(by Massimo De Pascalis)
My analysis
The Cressi Sioux sling speargun, already presented in the dossier “All the best spearguns under the € 100 list”, from my analysis has very simple lines, but analyzing it carefully it has all those positive characteristics that expert spearos appreciate such as: reliability, simplicity and resistance.
The handle is inclined at 60 degrees with respect to the barrel, and is made of glass loaded technopolymer very resistant to stress and loads, but also elastic to be able to resist impacts.
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The part in contact with the palm is in non-slip yellowish rubber invisible during the fishing action, but suitable to stand out if the speargun is abandoned on the bottom as a signal or following a shot.
The release system is in stainless steel and frontally locked and inserted in a polymer chassis that enters in the handle castle and is blocked by two steel pins. The sternal support is one piece with the chassis.
This sling speargun has several line release systems that satisfy anyone: below one hook and one crocodile, two more of the latter type are placed on the sides of the barrel in the part immediately in front of the handle. The hook line release lever rests on the bottom of the hilt and if the line is too tight it could push the shaft it upwards causing a slight bending of the latter. This must be avoided in order not to lose the shooting accuracy.
The release system appears very robust and can easily withstand tensions of very powerful elastic bands. The barrel is made of 28 mm diameter aeronautical anticorodal aluminum, sufficiently rigid, it does not fear the use of more powerful elastic bands, but it is inevitable that light boats will occur.
The muzzle is light, simple in shape with the threaded holes on the sides for anchoring the elastics through nylon caps, and a lower hole to be able to use an additional circular elastic band. The hole is open at the front to facilitate insertion with the elastic band already mounted since the wire of the wishbone easily enters the slot.
The supplied shaft is 6.5 mm diameter and 90 cm long in tempered steel. The elastic bands are 13 mm of diameter for a length of 16 cm, the wishbone is in steel with a classic V shape. The setting is much lower in power than the potential of this speargun. We can conclude that the Cressi Sioux is a speargun with a decidedly neophyte setting, but replacing the elastics with those of larger diameter can become highly performing.
Test in the sea
After days of bad weather, the sea finally calms down, giving the feeling that Spring is almost upon us, the desire to say goodbye to me in the water is so great and I decide to go fishing, taking with me the three spearguns selected from those in the dossier “Best sling spearguns below 100 €” that ApneaPassion editorial staff had entrusted me with: the Cressi Sioux 60, the Salvimar Wild Carbo 60 and the Mares Sniper PS 75. Area of spearfishing being the Adriatic sea, just 38 km South of Pescara, in Vallevò.
Once I reached the spot, I checked the visibility and the current from above the cliff to decide where, how and which technique to use. The water is cloudy and therefore I decide for a short, the Cressi Sioux 60. The arbalete arrives without a reel and line connecting it with the rod, so I decide to arm it with a 140 Nylon thread with sleeves. In the conditions of the day shots must be immediate and extremely close to the prey and in shallow water the reel is a useless tinsel.
I dive into the water with the rifle unloaded, although I am alone in the small bay, in fact, there is never too much caution. Once arrived at a safe distance, I load the speargun and the 13 mm elastic bands are much too soft to face an important fish like a beautiful sea bass. However, the setting is justified as a starting point, given that the Cressi Sioux is a speargun initially dedicated to beginners.
The handle is very natural, typical of Cressi spearguns, as well as the position of the index finger on the trigger. I try to ambush by rubbing the rocks with my arm positioned back, the inclination of the handle is natural to me and I can move forward keeping it at shoulder height. The buouancy is slightly negative, but it is so light that it does not bother, on the contrary, if I had to leave it in front of a cave it would not move. I proceed in an area of large rocks with few cracks and large shelters at the base, very low and deep, which could host seabreams and gilthead seabreams. I turn it upside down and lean into the hole upside down, withdrawing the arm until I have the tip of the shaft at the side of the head ready to quickly make a shot, everything remains very natural to me, pity there were no prey to try it.
During the spearfishing action I realize I have set the connection of the wire too short and the hook release system tends to raise the shaft by slightly bending it upwards, which I don’t like. Fortunately, I had the other 3 alligator line releases that solved my problem. At the end of the spearfishing day, I move to a point where the depth of the water does not exceed one meter, full of rocks that delimit pools with a sandy bottom. I shuffle between the channels and silently lean over one of the many pools and finally a mullet of about 500 grams arrives on which to test the shooting power. I strike the blow, but the shot is rather slow and short. If I had 16 mm elastics, I would have put the mullet without a doubt. Finally, I try to reload the Cressi Sioux in water to test any difficulties and everything is very easy, also using the crocodile line release.
Conclusions
The Sioux has confirmed that it is a traditional speargun, without major innovations, but simple to use and efficient in use. Too bad for the underpowered elastics, but changing them can make the Cressi Sioux truly performant.
Massimo De Pascalis and MGMSub
Massimo is the tester in charge of the sling speargun sector, but thanks to his experience as a dental technician, he is extremely well prepared also on the evaluation of mouthpieces and bites.
Born in Rome, Italy, year ’62, passion for spearfishing of Massimo De Pascalis comes from his father Carlo, that introduces him to the different techniques. He dives in Circeo, Pontinian isalands, but also Greece, Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. In Rome he obtains his degree as dental technician, and after some years opens a laboratory specialized in dental restoration and gnatological devices for the recovering of mandibular temporal disfunsions. In 1996 Massimo moves to Chieti, where relation with spearfishing changes deeply, as he has to adapt to the constantly turbid waters of the Adriatic sea costs of his area. In 2004 he decides to officialize the activity, brought forward in the previous years, of design and manufacturing of wooden spearguns, already presented on AP, founding MGMsub. Among his most famous models, the CH90, also known as Muletto.
At the base of MGMSub speargins are the high brandishing capacity, lightness and maneuverability of the handle, whose angle with the barrel, the taylor made dimensioning ofr each spearo and the not extreme anathomic design permit to release the shaft even in the complex positions.
