


    Dan,


    My DiveR carbon fibers are super light and as indestructable(almost) as the fiberglass ones. I must add that my brother weighs 240lb and was a collegiate swimmer, and was pulling a limp Kirk Krack up with him when the blade snapped.


    And my Beuchat pockets are very light too. I haven't felt a lighter combo yet, including the Pursuit CF blades in on old set of OMER footpockets.


    I'll try to get a scale to weigh my set ups, but they are glued in, so I can only weigh them with the footpockets.


    What are the weight of the Speardiver CFs in your footpockets?


    C

  • Foot pockets without tendons

    Quote from LunkerBuster

    hey chuck, do you have any pics of your brother's setup? I am curious as t how he attached them


    He drilled four holes into the flat part and used screws with washers to attach directly to a high end soccer cleat. And it didn't break at the distal screw holes like I thought it would.
    C

  • Foot pockets without tendons

    Quote from Dan

    Thanks for that info. One thing DiveR blades have is they're strong, if they snapped other blades will too. Albeit that's about as much stress as you're ever going to put on blades, pulling another person up I mean. Another thing to keep in mind is your brothers method of securing the blades to the soccer cleats is not apparent. I'm using foot pockets with support from the bottom.


    My contention has always been that moderate stiffness tendons are necessary to support the blade and gradually dissipate the stress on the blade away from the toe area. Making these fins was my way of saying to those who advocate very soft foot pocket tendons "why not take it all the way then". I fully expect them to fail at some point, more so if they were carbon. But in the meanwhile they're nice.


    So do you believe the softer tenons allow better flex of the entire blade?

  • Foot pockets without tendons

    Dan
    My brother did the same thing with soccer cleats and DiveR fiberglass blades.


    He was doing a practice SWB rescue at 100', and snapped the blade at the toe at 60' while dragging a limp body up with him.


    Until then, he loved them.

  • My 2nd roller gun

    Quote from Dan

    Very smooth. I'm also interested in seeing how you load the gun. If the gun is unloaded is the band always loose at the front like that?


    When unloaded, there is friction on the bands from the rollers. I put the lower wishbone on the 1st loading tab and pull the top wishbone a little to hold it there.


    Then I hip load the top wishbone to the sharkfin.


    Then if I want more power, I flip the gun over and hip load the bottom wishbone back to the 2nd or 3rd loading tabs.


    I'm using a single wrap and it locks out the single wrap on all three notches.

  • Vis report Clearwater FL 3/14/12

    Hazy top to bottom from 30-65fsw.


    Not as fishy south of Anclote, straight off Dunedin. Except for the "overfished" gag grouper. So frustrating.


    We ran out 30 miles to a wreck known for Cobia to find a boat sitting right on it. So frustrating.


    Water temp 68 degrees.


    Ended up with 8 hogfish and a porgy.


    [VIMEO]38542328[/VIMEO]


    C

  • FS: Tinman Custom bluewater Hybrid 62"

    This is the sickest gun I've personally seen. But I can't seem to aim hybrids, my third attempt with a hybrid including 2 Wongs, and I just can't get used to them.


    This is THE gun that Tin Man custom made for Bubba after winning it in an FRA raffle, and him being a gun builder, I coerced him into selling it to me. I used it on one Wahoo trip to Key West and thats all its ever been in the water.


    Its 62" long and shoots a 67" - 5/16th shaft. It has good bands and comes with 4 shafts. Its most similar to a Wong Super Magnum Hybrid. But its one of a kind.


    Here is a link to a better description: Bubbafishing's FRA Raffle Gun - Spearfishing Planet


    I'm asking $1200. Plus shipping to the continental US.


    Charlie

  • Hammer guns

    My buddy Ken made this gun for himself, he's getting pretty good at it.


    Its a 60" Padauk and maple laminate, poured epoxy enclosed track gun, shoots a 60" 5/16ths shaft, custom hand carved muzzle, recessed Behslayer nylon-glass handle, Neptonics trigger/line anchor/black bungee.


    It has a spare shaft holder built into the butt, and he weighted it negative without any shafts, he uses it for scuba freeshafting.


    We will see how it shoots next week.


    C

  • My 2nd roller gun

    It's my go to gun for reef and wreck hunting. I can load light for hogfish and even AJs. Then I'll load medium or heavy for grouper with good vis. And heavy for wrecks in case a Cubera or wary AP/permit/Cobia shows up.


    It's a 5/8" standard band. The middle tab is 350% stretch and the rear tab is around 400% band pull. It's a 57" gun and shaft that has a butt extension that I hip load. But it has a 43" band throw length.


    C

  • My 2nd roller gun

    Lol.
    It's not me Don. I haven't found a gun I couldn't load, including my Wong MGS and my 67" Sea Sniper.
    I really think the wishbones or bands will pop before it reaches the 3rd loading notch on this gun.
    Its the wishbones I'm worried about. I'll try it next time out.


    C


    Quote from Don Paul

    Thanks Chuck, that's a lot of ET. I would leave the band length as you have them, you will develop the strength to cock the last anchor before you know it. Nice gun.


    Cheers, Don