Suggestions for spearguns for women

[divegirl]

OK ladies (and guys that have some suggestions),

I'm looking for suggestions for a speargun for a woman.

I'm not a weakling (well not really) but tried to pull back a friend's Riffe #1 and wasn't able to yet. With some work I'm sure I could do it but I also bruised my leg trying. It's bad enough when I'm pulling my bow & end up with bruises on my forearm now I'm looking at bruises on my leg too? I'm going to look like I've been beaten up! I'm 5'4" to answer the height question.

So, what are the ladies using & having good luck with?

Thanks for your suggestions!

[kitefisherman]

Loading a Riffe is all in the technique. This is because the design of the gun dictates that you must pull the bands further back towards the gun's butt than most guns. Instead of trying to load the gun from your hip, grab the right end of the band with your right hand, push the gun away from you with your left hand on the handle resting the butt on your solar plexis, and use both hands to pull the band all the way back to the tab. If you need extra padding to distribute the pressure on your solar plexis, get a wetsuit with a loading pad or put a mouse pad inside your wetsuit over your solar plexis. I doubt that I could load my Riffe from the hip, but doing it the way that I just described is no problem.

[zds3488]

Height?....i am 5-11 and i shoot a SS 52. Band is not hard to pull back at all......That is the yellow band for single band freeshafting which is what i do usually. The black band is hard as HELL to pull back, but adds substantial additional power. the riffes are very hard to pull back. I got in a few dives shooting a friends riffe before i bought my SS. SpearOne might be the guy to answer this.

[Screen Name]

Originally posted by divegirl
OK ladies (and guys that have some suggestions),

I'm looking for suggestions for a speargun for a woman.

I'm not a weakling (well not really) but tried to pull back a friend's Riffe #1 and wasn't able to yet. With some work I'm sure I could do it but I also bruised my leg trying. It's bad enough when I'm pulling my bow & end up with bruises on my forearm now I'm looking at bruises on my leg too? I'm going to look like I've been beaten up! I'm 5'4" to answer the height question.

So, what are the ladies using & having good luck with?

Thanks for your suggestions!

Generally, the best thing to do is to use more & smaller bands. For example, if the gun now uses two 5/8" bands, go to three 1/2" bands. You end up with the same power, (sometimes more because of the characteristics of the smaller bands) and its a lot easier to load.

I do know that Spear One has built tons of guns for women and has it down pat, no experimentation required. He knows the right questions to ask to get YOU the best results. Try this link:

http://www.slinginsteel.com/about.html

Good luck!

[Spear One]

I'll be glad to help her out!

[Dogmatrix]

Another thought might be to make the bands a little longer... the thinner bands is also a good idea. You lose a little power but your able to shoot the gun.

Cheers Rob ;)

[bluephoria]

I was using the Riffe 3XS. When I first got it I had a real hard time loading it so I got a shaft with a rest tab. It helped, and after a couple of months I broke the bands in and, it was no problem.
I recently bought a Riffe Hawaiian Mid handle gun and like kite said, It is easier to chest load it. Although, I load it on my stomach. Its easier for me. It hurts less and you get a good ab workout!

[Sheri]

Hi Divegirl....when loading guns, sometimes women have to work a little harder than men, but we can still enjoy spearfishing. Since most of us women have less upper body strength, we have to use techniques or equipment modifications to make up the difference.

Everyone has their personal preference of speargun brands, and the truth is you can make any gun work for you. I use Daryl Wong spearguns. The loading technique for a Wong is similar to a Riffe. First, make a couple of equipment modifications. Start by getting a shaft with a rest tab. A rest tab is a small barb about 2/3 of the down the shaft. Then I would recommend using amber bands. Amber bands tend have more stretch/spring and are easier to load.

My loading technique is simple. I grab the first band with both hands and hip load to the rest tab and in one quick motion I bring the butt of the gun to my chest and pull the band back to its final position. Then I repeat this procedure for the second band. The harder the band pull, the more power the gun will have. On the other hand, longer bands will make the gun easier to load. You’ll need to find the right balance for you.

If you want to start with something easier, simpler, and less expensive, you may want to start with a 48" Biller (or SS is similar style) which is what I used for many years. I loved that gun....killed a lot of fish with it. They are easy to load by using the simple hip loading technique (can't put rest tabs on these type shafts). You can start with longer bands if necessary, and with time, you'll find that you can shorten them. I used to have bruises on my thigh too, but I don't get them anymore, even though I'm loading way shorter bands than when I started....can't explain it, must be that you improve your technique over time, without even thinking about it. Good luck to you!

[Speargun]

Suggestions for spearguns for women
I recommend Speargun to all women. :D :D :D

Call Kevin (Spear One). He's very helpful and will get you set up in no time.

[dagodiver]

Great info that helps alot !!!!
Now if i just remember my gun next time I'll be
fine.
Have lots of dive time but not much spear time.
Dago.

[Nikki]

Divegirl - I use a 48" SS Rhino with a 22" and a 24" 5/8 band - the 22 for the first notch, the 24 for the second (closest towards me). Found that a 20" 9/16 band is pretty easy - easier than the 22" 5/8 band - to pull back, so diameter/thickness of the bands DO make a difference. The SS guns have a longer butt than some of the others, so bands are easier to pull back - as less close to your body (therefore less stress at the end of the muscle contraction). I hip load this gun without problems. I DO however, do tricep and lat weight work at home in between dives to ensure that those muscles are developed (such as lifting a 12 lb weight behind my head in a movement like reaching back to pull a T-shirt off or using a universal machine to move similar to that of loading a gun with rope pullies from a high spot on the machine). Would recommend some weight program to maintain muscles when not spearing often. Also, personally, I prefer a wish-bone style of band, as it seems easier to pull back into the notches than a cable style, as I don't have to pull the sides together to form a notch when pulling it back as that part is done already with the wishbone style. The drawback is that you never know when the wishbone is ready to break, and a cable shows wear before breaking, so helps to bring extras on a trip - just in case! Good luck in your search :)

[mushkee]

i recommend a 140 cm rob allen with a shortened 20mm band...its all technique..ha

[Prodigal Son]

Ditto on the chest load with a Riffe. I have a Comp 1S and had a very difficult time hip loading it; had poor leverage with the stubby end. When I switched to chest loading, it became very easy.

[divegirl]

Thanks to everybody - this definitely gives me something to work from. No spearfishing on my next dive as I'm headed out to Cali next but I'll be on vacation for 3 weeks around Christmas and hope to get some diving in. I'll let you all know what I come up with.

[fernandezh]

Divegirl,
Meet me Saturday night at the Spearboard Party and I'll show you a speargun for women. It isn't as big as the others but it sure packs a punch. :D

[Dogmatrix]

Was that a 3 rubber gun fernandezh?

on seconds thoughts... I don't want to know!

Muskee... you know agood gun when you see one ;)

hehehe Rob