This is just a brief overview on speargun rubber as it can be very detailed. Everyone will have their own preference on how they like their speargun setup and you too will also develop your own preferences.
Speargun rubber is available in:
- Different thickness - speargun rubber can vary from 10mm all the way to 20mm. Generally the thicker the speargun rubber, the more power it can produce.The drawback is the increased recoil making thicker rubber quite inaccurate. Personally I prefer 14mm microbore rubber, with twin 14mm rubbers on my larger spearguns.
- Varying internal diameter- The internal diameter can vary on speargun rubber and generally the larger the hole the lower the quality of the rubber. Microbore rubber generally has around 1-2mm internal diameter.
- Composition - some will have more stretch while others are stiffer and more suited for roller spearguns
After the first few times of using your speargun rubber it will stretch out around 5-10% and might need to be shortened. Sunlight and heat can really impact how long speargun rubber lasts and it’s something to take into account when storing/travelling. It’s a good idea to always assess your speargun rubber and replace it when necessary as the last thing you want is your speargun rubber to break just as you are loading up.
If your rubbers are too short you might overpower your speargun and it will drastically impact your shot and the same applies to rubbers that are cut too long as it wont give you enough power for your shot. You will need to assess depending on your speargun length and rubber choice what works best for you.
The most common rubber thicknesses you will find are 14mm, 16mm, 18mm and 20mm. Personally I love the way that 2 X 14mm rubbers perform on my spearguns; as you have slightly more band pull (as you can cut them shorter) and slightly less recoil. The trade off however is that they perish faster because you are stretching further than you would have done with 2 X 16mm rubbers.
