WTB 36 maybe 42" speargun

[Narcoholic]

Hi, looking to get my son a 36 possibly a 42" speargun. I have a 48 biller but he can't pull the bands back far enough. Please no custom Wongs' or anything else $$$$$. Just a decent gun that shoots. He is not going out slappin 50lb cobia. This will be a snapper shooter , maybe a grouper I doubt it. I know a sling would work as I have plenty of them, but I want him to learn gun technique and safety while I'm with him.
Thank you in advance.

If some one has a 36-42 and wants to trade for a 48" biller I would do that as well.

[SEATUX]

How old is your son?
Why not put longer, smaller diameter bands on your 48" for him and then ( as he is able to) graduate to stronger shorter bands?
Or
Last ditch effort...why trade a perfectly good 48"er for a 36 or 42 when you can hack off a few inches on your 48 and make it anything you want ( tho that is short sighted and I think Stupid)

[Narcoholic]

14......HMMM never thought about bands. I do have the 5/8's on it. You may have a point there. I was thinking shorter just because I planned on keeping him on small reefs or structure for awhile and smaller is easier to maneuver. But you are right. Think I'll get some 9/16 longer bands . Thank you I got so much more stuff to buy I'm just not thinking my options though.

[SEATUX]

You're welcome, hope it works out for you and your son.
It's GREAT you can share the sport...Father Son...Great thing!

Two more thoughts.

Loading a gun often requires putting the butt of the gun in the "fold of you hip", and it is
sometimes hard to pull the bands back far enough. Add a resting tab on the side of his gun, like this;

https://www.makospearguns.com/Spearg...hor-p/msla.htm

( Don't use the "shark fin" type loading tab, it's too sharp and can gouge the hell out of your hand if you use the tab to unload the gun, don't ask me how I know!)
Once the bands are on the tab he can lift the butt of the gun to his chest and have the power/leverage to pull them back the rest of the way to the shaft loading slots.
Two other things that can be a good investment are a non-slip loading pads on his suit, one in that fold by the hip, and another on the chest.
Good luck with your son, have fun and be safe.

[Narcoholic]

His problem was being able to get the bands all the way to the end. He was pretty close. He was putting the gun on his leg, and of course this was not
underwater.

[SEATUX]

Try the loading tab, He'll like it.

[jfjf]

Originally Posted by Narcoholic

14......HMMM never thought about bands. I do have the 5/8's on it. You may have a point there. I was thinking shorter just because I planned on keeping him on small reefs or structure for awhile and smaller is easier to maneuver. But you are right. Think I'll get some 9/16 longer bands . Thank you I got so much more stuff to buy I'm just not thinking my options though.

Show him this video of my 11 yr old loading a gun... Peer Pressure!

He just needs 2 or 3 easy bands.


https://youtu.be/lBsmlDWkNtE?t=58

[SEATUX]

Originally Posted by jfjf

Show him this video of my 11 yr old loading a gun... Peer Pressure!

He just needs 2 or 3 easy bands.


https://youtu.be/lBsmlDWkNtE?t=58

Good for him..
BTW...that's no 48" Biller!

[Narcoholic]

Looks like he is free diving low 20ft depth there. Really good for 11. My son has been watching videos of spearfishing , grandiose expectations lol

[jfjf]

Originally Posted by Narcoholic

Looks like he is free diving low 20ft depth there. Really good for 11. My son has been watching videos of spearfishing , grandiose expectations lol

That's awesome. You can teach/learn a lot by watching videos. My son and I have reviewed a ton of video from our own dives. It's funny how I may recall the timing and sequence and other details of a situation, yet when we roll tape... I'm way too often wrong about what happened.