Guernsey 2006

[portinfer]

Good dive ... Dave and Tom have said it all. Sorry for giving you the weak torch Tom (and for mentioning porbeagles just prior to going in... oh yeah and for picking a lightnening storm evening for your first night dive he he he !)

Gave Tom the gun for the first half and relly enjoyed just zooming around checking things out. Saw some red mullet pretty soon and then a sole etc. Very calm and relaxing.... bit of phosphorescence too which is cool as you dive down with the torch off.

Lobsters.... hmmm saw this little guy rattling along the side of the reef so grabbed it thinking it would be MASSIVE but as water distorts ... on the surface it turned out to be ... and I quote Dave ... "...what's that shrimp you've picked up..."

Personally this was the highlight of the dive for me ! Lovely little lobo... put him back and then watched him for about 4 dives. Spotted a beautiful cuttlefish buried too. Very nice - then joined the others on the way back in.

Good fun and good seeing hte storm out at sea... alot darker than usual.

Ed

 

[beardy241]

Seeing that electrical storm must have been wonderful but I'd be a little bit concerned that salt water is a VERY GOOD CONDUCTOR!!!!!

[m]

 

[gbo200]

Hey Ed one trick with Lobsters I learned in Cayman (OK the lobsters there are not the same species however) was that when you spook them and they take off tail first, they often will swim to their older, bigger buddy or relative. Not sure why, but an excellent defense!

g.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Went for a night dive last night. Apart from the obvious reason that I live to dive and that I am getting to love night diving I had a couple of ulterior motives.

Firstly it was bugging me that I didn't catch any flatties when we went 2 nights ago and I was wondering if I was loosing it??? .

Secondly I wanted to resurrect my night gun project which was a little 75 band gun rigged with a half wrap.

Last time I tried it the trigger was stiff. I tracked this problem down to the safety catch which was promptly removed and dumped. Last time I went when I shot 2 red mullet and a bass I had been using my big 20mm band hybrid R&D gun with 2 and a half wraps. This is a nightmare to use in the dark and totally over the top for what you need.

Well the little 75 was a great success. I used the 16mm band just pulled back to the first notch and the half wrap of line makes everything so simple. Range is mostly less than a foot at night so power and line length are fine. Trigger seems good now, in fact it's a very sweet gun to fire.

However at night everything is harder (as the bishop said to .....etc.). My mask alternatively pissed in water or fogged up. Torch in one hand, gun in the other, treading water in the pitch black except when you blinded yourself with the wildly swinging light from your torch, tryng to sort the mask. In the end I lived with it.

Some anglers on the rocks and a high tide kept me closer inshore working from 5 feet down to a max of 20 feet. In less than about 12 feet the good vis meant that I could see the sea bed clearly enough not to need to dive but just to search with the torch while cruising on the surface.

Didn't see one red mullet, not even a tiddler. They must have got the message from 2 nights ago. Saw the usual pout, cuttles, smelt etc., plus everytime you turned around you found this big shoal of scad following you. Saw one reasonable bass but was only really after soles.

In the end got 5 medium soles and left some small ones. So looks like the Old Man has still got it. .

Dave

 

[podge]

Nice one OMD you’ll always be the man with the flattest fish in our eyes.
It just goes to show even when you 157 you can still get um.rofl

 

[Sarnian]

Just came back from trying what I think is one of Foxfish and his brothers' favourite spots.

I had finally sussed out getting on my Imersion hooded jacket without putting my shoulder out, having seen the Elios detailed instructions. Good old hair conditioner and hot water. ( I also read something about people having a reaction to it, so I used "Simple" which is about as anti-allergennic as you can get. Still couldn't get the hang of taking it off though - had to get the wife to pull it off ( as it were).)

Went in to the left of the causeway just on the low tide. I think it was a bit low (1.7m) for this side as at first I could hardly get through the tall weed. The vis. wasn't too bad considering force 5 westerly and a bit of swell, and it's an amazing spot as Foxfish reported elsewhere in this thread ( didn't know you were so poetic Martin - but you described it exactly.) Didn't see much until a bit later in the shallows where I saw a few small bass, with a reasonable size daddy - but in open water and too far away. Also tried poking around the gravelly bits for flatties, as per Old Man Dave's post ( those pix were really helpful) though I didn't manage to spot any.

About 2 hours low tide up I got carried over the causeway as I hadn't noticed it had covered :vangry - the tide really rips through then and I managed to make the shore as I had to move my stuff anyway. Went back in on the left hand side, and made sure I didn't go out past the shelter of the gullies which were now filling. Again saw a few bass in the shallows but too far away, and then on one pass where the gully just opened into the main lagoon, I saw an enormous silvery tail just behind a rock where it met the sandy bit - but unfortunately that was all I saw of it! Then just before I was getting out, in a few feet of water with just small rocks and no weed, I saw a decent sized bass ( perhaps 7 lb) and got a shot off, but no chance really in open water and with my little pneumatic. By now half tide and conditions really getting wild - the overfalls on the right hand side are quite something!

So although unsuccessful in actually skewering anything, a very interesting trip to a new place with good potential and a good test of my full 5mm suit - still toasty after 3 hrs. and only problem being leg and big toe cramps ( anybody else get those or is it just me geeting old and arthritic?) Thanks for sharing the spot. Next time I think I'll go in on the r.h. side before it covers, especially with a westerly.

Any other suggestions? (sorry I've gone on a bit)

Cheers, Colin

 

[foxfish]

The Italians have arrived! & are very keen, a bit to much sea for my liking!

 

[foxfish]

Good report Colin, the thick weed can hold plenty of bass on occasions. You need a new gun mate, micks fishing has a range from £17 to £125.
If you go in on the right you will find the bass on the left but dont swim around the back of the knife unless you are confident, very strong tide on the corner.

 

[Sarnian]

Thanks for the tips. By "the back" I assume you mean the seaward side? No I'm not a particularly strong swimmer, so don't worry, I'll be careful. I must take my little Pentax WP waterproof camera next time.

Yeah, I know about the gun. I might buy a cheap band gun as you suggest, but still like pneumatics and would eventually like to get a better one.

Have a good weekend.

Cheers

Colin

 

[beardy241]

Great report Colin.
thanks
[m]

 

[Magpie]

Good report mate, get yourself a decent gun and you'll be well away (next thing you'll have to learn having mastered the suit is loading a 90cm+ gun which is an art in itself!).

Good bream Ed! I still haven't seen a normal Black...

My feet cramp a bit after half an hour but it goes away after that. As you dive more your body will get used to it, though proper fitting foot pockets will help. One thing though, I've just got back into proper training again for the hockey season and my claves are sooo tight! I can only put it down to the diving, lots of stretching needed!

PS. The back of the Knife is fun, as long as you know which way the tide goes!

 

[foxfish]

Yeah, I know about the gun. I might buy a cheap band gun as you suggest, but still like pneumatics and would eventually like to get a better one.

Have a good weekend.

Cheers

Colin

OK mate, well why dont you buy a new pneumatic? I dont see much point in messing about with standard air guns for shooting bass & other free swimmers.
You need a gun with a bit of range & a thinner spear. That means you need a mamba kitted air gun, I think the easiest way to go would be a phone call to Spearo Dave & order a mamba 90 with a 7mm spear, about £150.
As I am in the proses of buying a new gun myself you could add to my order, with a lot of help from Ed I will be buying a Seac Asso 115 with mamba kit from Italy. From all accounts the Asso is a very serious gun, some say it takes a LOT of practice to load, others that it is best loaded in a boat & passed to the diver! Any way the 6mt range & my gun collecting habit has convinced me to but one! In the mean time Colin you can try out my gun today if you want? I will be going in later today, let me know.

 

[foxfish]

I forgot to say that during my quest for info on the Asso I have been offered a 110 mamba (like new) for 150 euros (Amsterdam) Pm if you want any details.

 

[ADM]

Hi All,

Looking to get a custom suit made up since my cheap shortie is too cold and putting me off. Want some advice.

Had kind of decided on this one in custom size so have measured myself up against this. With your experience of suits, which measurements should I allow a bit of slack on and how much (e.g. extra 5mm on number 3 so I don't get me nuts squashed) as i tend to expand at certain times of the year like the rest of us. Magpie, I think you said you had one of these. Is it 1 or two piece and does it have zips like surf suits?
next up, there are several options on it. What kind of interior do i want. wallpaper or paint, sorry I mean Nylon or slick, which one is easier to get on?Does it make any real difference?

Most important I guess is what thickness, 3 or 5mm. I know it's a difficult one but what do people think with their experience of guernsey waters? I guess I will be too busy with fishing til the end of Sept and will then slack off til March with the times outside ofthat possibly being busy but I do want to get some spearing in. i love being in the water from my few "dives" to date. Does this mean 5mm I guess or will the 3mm be enough once I get going like exercise?. Does that make the suit harder to get on?

I guess these questions have been asked before somewhere else on here but I can't find them all and it's all so regional.

Cheers

Andy

 

[Magpie]

Yep, I've one of those exactly.

First, thickness. Get the 5mm, no question. 3mm is warm enough for now but not at any other time. You want 5mm.

Interior. The slickskin/open cell is harder to get on but warmer. It sticks to your body thus not letting water in. Lubricating it with conditioner/water mix lets you slip in easy enough (though there is an art to it). Lined interior is easier to get on, will last longer, but won't be quite so warm.

Zips. Nope, freediving suits are 2 piece, no zips, harder to get on but again, warmer as there is no easy way for the water to get in.

Measurements. Having done mine exactly as they are, in future I would leave a little slack on numbers 2 and 3. But thats just what I'd do.

I'm sure other will have their own opinions.

 

[foxfish]

Six of us went in today, down the knife, amazingly another three divers there as well! Anyhow mixed results, a few highs & a few lows. One of our Italian guest shot a nice bass only for it to escape:head however there were some fish landed, our group managed five bass & two mullet. The strangers managed a sole & a very small brill. Pete had his underwater camera so maybe he will have some footage?
My story is a very long shot for a 5.5lb bass, interestingly I was using for the first time "fibre optic sights" mounted on my mamba.

 

[beardy241]

Foxy said: "fibre optic sights"

HELLO!? What are we talking here?? — like, er... laser guided spears?

...and, I suppose, satellite tracking for the one that got away!!

[m]

 

[foxfish]

No mate nothing as elaborate as that, in fact a short length of 2mm green plastic designed to be fitted to the end of a shotgun. A simple luminous end sight that really glowed under water, fantastic until it fell off!

 

[Andy.R]

There were seven! I went in from the pier at 2 so as I could be in over low water . When I was changing at 4:30 I saw a red bobber and a white bobber with at least 2 divers to each working well in the bay. I caught a nice cuttlefish, a handfull of razorfish and a 4.5lb rockfish (I know I should have left it, but I wanted to try out my new gun, anyway I WILL eat it) I missed a decent bass which was lurking in the weed in the little bay at the end of the reef, safety catch was on and by the time I worked it out...too late!!!

Lots of small spiders and chancres buried in the sand but I didn't see and flatties, saw a few holes though along with lots of pairs of winkles, the ones you have to investigate in case they are eyes!

 

[Sarnian]

Foxy said: "fibre optic sights"

HELLO!? What are we talking here?? — like, er... laser guided spears?

...and, I suppose, satellite tracking for the one that got away!!

[m]

http://www.seahornet.com/spear/spearguns/lazergun.htm

Funnily enough, I saw one in the Dream Catalog - see the above link - no info about the laser bit but I assume it puts a spot on the fish just like in James Bond! More soon about my trip to the Humps yesterday. (Foxfish your bro. will have the Dream Catalog at school if you haven't seen it - also a panoramic mask and some forcefin flippers)

Colin