Cornwall 2007!

[badlander]

Speaking of kayaks....I've been thinking of getting one for the summer.
The main attractions are the low running cost and the fact i could wheel it down the road and plop it in the sea and be off.
Anyway,having had a look about i rather like the look of the Bic Tobago,could anyone who uses a kayak to spear tell me if they consider this to be a suitable kayak for the job?

[badlander]

oh,and thanks for the suggestions!...i had considered washing line,i think you can get the plastic coated wire type and just a plastic type,the latter sounding probably more suitable...i'll give it a go

[foxfish]

Mr x is the man with all the info on kayaks - cant find the link to his thread but I am sure he will.

[badlander]

Thanks Foxfish,i found the link.....heaps of good info.

[Mr. X]

Several of the Devon Spearos kayak too - they helped me quite a bit. Got some great info. from a guy in Hawaii too - they really do it well there.

Sounds like you already found what you were looking for but here are the links for anyone else interested:
Spearing: Boat, RIB, Dory, Dinghy, Dive Kayak?
Rigging a sit-on kayak for spearfishing?

Portinfer had a earlier thread when he was looking for a sea kayak - which is worth reading.
[The Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT is often recommended for Kayak diving. Cobras look good but cost more. Saw a 2 man Bic, looked good -- some interesting features too, like built in wheel - handy. (I have a 2 seater - Ocean Kayak Malibu 2)].

[James T]

I use a scrambler XL - slightly larger than the Scrambler base version which I find just right for both rod and spearfishing from. I chose this one because of its stability, the size (big enough for me and one of my kids without being a tandem) and its weight - it is quite heavy but I can carry it on my shoulder from the car to the water. It comes with load of rigging points and webbing for stowing gear. I am pleased with it.

[Pav]

ah the joys of paternity leave

the storm conditions have written of any chance of spearing but I've been having some great surfs between looking after Maya .

On the Yak topic, with the addition to the family I'm now re thinking my kayak use. I'd like to try one of the smaller yaks (frenzy type size), as something that I can hunt the local reefs with. May not get me down the coast as far or as quick as I'm used to , but would fit in the back of the van, so could snag a couple of hours on the way home from work.

[Huw]

Right... this kayak thing has really just hit me. I am now VERY interested!! I do like the look of the Bic yaks, and i can vouch for the build quality of their products. I bought one of their 'pop-out' surf boards a few years back whnei first learned to surf, and it doesnt suit me anymore ( i actually sold it last night) but the quality of it was really something.

I wount be transporting it by car i shouldnt think, and so i would be tempted to go for a larger yak... maybe a two man (extra storage space )

Anyone got any info on using a largerer yak over a small one?

Huw.

[badlander]

The Malibu 2 XL and the Bic Tobago are the two front runners in my search so far,both have excellent reports although they say they're pretty hard work when you're solo,but in my case it has to be a tandem for the Mrs,Kid,Dog,Mates etc etc..i'd like to hear from someone that often paddles their tandem by themselves.....is it a struggle?...tiresome?......hard to manouver?...They're a lot of dosh so i'm trying to be as sure as i can before i crowbar it out of my bank account!...

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by Huw

...Anyone got any info on using a largerer yak over a small one?

Portinfer's thread, mentioned above, might be worth looking at. He was looking at longer 'yaks. Longer & thinner are faster & go in a straightline better - better for longer distance. Broader yaks are more stable (seen a pic of a guy standing up on one like mine) -- which might be important if you plan to use it as a dive platform. Shorter yaks are prob. easier to handle in the surf & transport. There is a popular American dive'yak website, the owner is a big proponent of the Scrambler XL but I think he said ideally it could be a few inches longer a inch narrower (or something like that).

Re. carrying others, I managed to get myself (large) & 3 kids on the Malibu 2 at one point, no room for a 4th though.

It's worth thinking about how & where you will carry your gear (wetsuit top, speargun/rod, handline, fins, mask & snorkel, weightbelt, anchor & rope/line).

[Badlander, Cobra Tandem is worth considering too...I think they might offer an XL version. The UK importer used to be in Salisbury but I think they sold to a company in S. Wales recently].

[badlander]

Looks like a substantial break in the swell coming up with the winds heading around more to the N-NE and a high sitting just off us keeping those relentless low pressures at bay.....been out looking at dive torches so i hope it all settles down and offers up some good viz for a change.

[Loveboater]

I fish off the south coast of Cornwall in an Ocean Kayak Prowler 13, its pretty big and can be a handful loading it onto car, but its worth the effort.

I either use it to reach beaches that are out of swimming range and haul it onto shore, or pack an anchor and use it as dive platform.

You need to carabineers on all your spearing kit so that when it flips over or gets swamped you dont loose everything.

It has got a dry(ish) hatch on it that will take a tent, sleeping bag & stella so i have been on spearing/camping missions as well.

I bought it new so it was expensive, but even second hand they are still pricey.

Get one, thats my advice!

[Pav]

Wheres the surfers ear threads Is it all doom and gloom. I'm 32 and have narrowing of the ear canals.

I have started to wear ear plugs more frequently when surfing... so now that will be MORE frequent!

Am I at risk during the summer from this progressing? ear plugs all year around?

and finally how will it progress spear fishing. I imagine it is unsafe to wear ear plugs when diving? ... is it likely to progress the narrowing in the same way?

Thanks! .. sorry to hyjack this thread.

[badlander]

I wear plugs in the summer and just a hood in the winter,none when diving.
I've got some scalp lotion (sounds dodgy i know) that the Doctor prescribed that i use if they block,also some 'swim ear' that does the same job.On top of that i get my ears sucked out every few months or so.
I was given the option to have them drilled but they reckoned it'd be worth seeing how they responded to a bit of care and so far so good.

[Pav]

thanks badlander,

ears sucked out?! can you explain that one.

also what does the swim ear do and how / when is it used?