Hawaii Skin Diver The Breath of Freedivers

I was wondeing when storing your speargun between use, do you leave the shaft in and the mono line all set up? or do you stor it with the shaft out or seperate?

Just something I was wondering about, any advice would be apreciated.

From what I've heard, you usually want to store them separately. Sometimes, the shaft can get locked in the trigger mech if it's left there for extended periods of time that's why.

never heard that before.... do u know how long 'extended periods of time' is referring to?

Since I rinse my guns well when I come home. The only thing I take off is the bands, and put them into the freezer. (Keeps them from cracking) but the rest I just do a operational/visual condition check, and stand them up in a corner.
If needed you can spray some light oil into the trigger mech.

is freezer better than the fridge? my uncle told me to keep my 3 prong rubbers in the fridge after i use em

i think fridge would be better. if you remember science in middle school, the molecule at a colder temperature moves very slow. So if you put it in the freezer and take it out, it'll take a lot longer for the molecules to move back to normal compared to putting it in the fridge(it'll take longer for it to stretch normal again).

bands are so expensive now a days! i made a spray bottle with light olive oil inside, put my bands in a ziplock and stray a little bit in the bag throw um in the freezer. keeps them really fresh, i got the idea from one of the members on here. sorry to jack spearo um

Thanks for the info guys, I always wondered if I was storing them properly. Spearguns arn't cheap, and I want to extend the life of my gun as much as I can.

Thanks Koriko, I'll keep that in mind. I also think storing the shaft seperate helps to keep the mono line from getting stiff/kinks in it where it wraps on your line release.

At Toku, what kind of light oil do you use? and you open the trigger mech up to spray it or just spray from the opening where the trigger is?

Mahalo.

Normally I don't use any oil because the triggers I use are all high grade stainless. So they really don't rust, as long as you rinse them.
But I have used 3n1 oil, or you might use WD40.

As for the bands in the freezer? by the time I drive to a dive spot the bands are fully warmed up. so no slow molecules.

Interesting on the olive oil for the bands?
I was wondering if a light coat of silicone spray after every dive might help prolong the band life?

I started doing it after seeing how a few "pros" stored their guns. I think one of the main advantages is that the mono shooting line can be coiled up and will not retain "memory" from where its tightly wrapped around the muzzle, line release, and line anchor. You can also remove the bungie and store it away so it lasts longer.

I think the main factors in the bands degrading is exposure to UV, air/ozone, and heat. I dont' know if there is an advantage of the fridge over the freezer or visa versa. Just as long as they are in a cool dark place.

I'd advise against any type of oils or silicones. When I completed the Hawaiian Slingshot the bands were a bit grey and I wanted them to look black for the photos. I sprayed them with silicone tire wet. It made them look black, but they were too slick to hold onto and I noticed it softened the bands some. If you've ever worked on cars you know oil will soften the rubber hoses and belts and make them kind of mushy.

The bands are latex, not rubber, and not silicone. Typical preservation methods for latex are talcum powder (babie powder). If you look closely at the bulk band material in the boxes they are covered with a fine white powder.

I remember a similar discussion on Spearboard a while back. The concensus was to put the bands in a ziplock bag with a light dusting of talcum powder and squeeze all the air out before storing in the fridge or freezer.

Interesting tid-bit about WD-40. It was originally designed to repel water and prevent corrosion in nuclear missiles. The name WD-40 stands for: Water Displacement - 40th attempt. It took 39 previous attempts bebore they found a formulation that worked.

You guys might want to look into silicone grease. Applying a small amount to the area of the constrictor knot of the bands, it may actually keep it from cracking.
As long as it's not a Hydrocarbon base grease it won't degrade the rubber. The silicone spray they sell at Hanapa'a is what I use to spray on the ends and it seems to help prolong the life of the rubber.
The white coloration of the rubber isn't talc. I believe it's latex. It's one of the components used in the production of rubber.