Guernsey 2006

[Draenog]

Hi everyone

Have been at my dads without internet for a couple of days, shame about the wind- i was hoping to get in.

Anyone up for a short(er) night dive tonight (tuesday). I say short because my surfing suit couldn't really handle the 2 hour session the other night.

I'm back to Cymru early tommorrow morning so it's my last chance.

Thanks to Dave and Mart for the snorkel near the knife the other day. Viz wasn't great but I saw a fair bit. Dave pointed out a brill on the sand and despite him marking it out to within 6 inches I still had to go down twice to see it! Gutted to miss the bream that Mart saw within a couple of metres of me - not seen one yet, but another time eh!

 

[spicer]

PS Where's Spicer these days?

Hi OMD had some family issues to deal with (Mom passed away and had to go back to SA) and have been a bit below the weather. But I am back and had a quick swim on Sunday although the viz was poor I did see one nice bass.

Cheers

Chris

 

[foxfish]

Hi Spicer glad to have you back, sorry about your mum though.

 

[foxfish]

The website thing is easy to do, just need a domain and some free software like on my forum to get it going... Depends how busy it gets on here!!

Personally I am very happy with DB but if there was ever a problem we could always invade your site Andy:t

 

[Sarnian]

I think I was just unlucky, most people have no problems with the wishbone slipping.
Besides, I like the fiddling around making the thing work better (hopefully) or worse (more likely, the some recent mods which made it fill with water and sink!). Its not neccessarily you get what you pay for, there was someone who had slippage problems with one of these posh wooden jobs, and I know people with the cheapo beauchats who are fine.

Good spot for crabbing with the wheel is off the Wells (Crab Wells) to Portinfer, no, not Ed. Had loads there like that when I was a lad.

East coast is always stirred up unfortunately, still good spearing to be had though.

And finally, if you go spearing near the castle watch out for them rowing skiffs, I got twatted on the bonce by a an oar a couple of months ago! :vangry

Ed, glad you're on the mend, yep, I've no interest in 1am either! 9 is much more sociable!

Thanks for that Magpie. Don't know the crab wells -where are they if it's not a state secret? Ian Brown gave me a nice buckled ali. wheel which made my net nice 'n' light!

The spot I meant by the castle is about half way along the wall - you'd have to get there down the ladder unless you've got a boat. Lots of promising weed and rock surrounded by sand - has anyone tried or Havelet at all? Think you have to watch out for the laser dinghies as well!

Cheers

Colin

 

[foxfish]

Colin I think most of us would prefer to dive the west coast, generally much "cleaner" water, if you know what I mean? There are still a few spiders around but mainly small females. It is great to have you on board mate you are obviously keen, you are also lucky that this is the best time of year for spearing. The bass will soon be hunting the shallows again, gaining weight for the winter. There will be some big tides to help you catch some flatfish too. Sometimes it is best to pick a spot & learn it well, most of us have favorite spots & I think it is fair to say the west coast rules.

 

[Sarnian]

Colin I think most of us would prefer to dive the west coast, generally much "cleaner" water, if you know what I mean? There are still a few spiders around but mainly small females. It is great to have you on board mate you are obviously keen, you are also lucky that this is the best time of year for spearing. The bass will soon be hunting the shallows again, gaining weight for the winter. There will be some big tides to help you catch some flatfish too. Sometimes it is best to pick a spot & learn it well, most of us have favorite spots & I think it is fair to say the west coast rules.

Cheers for that mate. I notice your bro. isn't too worried about eating say mullet from the East coast but I suppose you also have to think about getting infections.

All good advice and I'm quite happy snorkelling in the shallows - I'm not into freediving or aspettoing or agachon or aguano or whatever and hoping to see some action this weekend.

Cheers

Colin

 

[crazyman]

Sam you can buy online from Scubaland. A new suit the same as mine is on offer for less than £100.00!

thanks foxfish, thinking about ordering one but not to sure on what size to go for

 

[foxfish]

Crazy the site has a size chart.
Can someone post the link, my hyper link dont work:vangry

 

[Magpie]

No secret mate, the Wells are the big rocks straight out from the small carpark on the left side of Port Soif, where all the kids go and jump off. Head for the highest point and sling your wheel in the bay shaped area in the rocks just past the high part.

Personnally I've no problem east coast, regularly go in pretty much as close to the pipe as you can get from the shore. The viz is never great on the east though, I put it down to the Condor regularly stirring it all up myself.

Looked for a size chart on the scubaland site but couldn't find it Foxy? You could always go for a custom suit, that way you know it fits. If you've got the money something like an Elios (£180ish) would be the dogs, I have a custom Diveskin (£100ish) and its great too.

 

[gbo200]

Hey Colin I want my bike wheel back!!!

Just kidding you can have it. Unless you know anyone else who has recently been in a head on collision with a car, buckeled the front aluminum wheel and taken it to Ian Brown's to get replaced as I have, I would say it is safe to say that wheel was mine.

Good luck fishing with it. I hope you have better luck with it than I did.

Funny how these things come around.

g.

 

[Magpie]

Just a thought but wouldn't a heavy wheel be better than a light one? Could chuck it further, would sink quicker, and stay in one place on the bottom better.

 

[beardy241]

tie a small lead in the middle.
[m]

 

[Old Man Dave]

This should be the scubaland link.Click the union jack flag for English. You have to join to get discount but it's free to join anyway. Don't forget deeperblue shop. There's a link for the DB size charts as well.

http://www.scubaland.fr/mes_r_typ_s_rayoncherche_Combinaison.html

http://www.scubastore.com/eng/size/size_chart.asp

Dave

PS Just noted that scubaland has marked the Immersion cammo 5mm as "discontinued". Not sure if that means they are out of stock, or they don't sell them anymore, or they are not made anymore??? DB shop has Cressi Technica cammo for about £100+ postage (£15-ish). I had a black cressi suit and it was top quality.

 

[Sarnian]

Hi

Thanks for the info - funnily enough my son used to go jumoing there too, untl he bruised his gonads once! :crutch

 

[crazyman]

thanx guys
sam

 

[Sarnian]

This should be the scubaland link.Click the union jack flag for English. You have to join to get discount but it's free to join anyway. Don't forget deeperblue shop. There's a link for the DB size charts as well.

http://www.scubaland.fr/mes_r_typ_s_rayoncherche_Combinaison.html

http://www.scubastore.com/eng/size/size_chart.asp

Dave

PS Just noted that scubaland has marked the Immersion cammo 5mm as "discontinued". Not sure if that means they are out of stock, or they don't sell them anymore, or they are not made anymore??? DB shop has Cressi Technica cammo for about £100+ postage (£15-ish). I had a black cressi suit and it was top quality.

Hi
Apnea have loads of Imersion camo suits (apnea.co.uk) but they're a bit pricier. Very pleased with my non-camo one from them( bought before I saw this forum and Foxfish's advice - anyone got any camo wetsuit paint?)

 

[foxfish]

There are lots of spearos who are very successful without camo, I wouldn't worry two much, more important is to get in the water & hunt with a good gun (camo'd of course)

 

[Magpie]

There are lots of spearos who are very successful without camo, I wouldn't worry two much, more important is to get in the water & hunt with a good gun (camo'd of course)

And some that still have a lot to learn, though I'll probably get a camo job next year, I've found this french company that do custom jobs with a great camo pattern, just to feel the part. I've no doubt it'll make no difference whatsoever!

Anyway, was in last night for my first night dive with Ed and OMD. P*ssing rain, lightning storm out at sea and force 5-6 winds meant I was pleasantly surprised to find some flat water and decent viz.

Expected nervousness at only being able to see down the thin beam of light in the darkness didn't materialise, no doubt helped by being with the others. It was very odd to lift you head up, turn the torch off and be greated with just complete blackness (no moon at all).

Anyway, set off, soon had a few small red mullet pointed out, and followed a small bass so closely I could touch its tail with the spear, and it still didn't spook! Big shoals of pout on the rock/sand border then Ed flashed having found a sole, not massive, but big enough. I had the gun at the time so went down and spiked it. OMD came over with a couple of good red mullet on his string.

Ed then went off and found a lobster that was probably takeable, but went back to grow bigger, I had a red mullet and better sole (learnt a lesson, don't stab flatties with your knife they just rip off, got it with the stringer pin in the end, Ed had the gun), Dave ended up with the 2 red mullet and a 3-4lbs bass and Ed a sole.

Big shoals of scad in the shallows were impressive to watch, all in all a great dive when I was close to saying sod this for a game of soliders!

 

[Old Man Dave]

I have been very remiss at writing trip reports since I've been back from my hol's a couple of weeks ago.

Last night I was out with Tom and Ed as already reported. Must make a few comments though. Told Magpie to make a note in his diary as that will be a rare occasion when he sees me flattyless. I nearly busted a gut trying to find a sole but it just wasn't my night. It's not as though they're hard to see swimming around and my big torch lights them up from miles away They must have seen me coming . To add to magpies list I saw half a dozen small (6 inch) squid and one lonely cuttle. Saw a few other bass as well as the 4 pounder, but none bigger. Night dives are great.

Done 2 boat trips recently. First one was a bit of a nightmare as I had a problem with my gearbox. Lost half my hydraulic pressure and had to limp home. Thought I'd have to crane out, engine out, gearbox off etc, etc, etc. Big money and probably end of season. Not a nice thought. However, good news as I discovered 2 loose bolts on a mounting plate and it just turned out that the selector valve wasn't fully engaging. Quick fix and I'm going again, no damage done. Phew!!!! Despite the agrevation and only 2 tanks, not 3, I had a nice catch. Did one tank on a very small bank just 100 yards off a headland and loaded up with brill, sole and plaice. Mate John didn't catch much but we had a box of mixed fish and an enjoyable days diving (if you forget about the gearbox :vangry ).

The other boat dive was 2 days ago. Weather was perfect and we worked a bit further offshore. Looked at some new spots (mooching) and visited some old favourite inshore banks. Managed to set the trots as well. Ended the day with a box of fish, comprising, turbot, brill, sole, plaice, scallops, mackerel, bream, gurnards and the dreaded dogfish. Best fish was an approx 8lb brill, caught by me . Best laugh was when the heavy weight on the trot turned out not to be a massive turbot but an old deckchair that some kind person had dumped in the sea.

Last trip recently was taking welsh Adam out for a dip. He's written a bit so just say I found him a brill to stare at (until he could spot it). It was a fair bit bigger than the min legal size but when you're used to 8lb-ers , well I left it to grow.

Dave