Shafts

Speargun Shafts Q & A

You need the right shafts for your speargun to ensure smooth and efficient usage.  If you are new to spearfishing then you may feel a little overwhelmed at the choice of shafts on offer.  To help you find out what you need to know here is a quick questions and answers session.

1.  What length shafts do I need for my speargun?

This is an essential factor when setting up your speargun.  As a general guide longer shafts will provide you with a greater firing range.  Shorter shafts will be more suitable for close range hunting.  Therefore you will need to consider the type of spearfishing you want to do before you start investing in any shafts.  Wreck and reef hunters would normally be better off with shorter options which will offer more accuracy and manoeuvrability in these conditions.

2. What is shaft diameter important for spearfishing?

Basically smaller diameter shafts will produce less momentum underwater when fired from spearguns.  This means they will have less strike power and may not be suitable for larger prey.  This does also mean though that if you miss and the shaft strikes rocks or other obstacles it is far less likely to get damaged.  So if you are a beginner or hunting smaller prey then you should opt for smaller diameter shaft.  If you are hunting larger prey in open waters then you can opt for larger diameter shafts that will produce more strike power underwater.

3. Do I need a float line on my shaft?

If you don’t want to lose shafts every time you fire them then you need to tie float lines.  When you fire a shaft and miss it can quickly fall out of sight.  The float line will allow you to haul the shaft back quickly for reuse.  Also if you hit prey it is unlikely you will score an instant kill.  This means the prey could take off with your shaft and you could lose both.  The float line will make sure you hang on to your catch.

4. What spearhead tips do I need for my shafts?

This will depend on what type of shafts you are using.  If you have a thread-end design then you will need threaded tips that can be screwed tightly into place.  These are easy to remove if they get damaged and so are ideal when you are hunting around rocks and wrecks.

If you don’t want to have to worry about the tips then you can get shafts with fixed tips.  However this does mean if the tip gets damaged you will have to replace the whole shaft.