Dummies guide to Spearfishing - Part I

[Morg]

Great thread ,

I learned a lot about spearing .

One thing that I have been curious about is what type of mask to get for both spear fishing and just freediving. Is what kind of silcone to get? Clear or Black? I found a old thread a week ago about it but I can't seem to find it again. Any thoughts on which is better?

 

[Oli]

Nice work Miles, what next!?

I found when I fired a gun, the spear shot in a very short arc downwards... haven't ever tried much - quite like to just watch the fish... but then I do get very hungry

Part two!?!?!??!?!

 

[miles]

Hiya

Dummies guide to Spearfishing - Part II can be found on Deeperblue's home page under the spearfishing section. Here's a quick link:
http://www.deeperblue.net/article.php/720/41

Another great article is written by Rachel Barker, known as BATRAY on Deeperblue:
http://www.deeperblue.net/cats.php/40

Regards
miles

 

[Oli]

Thanks Miles!! Off to read now : )

Oli.

 

[costal livin]

Awesome thread Miles. I'm off to finish up my reading

 

[freediver7]

Great thread!!!!!

 

[georgenoom]

Hi I'm very new to all this, very experienced surfer but only just got my kit from an early Santa Claus.

I have a top of the range surfing wet suit 5x4x3mm, will this be suitable for spear fishing? It keeps me super warm in 7oC water for 3 hours surfing in Feb when it can be -4oC air temp, so I'm thinking it should be ok in British Spring and summer water temps.

 

[badlander]

You'll be okay for a couple of hours maybe,thats with a hood,gloves, socks etc but there really is no substitute for a 5mm two piece open cell diving suit.I was confident that i'd be warm as toast but it really is surpring how much heat you loose when remaining pretty still in the water is the name of the game.With a dive suit you simply won't get cold in the summer and thats a good thing when you're staying in for 6+ hours.
I made do with a Salomon 4-3 for a couple of years and it's probably gonna be fine,but for the price you can pick up a dive suit,it'll be well worth your while.

 

[Elvin]

I have a question about wet suits. Just read an article in an european magazine about wetsuites( ws) . They say there are wet suites that have the ability to ragain flotation more quickly as you ascend in the water column. They say wet suites with small "bubbles" in the wet suit material regain flotability more fast than wet suites with "big,more visible bubbles". I have noted a diference in my own wet suites. I have a vest and a shorthy ws. The vest makes me float almost as much as the shorthy ! (Both 3mm). I am interested in knowing how to diferentiate this caracteristics in ws because I think a ws that regains flotability faster helps for a better ascent. I like when I regain positive flotation and head fast to the surface without making to much efort

 

[freediver7]

The better quality wet suites have minuscule isolated bubbles imbedded in the rubber. The expansion and compression rates these bubbles are not affected by assent or descent but they are affected by pressure as a result of depth. Most wet suites are completely compressed at 30 meters.

 

[georgenoom]

You'll be okay for a couple of hours maybe,thats with a hood,gloves, socks etc but there really is no substitute for a 5mm two piece open cell diving suit.I was confident that i'd be warm as toast but it really is surpring how much heat you loose when remaining pretty still in the water is the name of the game.With a dive suit you simply won't get cold in the summer and thats a good thing when you're staying in for 6+ hours.
I made do with a Salomon 4-3 for a couple of years and it's probably gonna be fine,but for the price you can pick up a dive suit,it'll be well worth your while.

Cheers Badlander

To begin with, a couple of hours will probably be enough, my missus would go mental if I took up another past time that kept me out for 6 hours + (she can just about deal with my surfing as it's something I've always done!).

I've got hood and gloves etc for winter surf so should be reasonably well equipped for summer time. I'll just have to test the water metaphorically and literally speaking.

 

[badlander]

Same deal here,surfing for years,but the crowds at my local break just got too much in the summer and the flat spells kept coming and eventually i started to actually pray for flat spells.
By then,it was far too late........

 

[georgenoom]

Hi Badlander

What sealed it for me wasmy annual pilgrimage to Sennen Cove this summer, 21 days of glorious weather, Gwenfor providing a rideable wave everyday, always suiting one of my boards, but we went over to Porthgwarra and the snorkelling there was amazing, incredible clarity and litterally thousands of fish, some really sizeable bass, I thought "I'd like to get into hunting these." The seed was sown... Santa has now delivered early so am laready looking forward to summer flatspells. Likewise, although crowded now in winter, most of the breaks on the gower are unusable in Summer so, will take to being below the surface.

The more stuff i'm reading on this forum the more xcited I'm getting!! Trying some of the breathing training already.

 

[spearo_nick]

sinc im a begginer that definitley helped me out thanx miles

 

[Pinggene]

Miles,

These are great threads. Question on weights:

I am getting a custom Elios 5mm (arriving next week) So, I know I will be adding weight. However, I am concerned with all the weight I need to have on to get neutral at -6m. Does one wear this all on the waste, or do you distribute it around the body?

Reason I'm asking, it while spearfishing, I do a lot of surface snorkeling as well. I can imagine my mid section trying to go down, while my legs and upper body try to float up. Just thinking that this may cause undo strain on the back (pulled into a "v").

Thoughts?

Gene

 

[miles]

Hiya

Gene, firstly get a marseilles type belt. Thats simply a rubber type stretchy belt with a simple quick release buckle. Makes a HUGE difference!!

Many spearo's who have back problems also use weight vest/harnesses. A couple of manufacturers make them, like the Omer Gilet. This is a waistcoat type of vest that holds some weights in pockets. Spearfishing and Freediving Equipment - Weight Belts - Weight Harness - Technosport Inc.
I think in Terry Maas's book, Blue Water Hunting, he describes a way to make a harness fairly easily. I recall some-one posting it on some forum, but simply can't find it right now. Will search some more.......

Some spearo's who hunt shallow water, also have the problem of their fins drifting up. They use ankle weights to weigh down their legs. I haven't used them, so can't really comment on how much extra strain they would put on your legs if you intend swimming long distances.

I wear a 10kg (+-22lb) weightbelt and have not had any hassles with it. Try using your weightbelt and see how it goes. Also, try putting the belt on your hips, and not around your mid-section. This also helps for guys with back problems. Should you go for the weight harness, or similar product, still wear a weightbelt with some weights on it, so that you can drop it quickly should
the need arise. Regardless of which method you use, please ensure that you can make yourself bouyant, should you black out or are in dire trouble.

Regards
miles

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Hiya

Gene, firstly get a marseilles type belt. Thats simply a rubber type stretchy belt with a simple quick release buckle. Makes a HUGE difference!!

I concur, and just in case that needs explanation, here is a photo of mine, made by Rob Allen.

Notice how the end stands up under pressure so that its easy to grab and dump the belt.

 

[Mr. X]

I use the same belt as Bill (and like it very much) but lost the first one very quickly swimming over rocks & weed, so I now have the end held down under a thin (easily breakable) rubber band.

I started off with insufficient weight & increased it in 2 additional steps, to give me time to get used to it. I was concerned about weight distribution too but actually find carry all the weight on the belt is not as bad as I had feared when carrying a half loaded belt. I ended up not wanting to have to deal with an additional piece of equipment (weight vest).

There are some possible benefits to carrying some of your weights in a vest though, depending on model used (e.g. the Omer gilet): better weight distribution, easier weight adjustment (e.g. for shallow/deep diving), camo/shape disruption, a little extra warmth. [There is a thread on weight vests.]

re.floating feet. This was a bit of problem for me at first. So now I only wear neoprene socks in Winter (fin fit seems remarkably unaffected, perhaps due to temperature difference) which works out better all round -- it's probably a lot colder in WI's waters though. [OldManDave posted a design for inexpensive homemade ankle weights.]

 

[waterbird]

that was very useful indeed thank you! I'm going to look for part 2 now and find out about guns. I am SOOOO looking forward to getting kitted out and in the water. Cheers 4 the inspiration.

 

[Mr. X]

I wear a 10kg (+-22lb) weightbelt and have not had any hassles with it. Try using your weightbelt and see how it goes. ... Regardless of which method you use, please ensure that you can make yourself bouyant, should you black out or are in dire trouble.

There are many variables (including how buoyant you & your wetsuit are and how deep you plan to dive -- less weight needed at depth) but I currently carry 20lb (5x4lb) with my 5mm Elios suit...which is a tad light but works quite well, 22/24lb might suit me better as I don't dive real deep. Some carry more to stalk shallow water (24lb+). Somewhere in that ball park for a large-ish adult male seems common; it would be prudent to start lighter though and add weight gradually.