How To Rig Bluewater Traditional Speargun To Breakaway
What Makes A Bluewater Speargun
The defining feature of bluewater spearguns is how they are powered, specifically how the bands are set up. Traditional Bluewater spearguns are larger, and have four to six bands to power the speargun. These spearguns are larger to compensate for the amount of force those bands provide. Generally speaking, the number of bands adds power to the speargun, while the length of band pull adds to the range of the speargun.
Bands
Bands need to be the correct length to function properly. Most speargun rubber is powered best at a 350% stretch. That is not easy to load, but it is the best tension for a speargun to be powered properly. The way you determine the length your bands need to be is to measure the distance the band stretches. Use a tape measurer and measure from the back of the band slot to the loading tab on the shaft. Multiply that distance by two, because your bands go down both sides of the speargun. Divide that number by 3.5 to determine the length of rubber to cut for your bands.
Spear Shafts for a Bluewater Speargun
Once you have the bands on, you need to determine the right spear shaft for your bluewater speargun. Most bluewater spearing requires thicker spear shafts. That means 5/16”, 11/32”, or 3/8” thickness shafts. You should keep the shaft overhang consistent across all of your spearguns. That means the distance from the tip of the speargun to the tip of the spear shaft should be the same from one speargun to another. That goes for flopper shafts or threaded shafts (including the slip tip).
Slip Tips
The type of slip tip you use can make the difference between landing your fish and losing it. Generally, you want to use a spectra slip tip for soft fleshed fish, like wahoo or mackerel. For other species it is best to use a cable slip tip. Super sharky waters may make a cable slip tip better option even with soft fleshed species.
Shooting Line
There are a couple different options for shooting line when rigging your bluewater speargun setup. Each type of line has its place. Most big bluewater species require a strong stainless steel coated cable. The coating doesn’t make the cable stronger, but it does make it easier for you to handle in the water, and is less abrasive on your gear. For Big Tuna or billfish, you need to double crimp your stainless steel cable.
Spectra shooting line is also a great option, but is more easily cut on reefs or from shark teeth. Make sure to use a double-figure-eight knot when rigging spectra, because it is the strongest knot to use with spectra. A knot or splice are always the weakest part of any line.
Because bluewater spearguns have such long ranges, you need to have two to three wraps of line on your speargun. The shaft will only travel as far as your shooting line.