fresh hunter looking to south coast, where do i start?

Welcome from Texas! I know nothing about your area but post in introductions and greeting! A lot of locals are out there to mentor you. Cheers--adios!

Hello merman, welcome to db.
London's not the best place for spearing in the UK and even the aquarium's crap.
Realistically your looking at the Sussex coast as the nearest place with fish and the chance of some vis'.
I don't think many people spear on the Kent side, the vis' takes too long to clear, but I could be wrong.
The closest site is probably Brighton, though parking can be a nightmare here in the summer. Seaford, Newhaven, all the way to Bognor can produce fish on the right day, Bognor has an extensive reef system and usually has the best chance of good vis'.
There is a Sussex thread Sussex Report 2009 which you may wish to look at, lots of good info' and a few sites to try, the 2010 thread is not running yet but, should start soon.
Good luck and don't hesitate to ask any questions.

Regards,
Dave.

Not into spearing myself, but my brother-in-law takes a small boat out from Littlehampton and says he often sees spearos bringing in catches (some with scuba tanks, grr).

I'm aiming to do some freediving off the coast near Bognor/Chichester myself this summer. Interesting to hear the viz near Bognor might be quite good; I'd always imagined it to be very poor.