Long distance (expedition) hunting

[settingsteel]

In my humble opinion, one of the best advice yet...albeit the gear might be a tad bit expensive...but safe

[Mr. X]

I won't mention the danger as you no doubt got the message on that. I understand the adventure element. It does sound difficult but do-able. I wonder how well prepared you all are. How well do you know the waters concerned? During your training, have you speared fish after the 5km outswim (for, say, 2-4 hours or whatever your plan is), and before the 5km swim back? Spearfishing can be a tiring activity in its own right & will add significantly to your time in the water. Have you taken adequate account of the spearing equipment that you will be taking and the fish that you are planning to drag back? Have you taken account of the climate (adequate water to avoid dehyration, sunblock, shades/tinted mask). Do you have a plan B if things go wrong (get washed out to sea/loose a fin/get disoriented/weather goes bad)? Flares/waterproofed phone/VHF. Does Sri Lanka have any rescue service(s)/fishing boats nearby -- will you need to pay for them? It seems like there are a lot of rich folk there but a lot of people are quite poor.

Re. kayaks, a sit-on-top kayak (1 seater/2-seater/3-seater) or surf ski would seem like a better approach -- if you can get one in Sri Lanka. Alternatively Sevylor make inflatable sit-on kayaks, 1 & 2 seaters. Does your budget stretch to kayaks?

Failing that, one of those big spearing floats, like a mini-dingy, with windscreen, handles, pockets, waterbottle holder, etc. that you hang onto & fin along might be a handy compromise.

Re. sharks, I suppose you might get a chance to fend one off but I gather that they sometimes come from directly below & take their prey before they know it is there. Fish are generally much quieter & more agile in the water than we will ever be. I seem to recall reading (Ian Rodger's book I believe) that normally passive sharks start acting hungry around tea time; fish seem to feed mainly dusk through dawn but there are definitely exceptions.

I admire your sense of adventure. If you are well prepared - good luck. If not, best leave it.

[tbgsub]

I am only going to comment briefly on this one, contrary to all of my usual long winded responses, but in a nutshell, if you swim the 5K distance with your gear, how can the spearing be any good? depending on your speed of swimming your heart rate will be ummm close to your land triathlon running/bybicling heart rate. If you are a super stud like Jack Lelaine your heart should be close to 160/180 BPM? you will need at least an hour to calm it down enough to spear reasonably, unless all you expect to do is shallow short reef fishing dives. If you are still considering the long swim of insanity, consider that you may loose all your gear, or all your catch in changing current, just to be able to swim back to the shore. One option ends up as a waste of gear, the other even worse, is a waste of sealife, and the third most daunting one is the potential waste of your own. I have had to make that decision in nearly 4 Knot waters here is Saipan, I chose to ditch the gun and swim for the boat upcurrent 200 meters. I still cant believe I made it with my float in tow. Next time I will just drift out with my gear and wave for the boat to pic me up, which for you would also be the best option in case something happens.

if you want shoredive bluewater swim out action, hitch a ride on a bus with all your gear to an area where the reef is closer to the beach, say 2K or less for reasonable fishing potential. You will want the swim out and back to be a leisurely activity to keep your heart rate low, and save the adventure exercise for training exercise.

Imagine the fun you will have in explaining a blue marlin whose place you had to purchase in the seat next to you as he accompanies you back home to dinner on the bus ride back to the appartment/hotel!!! If you should get this adventuriously lucky, you at the very least owe all us a picture!

best of luck to you in all your outlandish adventures.

TBGSUB.

[bluewaterkiller]

1st advice ..do not ..
then if you really wants to..
you would need a souple pair of fins not to be tired .long fins such as what i use here are the `IMERSION` E-glass model .are perfect but quite expensive.

swimming 5kms to go then spearfishing cession then back..5kms or more ..is a long way but is about what we doing over here some days but on side from the reef while spearfishing ..just the idea from swimming 5kms to go and not spearfishing on the way is tiring my mind..
then pulling yr gears ...do not forget the way back if you get some fishes ..
you ll increasing the weight to pull..
i am using a custom body board with a meshbag on it where i can put the fishes in with some whatever drinks/foods/phone ..this is the lightest stuff to pull on water

but as it said previously a kayak would be LOT more appropriate..

last january some stupids driving the boat lost me offshore and i had to swim back to next island !!!i had no float as the boat should have been
staying 20 meters away only...
Men it is a pain in the Ass..to swim such a long distance ...

But i wish you good luck..and post yr fishes pictures before to eat them !!

[MahiMan]

bluewater you just gave me a great idea for my boogie float

[bluewaterkiller]

Originally Posted by MahiMan

bluewater you just gave me a great idea for my boogie float

yes this why forum could be useful for.
.

[blumon]

I like it! Questions like depth of the water between your 'put-in' and your objective... you'll also need a compass to find you way back unless the area has some really high mountains to use as a landmark...and then of course the currents - information about which could be found in a maritime ocean current atlas. If you spear any fish then I would recommend a game bag that has a waterproof seal - something like a HUGE freezer bag ziplock!
Personally I have never quite considered swimming straight out to sea...however, ocean swimming for long distances is not totally uncommon. I first swam a coastline on the island of Lampedusa (about a 6-7 mile stretch)in the Med (close to Malta) and more recently in the Bahamas - Cat Island and the Exumas - the latter involved catching an outgoing tide in one of the numerous cuts...kinda like a rollercoaster ride and very exhilirating...and then catching an incoming tide later in the day. I cannot explain the absolute feeling of satisfaction that I got from this activity, but a lot of planning also went into it. If there is determination to do this kind of EXTREME diving, then I would work up to it in stages. You will be on your own out there...IF you succeed you will get one of the most incredible 'highs' of your life...and you will want more!!! Good luck. B

[irtrogdor]

Well Ole, I think you deserve more credit than people are giving you. Swimming 10 Km (or 6 and some miles) is a hefty feat. I say you should go for it. As for taking a boat, why not strike a deal with some fishermen or someone you know that has a boat to go fish (or whatever) in the area you're going to? You could both have radios so that if anything goes wrong all they have to do is go get you. If all goes well, so be it!

What kind of kayaks are you familiar with? There some nice sit-on-top plastic ones out that built for two people. I think they go for around 500 bucks (usd). Even regular sit-inside types are fairly easy to hop into if your buddies are holding on to it while you get in.

[Mr. X]

As the thread is still active, a couple more thoughts:

* If you spear & the waters are sharky, you'll probably need to keep your fish out of the water. The New Zealanders have came up with the Plat to help solve that problem: NZ Plat

* Might be better to just pay a local fisherman or boat owner to take you out for a day's spear fishing. That would also help avoid wasting any fish caught. Perhaps treat the "big swim" as a separate project.

[bluewaterkiller]

Originally Posted by Mr. X

As the thread is still active, a couple more thoughts:

* If you spear & the waters are sharky, you'll probably need to keep your fish out of the water. The New Zealanders have came up with the Plat to help solve that problem: NZ Plat

* Might be better to just pay a local fisherman or boat owner to take you out for a day's spear fishing. That would also help avoid wasting any fish caught. Perhaps treat the "big swim" as a separate project.

i m sorry mr x but i saw this product with a comp team ..few years ago and it was .Sinking!!
so try to pull a sinking stuff!!1 and sink yr self!!HAHA!
all z best..

[Pastor]

Originally Posted by bluewaterkiller

so try to pull a sinking stuff!!1 and sink yr self!!HAHA!
all z best..

That's nice! I guess you must have a disorder that prevents you from being civil with other forum members. Or maybe being a 4 times IUSA world Record holder gives you a special ability to act like a total pillock?

[tbgsub]

The Foam Weenie is a great addition for extra floatation, has anyone tried to stuff a float bag (E.G. Omer Atoll, or anyother flat float bag with dual inflation bladders) with the Foam Weenies (without the bladders) so you have portable non collapsing floatation, I hope to take the float bag on trips and buy 2 or 3- 2$ weenies at any ace hardware store and then I will have a float that wont collapse like a sandwitch bag dragged down to 15M when I hit something worthy!! when I am done I can give them away to kids for sword play and floatation! and fly on with my empty float bag.

I actually run two floats Rob Allen pumped with 1.5-2 atmospheres from a bike pump (primary workhorse float) and an Omer Atoll (orally inflated of course) that is my surface support float, with a 75ft Riffe bungie (ludicrously expensive-one of my worst purchases actually, except that it is durable for a full bungie) to a double banded 110mm Riffe Euro set up for reef, but the floats carry my stringer and water, Power bars, spare line, Spare Fixy Poms for rough exits, and some anti-fog for when My spit runs out!

I have noticed that the Omer Atoll with a dive weight, still has a bunch of drag, and with fish is a pain in the ASS! especially in current, so if anyone is considering long distance swimming witha catch, you better construct a streamlined N-Boat! with a built in SKEG for uprighting. So far you cant beat the good foam Boogie Board of which I dont have one, I am saving up to make an N-Boat out of Fiberglass that looks like a little pirate ship with a cannon and a Mermaid Maidenhead!! Just kidding! what about a pool seat! then you could take a load off properly!

Did I start out this e-mail admiring someones foam Weenie?

sheesh I gotta censor my responses, I think I have digital Turrets syndrome!

LOL!!!

best of luck making a long distance explorer float!!
a paddle board would be the best option if you have to not use a kayak.

P.S. My Partner and I just took Biggest fish (it was a team effort) at a Marianas Apnea Spearfishing Club (MASC) 2nd Annual spearfishing competition in the CNMI islands competing against several commercial spearfisherman and the Borja brothers who are regular contributors in Hawaii Skin Diver, does that make me COOL? LOL!! I just fish for fun, and the comp was another excuse to my wife to train to fish, while actually just spearfishing to go out and do some more spearfishing, which is easier than trying to explain that I just want to go spearfishing on the weekends for some wierd reason.


TBGSUB.

[bluewaterkiller]

Originally Posted by Pastor

That's nice! I guess you must have a disorder that prevents you from being civil with other forum members. Or maybe being a 4 times IUSA world Record holder gives you a special ability to act like a total pillock?

sorry , may be you did not understand my sense of humor?
it was not a wish!!(sinking)obviously..
or may is my english that is not good enough some times..

[Pastor]

Cool Context can be a problem on the internet. Good to know we're all still mates

[Mr. X]

It's cool, it read as humorous to me. It would be like pulling a bread bin full of water! I guess making sure it float would be a key requirement for any float