British Championship 2007 First Round

[eric aqua]

SUSSEX NATIONAL COMPETITION BOGNOR 2007


Venue Bognor Outer Reef
Date April 28th (Sat)
Back Up Date May 12th (Sat)
Meeting Point Boat Ramp Car Park Bognor 9.00am
Start & Finish From the Boats
Competition Area Outer Reef
Start Time 10.00 am or when everybody is ready.
Finish 16.00 pm.
Fish As per National Rules Bass 45cm
Entry Fee Senior £15 Juniors & OAPs Free

£5 of the entry fee will go into the raffle for top prizes guns suits etc.

Contact Eric Smith Mob 07712879536 eric.aquaman@btinternet.com
sussexspearfishingclub@yahoo.co.uk

We will endeavor to keep you informed via the Internet as the date draws nearer on conditions and the back up area of Selsey Bill.

Note
Bass 45cm in the Sussex Area
Wrasse Excluded.
Pollack 300gms for juniors but will not count for national pos.

Every competitor must carry a compass (New National Rule) as fog can be a problem at this time of year. All body boards must have a flag on a 1mt pole.

WITH THE NEW RULES ON MEASURING POLLACK, BASS & OTHER SPECIES UNDERSIZE FISH SHOULD NOT BE LANDED.

History
We are holding this dive early this year hoping to catch the arrival of the Bream and Pollack shoals, Bass up to 7.5 kilo where taken from this area last season. Some of the divers had 30ft viz in the comp two years ago whilst those in shore had none, this year we should be on a level playing field.

 

[eric aqua]

SUSSEX COMP BOGNOR
Start Time
The comp will start at 11.00 to 17.00hrs.

Boats.
If you have a boat that is easy to tow please bring it along.
No loaded guns in the boats all spear tips to be covered whilst on board. Fish to be kept in the water on stringers until the owner returns. No larking about in the boats. Return to any boat to finish but try to return to the one you started from. If you take a safety boat to the beach, sign out.


Area
The boats will be anchored 200 yards from the eastern edge of the area and 1.5 miles from the Pier, which is the western end of the area. There will be a
1 mile limit out from the boats enforced by a safety boat using a GPS you will be asked if found past the limit to move back in.
There will be tide for the first two hours flowing west then it will go slack for two at least. Don’t get caught to the east of the boats in the last hour or you will struggle to get back.

Compasses
You must carry a compass in competitions know. If the fog comes down head North at Bognor.

Safety Boats
You may take a safety boat to the beach only. Bring a lightweight jacket it is still April.

Fish
As per national rules no wrasse.
No obviously undersize fish should be bought ashore.

Juniors Only
Pollock 300 c.m.

Up to date news on the area!

Water temperature at the moment 13o
Chris had a 10.5lb Bass in the interclub dive last weekend it was the smallest one in the hole the others were out of range.
We have three committee members looking at the area on Wednesday and will let you know by 21.00 hrs Wed if it is on. Long Range forecast looks good.

The Back up area will be Selsey Bill boats will anchor on Penny Rocks go where you like from there.

 

[eric aqua]

The comp will go ahead on Saturday, the viz was twenty foot plus on Wednesday with bass, black bream and pollack patroling the ground in shoals. The new British Team style polo shirts will be avalible on the day at the knock down price of £15. Look foward to seeing some of you there.
Yours Eric.
(Vice Chairman Sussex Spearfishing Club.)

 

[foxfish]

Well good luck you all competing, you will let us know the results Eric?

 

[KWM]

It will be posted. I will put the info up on Deeperblue.

Kev

 

[KWM]

If anyone that has not fished in a comp before is coming along, come and find me and say hello. I will be lurking around a blue VW passat estate car. I can give you a few hints and tips ( not that I consider myself to be an expert by any means). Dont forget that you do not have to already be a member of the BSA, pay your entry fee and become a member then and there.

We aim to start diving at 11am you need to be in the carpark in front of butlins (east end of bognor sea-front) by 10am. Bring some money for the meters.

Don't forget that you need a float with blue and white flag and must have a compass. A fish stringer is also needed to hang fish on. Guns used will range from small (below 75cm) to 90cm. mark your guns with minimum lengths of fish to be shot so that you have some idea of minimum sizes. 45cm for bass, 36cm for pollack/mullett, 28cm for mackerel,pout etc, wrasse will not be shot. There will be a full briefing on the day. Average depth will be 10m

Regards Kev.

 

[Jez]

Well?...

We're all waiting.

How did the event go?

Starting to wonder if you all went down in that earthquake!rofl

 

[KWM]

Hello just a quick post (will do a longer one later in the week) comp went very well indeed. Overall winner came from the the Southsea Club. Lots of very good catches with Kevin D taking in particular 5 different species.
45 divers took part coming from countries as far apart as Sweden, South Africa and New Zealand and the Channel Islands. Weather held for the whole comp with at least 3-4 meters viz on the outer reef. Everyone seems to have had a good time

Spearo Matt of deeperblue fame took the price for best junior and won a mask and snorkle.

Big thanks go out to all that brought boats, in particular Peter Crawford all the way from the west country. Also a great effort from the lads from Jersey who had a very uncomfortable night on the ferry.

Also thanks to all of our sponsors for giving such great prices. Amongst other things a gun from each.
Neil Howarth of Apnea
Dave Thamasson of Spearo UK
and Colin Chester of ESS

regards Kev

 

[Huw]

Sound slike a great event. I can't wait for a longer post and possibly pics ???


Huw

 

[eric aqua]

Thanks KWM for the report we are both very busy at the moment I am making arrangments to take the British team to Rota in Spain for the European Championships and KWM as secretary of the BSA is negotiating with the Welsh fisheries on all our behalfs. Please give him space, the Sussex Spearfishing Club worked out a very successful code of conduct with the Sussex fisheries 5 years ago that left both parties happy.

 

[eric aqua]

SUSSEX COMPETITION REPORT

Many thanks to all the divers who bought boats to the competition especially Pete Crawford who not only towed his boat from Devon to Sussex but also squeezed about seven divers into it. Three of the Sussex Committee members travelled to the area on the Wednesday to check that the visibility had not been lost due to the slub weed bloom and found the conditions about as good as they get at Bognor. The viz was bordering on 4 mts with Bass and Pollock shoaling around the Bream beds. The only thing against us was the wind forecast NE force 4 to 5 with a chance of it going round to the East and increasing to force 6, which is the worst possible wind for the Bognor area. Despite a few phone calls from divers trying to put pressure on us to call it off the club captain held his nerve and went ahead. It is always the easy option to call a comp off but as I know from past experience they never call off a World or European comp some of which I have fished in horrendous conditions.

The day dawned perfect the sun shone out of a clear blue sky the wind blew out of the NE force 3 and despite not much prompting 10 divers turned up with boats including an 18 ft Rib with a 90 HP outboard. This boat supplied by the Sussex captain Lee Deighton and driven by his father Steve for the rest of the day as a safety boat proved invaluable, it left the ramp at the start of the comp with about ten divers crammed on board.

The flotilla of boats all leaving the beach at the same time according to the wives and girlfriends left on the beach, was quite an impressive site. The lead boat sporting an orange flag below its A flag anchored on the eastern edge of the area and the others tucked in behind with just enough space to swing at anchor. The tide was running towards the west at 1.5 knots so most of the divers took advantage and drifted with it for the first hour. The Sussex club had put them right on top of some of the most spectacular ground at Bognor with some rocks rising 5 mts off the bottom with ledges big enough to swim into.

As I sat in my boat while the three divers with me got their gear on and drifted off, people around the boats started catching fish straight away a guy within shouting distance holding up a two-kilo bass to show anyone he could. Three fine Bass were taken during the competition, the biggest of ten pounds by Martin Czarkowski, a member of the British Team and another of 9.5 lbs by myself. Despite a school of dolphins sharing the area with us, many fine fish were caught with the specimen of the day a Red Mullet of 0.840 Kgs by Alan Mills of the Plymouth Club. The girls who had been watching the boats one and half miles out to sea for most of the day had a feast of hot dogs and cakes ready for the divers by the time they had returned to the ramp.

As usual much speculation was going on about who had won with Dan Bailey of the Sussex A team looking a firm favorite with 18 fish but the lead changed several times until Dave Pearce of the Southsea Club weighed in 22 Bream Bass and Pollock very near the end to prove a point after being out for most of last year with a badly dislocated shoulder. Ten different species of fish were taken during the dive proving that Bognor at the right time of year has some of the best fishing in the country. Many thanks must go to the boatmen without whom the comp could not go ahead. With 46 divers from as far afield as New Zealand and Sweden the BSA committee feel we are heading in the right direction with our more open friendly approach to the rest of the spearfishing world. Almost forgot to mention the young junior winner Mat Hill from Devon who fished in up to 30ft of water to take three Pollack and a good Bream in conditions that would have frightened most youngsters to death. This young lad is doing his apprenticeship off the beaches and a few senior divers are looking over their shoulders already.

Big thanks go to our sponsors Neil at Apnea Jersey, Colin at European Spearfishing Supplies and Dave T at Spearo.co.uk who donated spearfishing equipment for the raffle. Please have a look at their websites for all you diving needs.


Results Top Ten
1 D Pearce (Southsea X) 36740 100%
2 G Worley (Southsea A) 33890 92.24%
3 K Daly (LIC A) 32580 88.68%
4 M Czarkowski (Sussex A) 32310 87.94%
5 D Thomasson (Exe Circle One) 27500 74.85%
6 Dan Bailey (Sussex A) 26820 73.00%
7 Dave Bailey (Southsea A) 24360 66.30%
8 C Lea (Sussex C) 23460 63.85%9 Lea Deighton (Sussex A) 22570 61.43%
10 G Roche LIC A 22140 60.26%

Junior Results

1 Mat Hill 6640 100%
2 Shaun Deighton 4460 81.49%

Teams Top Three

1 Sussex A 81800 100%
2 Southsea X 67000 81.91%
3 LIC A 65440 80.00%

 

[foxfish]

Thanks Eric, great report & well done Mat.

 

[Mr. X]

Ditto! Excellent report.

Sound slike a great event. I can't wait for a longer post and possibly pics ???

Surely Matt would have video'd the whole thing

Are competitors typically in the water for 6 hours non-stop? Seems an awfully long time; I usually start feeling the cold after 2 hours or so and am usually out by 3 hours (which is usually more than my "permitted" time anyway).

[Good to hear somebody is talking to the Welsh fisheries - the article on the proposed extension of "foul hooking" to include spearfishing in S. Wales beggars belief.]

 

[Huw]

Nice report! Thanks very much for sharing that, and a big well done to all involved... especially Matt!!! Nice one mate


Huw.

 

[kkdavids]

Hi All

Please see link to the results of the 1st national at bognor :
http://www.underwaterfishing.co.uk/Results%20page.htm

Also the details of the pairs dive :
http://www.underwaterfishing.co.uk/Competition%20Dates%202007.htm

Thanks
Dave

 

[keithernest]

sorry could not make dive due to events out of my control but hope to get in as much diving as poss this year.none at all last year cos of work.i have just registerd to this site and am learning from all your posts.it is very interesting to read about all your diving experiences.ive been diving for five years and wish i had started years ago,i feel ive missed soo much.never mind ime learning all the time.will post my dives when i eventually get wet this year.weather pants at the moment,telly crap and ime bored.see ya all especially sussex spearfishing club.

 

[eric aqua]

Keith as the wind has blown us out at the moment, mind you it was needed the slub weed was a real problem, you could order my book to offset your bored the link is No Sharks Today by eric smith (Book) in Sports & Adventure