SALVIMAR NEXT WETSUIT: THE TESTSALVIMAR NEXT WETSUIT: THE TEST NEW CAMOUFLAGE, HIGH COMFORT
The summer is coming and it is time to choose the best performing equipment to catch the most suspicious preys. In the last few years equipment manufacturers have been camouflaging every single piece of equipment from snorkels to fins with drawings and even photos depicting elements of the seabed.
THE CAMOUFLAGE Salvimar in 2014 introduced a camouflage, called NEXT, in which pictures of light-coloured rocks and Posidonia blend with elements that recall the fish livery. A combination that includes all the components of the typical Mediterranean aquatic life. At first glance the wetsuit appears with a prevalence of clear zones interspersed by clumps of Posidonia. Light brown is the most used colour together with green and darker brown and such a choice makes the final product suitable for spearfishing on sandy bottoms or on white limestone seabeds (widely available in southern Italy for example) on which we usually use the waiting technique. We must consider that if the dry colours appear very light, once in the water, they get darker making the suit effective even on dark backgrounds. Another strong point of the NEXT line is that it also includes techno polymer fins which, thanks to the IML printing system (abrasion resistant), have on their surface the same camouflage of the suit!
THE FIT We have so far shown the livery but the best quality of this suit (jersey outside/open cell inside) relies in its fit because it really looks like it is custom made. This is unquestionably due to an optimal cutting but also to the possibility to choose the most comfortable size on the prospectus that Salvimar provides on its catalogue and that basically consists of 4 measures to take on our body: chest, waistline, hips, height and weight.
By comparing these data with the prospectus you can easily choose the size that fits better on you. In the video below you can see an example of this. Some other details make this suit special compared to the average competitors. First of all, the face hole is narrow and does not end under the chin as it often happens with other products. This is a very important feature for winter suits. The chest loading pad is large and made in puff gum. It turns the loading operation into a safe thing even if you are in hurry. Anti-abrasion reinforcements are present on the major points of contact (elbows, knees and bottom). The beaver tail locks up with a clip, adjustable in length. Some fixing points are already printed on the outside to help user have an optimum closing. Finally, on wrists, ankles and face hole are some cuffs for a better seal against the skin. This model is available in 5.5mm and 7.0mm .
OTHER SUITS
Salvimar also markets the NAT suit, unlike the NEXT, it is available also in the 3.5mm version. It stands out thanks to another effective camouflage pattern (mostly green) and it is made of open cell neoprene outside and jersey outside. For more experienced and demanding divers instead the TRAINING suit is strongly recommended. It is the most soft model in the range and it is made of sharkskin neoprene outside/jersey inside. This model is available in 2.5mm and 5.0mm and with Velcro ballast vest version in 7.0mm and 5.5mm.
A world to discover with satisfaction, please visit : www.salvimar.com
INTOVA SPORT HD EDGEINTOVA SPORT HD EDGE THE REVOLUTIONARY ACTION CAM
Could Intova guys design a better sport cam? That was the question once I knew a new model was about to come. Producing a top performing sport cam with professional features was a great challenge in a high competitive market as the actual one but in the end they succeeded. They managed to build up a tiny camera able to meet the expectations and needs of customers practicing very different outdoor sports. This obviously means that the new INTOVA HD EDGE is suitable for several sports like sailing, cycling, surfing but the activity we prefer the most and for which it really represents a revolutionary product is of course spearfishing.
In order to better understand how this camera is, let’s roll through its features first. The Intova Hd Edge has a non-removable rubber armoured housing protecting it against accidental shocks. It weights only 210gr (battery included) and despite the presence of the rubber housing it remains a compact and space saving camera (72mm x 56mm x 50mm) waterproof up to 200feet/60mt. It can record videos and take pictures at the same time and for each function it has separate operating buttons. It can record videos with the following resolutions 1080p@30fps, 960p@48fps or 30fps, 720p@60fps or 30fps, 480p@120fps or 60fps and take 14MP, 11MP, 8MP or 5MP pictures (4:3). It is equipped with a flat optical-glass lens port with Water-repellent and Anti-Reflection coating that guarantees no glares during shooting. It has a super wide angle lens at 160 degrees and a digital zoom up to 60x.
You can playback your videos or check your pictures through the1.5” / 3.8cm TFT-LCD screen (480×240) and finally you can remotely operate the camera through the wifi connection and both your mobile phone (after you have installed the proper APP) and the remote control provided by the manufacturer. Such a function is also useful to easily transfer file to share with your social network friends.
This camera was specifically designed for water sports, in fact it is provided with a “Dive Mode” preset enhancing the quality of both videos and pictures taken below water surface. It simply adds red colour to images in order to let them appear closer to normal view. It has a 160° wide angle but it can be narrowed without changing any part of the camera, by simply selecting the option FOV from the menu. FOV stands for “field of view” and you can either narrow or enlarge it by operating such a function. The main advantage of it in spearfishing is that during your action videos preys will appear closer and larger if you narrow the field of view. Other cameras need lenses to be replaced to get that result, instead with the HDE you can decide to easily switch from a view to another according to your needs.
By browsing the function menu you can select the “Burst Mode” that allows the camera to take 3, 5, or 10 pictures at the time and this is very useful when you are in the water and need to take pictures of your prey. Furthermore while recording a video, by pressing the shutter button, you can take pictures of what you are filming without stopping the recording. Should you be not able to regularly mount the camera on the speargun you can select the “upside down” function allowing the camera to normally record even it is actually flipped over. This also applies to the screen that is finally provided with a rubber anti-glare hood to be mounted on.
After mentioning all the spearfishing features users should know that the HDE has also several top functions ideal for everyday life uses. It has a motion detect function allowing the camera to turn into a security one, in fact once this function is set any movement detected in front of the camera lets video recording start. User can choose among several still images present but he can also manually select the white balance. Such an option lets colours in pictures be closer to real ones by just taking a photo of something white first.
Although some issues still exist with the wifi connection as the APP seems to be not compatible with some mobiles, the camera is a great product for our sport and I would surely recommend it.
Here is a feature summary:
Video Resolution: 1080p@30fps, 960p@48fps and 30fps, 720p@60fps and 30fps, 480p@120fps and 60fps Photo Resolution: 14MP, 11MP, 8MP and 5MP Rubber armoured housing Waterproof to 200 feet / 60M Flat optical-glass lens port with Water-repellent & Anti-Reflection coating Super wide angle lens at 160 degrees Digital Zoom: 60x or 10X Uses same filters and lenses as Sport HD II WiFi: remote operation and viewfinder, wireless file transfer (with smart phone app) RF remote controller with waterproof bag 1.5” / 3.8cm TFT-LCD 480×240 Rechargeable/Removable Li-ion battery 1150mAh Battery life: 1.5 hrs (LCD on), 1.5 hrs (wifi on), 2 hrs (LCD off) Slave strobe function Removable LCD glare hood Dive Mode Motion Detection Mode Time Lapse mode Self-capture mode Burst Mode: 3, 5, 10 photos Upside Down Mode (Video/Still image flip) Manual White Balance Picture in Video Dual stream mode Led indicator- Visual Record Alert front and back Audible record alert Float Strap High Definition TV output HDTV micro USB cable (optional accessory) Micro USB cable to connect external 3.5mm mono microphone (optional accessory) Video format: H.264 / Photo format: JPEG Supports Micro SD Card up to 32GB (class 6 or 10) Size and weight: 72mm x 56mm x 50mm, 210gr
SALVIMAR SAPIENS CARBON SPEARGUN 85SALVIMAR SAPIENS CARBON 85 PRECISE, LIGHT, GOOD-LOOKING
Intrigued by some (inaccurate) reviews available on the net, I decided to test the Salvimar flagship speargun: the Sapiens Carbon.
I told my friend Massimo Quattrone about it and he promptly sent me a 85cm one equipped with all the standard accessories. At first glance it looks great, anyone who chooses it in fact, will find it housed in a transparent pack that reveals its eye-catching silhouette.
The particular shape of the barrel is certainly the aspect the user will notice first. It is a tube (with an inner diameter of 24.5 mm) which is gets a cuttlefish bone shape near the handle. On the upper part it is provided with an integrated shaft guide made of carbon.
The handle is comfortable and houses such a backed aluminum mechanism, that the line release pin is practically located on the (removable) chest support and provides a band useful stroke of 91cm (on a 85cm model). I can’t deny that in the water during the test, the combination of very backed line-release and shaft pins, turned in some cases the loading operation a little bit difficult, since the arms already largely closed, were no longer able to give strength. The safe is positioned in the notch that houses the index finger and that makes impossible not realizing that it is activated.
Having reviewed the general characteristics let’s go through the most important technical features. The speargun comes from the factory with a neutral and perfectly balanced floating so if you throw it into water it will float horizontally. For this reason it comes inexplicable the creation of a ballast housing in the muzzle but since there is one you should know it. The barrel is filled with polyurethane foam that contributes to the weapon tightening with obvious advantages on the shooting accuracy side. The central portion of the barrel is sealed with both polyurethane and a layer of carbon fiber and you can see it yourself if for example you disassemble the muzzle. The muzzle is open and it is equipped with two fins that direct the bands once they are stretched. It is provided with a pair of 14mm threaded bands and two non-articulated wishbones with different width to facilitate the loading operation. Salvimar has justified this choice by arguing that it was more intuitive to load for the average user. I honestly do not agree with this choice as the target user of a top of the range product is an experienced one. In addition, once the bands are stretched they protrude from the barrel silhouette neutralizing all of its benefits. For this reason I would suggest the use of Dyneema wishbones that, as you can see, keep the aiming line clean and leave no room for vibration during the swing . After having tested this configuration in fact I was tempted to compare it to a black stiletto that cuts the water with ease.
The compactness of its shape is also reflected in its weight that with complete equipment (rod, rubber bands, reel ) is only 1263gr: barrel (with handle and muzzle) 712gr , reel 81gr, shaft (120cm x 6.5mm) 306gr, bands 162gr.
One of the points criticized by some reviews is the size of the shaft guide which seems to adequately accommodate a 6mm shaft at the expense of those with a greater diameter. In the end this is a false problem because the greater diameter shafts, by touching a smaller surface, has less friction and accelerates more easily while remaining firmly in the ideal firing trajectory. Finally, during the usual swing the shaft does not move because it is firmly held down by the monofilament.
As you can notice in the video below, it is particularly clear the greater penetration of the TORSION shaft in comparison to the traditional one. The absence of the barb, allows the shaft to cross with greater efficiency the target. The aim is intuitive and does not require wrist balancing. Surely the shooting line is cleaner bands equipped with Dyneema wishbone. The trigger sensitivity adjustment screw ensures even greater precision. However, the shots in this video were very precise although the adjusting screw was left with the factory default setting.
The judgment is definitely positive from both the design and the functional point of view. During the in-water tests it turned to be well balanced, light and precise . In my opinion (except for the bands that should be substituted as mentioned above), there would be nothing to change of the original configuration and this is an incredible advantage for those who buy a weapon which does not have anything to worry about.
TEST FINS SALVIMAR NEXTTEST FINS SALVIMAR NEXT SOFT, MIMETIC, REACTIVE
In 2014 catalog, Salvimar has enriched its line of spearfishing fins introducing the brand new NEXT. These fins with mimetic interchangeable blades are made of polypropylene. This product is not a real novelty from the conceptual point of view since Omer / Sporasub were the first to market it. By the way it is undeniable that the end result is completely different, so let’s take a closer look at it.
On both surfaces there is a seabed picture printed with the IML - in mold labeling technique ( the same used by Omer / Sporasub). That is a process consisting in printing a photo/drawing on a thin film made of the same material used for the blade that is subsequently melted in the mold with the rest of the blade. This operation turns the print into an integrant part of the fin itself and not into an application lying on the surface. This produces mainly two advantages: firstly, the print is more resistant to scratches and secondly it doesn’t affect the mechanical properties of the material and as a consequence it doesn’t affect the overall performance of the product. Finally, it should be noted that Salvimar used the same pattern to produce the new wetsuit (also called NEXT) which allows the spearo to have a total and uniform camouflage.
As you can see from photos and videos attached, in comparison to the others made of the same material the fin NEXT responds with great flexibility and responsiveness. The bending of the blade has its fulcrum in fact very close to the foot, while those of other brands have their fulcrum at about half of the length. This difference is mainly the result of the influence that the water rails have on the action of the blade.
In the attached video we tried to conduct an empirical experiment in which we flexed different blades with the same force (traction was mild, made with only two fingers) up to the point where they started to oppose normal mechanical resistance. By this test it is clear that beyond the intrinsic properties of the blade the limit of the competitor fins is represented by the rigidity of the water rails which strongly affect the bending of the blade. In addition to the bending test this is far evident when we try to vertically shake them. The SALVIMAR NEXT are the only ones able to flex up to the curvature under the footpocket.
I therefore believe that it is a product particularly suitable for inshore spearfishing because it is a type of fishing in which you swim for longer time and in which camouflage plays a crucial importance. Moreover their price (in line with the market average and slightly higher than the one of non-mimetic blades) makes purchasing them definitely advantageous and convenient.
BLEU SPEARFISHING PROGRESSIVE BANDS ATLANTISBLEU SPEARFISHING PROGRESSIVE BANDS ATLANTIS BY APNEA STORE
A new spearfishing band with some intrinsic features that make it different from the others available on the international market, have been lately presented by Lorenzo Lamanna, the owner of APNEA STORE. Its unusual aesthetics is definitely one of the characteristics that will make it popular in the spearo community but it will surely stand out as vigorously also for its responsiveness in water. That is the ATLANTIS.
It represents an evolution of the progressive bands we usually see in amber colour, naked or covered by a more or less fine coextrusion, because as a result of a colouring process it is in fact entirely blue. Its mimetic power is indisputable because they do not need disguise the shades of the surrounding environment as they have the same colour of the water.
The first test was then carried out to verify whether its colour shade changed once it was under traction. During some previous tests with other bands it was possible to note that once they were stretched, their colour tone changed to a clearer one and this got worse with extreme stretching coefficients. As you can see in these pictures the ATLANTIS keep its original colour.
The most important feature, however, is represented by the possibility to easily load big diameters while applying extreme stretching coefficients. In the video below it is in fact possible to note how even in the presence of a 47cm long 18mm circular band, mounted on a 80cm railgun (coefficient: 350%), the loading operation is so smooth and easy to let people infer its diameter is much smaller.
The ability to progressively return the force applied make it ideal for multi-bands or roller guns with a recommended stretching coefficients between 330% and 350%. It is available in the following measures 14mm, 16mm and 18mm at 18, 19 and 20€. APNEA STORE. Soon some in-action videos...
THE TEST: PICASSO MAGNUM CARBON ROLLER 95PICASSO MAGNUM CARBON ROLLER 95 THE TEST AT SEA
I finally managed to bring in the water the new Picasso carbon rollergun I had written a few days ago a presentation about. Given the absolute absence of fishes I could not add any “in action” clip to this article but thanks to the unusual water clarity I succeeded in filming a good target shooting test.
As you can see in the video attached the balance of the gun is perfect and requires no effort at the time of aiming so the wrist remains adequately relaxed. If left in the water, the armed rollergun sinks slowly and horizontally while if you remove the shaft it floats vertically.
The shooting accuracy is impressive from both 3 and 5 meters and requires no aiming compensation, in other words you don’t need to aim at a higher o lower point to hit the centre. Recoil exists and there is no doubt about it but it has a moderate intensity and it is easily manageable considering that it is a roller equipped with 17mm reactive bands.
Like all rollerguns also this one requires a little longer to be recharged in comparison to a common speargun and for people like me who are not used to it can be "unpractical". In fact, once you shoot you need to release the rubber band from the second lower hook and only then you can slide the shaft into the mechanism (by passing the line in the proper spaces) because otherwise it won’t pass under the dyneema wishbone tensed against the muzzle. After that you should place the bands onto the first lower hook and then on the first pin of the shaft and finally stretch them at the maximum. In the video below you can see a part of the loading operation.
The line release tab tends to close even if the shaft is already housed in the mechanism and this might impede a fast re-armament in case of need. It should be remembered that with such a weapon it is essential to make at least two line loops along the barrel as it has a range of over 5 meters and keeping the clutch loose is not a valid palliative. A final mention goes to the special plastic bushings applied at the end of the bands that allow you to tie dyneema wishbones in a very simple way, definitely a viable alternative to the classical system with the flag knot.
A positive overall judgment leads me to endorse with enthusiasm this new design of the Portuguese firm Picasso.
PICASSO MAGNUM CARBON ROLLER RAILGUNPICASSO MAGNUM CARBON ROLLER RAILGUN BY CARLOS OSORIO
Dear spearo mates, today I want to present the new project of Picasso Sub: the MAGNUM CARBON ROLLER. Thanks to the collaboration with my friend Carlos Osorio I could get my hands on this beautiful 95cm long railgun (of course it is also available in the other common measures) that will surely not disappoint the expectations of excellence with which it is marketed, but let's see in it detail before its test at sea.
The handle has an ergonomic support for your index finger (see photo) that leads it to a very long trigger. The hilt is very wide and combined with the long trigger allows user to have a comfortable and intuitive grip on the handle even when wearing a winter glove. Surely those who have already tried the Picasso guns will find this one very familiar in terms of sensations. The chest support has a V-shaped notch to facilitate the aiming alignment and below the butt it has been applied a large ring to connect the gun to the floatline. The release mechanism is 100% stainless steel and it is reversed, allowing user to gain a few centimeters. The slot in which user slips the shaft is larger than the others on common spearguns ensuring the line to remain intact if user decides to mount it on the first shaft hole. The line release mechanism is located on the left side but you can place it on the opposite one by removing a simple steel barb.
The carbon fiber barrel is 28mm in diameter with a circular cross section and it is provided with an integrated shaft guide which is also made of carbon. On the lower portion there are the hooks for the bands, one very close to the handle and the other at a few centimeters from the head for less powerful shots. They are actually two stainless steel tabs secured by two screws.
The muzzle is compact and slim with a very basic design. The pulleys, equipped with high quality steel ball bearings, are fixed by means of a bolt and a tab that creates a guided passage for the bands.
The standard configuration includes a 6.75mm shaft with robust low-profile pins and 17mm black bands with plastic tips. These require a different mounting of the Dyneema wishbones, in fact, the dyneema line should be inserted into a vertical hole of the plastic tip and it should get out of it through an horizontal one. A few common knots lock it up. It is important to note that the largest band to be mounted is right 17mm, in fact, a larger one would not pass through the space between the head and the tab holding the pulley. The reel is not supplied as standard but you can mount one from the TOP models range. The one in the photo is a TOP 20, a very useful accessory with a retractable knob and weighing just 200g (including over 20 meters of 1.5mm line).
Here are some data related to the weight of a 95cm model:
Railgun complete equipment ( reel, shaft, line and bands ): 1589gr
Without shaft (bands, reel and line ): 1215gr
Without reel (only bands): 1010gr
TEST ESCLAPEZ EXIUM G2 CUTTLEFISH BONE FLOATTEST CUTTLEFISH BONE-SHAPED FLOAT FOR ESCLAPEZ EXIUM G2
A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the test of the new speargun Exium G2 Esclapez in which I presented the ingenious system allowing user to change the balance of the weapon according to his needs. In this review I have tested one of the extraordinary accessories that can be mounted on the Exium to set its balance and its shooting accuracy.
It is a cuttlefish bone-shaped shooting stabilizer which can be mounted with two simple and small bolts in the track that runs under the barrel. It is 28cm long and about 10cm large and it is designed to be positioned at any point of the barrel. If its size may raise some doubts about its capacity to not affect the agility in the water, you have to consider that the point of maximum amplitude protrudes only about 3cm (per side) beyond the profile of the barrel.
In the video below you can see some of the many changes you can make and how these affect the balance of the Exium once it gets in the water. It should be highlighted once again that this weapon is sold standard with a 6.25mm shaft while the test was conducted with a 6.5mm one.
TEST ESCLAPEZ 10 METRES BUNGEE FLOATLINETEST BUNGEE FLOATLINE ESCLAPEZ 10 METRES
This time I would like to tell you about a spearfishing product Italians are not that familiar with but that has been used abroad for a very long time, especially for fishing in the blue: the bungee floatline. It is an accessory evoking exotic countries but that fits well with the type of spearfishing we practice in the Mediterranean sea and along the Atlantic coasts. It is actually a hollow tube of rubber that ends with two line eyelets kept by a ligation identical to the one used for the bands (see picture 2 ). Many manufacturers have already included this item in their catalog and Esclapez proposes the versions 1/5/10 meters.
This product has over time become indispensable since it allows you to swim comfortably on surface even in the presence of waves without having to continually feel the tug of the waves on the belt, it's basically like a long shock absorber! I also find that it is particularly suitable for winter sea bass fishing when there is surf. The bungee also solves another problem. When swimming on surface for medium - long displacements I usually unroll maximum 5 meters of line so that the buoy is never too far from me. During these trips I often find a good spot to dive on or I see a nice prey and then I am forced to get rid of the line (because it is too short to reach the bottom), leaving the buoy at the mercy of the current. Using this accessory the problem no longer arises because the bungee stretches up to three times its original length !
Finally, this product also allows you to amortize the current when you anchor the buoy off the coast. It should be emphasized also that thanks to its thickness of 2.5mm this bungee guarantees a high resistance which makes it a reliable accessory in every situation. The only "negative" aspect is represented by its weight ( 580gr - 10 meters) and its volume that are obviously not those of a common line. Actually, common lines and bungees have nothing in common and the advantages offered by the latter make its "less comfortable" features more acceptable. Spearo is often a man that bases his activities on some consolidated habits that he tends to not modify but switching from line to bungee is a change you will never regret.
TEST: ESCLAPEZ EXIUM G2 90CM RAILGUNESCLAPEZ EXIUM G2 90CM RAILGUN THE TEST
The French manufacturer Esclapez which I introduced in my latest article about the "Balise" torpedo buoy test, keeps producing truly exceptional spearfishing gears that never fail to be both innovative and effective.
Its flagship product, the Exium, is a speargun that well expresses the desire to present new and reliable ideas to the spearfishing world. It is in fact a railgun characterized by a modern and ergonomic silhouette designed to be as customizable as possible to adapt to the different spearos’ habits.
Like all products by Esclapez, the implementation of simple ideas and the use of the best materials made it an extraordinary speargun solving several problems that are very common to commercial ones.
First of all, we need to point out something; the EXIUM has nothing to do with the TRIAXX and therefore it is not a remake of an old project. The ideas underlying its design are essentially two:
1 - Creating a system that allows to get an optimal balance in all circumstances
2 - Creating a barrel that offers less resistance to water during horizontal swings
I have often bought commercial spearguns that, once in the water were too heavy and every time I changed the original setting (thinner shaft, longer one, etc) the optimal balance was permanently lost . Most of the time I had to stitch some lead (if it was too light ) or worse some cork (if it was too heavy ) and this obviously affected the overall aesthetics and hydro dynamicity of the barrel. The balance of the weapon is a crucial feature for the success of a spearfishing action. We will tend to strain the wrist and forearm muscles to keep the shooting alignment if the railgun is even just a bit heavy, and this will inevitably affect our ability to accurately aim in the long run. This does not happen using the EXIUM since it gives you the chance to install some plastic floats that will help you out to keep the balance under control. The floats do not protrude from the profile of the barrel and therefore they do not obstacle the movements in the water. In order to be installed, these floats do not require any screw and once they are mounted on the barrel they can slide all along it allowing the user to decide the best position.
The Exium is the sole commercial railgun made of anodized aluminum that does not have a classical cylindrical tube but it has two of them with elliptical section. The purpose of such a choice is to make lateral movements more fluid. Thanks to the “windows” along its barrel, the Exium offers a reduced resistance to water while maintaining the necessary rigidity to prevent flexion under the tension of the rubber bands. In fact the two tubes and central supports provide a double resistance to the forces that normally tend to bend them as shown in the drawing below.
IN DETAIL The Exium is sold in 6 sizes ( 75-90-100-110-120-130 ) and as indicated in the title of this article, the object of this test will be a 90cm model. It should be noted that the original setting for this model includes a 6.25mm x 130cm shaft and a 18mm circular band, however I preferred to change this configuration by installing two 16mm circular bands and a 6.5mm pinned shaft.
THE HANDLE The handle is very ergonomic and due to its inclination of about 33 degrees it provides an effective and intuitive grip. On its surface there are elements in soft plastic that can be replaced and that are available in 4 colours. The chest support was carved in the center with a V shape to facilitate aim alignment. The mechanism is made of 100% stainless steel and its backed structure allows you to stretch bands about 6/7cm more. The distance between the last hole of the muzzle (the most external) and the first shaft pin (the closest one to the mechanism) is 96/97cm (it can vary according to the shaft used ) for a 90cm model of which the overall length is 112cm. Finally on both the left and right side of the handle there is a little lever that allows you to change the sensitivity of the trigger and then to lock it up.
THE BARREL The height (including the shaft guide) and the width of the barrel measure 4.10cm. Below there is a small groove that runs along its entire length and it is designed to accommodate accessories such as the reel, the video camera mount and the cuttlefish bone stabilizer. Such a groove offers the opportunity to slip these accessories inside it allowing the spearo to move them to the position they feel more appropriate. For example, to mount the horizontal reel (with aluminum spool and available in 50 and 100), you simply need to slide it into the groove and lock it in the desired position with the two screws provided.
THE MUZZLE
The G2 muzzle is the outcome of a full restyling. It allows to mount two circular bands with no metal wishbones and it can also be used in both open and closed version by installing or removing a tyny U-shaped aluminium bridge included in the package. The weight of the railgun ready for fishing (with 130cm x 6.5mm shaft, 2 16mm circular bands and a reel equipped with cord) is 1800gr :
Without shaft 1420gr
Without reel 1206gr
Without bands 982gr
THE TEST AT SEA
As mentioned above I have not used the original configuration because I've adapted it to my style of fishing so I mounted a heavier shaft and a pair of 16mm circular bands ( always Firestorm by Esclapez). That is just the spirit of the Exium project: it is 100% customizable with no problems! In support of a heavier shaft I have installed three floats and in this way the neutral buoyancy was safe. Despite this change the Exium capacity to smoothly move in the water is still excellent, also thanks to the ergonomic handle that allows in my opinion a natural grip that does not require the wrist to adapt. The index finger enters comfortably into the trigger ring without having to bend . At first glance its modern silhouette may seem massive but it is surprising how light it is when you have it in your hands and even out of the water its weight (not at all excessive ) seems to be well distributed. In the water it is effectively easier and more fluid to swing. Whenever I spearfish by using the ambush technique I need to incline the railgun of about 45° to facilitate lateral movements but as you can see in the video below this does not happen with the EXIUM speargun as it offers less resistance to water and therefore the instinctive wrist rotation does not take place .
The firing line is clean from the muzzle to the chest support although the bands ends had not been rounded. I find this gun very good in both design and practice, in fact its performance is unquestionable. Finally, the innovative effort does not affect the price that is in line with the market average.
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