Rene Cavalero Speargun

[Rob Holman]

I found a spear gun while diving this last week. it is in pretty good shape but it needs a new shaft and point as it has oxidized pretty bad and the threads no longer hold now that I have taken the point off to clean it. I am not familiar with the brand of gun.

On one side it says:
Rene Cavalero
Marseille
France

On the other side it says:
arbalete
Champion

Seems like a nice gun. My buddy and I were both on a sightseeing dive when we found it, but ended up using it to each take a black rockfish. Cooked them up for dinner, it was a nice treat!

Does anyone know where I can go to get parts for this brand of gun?

[fishhunta]

My buddy and I were both on a sightseeing dive

????????i don't understand, you mean you actually got your gear, got on a boat, and went into freezing washington waters, and weren't gonna kill something??????????

[Slay Ride]

Hey Rob:

I'll be in Bothell and Port Orchard area next week. Do you guys have any good spearfishing? Not real fond of the cold, but always eager to kill some fish. Send me an email at Les@charlestondiving.com if you have any suggestions or tips. I'll have limited gear, but can bring more if it deems necessary. Thanks, Les

[Rob Holman]

Freezing waters? I don’t understand. Our waters are far from freezing. I mean it was at least 45 degrees in most of the areas. Some spots were as hot as 48.

I this was my first dive trip out on the Washington coast. Wow. Puts tropical reefs to shame. Every square inch covered with sponges, hard corals, and soft corals. Sea anemones as big as a large pizza. The life is literally stacked 3-4 layers deep. On a rock, you will have a layer of sponge, with a huge mussel (9-11 inches long) that is covered with a different kind of sponge that has a small sea anemone growing on it! One site we did was about 3 miles off shore. Small swells in the 4-5 foot range, and raging current (it was supposed to be slacked out). The fog reduced viz to less than 200 feet on the surface. It was the most intense dive I have done. It was a blast!

As far as hunting out this way, there is not much in the Port Orchard area. There are some good dives, but don’t bother with a spear gun. We have pile perch that are not bad, there are some rock fish, but to do them you really need someone with a boat. (I don’t have a boat, I bum rides off my friends). Ling season is the highlight of hunting in our waters, but they are only open for harvest for 2-3 weeks back in late May, early June if I remember.

I have a few spots you can chase Dungeness crab if that grabs your fancy. Nothing like going out and catchin’ crabs! Or should I say harvesting crabs….. Well you get the point!

Our Puget Sound waters are actually quite warm this time of year. I think we are running 55 to 58 degrees. It is very comfortable in a wet suit. If you want to do a dive that is not hunting related, or want to chase Dungeness, let me know and I will be happy to either give you locations, or if I am free, take you on a dive or two. I’ll shoot you an e-mail with my contact info.

If you want to go specifically for hunting, I would recommend that you head out to the straight of Jun de Fuca. There are harvestable populations of rock fish out there as well as some areas that are still open for Ling cod.

OK, back to my original request, does ANYONE know where I can get a new shaft for the gun I found? I really want to use it!

[KJNDIVER]

Not to bash on you too much, but thats gotta suck. Im glad to be down on the Gulf Coast. If it werent for killin critters, I never would have gotten certified. Wheres the fun in just lookin at shit?

[f94gator]

Man, 55 is about my limit before I stay topside with the beer.

Yep, us Florida boys are pussies. But then, I don't see many northern folk coming down here on vacation that want to deal with our summer temps!

[frogman]

Rene Cavalero was arguably the inventor of the rubberband speargun back in the '40's. I think he was some French guy spearfishing in the Canaries or something like that. His company Cavalero-Champion was bought out by Beuchat (another Frenchy company). Contact them at www.beuchatdiving.com they may be able to help you.
BTW, 45 degrees...too cold,brrrrr

[richhermes]

Originally posted by frogman
Rene Cavalero was arguably the inventor of the rubberband speargun back in the '40's. I think he was some French guy spearfishing in the Canaries or something like that. His company Cavalero-Champion was bought out by Beuchat (another Frenchy company). Contact them at www.beuchatdiving.com they may be able to help you.
BTW, 45 degrees...too cold,brrrrr

It will be a cold day in hell when I start shooting with a FRENCH speargun!!

[Charlestondivin]

I have one of those old Cavalero spearguns too. I found a spearshaft on ebay for it but it got warped by ups

Not a great speargun but it had sentimental value for me. My father owned it back during the time he was a navy diver. I used to play with it when i was a kid. Its amazing it survived the beating i gave it.

[richhermes]

Those are always good just to display on the wall. A conversation piece while throwing back some beers

[Rob Holman]

I have learned to love the cold water. Hunting is a blast, been doing it in one shape or form since I was 6, but I really enjoy the act of diving. That could mean wreck diving, tech diving, sightseeing, spearfishing, shrimping (my personal passion), or just honing my skills. It is all a blast. Diving in cold water just adds that much more of a challenge. Warm is nice, but I prefer cold. More life!

And with scenery like this, who could pass it up???

[Rob Holman]

Oh, thanks for the info on the speargun!! That is exactly what I was looking for.

one more comment on cold water, I just wish we had the same good viz you folks have down there in Florida. I hear people complaining about 30 foot viz. In the Puget Sound that is a great day of viz! It exceeds 100 feet off shore or up in Canada, but here in Washington, we are just not that lucky! Oh well, can't have it all.