Intro to Cressi Cherokee Fast
From the excellent base of the Cressi Cherokee, which we have already presented, and the Cressi Cherokee Open presented and tested with great results, Cressi launches on the market its 2021 evolution, the Cherokee Fast.
Handle & release mechanism
The handle of the Cressi Cherokee Fast is made, just as its cousin, the Cherokee, in black PA66 30% glass loaded Nylon, and includes two different lengths of chest supports.
But the real big novelty and upgrade in the new speargun by the Italian company is definitely the release mechanism, not in the stainless steel parts such as trigger, release tooth and lateral line release lever, but in the box, which is no more in stainless steel, but in a very advanced material, the Nylon 12 loaded with 65% glass. This material is definitely a revolution, as it is considered by all means a substitute of aluminum in the mechanical characteristics, has no humidity absorption and so keeps its dimensions unvaried for an extremely long time. Unchanged dimensions mean constant performance in time. Cressi indicates that components made in Nylon 12 are even more precise than the ones in stainless steel, where you need to bend and weld the parts together, and this brings to minor dimension changes and deformations.
But the key effect of using Nylon 12 instead of what was the top solution previously, stainless steel, is also the extreme weight reduction, that in this specific case brings the weight down by 41 grams (AP measurement), a very high value, meaning the handle of the Cressi Cherokee Fast will be, and feel, definitely lighter, with a better balance of the entire speargun, especially in the short-medium versions. So a much more costly material (3 times compared to standard glass loaded Nylon), but indeed a long-lasting performance e a great weight reduction.
As anticipated, like the Cressi Cherokee release mechanism, the system of the Cherokee Fast is designed with stainless steel elements machined from solid, such as trigger, release tooth and lateral line release lever. This solution, according to Cressi, is definitely still today the best choice, also compared to MIM (Micro Injection Moulding), that does not guarantee, according to the Italian Company, the top-level hardness of the components. As for the Cherokee, the Cherokee Fast includes a TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) shock absorber for the end of the stroke of the release tooth after the shot; a solution that makes the release of the shaft particularly silent. The system has an extraordinary equilibrium between trigger sensitivity and resistance to accidental shaft release, even using powerful double elastic bands. The line holder is not only lateral, but also reversible (can be positioned on the left or the right side).
Double reinforced barrel
There is an additional upgrade of the Cressi Cherokee Fast compared to its great cousin, the Cressi Cherokee, and this is the barrel reinforcement. Still 28 mm in diameter, the barrel of the new speargun by Cressi utilizes the stiffest and most reinforced solution by the Italian company, putting together a 1 mm thick anticorodal aluminum with the reinforced base that increases the thickness to more than 2 mm and the integrated shaft guide, also present on the Cherokee, that additionally strengthens the barrel.
Actually, the effect of the thickened lower part of the barrel is indicated by Cressi, as indeed a very high level of stiffness and rigidity increase of the structure thanks to the position of the reinforcement compared to the action of the elastic bands. Heavy loads are so perfectly supported by the barrel of the Cressi Cherokee Fast.
As said, the shaft guide is integrated with the barrel, and it is an open track solution, where the shaft rests only on the two rails of the guide, while its center is hallow generating a cushion effect of the water when the shaft is released, with a strong reduction of the friction between the barrel and the shaft itself.
Muzzle & Double circular bands
The muzzle is the typical very compact and functional Cressi Cherokee solution for double circular bands, with included the extremely useful and comfortable integrated magnet, which definitely helps the loading phase.
The elastic bands are made of natural latex, which is indicated by Cressi as a very good option compared to chemical latex. The two solutions not only differ in the material, but also in the production systems. In brief, the chemical latex elastic bands are obtained by extrusion, while the natural latex bands are made utilizing tanks where a line is covered over and over again with the natural latex that thickens the line until it is of the correct section. In general, natural latex is very progressive and excellent in its elongation range, but loses a lot out of such values, while the chemical latex is more nervous, but can work quite well also extending it beyond its best elongation range. The elongation coefficient of the new double elastic bands mounted on the Cressi Cherokee Fast is 3.2.
Shaft and reel
In the strong effort to design a top of the line speargun in every detail, Cressi has also worked on the shaft. First of all the barb has been positioned in the inferior part of the tip, a solution that should determine a better trajectory of the shaft and also generate a clearer line of aim as the barb will not be in the way. In addition, the shaft is now shorter compared to the traditional lengths used by Cressi, as the new tendency is in fact to reduce slightly such value. The shaft has high-quality shark fins that are, as for the release mechanism elements, made by machining from solid which is, according to Cressi, the most reliable and resistant solution.
The reel is included on the Cressi Cherokee Fast and is part of the new range made from solid by Cressi, with 30 meters of line for the 75 and 90 speargun sizes, and 50 meters for the 100, 110 and 120 sizes.