Sea Sniper Custom Spearguns

Legends of Spearfishing and Art Show – recap

chris — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:48:30 +0000

Wow. What an experience . It’s always a pleasant surprise to re-discover what a powerful community we are a part of. And while being part of the Spearfishing industry has given me constant reminders of what an amazing activity freedive spearfishing is, an event like the “Legends of Spearfishing” show really drives that point home.

Being this was my first time participating in such an event I really had no idea what to expect. The long hours of preparation and anticipation for something somewhat unknown to me was a little un-nerving. All of the uncertainties I had were quickly dissolved as soon as I arrived at James & Joseph. Damien Salerno and his crew made me feel welcome from the beginning. I liked Jimmy McElree immediately, and he couldn’t have done a better job of insisting on sharing some wall space while making me feel like I wasn’t stepping on his toes. As the day went flying by, I had the great pleasure of meeting some of the pioneers of the sport and speargun building industry. I met Jay Riffe, who has always been an inspiration in demonstrating that one can make a living doing what they love. Who would have thought you could make a business selling things that help you have fun and feed your family! I talked to Don Paul, who was kind enough to take the time to tell me about each and every antique gun on the tables. Just seeing some of those incredible inventions made me realize what an amazing path of trial and error the pioneers of our sport had to travel to make them the functioning works of art they truly are. I had the pleasure of (finally) meeting Daryl Wong, a man who I believe is one of the most important pioneers in paving the path for the custom market. His honesty and integrity in the industry is second to none, and it couldn’t have been more apparent in person. I got to see some old friends including Mori, Jack Ku, and Hansel Yune, along with making some new ones, like John Haffner, Scott Diego, and Todd Peterson among others . I was also able to catch up with Guy Skinner, who I now know, is one of the most genuine thoughtful people I have met. My only regret was not having enough time to talk to countless others.

A couple of thank you’s are in order.

I would like to thank my friend Bryan Johnson for helping set up and tear down. He is not a freediver yet, but his enthusiasm for this new endeavor will make him one of the best. Josh Gregory, of course, was there to help long after everyone had gone home. I’ve traveled thousands of miles with this guy, he’s always had my back, and the show was no exception. Also, I would like to thank Tyler for helping set up. Seeing a sixteen year old kid who had to hitch a ride just to be at this event made the trip worth it. Thank you to the Pistoleros. You guys are a great representation of the sport, and hell of a club. Alex, thank you for your gift. The thought behind it makes me as proud to be your friend as it is to have your products associated with my guns. To Christian Baker; just the look on your face when you saw the “Scrimshaw” gun makes the long hours in the shop worth it. You were a pleasure to deal with every step of the way. Jimmy, thank you for being such a gracious host, and for an invitation to such an incredible event. Thank you to a couple of behind the scenes guys; Art Li, Daren Smith and Nate Lee for helping me get ready for the show.

To Amadeo and Ken. To be alongside you guys and your art is one of the most humbling experiences a man can have. I am proud to call you my friends, and I never forget that it is you guys that have made Sea Sniper what it is.

Most of all, I would like to thank my girlfriend Katie. She goes along with all of this silly spearfishing stuff, supports me in every way, never makes me feel stupid for playing with snorkels, swim-fins, or sticks that shoot sharp objects powered by rubber bands.

I sincerely apologize if I have forgotten anyone.

Thank you to everyone who made this show possible. The invitation to be there is one of the greatest honors I have ever experienced.

I live to build these guns. I can’t wait to prove it again at the show next year.

Legends of Spearfishing and Art Show

chris — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:50:53 +0000

We’ll be down at James & Joseph in San Diego this weekend at the Legends of Spearfishing and Art Show showing off some crazy new customs and unveiling a prototype speargun soon to go into production. If you’re in the area, drop by and have a beer with us. The show goes from 1pm-? this Saturday, Feb 26.

The artist behind some of the most popular custom guns, Amadeo Bachar, will also be there showing his artwork alongside Jimmy McElree and Ken Okutake.

Last but not least, come meet some of the pioneers of spearfishing in the United States. These guys started it all and will have some great stories to tell.

I’m a Builder Not a Blogger

chris — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:07:33 +0000

Well guys, here it is. In the two years since we last updated the “Gun of the Month” feature, we have built roughly seventy customs, bringing the total to well over 100. While we sometimes neglected to update the “Gun of the Month”, we never forgot about the people these unique guns were going to. Along the way we have had some tough (and expensive) learning experiences. But more importantly, we have never lost sight of what we truly enjoy – being able to push the envelope in design, form, and function. Hopefully, the following pages will reflect and portray the true reason we love doing what we do; working with some of the most creative people on the planet to bring highly functioning art to the individual. Over the coming months I’ll do my my best to post new stories and photos. Please be patient; I’m a builder not a blogger!

Chris Chaput, Owner, Sea Sniper, LLC

Over time we will post photos of past builds, but first start with some of the most recent. The following are three of the latest. Each are are very different in size and artistic style.

The first gun is the SS Pro 60 Octopus. It is one of my favorites. The graphic for this gun was done by good friend and talented artist Amadeo Bachar. It is an amazing hand painting of a blue ring octopus. It was commissioned by a man in Dubai, Ahmed Khouri.

Ahmed was a true pleasure to interact with, right from the first phone call for the art collaberation. The idea for the octopus was inspired by the “Oh No!” squid gun (now residing in four hundred feet of water off Guadalupe), and once suggested, Ahmed allowed us to run with it the whole way through. The artwork, including the base coat, was hand-painted with acrylics. I’ll never forget the look on Amadeo’ s face when he snatched the raw gun out of my hands. I could see in his eyes that he knew exacly how he wanted to do it. It definitely inspired confidence.

The next gun is the SSP 67 ”Zombie Pimp”. This is a gun I built for myself. The photo is a little rough (it was taken by me in the shop right after assembly), but it highlights the Pimp and Hooker, painted by George Campise, perfectly. George has tattooed me in the past, and knowing his love for zombies, I knew he would be the perfect person for the job. His work and attention to detail are second to none. Both guns are examples of good ideas made great by the right artist.

At first it seemed like a ridiculous concept, but after all, fish really care about zombies and hookers, right?

The next gun, the SSP 67 “Aqua Assasin”, was built for a guy in Colorado named Mike Ban. Originally intended to be a Grim Reaper theme, it is yet another example of of an artist taking a good idea and making it so much better than thought possible. Also painted by George Campise from 7th Son Tattoo in San Francisco, the artwork captures a “nautical” Grim Reaper in an incredible sort of way.

The gun is convertible from a four band 11/32″ shaft to a five band 3/8″ shaft, by simply changing the enclosed track and adding/subtracting the extra band.

It should be noted that photgraphs hardly do justice to something that is far more impressive in person.