By: Kim Wojo, Team RealSea
If you are an avid deer hunter, as I am, then you have probably sat around deer camp discussing which type of rifle and ammunition is the best for humanely harvesting an animal. It doesn’t matter if there are 2 hunters or 200 you will probably get that many different opinions. The answer is really what can you shoot accurately? Will it fit in your budget? Is it the right one for your skill level?
The same principle applies to spear guns. Out of the many tournaments I participate in, most divers have their favorites and the type of guns used is as varied as the spearos. My first spear gun was a single band Arbalete. Years later, I was able to a afford one of the “new” Voit Swim Masters, which brought a lot of fish to the dock. Since those days, spear guns have evolved into many different types and designs with prices just as varied.
Pneumatic powered, euro guns, rail guns, custom guns, closed muzzle, open track, semi closed track, wood, aluminum, one band or four, composite, custom, semicustom or production guns. As you can see, picking the right gun can be as complicated as the opinions and information you search out from other spearos.
Spear guns can go from $200 to $2000- plus. The answer is still the same as my opening statement. If you are an entry level diver, then a lower cost spear gun is what you would need to start out with. Remember most accurate rifle shooters started with a low cost .22. As your skill level, experience and confidence grows, so should the level of your spear gun. You will figure out that proper stalking and shot placement, just like deer hunting, is the most important thing to learn about marine prey.
My best advice would be to search out an experienced, successful and safe spearo who will give you advice on how to grow in our wonderful sport and stay away from to many different opinions, especially what you see on all the blog sites. Trust your mentor, practice, dive often, be passionate about spear fishing and you will one day be shooting that custom made gun of your dreams. Always remember the “HUNT” and comradely of our fellow spearos in our silent liquid world is what is most important, not whether or not you speared the biggest fish.
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