Dorset spearfishing 2014

[speerolee]

and blue fin tuna I heard!

 

[Stephan Whelan]

I'm surprised no one responded to my comments after so much discussion on here.

Anyway - i've enabled some enhanced functionality on the forums for Private Groups. It will work in a very similar way to Facebook Groups so you can have open, closed or private Groups and the creator can assign moderators for each group as well.

http://forums.deeperblue.com/social-categories/groups/

Many thanks,

So folks - this Facebook discussion has just been brought to my attention by Foxfish.

Firstly I'm very disappointed to hear you think we don't listen to your feedback - this is the first time I've heard a suggestion of private groups and no one ever really emails or PM's me with suggestions. We also have a suggestions forum and pretty much everyone knows I'm the owner so can email or pm me.

So anyway back to the issue at hand.

Facebook has been slowly eroding forums over the years and is very much a threat to our existence. However it is also engrained in people's behaviour now and is unlikely to go away.

Private groups are actually a feature on the forums but not one we really publicise. I'm on y mobile so can't get the details to you but will do so when I get back. I will also see of there is any additional functionality that can be added.

My generally view is we will introduce functionality that is useful and people want but ultimately a lt of people are attracted to Facebook as it has become a core part of their lives and forums struggle to keep up. However open groups on Facebook are suffering from a lot of spam and the linear forum of conversation is also frustrating people so I personally believe forums will become in fashion again at some point.

As far as a new set of spearos joining - that is how the sport grows. It's an age old problem and one played out on here every few years. The problem is unless you attract new people to a sport that sport will eventually become extinct.

Let me get back to everyone on private groups later.

 

[jshadz]

TBH I don't really have 'Spots' I live on top of the mendip hills in somerset!
I have google maps, expierience has taught me to look for a certain type of ground abd preferably somwehere way off the beaten track.
I try to get wet 2-3 times a week and pretty much never hit the same spot as I get bored. I also cover silly amounts of ground and not afraid of tide and and very remote places.
I travel to Dorset lyme regis to bournmouth/poole, devon- beer plymouth....westward ho to illfracombe...Cornwall south and North coast. I would say I've pretty much swam the SW coast line...but still miles left to explore...foreplanning all the time for the next dive.
So all said I am happy to point people safely to obvious spots like the cobb at lyme, west bay arm, portland harbour, weymouth bay, newtons cove, chesil cove, ringstead bay, etc..etc...etc.. they are no secrect, easy to find and relatively safe.....and often will bust out a double figure bass or a GH bream.

So many great spots out there...The avarage person likes easy accsess and prefer to hit a spot that had an amazing catch report the previous day,,, so no threat to me. I think the most inacessable, longest walk, longest swim, never touched by commercials and most likely never speared! ...then I'm exited!

in a nutshell....common sense to be applied when sharing info, an expierenced fellow spearo on holiday, tgen put him on a good safe spot that is known, you can offer to meet up and take them to a better unknown spot to mske their visit worth while; they're hardly going to be hitting every week.

As for newbies I put them on portland harbour / sandsfoot beach as it's fairly safe and easy acsess with consistant vis...or even newtons cove.

last night I swam pretty much the east side of portland 9pm till 2am, very tidal, sechluded long steep cliff walks and silly distance swim and somewhat dangerous! so wouldn't recommend it.

Really handy information thank you

 

[Broseidon]

I'm surprised no one responded to my comments after so much discussion on here.

Anyway - i've enabled some enhanced functionality on the forums for Private Groups. It will work in a very similar way to Facebook Groups so you can have open, closed or private Groups and the creator can assign moderators for each group as well.

http://forums.deeperblue.com/social-categories/groups/

That's great news - I really hope this keeps a few people on the forums. The only reason I hadn't replied to you was that I was waiting for some affirmative action - great to see that some has been taken!

I presume that you are (on request) able to move Private Groups to the main UK & Ireland section once they've been created? I don't think they'd see much traffic / interest in their current location.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Private groups do not exist inside specific forums - they are a seperate feature so are under a seperate area - remember that the UK and Ireland section is only one area of the forums.

Once I formally launch them they will appear further up the forum list.

Also I will not be creating any private forums - normal members will be the ones to create the private forums.

 

[jpp]

Hi, I M looking to come down to the Swanage area tomorrow. Is there anyone who can give me a viz report? I have checked the lifeboat webcam and it looks OK but that does not always mean it is. Grateful for any help.

 

[Patrick Kane]

Private forums will be the downfall of this site, the only reason I got into spearfishing was because I learnt some much about gear and safety from these forums.
It will be very unwelcoming for new members to see private forums that won't let new members 'leech' knowledge.
It seems that there is some people on here who want to keep this sport a secret and are not happy that it's becoming more popular as all they seem to do is give out.
The vast majority here on the Ireland and uk threads are very helpful to us beginners for which I'm very grateful but private forums will drive away visitors to the site

 

[spearo Clark]

Any viz reports anywhere on the Dorset coast?

 

[jpp]

Any viz reports anywhere on the Dorset coast?

Me too

 

[speerolee]

and me

 

[spearo Clark]

Need viz for tuna hunting!

 

[Paul M]

Well, some time ago I stopped posting images of my catches. I saw no point to place an image of even 5kg+ Sea Bass or other nice fish with no saying where, when and how it was speared. And believe me, I have had a lot of decent fish on my stringer since then. But after one post about 2 years ago I was told off by couple of other posters. They asked me not to give their secret spots in this Forum and I cooperated. Those guys soon for some reasons known to them only terminated they activity over here. I have not remembered when I saw them posting here last time.


Now I have changed my mind.

At the moment I'm short with time but later on I'll post a list of all profitable (for myself) sites. I am not afraid to do it because naming the spots will not guarantee any success to anyone.

For example: several times I took one or two new guys onto my boat and we hunted fish at the same spots at the same time. At the end of day on my stringer were several decent fish while on stringers of my buddies hang only small Pollacks or Wrasse. Only after several sessions with patient guiding they improved their skills and now are able to bring some proper fish home.


There are no secret sites today for anyone anymore. At least for people not lazy to look at Google Earth and Marine charts. The only problem is an access to chosen spots and proper timing. Some spots are easy by foot, some you have to fin a long distance and some you can get to only by boat. All you need is some home work before going out and good planning.


There are lots of other things that the “would be a spearo” should be worry about.

That is one example:

About 2 weeks ago I was asked by Karl to go to Kimmeridge to assist him with his just purchased boat. Me and Hubert went by my boat and Karl, Trash and Will went by Karl’s boat towards St. Aldhem’s Head. After 3 hrs spent there:

Karl appeared to be clever enough not to pull his stringer off the tube. This allowed to keep the RIB inflated. And he was lucky that his belly was not on the sharp end of this pin. That incident could be fatal in 50% - the pin has only two ends.
Karl has turned this in a joke saying that he has got something on his fish stringer at least.

 

[speerolee]

nice one mate

 

[misterlizard]

Excellent post Paul! Like you, I stopped posting picture of my catches (bar one recently that I was particularly chuffed with) as I couldn't really see the point - it just became a sort of backslapping exercise without any particular interest. So instead I have focussed on enjoying my diving and haven't really bothered with the forums. Which is a bit of a shame as I learned a lot from here when I was starting out (well, starting out afresh that is - I used to spear in my teens with my dad, but then didn't do it for over 10 years until I started again about 5 years ago).
The posts that I find really interesting to read are those with a bit of a story attached. I think it is far more interesting to read a well-told story about a dive resulting in one fish than it is to read a post with just a few words and a picture of loads of fish.
I had an interesting dive last night and came out with a decent bass, four gurnard, and two flounder, but there's not really any point in posting up pictures of those fish as you all know what bass gurnard and flounder look like. Annoyingly I missed shots on a gilthead bream (aaarrgh, that would've been my first bream!), two mullet, two bass, one plaice, and a huge gurnard. I never used to miss fish at all, well maybe one in every fifteen or so shots would be a miss. Although 'a good craftsman never blames their tools' I wonder if it could be partly down to a slightly bent spear (too many close-range shots against rocks!)...

Edit: I've added a few pics from a lovely flight I had just before going in for my dive. So there's a bit of an airborne viz report for you

 

[dottywey]

Great photos. I was also in yesterday eve other side of Portland and got my first bass. Well happy. Have got some good tips etc off the forum so thanks to all for posting.

 

[misterlizard]

First bass, hooray! Congratulations - a great feeling

 

[liutaina81]

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[liutaina81]

after first bass you wuold like to get bigger and bigger ones

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[dottywey]

Shore do! Will be back out soon. Not this weekend according to weather forecast. :-(

 

[Dai ASBO]

Hello good people of Dorset.
I'm camping just outside of Osmington this weekend and if the conditions permit will be spearfishing Fri, Sat and Sun to take advantage of a weekend away.
I was wondering if you'd mind sharing an opinion as to whether I'd be better off diving around Portland or on the coast south of Osmington, east of Portland? Not after any spots just want to maximise my time not driving about in between dives when I should be spending at least some of the time with my mates who I have not seen for years (they do not dive). Any advice appreciated.