Compound Bow | Draw Weight | Draw Length | Brace Height | IBO Speed | Let-off | AtA Length / Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Darton Aqua Force See Today's Price on Cabelas | 45 to 55 lbs. | 23" - 29.5" | 7 7/8" How To Choose Arrows | N/A | 40 percent | 31.5" / 3.1 lbs. |
| Pros: - Designed from scratch as a bowfishing bow - Moderate cams deliver a super smooth draw cycle - A super wide valley enables the archer to release the string over a wide range of draw lengths - Short axle-to-axle length and light weight make it easy to maneuver - Available with a complete bowfishing accessory package | Cons: - Not well suited for either hunting or target shooting |
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The Darton Aqua Force at a Glance
Welcome to our Darton Aqua Force compound bow review. This bow was specifically designed from the start to be a bow fishing specific compound bow as opposed to a hunting bow disguised as a fishing bow. Therefore, it has relatively low draw weight and a draw cycle that enables the archer to release the string at any point just like a recurve bow which is of paramount importance when bow fishing since you often have only a moment to sight your prey, draw your bow, and shoot. Plus it is available with a complete bow fishing accessory package that includes one of the best bow fishing reels on the market.
Darton Aqua Force Package Contents & Assembly
The Darton Aqua Force is available as either a bare bow or with the accompanying bow fishing package which contains an AMS 610 Retriever Pro Tournament Series Right Hand Bowfishing Reel, an AMS bowfishing arrow rest, and a two AMS fiberglass bowfishing arrows with Carp points.
The Darton Aqua Force Eccentric System (cams)
Because the Darton Aqua Force was specifically designed for bow fishing, it was also specifically designed for use in a wet environment and thus, it features molded, soft, cams, sealed ball bearings, and stainless steel axles for superior corrosion resistance. Plus, the dual, soft, cams provide an extremely smooth draw cycle combined with the ability to shoot the arrow without having to reach full draw.
Darton Aqua Force Shooting Speed
Because the Darton Aqua Force was specifically designed for bow fishing instead of bow hunting, Darton apparently did not see the need to list its IBO/ATA speed on their web site. However, with soft cams combined with a peak draw weight of 40 lbs. to 55 lbs. it is obviously not a particularly fast bow which is actually a good feature to have in a fishing bow.
Kinetic Energy (KE) of the Darton Aqua Force Compound Bow
Once again, because Darton failed to list any arrow speed or arrow weight specifications on their web site, the amount of kinetic energy the Darton Aqua Force produces cannot be calculated.
The Bow’s Draw Cycle
The Darton Aqua Force is designed to reach its peak draw weight of 40 to 55 lbs. very early in the draw cycle and then lets off to a relatively easy to hold weight of 20 to 27 lbs. so that you can easily complete the draw cycle with very little effort. Also of major importance is the ability to release the bow string at any point during the draw cycle as you would when bow fishing with a recurve bow. Thus, the low peak draw weight combined with the ability to launch the arrow at any time makes the Aqua Force the perfect bow fishing compound bow.
Noise Levels and Vibration
There again, because the Darton Aqua Force was specifically designed for bow fishing instead of bow hunting, its noise level is a moot point. However, any bow that generates excessive vibration is neither pleasant to shoot nor particularly accurate. Fortunately, the Darton Aqua Force is a relatively vibration free compound bow even though that was not one of Darton’s primary criteria when designing this bow.
Darton Aqua Force Limbs, Riser, & Grip
Unfortunately, Darton has seen fit to provide us with very little information on their Aqua Force bow and thus, it is not stated whether the riser is made from machined aluminum or molded magnesium but, given its extremely low MSRP, I believe that it is safe to assume that the riser is made from magnesium and not aluminum. Also, since they have failed to provide any information on the limbs used on this bow, I believe that it is safe to assume that they are constructed from fiberglass instead of a carbon composite. In addition, they have used solid limbs instead of quad limbs combined with a split buss cable and thus, no attempt to eliminate cam lean has been incorporated. However, they did see fit to include a molded plastic grip mounted on the riser as opposed to the bare riser grips that seem to be the standard these days.
Value for the Money
Considering the extremely low MSRP of the Darton Aqua Force when purchased minus the accessory package, it is an excellent value for the money. But, when purchased with the available bow fishing accessory package, it becomes an excellent value since you will still spend significantly less purchasing the package than you would if you purchased the bow and the accessories separately.
Darton Aqua Force Compound Bow Review – Summary
Thanks for reading our Darton Aqua Force compound bow review. All things considered, I personally found this bow to be an excellent choice for the bow fisherman due to its relatively low cost and the availability of a high quality bow fishing accessory package. Plus, with a light weight of only 3.1 lbs., a peak draw weight of only 45 to 55 lbs. with a 40 percent let off, and a very generous brace height of 7 7/8 inches combined with a very wide valley, the Darton Aqua Force is a very well designed bow for its intended purpose. Plus, with such a low MSRP, an archer can easily afford to add this bow to their collection! See Cabela's current price and customer reviews on the Darton Aqua Force if you’re interested.
