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

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

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 

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.