Much of this information has been provided by a private collector who has the original SCUBA PRO catalogs. I believe the accuracy of this information. It is the best we can come up with at this time. I believe it to all be accurate. More information may follow.
This information is in the 1971 catalog and is a listed item. Catalog number is part number 650. Just called the SCUBA PRO Safari. It sold for the price $125 USD, in 1971.
Quoted directly from the 1971 SCUBA PRO catalog,
If you want to own the finest speargun made this is it. The magnificent weapon, the SCUBA PRO Safari is the first custom-tailored speargun. The stainless steel precision firing mechanism and shaft of the SCUBA PRO 48" are mounted in a hand-crafted wooden stock. Alternating layers of the finest Beech, Walnut and Mahogany (wood) are individually fitted to form a strong, exceptionally attractive stock. The stock is then finished by hand with a glossy clear penetrating lacquer, which both preserves the wood and enhances the appearance. Meticulous workmanshiip, inherent quality and the conspicuous performance puts this speargun in a class by itself.
The gun came standard with a detachable 3 barb 'star-head'. In the catalog it was numbered 610. This was identical to the Cressi star-head. SCUBA PRO and SCUBA PRO Italy were probably made by Cressi. They had a 6 mm metric thread. It's featured on page 10 of the 1971 catalog.
The Safari speargun shows up in the 1971, and 1969 product catalogs. The President of SCUBA PRO in 1969 was Gustav Dala Valle, a famous champion European diver (Gustav Dala Valle came from Healthways). In 1969 Jim Christiansen was the Western Sales Manager for SCUBA PRO. (Jim's personal gun is shown on the previous Safari page). National Sales Director, and Vice President was Dick Bonin. Chief engineer in charge of research and development was Bob Roberts. Eastern Sales Manager Joe Schuch, Midwest Sales was Mike Brock. Additional information may possibly be available from SCUBA PRO - Italy.
The gun was featured as Skin Diver Magazine advertising endorsed by Roy Weatherby (creator of the Weatherby Magnum Rifle a true 'elephant gun') Roy Weatherby built the some of the finest Africa big-game 'safari rifles' and also provided endorsement for the SCUBA PRO Safari as the 'finest hand-made speargun'.
There was also a 'Bowie' dive knife with a bone handle, made in Italy, which was associated with the Safari.
In the last 30 years, very few Safari spearguns have been found. They are relatively uncommon in speargun collections.
To put the original $125 cost of the Safari speargun into financial perspective, it is important to consider other spearfishing products manufactured and sold at the same time. In the 1969 catalog a pair of Jet-Fins listed for $20. The SCUBA PRO 48" was a good quality metal gun. It had a round extruded aluminum tube with formed groove for spearshaft open track. This gun (catalog list 648) sold for $55. A regular SCUBA PRO 43 inch speargun sold for $25, (catalog number 643). Comparable Swimaster by Voit, their finest 48" speargun sold for $46. The 'Sawed-Off Magnum' was $34. From the Nemrod catalog in 1966, the Nemrod Corto #6324 sold for $9.95. It was a short rubber band gun.
The decendent of the Safari is the SCUBA PRO 'Panther' which came at a much later date. It was a well-designed product molded from glass-filled, black thermoplastic and had a scintered stainless steel mechanism.
The design if this mechanism is a direct decendent of custom spearguns made by Wally Potts. The mechanism in the Potts gun is very similar.
In the last 30 years, very few Safari spearguns have been found. They are uncommon.
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