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Lightning Rod Pole Spears |
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Sea Stinger 1 (SS1)
 Sea Stinger 2 (SS2)  |
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The new Sea Stinger Pole Spear is a revolutionary design that has undergone
several years of research, engineering, and testing. We currently offer our
pole spears in a standard, single piece, or as a breakdown to aid in air
travel. The break-down Pole Spear comes with a PVC shipping tube to
protect it from damage in shipping and baggage handling. When the Pole
Spear is stowed in the shipping tube, the overall length is 56 inches
(1,422mm), allowing it to be checked in as baggage with most commercial
airlines. It also allows for easier transportation in smaller vehicles. To understand the advantages of our pole spear over the other types of pole spears available today, it is necessary to understand the main factors that influence the performance of a pole spear. There are four major factors to consider. - Over all weight and balance of the pole spear. - Hydrodynamic shape of the tip and spear. - Penetration and capture ability of the tip design. - Propulsion system. Most conventional pole spears, complete with tips, weigh almost 2 pounds. Overall weight of the spear is critical. The spear must have enough momentum to cause the tip to penetrate the fish. It must also move fast enough to strike the fish before the fish reacts to the shot and moves. A small increase in the weight of the shaft dramatically reduces the acceleration and velocity of the spear. However, a light fast spear with conventional tip designs does not have enough energy, and tends to bounce off the fish. Conventional pole spear designs, therefore, are too slow to successfully engage many fish encountered by a spear fisherman. The Sea Stinger Pole Spear, complete with tip, weighs just over a pound. The acceleration and velocity of the Sea Stinger Pole Spear allows the spear fisherman to engage many fish considered untouchable without the use of a conventional spear gun. The proven design of the Sea Stinger Tip allows penetration even with the reduced mass of the spear. Balance of the shaft is another critical issue. Most spears have a uniform mass over their length. The shaft bows when the band is put under a load. Upon release the rear of the pole straightens and causes "fish tailing" which can affect the accuracy dramatically. Concentrating the mass forward and causing the object to spin has proven to stabilize arrows, bullets, and numerous other projectiles. The Sea Stinger Pole Spear is designed such that twisting the spear in your hand approximately 180 degrees, after loading, eliminates the bowing and produces a stabilizing spin. The Sea Stinger Pole Spear is balanced with 75% of its overall weight in the first 20 inches. The use of carbon fiber to reduce flexing under a load, and the improved balance, greatly increases the stability and overall accuracy of the Sea Stinger Spear. The hydrodynamic shape of the tip and spear greatly influences the velocity and effective range of a pole spear. The shape of the Sea Stinger Pole Spear was conceived after studying natural underwater phenomena aided by computer modeling. The initial wedge shape, which quickly tapers back down to a smaller diameter, is a proven hydrodynamic concept seen in other man made designs. Similar shapes are also seen in nature such as the shape of a Dolphin or Barracuda. The spiral overlapping bands on the front part of the shaft enhance the gripping surface as well as increase the velocity of the shaft as it passes through the water. The overlapping bands act much like fish scales and disrupt the boundary layer of water passing by the surface of the shaft. These "cavitation generatorsÓ lubricate the surface, thus reducing the frictional drag as the shaft passes through the water. Finally, the proven shape of the Sea Stinger Tip provides reduced drag through the water and increased penetration of the target fish. The Sea Stinger tip, U.S. Patent # 4,896,450, is unsurpassed in performance. It penetrates with less force, captures the fish more securely, and disengages by the user easier than any other tip. Simply put, it is the best tip for spear fishing that has ever been developed. The Sea Stinger Pole Spear is designed to use either the Sea Stinger 1 or the Sea Stinger 2 tip. The use of any other tip on the Sea Stinger Pole Spear will degrade its performance greatly and may cause damage to the pole spear. When studying the performance of a pole spear, the propulsion system design is probably the most critical factor. So far, elastic bands have proven to be the best choice to store the energy by hand until the release of the shaft. However, most pole spear designers do not understand the basic physics that affect the efficiency of band powered spears. The average adult male can load and maintain around 35 pounds of force for a short period of time. Of course this can very depending on the person and other factors such as the use of neoprene gloves. One could store this 35 pounds of energy in a band stretched to 4 inches long or 6 feet long depending on the design of the band. Upon the release of the 4-inch band, the spear would accelerate and basically expend all of its force in 4 inches of travel. From that point on the spear would immediately begin to decelerate due to frictional drag. With the 6-foot stretched band, the spear will accelerate initially with the same 35 pounds of force but at the end of 3 feet of travel would still have approximately half of its remaining force. An elastic band is rated at a certain load. Pulling more than that force becomes extremely inefficient because the rubber cannot store the extra force. Applying a force up to around 70% of the rated load is the best way to insure efficiency. It is therefore important to design a band that will reach the individualÕs maximum load strength, be as long as possible, and be around 70% of its rated load at full extension. Another problem of propulsion encountered by the pole spear fisherman is the need to quickly reduce the power of a certain shot, and at the same time, be able to move the shooting hand closer to the tip end of the spear. This normally happens when a fish, such as a grouper, rolls up under a ledge. To control the shot the shooter must position his shooting hand close to his mask and be able to move very close to the fish. At the same time, if the shooter were to release the shot at maximum load, the shaft would likely over-penetrate the fish and lock into the rock behind it. The Sea Stinger Pole Spear allows the user to customize the bands for optimum performance. The Cam Lock band device allows the shooter to quickly adjust the power stroke and hand position of the spear. With the power and speed of the Sea Stinger Pole Spear, a skilled spear fisherman can almost compete with a conventional spear gun and still maintain the flexibility of a pole spear. |
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