Saltiga Blast.
 

Any local tackle dealers have a Saltiga blast? I want to touch and feel the reel as I am seriously thinking about buying one as they are similar to the saltiga but almost half the cost.

Does the Saltiga and the Blast have a sealed drag, the reel specs did not specifically state that they did.

i think ccb&t will be carrying them, mike mentioned something about them awhile ago. i wouldn't do skishing with them, but it is still a great reel and will hold up to repeated dunkings.

The Blast isn't sealed and has a few less ball bearings

I looked at a japanese website that has a schematic diagram of the Saltiga and Saltiga blast parts that are all numbered. The Saltiga has 13 additional parts which look like they would be good to have (seals and more washers and more bearings) but the 13 parts (some of which are extra screws) cost $350. I am considering the blast because I don't fish as hard as I would like and it would be a step up from my Penn Slammer. I wonder if you can get the Blast and just buy the rubber gaskets parts (like part #23 and #57) to add on to waterproof the gears and drag. It seems like its possible.

The blast has 9 ball bearings , compared to 14 on the saltiga.
waterproof drags on both of them, only the saltiga has the body sealed, the blast doesn,t, according to daiwas web site.

to save 400$ ill get the blast rather than the saltiga.

I believe the gearing is the same...

The only problem is that they do not come in larger sizes.

Thanks!

The Blast has a Die Cast handle The saltiga has a HD Machined

Are you going to carry them and if so when?

Yes I will have them
First shipment is for feb 25th.

Daiwa casts weird things. Even a Sustain has a machined handle.