Hello from Southern California

[andyw77]

Hello everyone! I am currently a new diver and spear-fisher. I have a lot of questions about spearfishing in general and in southern California. This has now been a weekend hobby of mine and I thoroughly enjoy going free diving. I recently got into spearfishing from a buddy of mine in the same hometown in Palos Verdes, CA. I have been borrowing his gear whenever we have gone out to spear fish, however I now what to invest in some gear myself. What gear would be best to invest in terms of mask, wetsuit, speargun, fins, lead weights and all other necessities for a beginner free-diver/spearfisher? BTW I am 5'8'' 145 pounds. I have been looking into MAKO since they have good prices for the quality.
Next question...What are some other great spots to spearfish in Southern California other then Palos Verdes shores?
Lastly, where can I get more knowledge in order to get myself more experience in spearfishing or fishing in general. Any recommended audio-books or podcasts for my daily commute to work? I am glad to have found this site and look forward to using this forum to help with any spearfishing needs. Thanks!

-Andrew

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Hello everyone! I am currently a new diver and spear-fisher. I have a lot of questions about spearfishing in general and in southern California. This has now been a weekend hobby of mine and I thoroughly enjoy going free diving. I recently got into spearfishing from a buddy of mine in the same hometown in Palos Verdes, CA. I have been borrowing his gear whenever we have gone out to spear fish, however I now what to invest in some gear myself. What gear would be best to invest in terms of mask, wetsuit, speargun, fins, lead weights and all other necessities for a beginner free-diver/spearfisher? BTW I am 5'8'' 145 pounds. I have been looking into MAKO since they have good prices for the quality.
Next question...What are some other great spots to spearfish in Southern California other then Palos Verdes shores?
Lastly, where can I get more knowledge in order to get myself more experience in spearfishing or fishing in general. Any recommended audio-books or podcasts for my daily commute to work? I am glad to have found this site and look forward to using this forum to help with any spearfishing needs. Thanks!

-Andrew

Welcome to Deeper Blue Andrew. You are fortunate to be living next to one of the best white sea bass spots in California. Palos Verdes is too far from San Clemente for me and the cliffs are too steep for a guy my age, or I'd be up there often.

Mako does offer some good prices, but there is a lot to be said for shopping where you can try things like masks, fins, and wetsuits on and get advice from a knowledgeable spearo. Spear America on Hawthorne Blvd in Torrance is the biggest freedive and spearfishing shop on the West Coast and the inventory is mind boggling. Its managed by Dave Freeman, an old dive buddy of mine, and probably one of the best spearos ever to dive from my boat. I recommend that you go in there and talk to him. He can help you find out what gear is best for you, and may even tell you which trail to go down at PV. And tell him he needs to take a day off and pull my anchor.

There are two clubs in the area, the Long Beach Neptunes and the LA Fathomiers. They meet monthly and visitors are welcome. They would be great places to make contacts.

I would strongly recommend the digital version of the classic Blue Water Hunting and Freediving by Terry Mass.
http://freedive.net/landing.html

Its the best single source of information on spearfishing, and includes 30 videos showing what is mentioned in the text.

If I can help with any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[andyw77]

Welcome to Deeper Blue Andrew. You are fortunate to be living next to one of the best white sea bass spots in California. Palos Verdes is too far from San Clemente for me and the cliffs are too steep for a guy my age, or I'd be up there often.

Mako does offer some good prices, but there is a lot to be said for shopping where you can try things like masks, fins, and wetsuits on and get advice from a knowledgeable spearo. Spear America on Hawthorne Blvd in Torrance is the biggest freedive and spearfishing shop on the West Coast and the inventory is mind boggling. Its managed by Dave Freeman, an old dive buddy of mine, and probably one of the best spearos ever to dive from my boat. I recommend that you go in there and talk to him. He can help you find out what gear is best for you, and may even tell you which trail to go down at PV. And tell him he needs to take a day off and pull my anchor.

There are two clubs in the area, the Long Beach Neptunes and the LA Fathomiers. They meet monthly and visitors are welcome. They would be great places to make contacts.

I would strongly recommend the digital version of the classic Blue Water Hunting and Freediving by Terry Mass.
http://freedive.net/landing.html

Its the best single source of information on spearfishing, and includes 30 videos showing what is mentioned in the text.

If I can help with any questions, feel free to ask.

Thank you Bill! I did however stop by at Spear Amercia yesterday to pick up a new mask and snorkel. Dave Freeman was very helpful and knowledgeable guy, he answered all my spearfishing questions! I'll definitely be stopping when needed. BTW I mentioned your name to Dave and he says hi.

I am thinking of purchasing the Mako predator 3rd Gen speargun. Do you advise me purchasing this as my first speargun?

 

[Bill McIntyre]

I am thinking of purchasing the Mako predator 3rd Gen speargun. Do you advise me purchasing this as my first speargun?

I've never seen one of those guns but it looks like it would be a reasonable choice. What length do you have in mind?

I notice that they offer a reel as an option, and I recommend getting one. Even if a fish isn't big enough to take your gun away from you, it could hole up in the rocks or wrap up in kelp and force you to turn loose of the gun to get to the surface. And then if the visibility is poor, it might be hard to find the gun again.

Which leads to another consideration. Will the gun float with a reel attached? Some small guns won't, so you should ask before buying. A gun should float after the shaft is out of it so that you can leave it on the surface while you dive to retrieve a fish. Otherwise you could meet your gun coming down when you are coming up with a fish.

 

[BatRay]

Hi Andrew. Did you end up buying the Mako? How are things progressing?

 

[Shayne]

Hey Andrew, I'm Shayne. Also new to the area and from the east coast. I'm an avid scuba diver and looking to get into spearing as well. Got a free JBL woody magnum spear gun (shorty) from an old friend a little while back and replaced the bands but never got a chance to use it. looking to go out and try it out now that I'm so close to the ocean but nervous to go out without a buddy. If you're still in the area, I live in Redondo Beach right next to Palos and would love a dive buddy.