BLACKTECH SHARK SKIN ANTI GLARE CARBON FINS

BLACKTECH SHARK SKIN

ANTI GLARE CARBON FINS

Last fall I submitted an article about a young Croatian company specialized in the production of carbon fins: the BlackTech. I always pay attention to the new pieces of spearfishing equipment launched on the market and I got impressed by the innovative product that the company above made.

The carbon fins have become very popular among actual spearos all over the world and during the last few years this product has evolved exponentially. Many different blades are in fact available on the market; larger, longer, with flap tip, with whale's tail tip, variable thickness, fixed thickness, etc. but no one has ever focused on solving a problem that all these types of fins have in common: the reflectance.

The carbon fins manufacturing requires the use of fibers and resin and the latter is right the ingredient providing the surface with a glossy look. We all know how negatively a reflex can affect the Spearfishing action and as a consequence some manufacturers have started to apply water resistant paints on the fins that clearly affected the mechanical properties of the material used in favor of a more eye-catching look.

The BlackTech has taken into account the main features actually offered by the market when designing  its product, a project that took three years to be finished. The two naval engineers Sasa and Bruno, who have been assisted for the tests by the local Spearfishing community, have created variable thickness carbon blades with a special “honeycomb” – like surface that guarantees absolute discretion in water, in other words, all the benefits of a carbon blade with the reflectivity of one made of  techno-polymer! Let's go through their features.

MEASURES

The blades are 80cm long and 19cm wide and are produced with a 22 ° angle. They are provided with T-shaped side rails suitable for any foot pocket and which widen only at about two-thirds of the length of the blade in order to affect as little as possible the flexibility of the carbon and avoid the fin to skid during movement.

TIP 

The tip, as you can see in the picture has a whale's tail shaped tip but the manufacturer provides six different types and is also available to the customize the tip according to a design submitted by the customer. The most common types are that of the model in the picture (particularly suitable for spearfishing since it does not protrudes beyond the fin silhouette) and the "flap" one that ensures a better grip on the water and a greater thrust but which can create difficulties when fishing on the rocky seabed.

THICKNESS AND ORIENTATION

The thickness of the blade is variable, this means that it gets progressively thinner towards the tip. It is in fact designed to get thinner from the two thirds of the length on but its peculiarity lies in the orientation of the fibers that does not follow the classical scheme of the fins currently available on the market. If you look at the common blades with variable thickness you can easily notice some semicircles that demarcate precisely the difference in thickness between the various layers. This layout generates “steps” that represent points of greater mechanical stress and that, according to the quality of materials used by the manufacturer, could become potential points of breakage. Unfortunately BlackTech, for obvious reasons, has requested to not publish further details about it but I can tell you that he found another way to lay the fibers which reduces the "step" between the different thicknesses.

MATERIALS AND PROCESSES

The BlackTech uses carbon fibers specially produced for aircraft industry and a special epoxy resin, manufactured in Germany, whose the most important feature is represented by a high modulus of elasticity capable of giving great flexibility to the final composite product. The production takes place through a double infusion process ensuring an accurate expulsion of air potentially present between the layers, and that would be a source of structural weakening. According to the manufacturer this process provides greater guarantees than PregPreg technology.

HARDNESS

The Croatian firm is completely customer-focused  in fact further to several types of tip anybody can choose his best fin among 9 different levels of hardness. In the market we usually find the standard soft, medium and hard blades but how many times the hard ones were too hard and the medium ones were too soft? Well, it’s for this reason that Blacktech offers such a wide range!

TEST

I mounted the blades in the Salvimar foot pockets and they get so tight that there might be no need to glue or drill them since they don’t slide away even if you pull them horizontally. I recommend such a foot pocket also for the angle of 22° which utterly assist the original curvature of the blade. In addition, the slit of this foot pocket allows to get a more powerful thrust with the front of the foot (metatarsal) without forcing the ankles. This structure, however, demands a perfect athletic movement because it does not leave any room to kick close to the “cycling” style. The flexibility of the fin is indisputable, it can be easily folded and squeezed. The spring back is remarkable even if it is a low hardness model. It 's definitely a fin suitable for long surface swimming as it does not tires the articulations and for spearfishing in average depth where it is necessary to get responsiveness and agility from a fin. In the water there is no reflection at all and thanks to their unique surface normal scratches that are generated by rubbing against rocks tend be not that visible. These fins are truly exceptional, considering that they are also used by some member of the Croatian national spearfishing team, those are Branko Ikic and Radoslav Jakupovic who have achieved excellent results in recent international competitions.

Blacktech is distributed in Italy by DIVEBLU BARI

TEST: SIGALSUB EXTREME BANDS & VIDEO MOUNTS

TEST: SIGALSUB EXTREME BANDS 

& VIDEO MOUNTS

Finally the long-awaited SIGAL EXTREME bands are ready! We first presented them in December in their provisional brown colour and we announced that thanks to a small trick they got an exceptional performance, we are now ready to reveal all! The SIGAL EXTREME are black bands with a very thin coextrusion (inherited from the Reactive Brown) that in the final version, available in all the best spearfishing shops, is purple. The special feature of these bands is the reduced size of the central hole for the housing of the wishbones. The traditional diameter of the inner hole is 3mm, the EXTREME bands one is only 1mm.

This small trick allows to greatly increase the power applied,  you just need to consider that the quantity of rubber present in the given space is 2mm greater. The manufacturer declares that the power increases by 5%, but in reality a 16mm band for example has the same power of a 18mm one. The shot is strong and nervous and has nothing to do with the ones made with the Reactive Brown bands, well known have a more progressive power. Surely such a small core creates many difficulties in sticking the dyneema wishbones into it if you do not provide lubrication and once inserted, the Dyneema ring is so firmly held by the rubber, you might just avoid doing the constrictor knot to lock it up ... I’m joking, do not do it. One very important thing is that the purple coextrusion, does not “light up” once it is in traction as in the past but it keeps its original shade (see photo). This band was tested with a 360% stretching factor but I can assure that it is able to withstand more exasperated coefficients. It will be available in sizes 13, 14.5, 16, 17.5 and 19mm.

Among the 2013 novelties, SIGALSUB presents a new amber band with a 1mm inner core, still under testing, which will be available in sizes especially useful for roller speaguns and the famous Reactive Brown with the plastic threads. Last but not least the wide range of cameras mounts adaptable to the main spearguns on the market. The peculiarity of these mounts is represented by the application of a simple concept presented on this site several years ago, that is the "two-components" mount. These SIGAL products are in fact composed by a slide which remains fixed on the handle and by a support that is slipped inside it and on which the camera is mounted. The advantage of this concept lies in the fact that the support with the camera can be disassembled and reassembled on several spearguns maintaining the same shooting angle.

For example, if you have to change up the railgun during the fishing trip, you simply need to pull the support and place it on the other railgun without the need to screw anything. Furthermore, if you do not want to fish with the camera, you are not forced to use a speargun with a useless bulky structure. In the picture you can see some of the models but clicking on the link you can see the full range while the two videos below explain how to mounts them on the various spearguns.

KNIVES IMERSION SABRE PELAGIQUE AND MATC SHAFTS

KNIVES IMERSION SABRE 

PELAGIQUE AND MATC SHAFTS

Among the accessories produced by the company Imersion we focused on knives and trident MATC shafts so we decided to test the SABRE. Made entirely of stainless steel, it belongs to the naked knives category, in other words all those knives created by modeling a single piece of metal without the addition of a handle in a different material. The knife itself weights only 85gr and it is provided with a 35gr plastic sheath, for a total of 120gr. The whole knife is 19cm long but the blade is only 6cm long. Designed to be an arm wearable knife, thanks to a simple modification it can also be used as a practical belt accessory. You just need to replace the aluminum stripe which is located on the back with thicker one and that’s it. The ergonomic handle ensures a strong grip even when wearing very thick gloves. Finally we need to emphasize the knife locking system that through a rotating device makes it easy to pull it out avoiding the anxiety of losing it at any time.

Another very useful accessory is the PELAGIQUE, a name that already expresses the use this knife is aimed at. It is almost 30cm long with a double-edged blade 14mm wide and 15cm long. Its weight is 180g and by holding it in your hand it is easy to notice how such a weight it is distributed in favor of an optimal balance. It is provided with a sheath made entirely of plastic with locking clip and two rubber belts to attach it to the leg. Surely it is good to have it on board if you intend to go fishing in places where you can meet  large pelagics.

After having watched the latest Spearfishing videos shot on the northern France wrecks we decided to test a trident MATC shaft 6.5mm in diameter and 115cm in length. Definitely heavier than a regular one, it requires a greater propulsion but the penetration capacity of its three sharp tri-cut tips is surprising. Finally, as you can see in the pictures the traditional barbs are replaced by some retention staples.

RAILGUN TEST: IMERSION ESKWAD PRO 90

RAILGUN TEST:

IMERSION ESKWAD PRO 90

The French manufacturing company Imersion presented last year, the Eskwad PRO a new speargun that I had the opportunity to test. This railgun has definitely a revolutionary profile characterized by an unconventional design especially noticeable in the barrel section, the muzzle shape and in the innovative reel. I tested the 90cm model but is also available in the following sizes 75cm-100cm-110cm-120cm. So let's see in detail the technical features of this weapon.

The barrel is made of matt black anodized aluminum and has an integrated shaft guide. It has a flattened section that makes it very hydrodynamic as it is only 20mm wide and approximately 4cm height. The muzzle is OPEN and it has been designed to accommodate up to 3 bands. It has a very narrow profile that does not protrude from the silhouette of the barrel and provides an aggressive look to the whole railgun. The first slot is a "quick release" one as the bascule disk placed into it thanks to an opening on the lower side allows the band to be detached in case you need less powerful shots. Such a disk can be however easily removed and replaced by traditional circular bands. The speargun is supplied with an 18mm band with double threads and double wishbones and a traditional 16mm circular band. The mono top barb shaft included is made of stainless steel treated with 17/7 PH 200 kgs / mm ². It is 130cm in length and 6.5mm in diameter with a tri-face tip. The reel is a little jewel as it can be placed both vertically and horizontally, you just need to buy an extra mount. It can hold about 50 meters of line which is standard supplied with a bungee. The handle ensures a secure grip and the index finger reaches the trigger intuitively. The particular release mechanism installed, allows an easy insertion of the shaft even if introduced with an inclination of 45°. The line release system (connected to mechanism) is finally present on both sides.

During sea trials the Eskwad gave evidence of its lightness but it created some difficulties in the side movements as in order to be efficiently moved on the horizontal axe it requires to incline the barrel. The presence of the plastic threads leaves room to the bands to vibrate during the changes of aim. However, this problem can be solved by installing circular bands closed by Dyneema wishbones. Finally it is recommended to place the reel horizontally. With the addition of a few ten Euros you can also get a handy waterproof speargun bag with zip closure, two large pockets inside and one outside.

TEST IMERSION FREEDIVING SPIRIT CARBON FINS

TEST IMERSION:

FREEDIVING SPIRIT CARBON FINS 

Finally we have had the chance to test the famous Freediving Spirit, one of the best French carbon fins. Presented in 2008 by the long established company Imersion, they are the outcome of the precious collaboration with the champion Stephane Mifsud.

These carbon blades are mounted on classic Imersion foot pockets that, for those who have never tried them, are characterized by an extreme softness and by a "large plantar foot" profile very comfortable for many spearos. The foot pockets wrap the foot in an excellent manner and the side rails, which are also very flexible, play a decisive role during kicking. However, the limit of these foot pockets is represented by the necessity of using glue or silicone to fix the blades in because they are not equipped with any system able to do that such as the upper holes for the screws or the hole under the heel as the OMER’s one.

Furthermore, the groove inside the rails does not have a T-shaped profile but a simple perpendicular cut, then any blade provided with a tooth on the edge would simply not fit. This therefore justifies the fact that these Imersion fins are pre-assembled sold with blades glued in the foot pockets. The combination of these two elements certainly limits the user whenever he decides to change the blades, but why changing something that perfectly works as it is? Let's see the numbers of these wonders.

The blades are provided in one hardness only and are 21cm wide. The overall length of the fins (including foot pockets then) is 97cm and from the front end of the foot pocket up to the tip of the blade they are 67cm long. The tip has a trapezoidal shape oriented towards the outside, which ensures an increase of thrust but that might be difficult to protect when crawling in close contact of the bottom rocks. Right for this purpose, the last 30cm of the blade edges are covered with a thin sheath of rubber. Finally these fins are characterized by a strong angle, as seen in the picture, and are standard supplied with a useful neoprene bag with Velcro closure.

Honestly, the extreme softness of both the blades and the foot pockets foreshadowed a weak thrust, and even the lightness feeling coming from the very first few kicks in the water has deceived even the most experienced divers who in fact had to finally change their minds noticing the ease with which they moved. These fins can be used for all types of spearfishing even though they are designed to provide the best performance during deep dives.Honnêtement, l'extrême souplesse des voilures et des chaussons préfigurait une poussée faible, et même à travers les premiers battements dans l’eau, le sentiment de légèreté a trompé les pécheurs les plus expérimentés qui n’ont pu éviter enfin de remarquer la facilité avec laquelle s’étaient déplacés. Ces voilures s’adaptent bien à tous les types de pêche, même si elles ont été conçues pour garantir la performance la meilleure en profondeur.

CARBONTECH 75 LIMITED EDITION BY GRANDA SUB

CARBONTECH 75

LIMITED EDITION BY GRANDA SUB

Granda Sub, the well known Croatian company manufacturing railguns, is glad to present a limited edition series of Carbontech arbaletes with special features that make them even more unique.

The arbaletes mentioned above are two Carbon Tech 75 designed for an extreme asset. Generally the difference between a Fireblade model and a CarbonTech model resides in the application on the latter of three 180g sheets of carbon to reinforce the handle and the lower part of the barrel for its entire length. The limited edition ones instead have even something more that turn them into real masterpieces with no equals in the market.

The two holes for the bands were made 8mm ahead and 2 mm higher in order to get even more silent movements. The band guides were made with a specially formulated blend of carbon and liquid graphite that helped to create a real mould of the bands able to obtain a rollaway profile in the first third of the stem.

The graphite shaft guide, has been further shortened to ensure an even lower friction and the release mechanism in lightweight titanium was reared 22mm. Bearing in mind that the overall length of 75cm arbalete is 98cm, the exploitable traction on the carbontech limited edition is 2 X 82cm! The comparison is simple if you think that in the fireblade version the exploitable traction is 2 X 75cm while in the traditional Carbontech version it is 2 x 78cm.

7cm longer bands may seem not that much but they are the basis for setting up a more powerful weapon. With a slightly heavier shaft this speargun is always precise and easy to swing. The Granda company ensures that if it gets fitted with 2x16mm Sigalsub bands (coefficient 3.6) and with a Sigalsub shaft 115cm x 6.5mm, it can shoot up to 4 meters! By the end of 2013 the first DVD by the croatian company named "hunting the bass" will be released for you to see the real performances of these weapons.

TEST: FIREBLADE 95 GRANDA SUB

TEST: FIREBLADE 95 

BY GRANDA SUB

It’s with pride and satisfaction that I write this review on the fireblade 95 produced by the Croatian company GrandaSub. First of all, it must be specified that these spearguns, built up with ten strips of fine mahogany, are shaped with a CNC machine and finished by hand. The weapon is presented with an attractive design thanks to the carbon sheets wrapping both the handle and the initial part of the barrel and to the black lacquer which finishes the rest. Finally, this aggressiveness image is completed by the carbon inserts applied to the leads compartment and below the handle. The barrel, 118cm long, has a profile which narrows towards the front end with a section ranging from 6.8cm (near the mechanism area) to 4.2cm, while the center is about 6cm wide. Its height is 3.8cm and remains constant for almost the entire length, because only at the tip it gets slightly thinner (3.4cm).

This speargun is designed with a shaft guide running from mid-barrel to the head and two band guides with same length. These modifications provide several advantages since for example thanks to the flat profile in the mechanism zone, the operation of hooking and unhooking the bands is facilitated. Furthermore the guides of the bands are designed to accommodate their silhouette under tension by creating a more uniform profile that avoids the generation of vibrations during the swing, making a silent weapon of it. The release mechanism is a patent by Granda Sub made with laser cutting machines and belonging to the family of the “reverse” ones. Thanks to the position of his tooth it allows to gain a few inches of traction. It has no sensitivity controls and has a long stroke of the trigger that avoids the possibility of accidental shots as it often happens with too sensitive spearguns. The trigger must be pulled for about 2cm to release the shaft.

The ergonomic and anti-slip handle accommodates well the hand providing the thumb with a a strong point of support for its entire length through an accentuated protrusion. The fully laid index reaches intuitively the end of the hilt and it easily gets through it even when wearing a 5mm glove as shown in the picture. The tested speargun is equipped with an horizontal reel with a 1.5mm line capacity up to 30mt, however GrandaSub also produces reels with greater capacity. They are installed in a groove carved in the barrel that allows, if you wish, to accommodate also other models from other manufacturers. The strength of these reels is the friction that actually plays its role, opening and closing with ease. These weapons are standard supplied with bands and pinned shafts by Sigal Sub, which is already a guarantee itself.

In the water it soon turns out that the weapon is already balanced and does not sink in any direction. The handle ensures a secure grip and swinging it provides a feeling of stability also because of the large section of the initial part of the barrel. Taking the aim is easy and the trajectory of the shot remains clean because the mass of the arbalete absorb the recoil that turns to be then barely noticeable. It is important to consider that this speargun has a 99cm stroke for both bands and it has been equipped with two 17.5mm black ones. The shaft instead is a 6.75mm by Sigalsub. A double traction of almost 100cm on a 95cm speargun could hardly stress many other products with the same dimensions! It is a very powerful weapon and it keeps an ease of swing despite the total weight (including shaft, bands, etc) is approximately 2.5kg.

SIGALSUB EXTREME BANDS: NEW 2013

SIGALSUB EXTREME BANDS 

NEW 2013

Simone Gallini, owner of Sigalsub, in recent years has spoiled us with his wonderful shafts and with its unique  Reactive Brown bands, whose progressive force combined with the brown thin coextrusion has built up an unquestionable image of reliability and power in many spearos. Anything with similar features was impossible to find in the market so after such a success, how could anybody imagine that the Italian company could anyhow improve its bands?

Well, so be prepared for an extreme Christmas because next year in his catalog Simone will introduce the new EXTREME bands!

The EXTREME are black bands designed specifically for Sigal. They represent a different product from Brown Reactive although their design has benefited from the experience gained with the latter ones. They have in fact the same micro-coextrusion but with a different colour, still to be defined. In the final version it should be close to the aubergine one with a shade able to avoid that the bands "light up" when under traction.

The secret recipe of these bands and a tiny smart trick (which I will reveal later on) provide a higher concentration of elastic material in the unit of space considered resulting practically in a significant performance improvement. In other words if you cut for example a circular section of a 17.5mm EXTREME band and a section of equal dimensions of another 17.5mm band, in the first there will be a greater density of rubber. You just need to know that they can withstand a 400% traction with no effects on their mechanical properties.

The manufacturer declares that these modifications are designed to ensure a 4-5% performance improvement but they actually work even better. People like me who have tried them can say with confidence that a 16mm pushes the shaft like a 17.5mm and 17.5mm as a 19mm.
The EXTREME will be available in the following sizes but only starting from next year spring: 13mm, 14mm, 16mm, 17.5mm and 19mm.

Soon a test will be published with video and photos.

TRIPLE BANDS 110 CARBONTECH BY GRANDA SUB

TRIPLE BANDS 110 CARBONTECH 

BY GRANDA SUB

It’s with pleasure that I present you one of the latest generation spearguns by the Croatian firm Granda Sub. The latest changes introduced by its engineers on the barrel continue to amaze turning the three bands 110 Carbontech into the best-selling model. Compared to earlier versions, the hydrodynamics is further improved although the mass was proportionally increased.

The barrel of the gun in the first two thirds (towards the muzzle) was reduced in volume to make easier sudden changes of direction and the new band-guides carved into the barrel ensure a more silent shot. Both the barrel and the handle are made of 10 strips of mahogany and as all the other CarbonTech spearguns, 180gr carbon sheets are used for coating (three layers for the barrel and four for the handle). The shaft-guide is made of graphite to better withstand the test of time and the ballast cases below the speargun are also made of carbon.

The ergonomic handle, available also for left-handers, is a new concept and due to the greater length and height reduces the recoil and has an easy swing, so that a slight push of the index finger ensures fast changes of direction. This arbalete is equipped with 145cm in length and 7mm in thickness shafts as in the overall design of the weapon (the mass of which, fully set up, is only 3 kilos) they give the highest power and precision to the shot.

The setting of this speargun is so extreme that the Italian firm Sigal Sub, already known more for the excellence of its products, manufactures an EXTREME shafts line specially designed for Granda’s CarbonTech models. They have in fact in the last 6 cm 3 pins placed at only 3 cm from each other.

The use of such shafts allows to apply a triple 110cm traction, in opposition to what happens with the other railguns on the market. This is also possible thanks to the special release mechanism and the compact design of the barrel able to enclose all this power in a smaller space!

The Granda firm guarantees that this weapon is able to pass through a 20kilos amberjack at six meters from the tip of the shaft.

Here's a quick standard equipment with which the railgun is supplied by the manufacturer:

Shaft - 145 X 7 mm

Bands 3 X 18 mm

Reel 90 m with 1.5 mm dyneema

Maximum height of the barrel 38 mm, 35 mm in the middle and at the muzzle 33 mm

Maximum width of the barrel 80 mm, 60 mm in the middle and at the muzzle 40 mm

Total weight 3100gr

Click here for the price list

SAPLAST ECOLOGIC WEIGHTS

SAPLAST ECOLOGIC WEIGHTS

ELLENY & TORTUGA: INNOVATION AND DESIGN

I have always found the Saplast products very interesting and finally I am pleased to tell you that I successfully tested them and that they matched 100% my expectations. For all those who don’t know it yet, Saplast is an Italian company headed by Mr. Negri operating in the underwater equipment market for over 20 years  and that in recent years has distinguished itself for the realization of ecological weights.

They are different from those we are used to buy for two main reasons: in first place the absence of lead (highly hazardous to the marine ecosystem) and then the presence of a special patented plastic coating that makes them very resistant against external agents and aesthetically appealing. This coating, available in brown-green camouflage (but also in very bright colors), is also very good at solving another important issue related to the use of common weights: their deformation. The continuous stresses due to impact against the rocks, either during our spearfishing activity or out of the water when we lazily let the belt fall to the ground, tend to deform the original shape of the weights narrowing the slots for the passage of the belt and creating bumps causing permanent damage to the elastic belts.

The spearfishing line is enriched with several useful accessories such as elastic belts, 300gr drop weights, quick release weights and 1kg or 500g "charly" anklets made in soft plastic with Velcro closure. However, the real jewel in the crown, is the now famous "tortuga". This is a vest made entirely of soft plastic in which are inserted four metal discs 750gr each that make it look like a turtle, hence its name, for a total weight of 3 kilos. The discs are not changeable but we can make the vest heavier the same with an innovative trick. If we want to make it lighter than three kilos, there is nothing we can do but if we want to make it heavier, the tortuga is provided with a central hole specially designed for the use one of the most useful weights by Saplast: the Eleny.

The Eleny is a plastic coated weight, provided with a threaded pin which can be screwed on a plastic support aimed to hold it tight to the vest and at the same time to be easy removable. The greatness of this product lies in the possibility to insert the belt through the loops of its plastic support turning it into a quick release belt weight to unscrew rather than pull to remove. Thanks to this device the tortuga becomes a valuable support during winter when inevitably we use a lot of weights and we need to spread them over the body. The shoulder straps, made with the same rubber used to manufacture elastic belts, together with the PVC tube (locking the vest in the lower part) ensure a firm grip especially on lined wetsuits. On the web we can often find suggestions aimed at making it easier wear but I can guarantee that it is absolutely unnecessary since the product is already functional as it is.

In short, these items have all the right numbers to resist much longer to usage while adding a touch of "stylish camouflage" to our equipment, try them!