My first valid speargun used to be a Nemrod Torpedero pneumatic. Somebody gave it to me after I was a teen and it regarded worship a ray gun.
Prior to that I had a little band gun which used to be priceless for annoying carp. As soon as shot they would perhaps flow off into the gap, completely to near abet and glare at me; “WTAF?” they regarded as if it would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps insist, now perhaps lacking a single scale.
No longer so with the Torpedero. It undoubtedly had some complications, but at brief range, it packed a punch.
So began my hobby in pneumatic spearguns.
That you just would possibly perhaps perhaps judge of Boredom Alert: This fragment is a transient discussion of Pneumatic Spearguns – their virtues and vices and frequent issues when in contrast with band guns. If all these items, feel free to skip ahead.
Pneumatic spearguns work by the usage of compressed air (and oil). There is a piston within the barrel with seals to retain the air from escaping. It slides between the trigger sear and a terminate on the discontinue of the barrel – the usage of compressed air as a ‘spring’. The guns are loaded by pushing the spear down into the barrel – additional compressing the air within the gun and riding the piston down until it catches the sear. No air is lost when firing.
Legacy pneumatics fire a moderately brief, thick, spear with a gargantuan deal of force. Most continuously they have gotten barely an extraordinarily good deal of strength at brief ranges and generate that strength in a little equipment relative to band guns.
A few improvements have evolved over the years. One is that many guns now exhaust a narrower piston and barrel. 13mm is the fashioned, but many exhaust an 11mm piston. The premise is that much less floor dwelling and volume (of water within the barrel) map the piston wants to push a smaller column of water down the barrel along with the spear. Such guns shoot sooner and exhaust a lighter shaft (6.5-7mm – as in opposition to the outmoded 8mm). It’s a steadiness between shuffle and momentum.
The subsequent spacious innovation used to be a seal on the muzzle that makes the barrel airtight. Airtight map no column of water – so the piston slides with phenomenal much less resistance. These ‘vacuum barrel’ guns shoot if truth be told fast and a ways and fabricate it at decrease strain, making them more straightforward to load.
In return for their amazing strength/dimension ratio, there are some drawbacks.
Complexity and sturdiness: The fundamental scheme of pneumatic spearguns is modest; sealed compressed air frail as a spring. The implementation entails guaranteeing the o-rings and piston defend lubricated and intact, lest air begins to leak. Every seal is a doable point of failure.
Trendy pneumatics additionally vary from previous models in having polymer pistons. Whereas sooner and lighter than metal pistons, they can crack – in particular on the greater velocities show in vacuum barrel models (most continuously right here is introduced about by over-pressuring the gun).
Blue Water (aka, if truth be told spacious, onerous, fish at longer ranges): Since the shaft wants to be pushed down into the barrel to load the gun, reach and the tendency for longer shafts to flex are limiting components in how lengthy a pneumatic speargun would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps additionally be.
Contemporary pneumatics top out at correct over a meter in length (The Salvimar Darkish Aspect 99.9 model is 115cm, others as lengthy a 130cm). The video below is a choice and penetration test for the Salvimar Predathor Vuoto (vacuum barrel pneumatic) 100 taking pictures an 8mm shaft at 24 bar.
The Overview
Afforded a surplus of time by the pandemic to compare and lust after random diving objects, I bought on barely a jag spearguns.
I’ve followed the evolution of Salvimar’s modern and neat offerings to the field of freediving and used to be intrigued after I came about upon their ‘Vuoto’ or vacuum barrel line of guns. They regarded frigid, and I’d by no map tried a vacuum pneumatic. I believed it would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps be nice looking to verify one out.
Since it used to be end to the shuttle season, I contacted Santa straight away. Primary to my pride, he (aka Stephan Whelan, August Patriarch of DeeperBlue) build me fervent with Mark Labocetta of Maverick The usa.
I know Mark from after I lined the closing Omer Hatteras Originate for DeeperBlue.com – my first foray into the field of Blue Water diving. Within the mean time Mark used to be the US get for Omer by his company Technosport.
Mark is a consummate spearo and a if truth be told fine man who now not completely did now not mock me relentlessly but even tried to restore my machismo by telling me, as I lay on the deck between over-the-facet heaves, about the total assorted folks who’d thrown up on his boat. (Level of Pride; of the 36 cases I threw up on that first outing, I by no map once bought any on the boat.) I recovered, and after a day without work went on to skills one in every of the most impossible underwater environments I’ve ever considered.
Mark agreed to send me a sample of the end-of-the-line Salvimar Darkish Aspect. He urged the Darkish Aspect 99.9, but I requested for the smallest model – as a result of I swim with a monofin and abhor something that messes with my streamline, and as a result of I believed a little model would easiest demo the dazzling length-to-range ratio these guns are reputed to have.
Internal days the U.S.man walked up the flexibility with a shrimp, light, box. Internal used to be a shrimp, light, speargun…
First Impact
Valid. In truth stable. And intensely light. Moreover extraordinarily frigid-making an strive. The carbon fiber barrel on this minute ray gun makes it near neutral within the water.
I rigged it with 3 wraps of monofilament – which build the spear tip correct over 3 meters (about 10’4″) from the discontinue of the gun. I didn’t demand it to shoot that a ways but desired to supply for the possibility.
I additionally wanted the test at manufacturing facility strain – 18 bar, so I didn’t add any air with the integrated pump – although I anticipated the cool water would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps decrease the strain.
Within the water
Thus geared up we sallied forth into the impulsively cooling gradual November waters of West Gigantic Traverse Bay (Northern Decrease Michigan). Water and air had been both 43f (6c) with sun and a brisk north wind. Visibility used to be amazing – easily 60+ feet (around 20 meters).
The gun floats with out the shaft (in freshwater no much less!), and is barely negative with it in.(Test out the video below of an extended model levitating in saltwater)
As soon as loaded it is about 1/2″ (1.27cm) shorter than my arm from shoulder to middle fingertip. Swimming with my monofin I’m able to bask in the gun near the muzzle and it blends with my arm – putting in gorgeous-phenomenal no hump in any appreciate.
With the grip nested within the crease of my hip, the gun used to be stable and joyful for the length of loading. My glide smartly with remains to be-skin out and I had no recount about negative it – which in overall is a project with these fits and band guns.
Of Label: These vacuum barrel guns would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps serene NEVER be loaded out of the water. Water helps lubricate the seal on the muzzle and dry loading can damage it.
The Darkish Aspect pneumatics near with Salvimar’s “Speed Equipment” which involves a selected piston, line launch, and an adjustable trigger.
The trigger used to be gorgeous phenomenal transparent to me until I did a assortment of photography dedicated to checking out it. It’s the perfect I’ve encountered on a speargun – which is severe as a result of this little gun has so minute mass that a injurious trigger would procure aiming phenomenal extra refined. The gargantuan trigger guard used to be a straightforward fit for my 5 mil 3-finger mitts.
Vitality, Vary, and Accuracy
This gun shoots extraordinarily properly. Very fast, laser-capable and stable capable out to the discontinue of the line. It’s additionally barely an extraordinarily good deal of fun, between ease of loading and the candy trigger we discovered ourselves within the water target taking pictures until we had been shivering too onerous to are attempting and our fingers stopped working.
For our tests, we frail a 7×14 scurry (18x35cm) fragment of 1/4 scurry (6.35mm) plywood suspended loosely within the water from some paracord attached to a weight. The premise being that the little fragment of plywood would pass easily with the affect – making it tougher to penetrate.
I anticipated a convincing dent at 8 feet or so but as an alternate bought the point properly out the quite lots of facet, embedded previous the barb hinge. Internal about 6 feet (2m) it tended to blow by the board about 1/2 shaft length. Even at 10 feet (3m), it embedded until it ran out of line. For the legal and suitable for eating species in this dwelling, I’d be joyful taking pictures out to about 9 feet (2.74m).
For heavier bodied or onerous-scaled fish, the gun will accommodate an 8mm shaft and strain as much as 24 bar.
Durability, Upkeep, and Formulation
Pneumatics in overall lengthen properly if they don’t seem like mistreated – and the Salvimar guns have a decent reputation. But they fabricate have extra parts of doable failure than band guns, so it’s valid to have a legitimate source for spare parts.
Mark urged I compare out Spearfishingworld for parts and repairs. I’ve handled them over the years and their customer toughen is an educated and enough. On their website, I discovered the full lot from seal kits to pistons to muzzle seals to triggers, all very moderately priced. Salvimar has accomplished a gargantuan job with logistics, and light-weight restore objects are readily on hand.
I ordered a spot of three muzzle seals for around $18 USD and had them inner three days. I’ve shot the gun a bunch and had no complications, but it appears to be like cheap to evaluate of the seals worship bands for band guns and retain a few around. Changing them is extremely straight forward and, if your fingers aren’t frozen, would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps even be accomplished within the water.
Conclusions
The Salvimar Darkish Aspect pneumatic spearguns have a properly-deserved get for amazing ergonomics, properly-known performance, and quality. These Vacuum barrel guns shoot at greater velocities than used pneumatics, providing superior range in a if truth be told compact and properly-designed equipment.
This little model shoots extraordinarily fast and a ways for its dimension and feels very natural within the hand. It’s the perfect and most fun speargun I’ve ever frail.
The Darkish Aspect guns are a minute bit dear. If the amazing steadiness supplied by the carbon fiber barrel isn’t price it to you (especially in an extended gun!), the Vuoto models supply the the same performance at a decrease label.
Specs and Aspects
- “Empty” header
- Cylindrical tank in high modulus carbon fiber Pre-Peg TW-K03
- Internal barrel ø 13mm
- Perfectly balanced suspension
- Line of glimpse co-printed within the easy
- Speed equipment as fashioned
- Glass-stuffed nylon handle
- Vitality regulator integrated
- “Dynamic Four” sideline launch
- Pacific Air rod as fashioned
- Predisposition for Salvimar reel
- 7mm ‘Tahitian’ shaft
Trace
- Salvimar Darkish Aspect – 55cm – $420 USD / €275 EUR
- Salvimar Darkish Aspect – 85cm – $494 USD / €323 EUR
- Salvimar Darkish Aspect – 115cm – $550 USD / €380 EUR
