If you’re just getting into spearfishing the first thing you are going to think about is of course what speargun should you get. Many people get into the sport from family or friends, and have the luxury of using someone’s extra gun. But many people don’t have that luxury. For this reason it is important to do some research yourself, to find what speargun is best for the type of spearfishing you are going to get into.
I for one seemed to always have the opportunity to use my father’s extra gun or someone else I would go with had an extra gun. This is of course the best way to get into it, because they will be able to tell you how to use the gun correctly and you can decide if that’s the type of gun you will want to get yourself.
If you are getting into the sport yourself, you should ask yourself these questions first. If you don’t know the answers to these questions it’s important you research and find the answers before you go buy your own gun.
Before I get into the rest of this article, if you are just getting into spearfishing, you need to find a buddy to go with. Spearfishing alone is dangerous, but spearfishing alone when you are new is VERY dangerous. You are going to find yourself in situations you have never thought about, and you will regret not having someone there to help you out.
Okay with that said, here are the questions to ask before you begin looking at beginner spearfishing guns.
Familiarize Yourself With What to Expect When You’re Diving
It’s important to learn what you should expect to see during your dives, as well as find your local regulations about what fish you’re allowed to harvest. You don’t want to find yourself with the wrong gear when you’re diving. You also need to know how strong the current is, how deep is this spot and so forth. Don’t blindly get in the water if you don’t know what to expect.
What Fish Are You Going To Be Spearfishing For?
Knowing what fish you are going to be hunting for in your area is important for your speargun decision because different types of fish require different types of guns. The types of fish matter because you need to know how much power the gun needs to get through your fish. Some guns only have 1 speargun band for power, while others have 4+ power bands.
What Type Of Underwater Environment Are You Going To Be Spearfishing In?
If you’re going to be hunting inside a reef or in between the rocks of a pier, you need a gun small enough to get into the small holes. You will normally be pretty close to these fish, so maneuverability is likely more important than power and accuracy.
Alternatively if you’re spearfishing for Wahoo or other open ocean fish you need a very powerful and accurate gun. In open ocean spearfishing you aren’t going to be able to get that close to the fish, that means your gun needs to be able to shoot 10+ feet, and still be accurate at the distance.
Know Your Local Spearfishing Regulations
In many places you aren’t allowed to use a speargun. Some places only allow pole spears, and some places have very few regulations on the type of gun.
An additional thing I’d like to mention is in some places spearfishers have different regulations than regular fishermen. Regardless if you agree with these regulations, it's the law and needs to be followed.
With that said, for most people, a beginner gun should be a good all around gun that you can use in a variety of situations and for a variety of species.
What Is The Best Size Speargun For A Beginner
The best size speargun for a beginner is going to likely be between 70 cm and 100 cm. This range can handle small fish, to about 40 lb fish without much struggle. This size is also good for maneuverability, and will likely come with 2 bands. I think 2 bands is a good starting place, as if you only need to use 1 band, you can just not load the other one. Something to note is most lower end guns only come with 1 band.
A low end beginner speargun is going to be around $150. So I am going to break down the best beginner spearguns by price.
The Best Spearguns for Beginners
Deciding what speargun is right for you will depend on your current situation. If you only have $150 for a speargun then you can of course expect a gun that you are going to outgrow. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to shoot plenty of fish with a cheap gun, but you’ll quickly find things you wish were better with it. Many cheap guns aren’t the most accurate, and only come with 1 power band. Again this can be fine, but as you get better it’ll be frustrating missing shots because your speargun isn’t accurate. Something to note is many of the cheaper guns come with bands that have metal wishbones. Metal wishbones can be quite dangerous. I also would have extra caution with cheaper bands. If the band breaks or comes loose the metal wishbone can easily break a finger. It’s advised to take the metal wishbone out and swap it for a dyneema wishbone instead.
The Overall Best Speargun For A Beginner
The Rob Allen Snapper Railgun. This gun is incredibly easy to use, and you aren't going to have any issues with it. Rob Allen guns are incredibly high quality, and are made to last. The bang for your buck is certainly there, as a 70cm, 80cm, 90cm are all $300 even on Amazon. I also really like the Rob Allen Snapper Aluminum Tuna Railgun. Both of these spearguns come with a quick attachment for reels. I added a reel to the Tuna Railgun in a matter of minutes. It’s really easy to use.
The Rob Allen Aluminum Snapper Railgun is going to be really accurate, with very little recoil. It comes with one of the best shafts on the market, and with 300 lb monofilament that will be strong enough for any fish you are getting. It also comes with (2) 14mm power bands with dyneema wishbones.. These are slightly easier than 16mm bands so they’re great for younger or older spearfishers. I also never noticed the 14mm bands not being strong enough. With that, once I did need to get new bands I opted for (2) 16mm bands.
The reason this is my best recommendation for a beginner is you will never grow out of it. Other beginner guns you’ll want to upgrade after a year or so, but a Rob Allen you won’t need to. At the $300 price point you could be using this gun for your entire spearfishing career.
The Best Speargun Under $150
Spearguns under $150 will likely only have 1 band, and aren’t going to be made to take down sizable fish. Instead they are intentionally made for beginners getting into the sport.
The best one I would recommend would be the Cressi Sub Comanche Rail Speargun, in the 75cm or the 95cm size. It is currently $149.99 in the US. It’s a very solid all around gun that will get the job done. It comes stock with 1 band, but the band does have a metal wishbone so you will want to swap that out for some dyneema. The gun also allows you to add another band to it.
This band has all the features you want in a gun, and will certainly land you fish. I am not sure how big a fish this could handle, but it could certainly spearfish Tautog in and around piers. You won’t be looking for a new gun until you have fully graduated from beginner status and you’re looking to start targeting bigger fish that you need to shoot in different environments.
The Best Speargun Under $200
While the $50 difference isn’t huge, it does get you to Cressi’s upgraded Comanche. The Cressi Power Band Sling Speargun Comanche 2.0 is a good gun, and has some benefits over the sub comanche. This Comanche Rail is going to be more accurate and a bit sturdier. This should help you land more fish over the years. The sturdiness will help you land some bigger size fish. You could likely spear a smaller Striped Bass with it. Again this speargun only comes with 1 power band, and it has a metal wishbone.
The Best Speargun Under $250
The Salvimar Voodoo Rail Speargun. The biggest upgrade with this gun is the handle, and the build of the gun. It also comes with a trigger sensitivity adjustment screw as well as a 6.5mm Tahitian shaft with low profile shark fins. Making loading the gun effortless. This is going to be the first gun on the list that you won’t be looking to upgrade after 20 or so dives. I still think this is a gun you will outgrow at some point. Similar to the spearguns mentioned above, this speargun’s power band comes with a metal wishbone. You'll want to swap that out for a dyneema wishbone. The good news is that it will only take a few minutes.
The Best Speargun Under $300
The best speargun under $300 is the Rob Allen Snapper Railgun 800 Series. I have shot so many fish with this gun and it’s never given me a single issue. You can fill the trigger with sand and all you need to do is hose it down and it’ll shoot. The Rob Allen Snapper comes stock with 2 14mm bands with dyneema wishbones. I swap those out for (2) 16mm bands to get a little extra power. The best part about spending around $300 on a speargun is you won’t grow out of it. There really isn;t many advantages to other 80cm guns. The only reason you are going to be buying other guns is when you get into open water spearfishing and you need something that can shoot farther. The Rob Allen Snapper Railgun is lightweight, maneuverable, and quiet in the water. You can’t go wrong with this.
If you want to be able to get a gun off of Amazon, a great choice is the Rob Allen Aluminum Tuna Railgun. This gun is very similar to the Snapper, but it comes stock with 16mm bands instead of the 14mm bands. My only reason for choosing the Snapper over the Tuna is the Tuna has a slightly worse safety system. It’s quite difficult to move it back and forth. Besides that they are near identical guns. When I went to Spearfishing in the Florida Keys I brought both the Snapper and the Aluminum Railguns. They were perfect for all the reef fish we were getting there.
This is where my list ends, because there’s no reason to spend more than this on a beginner speargun. It’s not going to get you more fish, and you aren’t going to be held back by the Rob Allen Snapper.
