Posts by Xp100

Quote from Don Paul

Can you so a image of the gun ? Is it a commercially made one ?

I have taught non speros to start with one band and a 10 ' target the move to two and so on
until the shooters arm, face and hand come to know the dance.

A lot of builders talk about about mass and muzzel flip and recoil, but I believe a guy like Brock Lesnar
could control even a poorly ballasted and over powered speargun with his death grip and physical hand/arm
mass. I use to have a 460 Wetherby that shot like a car accident unless I really muscled it tight.

Cheers, Don

Display More

No photos yet. The gun is in the production process now (I believe the wood laminant is curing for another three weeks). I concur with your strategy. Start off with low charge at close range and work up from there. I wanted to gain as much knowledge as I could from other shooters as it pertains to their preferred shooting positions before I began my relationship with this gun. Thank you for the feedback.

Quote from Don Paul

It was one of my many typos... DIY.. Do it yourself.

A low mass mid handle a can have a stance like a drunken sailor if the but end is not fully supported
as the barrel uses your grip hand as a fulcrum. The gun sea sawing and allowing the tip to describe an ark or circle as one acquires the target.

I only ever shoot 3 guns in my hunts so my brain only has 3 mental profiles to review before the soft squeeze of my trigger. I only aim with my guns on pool tests and just point and shoot looking down the side of my gun at the target fish. Some guys shoot off the tip of the shaft but I do not even though I break the spines on 80 % of my fish. I feel the center of mass along the lateral line offers me a longer and more stable target. If one looks at a swimming game fish from above you will see the head and tail sweep in and out of a straight line. The horizontal line at the center of mass provides a much larger kill zone on a fast moving pelagic fish. Reef fish like grouper and Pargo I shoot as close to the eye or just above the gill plate as possible. More later...

Cheers, Don

Display More

I appreciate your perspective regarding sight picture. I believe good speros have a natural eye/hand coordination gift to triangulate the plane of the shaft, their eye, and the preferred POI. I suspect the shooter needs to dope for the muzzle flip as the tail end of the shaft should receive upward pressure as it exits the shaft channel.

Quote from ladvr

You should consider building a target to practice on. Develop a shooting style that works for you.

Mike

Mike,
Yours is sage advice. I had planned to submerge an old swimming pool life preserving ring and take shots from increasing distances.
My intention for asking my intial question was to avoid the hazards associated with shooting a high recoil gun. I have witnessed too many rifle shooters proudly display their Winchester 458 Magnum and then seek immediate medical attention after taking their first shot while holding their eye 1.5" from the rifle scope.

Quote from Don Paul

Take a look at Don Paul's photo, his off hand is more than likely cupping the gun butt and levering it much like a rudder. When the handle hand raises the gun, the butt hand is in position to provide the fine aiming and the handle arm is locked.

On the other hand, a snap shot you're just going to have to be sure to have gun lined up on the target and not just sighting over the tip while the gun butt is still coming up, and I know all about this one.

XP;100

The image in my avatar is just a picture for a magazine as I cruise the kelp line. I will post a shoot with me lining up on a shot later to night after work.

Your spot on about the ''rudder'' action, I shoot a heavy mass gun and only have to keep it off my face
when I'm pushing a 6' 3/8 shaft with 500 lb's of hot rubber. With the 9/32 a little girl could shoot it.

Cheers, Don[/QUOTE]

Don, Thank you for the rudder discription. I look forward to viewing the photos.

Quote from LunkerBuster

damn...sounds like the waves are kicking...you animals can launch your kayaks in that :@

Some days are spectacular and provide a venue to produce memorable catches.
On other days, we stand on the shore/cliffs, overlooking the shore break and mumble about how truly insignificant we mortals are compared to the power of the seas. Makes me wonder, "where are those guys who wear "No Fear" shirts"?

Quote from bajabound

(I think I understand what you're asking. Ideally, and I say ideally, you want to hbe in line with the gun, that is your gun is an extension of how you have your body lined up. This is especially important if you're using a big log tuna gun, you steer the gun with your body.
A midhandle of 60+ inches will fall into this catagory as well. You extend the gun forward and take your off hand and come up behind the butt as the gun comes up.

Take a look at Don Paul's photo, his off hand is more than likely cupping the gun butt and levering it much like a rudder. When the handle hand raises the un, the butt hand is in position to provide the fine aiming.

On the other hand, a snap shot you're just going to have to be sure to have gun lined up on the target and not just sighting over the tip while the gun butt is still coming up, and I know all about this one.

Excellent response with the level of detail I was looking for. Thank you. This advice is appreciated.

Quote from Jareyberrysplash

I'm not sure exactly what you mean. when I shoot my 63" midhandle I try to keep my elbow and wrist locked so I guess I hold the gun directly over my right arm so that my wrist doesn't bend.

Pardon my inability to communicate effectively, but I believe you have answered my question. Thank you.

Quote from shallow runner

I am heading to SF in 2 weeks; so I should bring the thicker wetsuit hu? Only ever been in the waters out there around LA/Malibu and that was in July and August when I could escape from Ft Erwin for the weekend. I was considering doing some surfing, how are the waves up there this time of year? Also, while there I am Hoping to hit up wine country with the lady friend (if anyone has a suggestion I am all ears).

I was unaware that there was a Ft Bragg in Cali, that confused me until I looked it up, . I spent 4 years at Bragg in NC.

From a guy who has spent a lot of time in the Northern California waters, the temps range between 56 and 61. The swell at this time is 6-8ft. I use a 3/8" seal in/seal out custom suit and have no problem with these temps particularly when working from 1 to 3 hours hunting for a preferred abalone (greater than 10in) or fish.
Yes, there are two Fort Braggs. One on each coast. I think that was what you said.
I live in San Luis Obispo and am not directly familiar with the wineries in Sonoma County/Napa but the internet is loaded with sites when you Google (Sonoma or Napa) Wineries.
If you would like to travel less and still deliver a fine experience to your lady friend, you may wish to visit the wineries within the Paso Robles area. Wineries are prevalent between Buelton, CA and Willits. I have worked with vintners in this area and have found the wines produced in this area are reputable. If you have seen the movie Sideways, it takes place in the Santa Ynez/Solvang valley, which is next door to Buelton, CA.

Quote from Don Paul

That is the standard, but some heavy mass barrels shooting a 9/32 or 5/16 can be shot my a little kid
with very little felt recoil.

others are so long in the back and light that if you hold the butt your hand will smack you in the teeth.

They all shoot different.

Cheers, Don

Display More

I truly appreciate the time taken to respond and would have anticipated that the butt would gripped by the off hand. But more specifically, do you try to align the gun/shaft in parallel with the trigger pulling arm or mid body? For example one spero told me that he filled his off hand with the butt while pointing his off hand thumb downward and gripping the top of his trigger pulling arm and sighting along his trigger pulling arm. Any thoughts re. this technique?

Quote from Jareyberrysplash

I like to use my left hand to cup the but of my gun so that it doesn't smack me in the face

Thank you for your response. Aside from holding the butt with your off hand, do you hold the gun on a centerline between sholders, directly over the arm of the trigger hand, or ???????

Quote from Don Paul

It would help if you mention which mid handle, the power bands and shaft or the wt of the barrel in it is a DTY.

Cheers, Don

Thank you for your response.

It is a midhandle with a pull of 14 inches. It has three bands and propels a 5/16" shaft. I am not familiar with the acronym DTY. Could you clarify?

Anyone out there able to provide advice on where/how they position their off hand while shooting a mid-handled 60" gun?

Dan,
Google RWS. There are some customs for Olympic shooters, but you probably do not wish to spend that much.

Quote from papaa

HI GUYS,MY NAME DAVE BUT I GO BY PAPAA.Im old but I love to shoot fish,its one of the top two things I love to do.Im from central coast of ca. and have friends and a brother on the big Island of hawaii.I glad to be on your freediving spearfishing forum. PAPAA

Papaa (Sir),

I live in SLO and joined the forum for the same reasons you site. Maybe we could connect off line and perpetuate our sport.

XP100

Quote from rman

I live on the Central Coast of California.

I try to hunt a couple times a month.

My range of local hunting includes the Channel Islands and up to the Mendocino coast.

I like dark spooky green water.

Shot my 1st fish at age 12 with a five prong frog gig and a broomstick, loaded with a piece of inner tube

and lot's a prayer. It bagged me a sweet little calico in Ensenada BC .

Been hooked ever since.

I am on this forum to expand and improve on my free dive hunting.

Look forward to making new friends.

rman

Display More

RMan,

I live in SLO and parallel your history. I shot my first fish with a pole spear in the Sea of Cortez and have worked many beaches on the California Coast.
Maybe we could take a stroll out to Montana de Oro, purvey the kelp beds and talk of time spent below the surface.

XP100

Quote from Don Paul

Dan when it is 54 chilly degrees here booties are a good thing.

XP=100, I use 3mm Omer Ti botties in my C-90 Pursuit blades with H. Dessault 44/46 pockets and they
are put to extreme use on shore dives and off shore. I really love them but my kid keeps eying them and telling me he a size 8.5 and praying his feet grow before next summer. ( he is 11 years old):@

Cheers, Don

Don,

Thank you for your personal endorsement of the Omer booties. If I am able to effectively combine a booty and this pocket your experience(s) will be brought to bear on my final decision.

XP100

Quote from oceanhunter1

I recommend going into a dive shop and trying on some pockets. I think that diving with booties in the cold SoCal water is necessary.

OceanHunter1,

Yours is sage advice. I thought I would gather as many data points as possible prior to my travel to another part of the state in search of a vendor selling this type of fin/booty.

XP100

Dan,

You are correct regarding my foot width. Fred Flinstone has nothing on me. Thus far, I have successfully been able to wear the ScubaPro JetFins with booties with no down side.

BTW - Not to be argumentative, but as I am a Kinesiology Undergraduate, please explain the physiological rational for your statement regarding the increased fatigue when using booties over a thin sock or thin booty in your previous message. I just returned from Cabo, where I swam a mile North in the morning and a mile South in the afternoon, each day with no fatigue (this is a surface swim combining a breast stroke w/a dolphin kick) using the previoiusly mentioned ScubaPro JetFins. I am curious to learn what improvements might be realized when replacing the booties with thin(ner) socks. I appreciate your understanding in these matters and am pleased to find individuals who have considered these topics.

I will look for the California diver section and see how they cope with the 50-52 degree North Coast water temps.
I believe my follow-up action is to visit a dive shop offering both the long fins you speak of and booties to match. I live in San Luis Obispo where there is only one dive shop where these items are not offered for sale.

Thank you again.

XP100

Dan,

Thank you for your reply. EEE translates to 4.5" wide at the widest point.

In regards to this sock you mention, is there a proven thickness that works best with today's LongFin foot pockets (while striving to dive on California's North Coast)?

It also sounds as if these socks have no tread for hiking in to a rough shore entry position. Do most divers using this thin sock use Crocks when walking to and from the dive entry spot?

XP100

OceanHunter1,

Thank you for providing your opinion. As a diver who cut his teath in the early 70's on full size booties and ScubaPro Jet Fins, I am struggling with the paradox of the new Long Fin foot pocket while wearing booties. The new Long Fin foot pockets do not appear to have the capacity to accomodate a large Male adult foot (as some of us have) while wearing booties. My search continues.

XP100