Maybe not everyone knows it, but Salvimar has a very complete elastic bands line for spearguns. It is complete with a 100% Italian design and manufacture offer, the Eptagum, and an American, Primeline solution. Thanks to the amazing volumes of sales of their spearguns, Salvimar sells high quantities of rubber bands already mounted on the spearguns. But the after market offer is also great. Let’s better understand the technical characteristics of each rubber band by the Italian company.
Eptagum
Material and performance
The Eptagum S600 elastic band is a 100% Italian researched, designed and manufactured product. It is made of 100% Malese natural latex, the material with the best capacity to return all the elastic power once it is elongated. There is no external or internal protective layer, so it is possible to utilize 100% of the performance of the rubber. This is obtained thanks to a mixture with anti-ageing additive to provide greater durability. The central hole is 3.2 mm of diameter.
The 600 compound, the result of the Salvimar R&D study, is optimised for improved performance. The power produced is not only instantaneous, but, and this is key and more difficult to obtain, constant after prolonged periods of stress. This happens, for example, when spearfishing and keeping the bands elongated for long periods of time without shooting. Performance tests have shown an average increase in performance of over 10% compared to a traditional compound. Particularly evident is the increase obtained in terms of explosiveness of the shot without affecting the traditional fluidity of Salvimar compounds.
Diameters and sizes
The Salvimar Eptagum S600 is available in two heptagonal sections (8 sides) with rounded edges and an inscribed diameter of either 14 or 16 mm, and two colours, black or lime. It is possible to buy the Salvimar Eptagum S600 in the length of 1.5 meters, or 15 meters.
Salvimar by Primeline
The US manufacturer Primeline is surely one of the most famous and professional producers, among other things, of rubber bands for spearguns. With the Salvimar by Primeline offer, the Italian company has integrated and well completed its offer with the best products on the market. Let’s understand the mechanical and performance characteristics of each type of elastic band of this line: Hurricane, Prime and Optimus.
Hurricane
Material and performance
The Hurricane model of the Salvimar by Primeline rubber bands is recognizable by their acid green colour of the external protective layer. They are made of a compact compound with high hardness, which is developed to maintain power unchanged after the speargun has been loaded. Evidently, this is key in those seas and in the spearfishing techniques where shots are not so frequent. For example, the waiting (aspetto) technique, or the bluewater, are two techniques which probably are more adequate for the Hurricane rubber bands. Being the hardest rubber of the Salvimar by Primeline offer, the Hurricane are the most powerful, but also require more effort to be loaded.
Diameters and sizes
The Salvimar by Primeline Hurricane elastic bands are offered in two diameters, 14.5 and 16 mm. They are designed in a single version with the Micro ID (Internal Diameter) of 1.6 mm. This allows to have more power with the same external diameter of the rubber band. In such a way the section does not increase and the swing of the speargun does not change, but the power is higher.
Prime
Material and performance
The Prime model of the Salvimar by Primeline elastic bands have a black external protective layer. They are made with a latex formula designed to obtain an optimized elastic modulus that guarantees excellent ratio between loading effort and power return. The Prime are in fact the average toughness elastic bands of the three models. This makes them versatile and suitable for all types of fishing.
Diameters and sizes
The Prime elastic bands are the most complete and numerous of the three models. Diameters are either 14.5 or 16 mm, and both are offered with a 3.2 (Standard ID) and 1.6 mm (Micro ID) bore size, for total 4 versions. The 1.6 ID will have some slightly higher power, but will be also be a little more difficult to load and also to insert the spheres of the wishbones inside. The lengths available are 1.5 and 15 meters.
Optimus
Material and performance
The Optimus elastic rubber of the Salvimar by Primeline offer is covered with an external olive green protective layer. The Optimus rubber is made internally with the softest compound of the three models. This ensures a progressive and constant thrust, and allows to shorten the standard length of the rubber band on short-barrelled spearguns to increase their power. Such softness evidently facilitates the speargun loading.
Diameters and sizes
Due to its softness, the Optimus rubber band of the Salvimar by Primeline offer works well with a greater diameter, the 17.5 mm. Such rubber band is offered with the standard ID of 3.2 mm, and in the lengths 1.5 and 15 meters.
