Which pneumatic?

[onefish]

Well, I've searched the forum and can't really find a conclusive answer. I am new to spearfishing. I've always hauled them up from the depths on 100lb hand lines but have been out a few times now diving for painted crays. I've seen plenty of good (6-8kg) bluebone and coral trout during these couple of dives but my gidgi (aluminium hand spear) was not really up to the task. So far crays and fish have all been within 3m (usually within 1m) and always around rocks/coral. I'm looking to get a gun that's small enough for crays and still has enough punch to nail an 8kg coral trout when we cross paths. I was thinking that something around 50-75cm would fit the bill, am I right?

Next question, which brand? Readily available in Oz is Cressi and Mares. I can get Seac through ebay sellers much cheaper than Cressi or Mares but one retailer told me that they were not made as well as Cressi. Any truth in this? Alternatively I can import Omer or any other brand gun if one clearly stands out as being the best. Any sugestions?

I have read alot on the forum about the mamba and will consider installing the kit on whatever I get. It should help a smaller gun reach out a bit further.

Unfortunately I live very remote and don't have the luxury of just checking out the stock at the local shop. It's all mail order so I want to make sure I get it right the first time. Any assistance would be really appreciated.

Cheers!

[Spaniard]

Mares is an excellent brand for air-guns, their Sten series have been going for decades and plenty of top spearos have used them too! Not knocking Cressi either but for 'pedigree' I would say Mares.

[foxfish]

Get a Omer mamba 90 straight from the factory. Air guns are measured by total length unlike band guns that are measured by the barrel length. A mamba 90 is a very small gun that has huge power.

[onefish]

Foxfish,

Are you refering to the Maorisub gun or is there a new gun from Omer? If its a new Omer have you got a link?

Cheers

[foxfish]

No I was recommending the omer 90 as supplied by by them as a good gun.

[onefish]

In researching the form I came across an old post suggesting that Omer was comming out with a gun with factory installed mamba. Is this now the case? Is it the Tempest or another model?

[foxfish]

Yes you might well of read that, I will ask our Med & inside gun man Spaghetti - he will know.

[foxfish]

He is not on line at the mo but i have sent a message.

[onefish]

Thanks Foxfish, how about the Beuchat with its larger diameter barrel? Do they put out more power than others? Gotta run but I'll check back in this afternoon.

[spaghetti]

message read, Foxy :-)
No it's not the Tempest, it's said to be completely new gun. Omer's chairman a couple months ago said the the new gun was likely to be unveiled at the "Eudi Show" (diving exibit) in Rome at the end of February. But he wasn't sure it could be ready in time. However the end of February is next week, so let's wait and see.
The gun has been described like a pneumatic version of the Omer Cayman HF: shaped ellyptical outer barrell for better tracking, inner barrell in a higher position, trigger located behind, and not under the end of the barrell (just like in the Cayman handle).
If it won't be displayed at the Exibit in Rome next week, it will be later in the next months.
PS: I agree with Spaniard. Mares and Cressi is the way to go. The best price/quality IMHO is the Mares Spark (also marketed as Sporasub Stealth, but it's the same gun with a different name). If the trouts are big as you say, and the australian water is clear as I fancy, a Mares Spark 97 (with eventual Mamba kit), will bring into your fridge more trouts than you can shake a stick at.

[settingsteel]

I have a couple of Cyranos- and they rock, the smaller (75) loaded with a 100cm shaft zaps fish out to 10 feet within a pulse. Sten and Cressi are also excellent guns but cannot personally comment. If you can wait it out the new Omer farter might be the "gun" to put pneumatics back on the charts (ahhh I think the darkside got the best of me on the last comment)

[onefish]

Thanks all for the feedback. I think I'll wait and see the new Omer superfarter! That's not too long to wait. Hey Spaghetti, does it have a factory mamba (or similar barrel sealing system) as suggested? We're not likely to get the new gun in Australia for some time after it's released (if we ever see it down here). Any suggestions on companies that don't mind posting to Oz? Alternatively I've got some family visiting in April from the USA. I imagine the new guns will be marketed over there long before here.

In the mean time I guess I can persist with the gidgi. Visibility is really poor this time of year with the monsoon hanging around and I can't really see the crays until my head is shoved right up inside some tiny little cave.

That thought brings about another question. Is the new Omer likely to have a power reduction feature. I might smash too many spears up on crays otherwise.

Cheers!

[QuIck ShOT]

Try diveimports.com they have Seac Sub Asso air guns ranging from 30 cm to 115 cm their guns are mostly half price and all postage is free for australian residents

[QuIck ShOT]

ps my mate has the 75cm model and ill be getting one soon to, its pretty powerful but he still manages to use it around rocks and itl easily rip a hole through a 8kg fish or larger.

[onefish]

Thanks Quickshot. Diveimports are the same mob selling the Seac Asso on ebay. The price is really good but when I spoke to one retailer he said that the build was not high quality. I still don't know how true that is, could be that he wanted me to buy a Cressi from him? Cost is always a concern but I would prefer to pay a few $$$ more if that means the gun will be more fun to shoot and provide longer service life. Don't get me wrong here, I still don't know if that's the case. I will wait to see the new Omer as some of the features Spaghetti speaks of sound very appealing. The eliptical barrel is a bit of a gimic (help tracking horizontally and hinder tracking vertically) but the barrel placed at the top of the air chamber would certainly help accuracy. Factory installed mamba. Sounds like it might stand out amoungst the crowd.