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From Italy to Texas

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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piero

New Member
May 10, 2017
1
0
1
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Hello everybody and thank you for having me here.
Moved to Texas (The Woodlands to be specific) from Italy almost two years ago.
I started spearfishing when I was 14 (52 now) and I don't remember staying away from salt water for more than a couple of months.
So now I'm hurting really bad but finally ready to start again.
Speargun is ready (built from scratch using teak wood).
I only need a place to go and hopefully some of you guys can help with that.
Ciao
Piero
 
Hello there. Welcome to Texas, hope that you are liking it here. I live In Alvin which is about 20 miles south of downtown Houston. I am new to Free diving(1 year) and want to get into spearing. There is a small community of divers and spearos here. They have a Facebook group called "Texas Free diving and Spearfishing" It is a closed group but I could invite you to if you would like.​
 
How's the diving and spearing situation in Texas? I live in California and I imagine it's very different in the Lone Star State.
 
Well my knowledge is limited on spearing, but I know a few things. I am not sure if this is a national law or state law but Texas dosent allow the spearing of game fish, only non-game fish, weather in a lake or shore diving. You have to be offshore quite a ways(Out of Texas pretty much). People do spear in the lakes here though. two of them I know are Lake Travis in Austin, and Lake Amistad on the border of mexico. I've heard vis there (Amistad) is up to 40 feet or so which is jaw droping to me. for my local scuba park lakes vis is only 20 feet max (Twin Lakes, Manvel). The Gulf though Is much better if you can get out there. There is an abundance of fish of all kinds there. Only downside is that there are no coral reefs or any marine structure near Texas exept for the Flower gardens bank, A coral reef located 100 nmi off the coast of galveston/Freeport where spearing is strictly prohibited. The saver of corse is the astounding number oil rigs Texas has. Dont know the number but there every where out there from 5 to 100+ nmi offshore and lots of them divable. And vis gets up to 100 feet depending on currents, rainfall and weather.
 
Our freshwater nongame laws are similar, except that the striper fishery was opened to spearfishing in some areas. Surprised the heck out of me.

I hear good things about rig diving in the Gulf. Seems like that would be a worthwhile experience.
 
Couple things regarding Texas and spearing. The only thing I do here is train. And that training takes place in Olympic pools and diving areas. I know that the Gulf has amazing spearing and you can find insane amounts of large fish around the oil platforms.

Personally I only spear outside the state since it's as easy for me to fly to Florida or The Bahamas than deal with the long drive to the Gulf and renting a boat etc etc.
 
Hi Piero, Welcome to DB.

I would encourage you to find some divers headed for rigs not close to shore. The better vis is further off. How much depends on local conditions. If its clear(catch it right, the vis can approach 150 ft) rig diving is some of the most spectacular freediving you can do. The huge verticality of the structures and the size and number of fish will simply blow your mind. The Med has nothing that compares, except maybe being in a pen with big bluefins. Just watch your head if there is much swell running under the rig.
 
Hello there. Welcome to Texas, hope that you are liking it here. I live In Alvin which is about 20 miles south of downtown Houston. I am new to Free diving(1 year) and want to get into spearing. There is a small community of divers and spearos here. They have a Facebook group called "Texas Free diving and Spearfishing" It is a closed group but I could invite you to if you would like.​

Hey John could I be added to that Facebook group also? I recently moved from Big Island Hawaii to Central Texas and looking to connect with the divers here in the big state!
Ben baecker
 
Hey! I’m a little further the east, but if you guys do trips either to the barrier islands or oil rigs, I’m interested in joining the group too if you’ll send an invitation.
Jim Pennington /Pennington Fine Art/ new orleans- facebook
 
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