Hey yall,

I have been reading many of the previous posts about purchasing a speargun but need a bit more advice. I am looking to buy my first gun, but have some good experience diving (lobstering). I am in Tampa, looking to go around here and Sarasota areas. I currently dont scuba so I'll be freediving on some shallow water reefs around the area.

Looking to start by targeting snapper, sheepshead, and maybe the occasional grouper if we run into a keeper.

So here is a few questions I have built up, but please offer any additional advice you have.

Are there any brands or gun materials I should be wary of? While looking for an inexpensive gun I dont want to compromise the quality and life.

How much length do I need for this kind of spearfishing? 15 fow

What are the advantages of free shafting? I feel like I would lose a lot of shafts, is that not much of an issue? Is it easy to go between this and having a line? Does the gun need the options to do both?

How much power do I need? Legths and number of bands? I dont really know how this part works, but read you could damage your gun if you power up inapropriatly. Maybe its more standard depending upon gun length than I think, but I think I would like about a 10-12 foot range. Maybe thats too agressive? But I down the road it may be necessary.

Open or closed muzzle? Sounds like open is easier to aim for noobs. Why would you choose one or the other?

I want the gun to be effective if down the road I want to do something more if I get scuba certified, so I dont want to limit myself if opportunity presents itself.

Anything else I should know or consider? Thanks for any help you can give me, I'm looking forward to getting into the sport a bit before it gets chilly.

IMO....You're asking sooooo many questions you need to go into a shop that caters to the spearo. There are several here in the Tampa Bay area. In no particular order;

Aquatic Obsessions
Jim's Dive Shop
Brandon SCUBA Quest
Suncoast Dive Center

I agree with what Ray says here, I will also tell you that the absolute best bet is to find some dive buddies here who have different guns and go out with them and try the guns out. If you want to talk Freediving guns, Grant (Gogators27) has several so he can give some good thoughts.

Honestly though, get out and try some. I am not really a fan of buying gun after gun after gun as you trade up and get better. I say, find out what you want, then buy it. To me personally, that would be a Deathstick. I SCUBA more than freedive, but the Deathstick is one that will do both well. For SCUBA only I would advise the Ocean Rhinos from Spearfishing Specialties.

As far as freeshafting...I don't advise it as a new freediver. You will lose shafts as you surmise. Once you can shoot and hit (and kill on the first shot), freediving and freeshafting is doable but probably not the optimal way to freedive and hunt.


Good luck and welcome to the boards.

For freediving shallow, get a 100-110cm railgun. Any brand is fine to start, Mako/Rob Allen/Aimrite/Orca/Hammerhead to name a few.
Then add a reel or get a short 50' floatline.
2 bands, muzzle doesn't matter to start. See if you like it. Make some dive buddies. Then try all their guns.

More importantly, get a buddy and stay together. Freediving is more dangerous than scuba. Be safe. If you really love it, take a course.
C

Thanks for the advice guys. I will get to a store this week to chat a bit more with someone in person. I just like reading as much as I can before going so I know enough to at least have questions to ask.

yeah buddy

Visibility is a big factor in choosing a gun, in my opinion anyway.
I hunt on the reef here and on a bad day we have 45 feet vis. So the smallest gun I have is 54 inches.
When I go out on our intake pipe, inshore here near the mangroves, that gun is useless. I can barely see the tip of the spear. I see lots of smaller black snapper (I believe you call them mangoes up your way) and sheepheads hiding among wooden stakes and rocks we have along our intake canal for the shrimp farm. A 34 inch gun would be good for them.
You'll probably end up with more than one gun if you get into this sport.