FAQs

  

What's the latest news with Sea Archer? 

Sea Archer® Hawaiian Sling - Version 2

US Patent 9316458;      (LMS - Patent Pending)

1- Every basic free-shaft unit is fully upgradable! It can utilize the LMS - (Line Management System) - allowing you 4 different set-ups in all:

Free-shaft, Direct tether, Tether with reel, or Tether with float line.
2- Every unit can be fully rigged Right Handed or Left Handed - (Including LMS and Reels)

3- New design allows for quick and thorough fresh water flush
4- Still the same powerful, clean system...Geometry is the same - (no need to improve what works!) Still works with all typical shaft sizes - 1/4", 17/64", 9/32", 19/64", 5/16"

(We prefer the smaller diameters - less than 5/16")

(For LMS use with lined spear, we prefer 9/32" shaft with tandem slide ring)
5- Still the same easy-to-change band system
6- All machined parts, band, and reels are interchangeable with any parts sold with the original Sea Archer
7- New heavy duty boat bag comes with every unit - (heavy durable material & stainless cord lock) - will protect your Sea Archer in the boat, when traveling, or when stored
8- Full range of accessories including replacement band - (3 different powers), Sea Archer band plugs and tools, LMS, tether lines, lined reels, reel mounts, float line release clips, spears - (free-shaft and also two versions with slide rings), and more!            

Sea Archer® has adapted 3 primary elements of Archery into a Hawaiian Sling.

Without all three, you have a failed system. Those three elements are:

The bow or sling hand, the drawing hand & spear cup, and tillering.

 

1- The bow or sling hand is now upright like it is with a bow. The advantage becomes immediately obvious as you draw back. It is much easier to hold the sling with your (bow/sling) hand than it is to hold a traditional longitudinal sling. Your only limit now is how strong you are, not how much your wrist can take. No need for handles, pistol grips or wrist bracing any more!
2- The drawing hand & spear cup now draws like a traditional bow. You do not have to grasp the spear in any way! That is all done for you with Sea Archer's patented self-grasping spear cup. Our cup will grasp and hold any typical Hawaiian Sling shaft (1/4", 17/64", 9/32", 19/64", 5/16") - we prefer less than 5/16". Just boot the spear fully into the cup, and draw back with one finger above, and one finger below the cup. You don't have to wrap your whole hand around anything any more. As you draw back, the pressure holding the spear in place automatically increases, as the pressure from the bands forces your fingers against the cup and spear. When you release, just like an Archer, you get a nice clean accurate release! You can aim straight ahead, upward, or even straight down...you will not lose the spear as you draw.

3- Sea Archer incorporates tillering like all fine Archery Bows. What this simply means is that when you draw back, it is balanced... no pitch up or down. It is so balanced, you can draw it back open handed. So you get an accurate, clean shot with no loss of power...Just like an experienced Archer!

 

 

Sea Archer will accept any standard diameter hawaiian sling shaft - (1/4", 17/64", 9/32", 19/64", 5/16"). For free shafting we prefer the smaller diameter spears - less than 5/16".  (All of the spears/shafts that we sell are 9/32"x 60" long.)

For a lined spear we suggest using our LMS (line management system) along with a 9/32" shaft with a tandem slide ring.

Austin's Diving Center carries an excellent 9/32" shaft with a tandem slide ring that is made by headhunter and has been tested with Sea Archer:

https://www.austinsdiving.com/headhunter/headhunter-spearfishing-guerrilla-sling-shaft-for-reel-13505         (We suggest the 60" length)     

                                                                                                                                                        Florida Freedivers also has an excellent spear that has been tested with Sea Archer. It has a 9/32" shaft with an incorporated tandem slide ring:

 

 

Every Sea Archer will readily accept our dovetail reel mounting bracket on either side - (Right handed or Lefty). The bracket will accommodate our own Sea Archer lined reel and many other reels that use a standard dovetail mount such as the Rob Allen Vecta. Our reels work amazingly well along with our patent pending LMS (line management system) leaving no annoying loose line around you while you are diving or preparing for a shot...This is another Sea Archer game changer!

How heavy is Sea Archer?

Fully rigged and ready to go, Sea Archer weighs less than a pound. It is slightly negatively buoyant which we have found to be the most useful. It doesn't sink quickly, and it won't float away.

How easy is it to change or tighten the bands?

Very easy. The tool is really like a specialized cork screw. (You can see the similarity immediately). You screw it into the band plug and then you can use the tool to extract the plug, as well as insert the plug into a new band.

Before you begin, please note the marks on the new band, as well as the angled end.
To install your new band:
1- Using your Sea Archer band plug tool, remove the band plugs from the old band and then pull the band - (along with the spear cup) - out of the Sea Archer.

2- Now pull the old band out of the spear cup - (leave the small piece of rubber intact on the spear cup itself).

3- Take your new band at the angled end and thread it through your spear cup - (it will help to wet the end, and stretch it a bit from both sides of the spear cup to get it started… also keep in mind the orientation of the Sea Archer logo on the back of the cup so that you finish with it right side up - this is for looks only… the orientation does not affect the function)

4- Stretch and pull the band through the spear cup to the designated silver mark.
(If you lose the mark, the spear cup goes approximately 12 1/4” from the shorter-bottom end after cutting off the angle.)

5- Cut off the angled end of the band straight across at the designated mark - (near the angled cut) - with a good pair of scissors. (End to end length should now be approximately 28"-29".)

6- Now insert the band ends into the appropriate Sea Archer band tubes from behind - (the longer end goes on top).

7- Finally, use the tool to insert your band plugs into each end of the new band - (wetting the plugs will help you with inserting the plugs)… you may also find that a small amount of water based food grade silicone “Trident” on the end of the plugs will help a bit… especially with the extra-heavy band… don’t use much).

What is the correct band tightness and spear cup position?

1- Correct Band Tightness - After your band and plugs are in place, grasp the Sea Archer by the band, directly above and in line with the barrel, with the unit hanging straight down. The distance from the back of the barrel to the band - (not the spear cup) - should be about 3.5" or about 4 finger widths. Our replacement bands all come with some extra length and one angled cut to aid in threading it through the spear cup. To shorten the band to the desired length, simply remove the plugs, and use scissors to cut off the ends of the band, a little bit at a time, until you get the tightness you want. Then slide the spear cup into the correct position - (you will need to stretch the band on both sides of the spear cup in order to slide the spear cup to the proper position.)  If you are looking for a specified band length, it will be approximately 28" to 29" from cut end to cut end.
2- Spear Cup Position - Following a similar procedure, position the spear cup so that when you hold the unit by the spear cup, with the unit hanging straight down, the spear cup is directly above and in line with the barrel. Ideally, when you first begin to draw back with the spear in place, both the upper and lower parts of the band should begin to tighten at the same time.

How powerful is Sea Archer?

Sea Archer's design allows you to draw at a higher power than any other hawaiian sling... this is primarily due to Sea Archer's archery style draw and spear cup... that is the reason we don't carry a "light" band. (All three of our band options are viable hunting bands.) We offer 3 band sizes/powers. We refer to them as Medium, Heavy, and Extra Heavy... (We are labeling our band powers to conform to the common terminology in the Hawaiian Sling world. We hope this makes it easier for our customers to compare to other slings.) All Sea Archers come initially rigged with our standard "Heavy" band. Again, all 3 of our band powers are legitimate hunting bands. The difference, of course is the size of the fish you would target, and the distance of the shot. In terms of draw weight, the Medium band draws at about 35 lbs, the Heavy draws at about 45 lbs, and the extra heavy draws at about 55 lbs. All Sea Archers come initially rigged with our standard "Heavy" band.