How to get out in the surf

[noob_spearo]

Hi I am a beginner and I just got a gun (been out a couple times with a pole spear) and I was trying to get out in the surf yesterday and got beaten to a pulp. Fins +gun + waves... It was too tough! Do you guys wrap your guns and fine with bungies before battling the waves? I lost my Google's in that whole fiasco and probably looked really silly. Been trying to find people to dive with but it's not so easy.

 

[echris50]

Are you diving off a large rock, sandy beach or rocky beach? In general I like to get my fins/mask on ASAP


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[noob_spearo]

Are you diving off a large rock, sandy beach or rocky beach? In general I like to get my fins/mask on ASAP


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So today what I did was get in close to a Rock where the water was calm enough to get my fins on. I don't have a lanyard on my gun so there was my first mistake. I kicked like hell and got past the waves but visibility was shit and I was pooped, so after shooting my gun for the first time and practicing reloading it I headed back...

Now the way I came in I was not confident I would not end up on the rocks so I chose an area of the beach that didn't look too bad - well "dusnt look too bad" gave me a good walloping close to shore, ripped off and stole my mask, and spat me out on the beach wetsuit full of sand in front of all the families.

Luckily I held onto my gun but I'm sure I need a better way to do this. Shore diving is hard with the waves. Ideally I would like to go out to the kelp beds on a boat... Maybe I should invest in a seadoo or something...

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[Selenium]

Hey pal,

Do not feel embarrassed, this is part of the learning curve! Your pride might be a bit battered but those people will forget about it before you know it yet you will always remember how the sea looked yesterday and what you should/shouldn't do.
My advice is that you stay on the safe side... don't let the desire to do something cloud your judgement.. I know it happened to me a few times but it can really get us in trouble... my advice is... if you don't feel 100% confident... leave it for another day... what's the point to try and get past the huge surf? The chances are that the visibility is bad due to the large water mass movement anyway... unless you have a good rocky spot way beoind the surf
Have fun... and get yourself a better mask now lol

 

[noob_spearo]

Yes, every time I go out I learn something new... Just getting to the hunting ground is the tough part! Im going to invest in some kind of board to strap my gear to so I can paddle out to the kelp beds

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[Mr. X]

...I lost my Google's in that whole fiasco ....

Lost your "googles", sounds painful
Hopefully you are using a mask, rather than goggles (googles?).

I usually try to avoid entries with significant waves. If that is what you are dealing with, you might try to get hold of Len Jones's spearfishing booklet (from Rob Allen in South Africa or one of his international resellers) - he has a technique/system/process for surf entries. If I recall correctly(?), it involved wearing your fins & mask but your fins are additionally secured to ankles and you hold your mask on your face. He also has his dive float secured between the rubbers and the handle-clip of his speargun (presumably a Rob Allen railgun). His float-line is wrapped on a line winder and attached, one end to the speargun and the other end to the float. This is just a partial description though, he has sketches and other advice on surf entry (& kayak fishing, etc.).

http://www.divefactory.co.za/product/books-and-dvds/guide-to-spearfishing-len-jones/
https://www.floridafreedivers.com/florida-freedivers-the-guide-to-spearfishing-by-le.html

 

[Selenium]

That's an answer and a half !

 

[noob_spearo]

Lost your "googles", sounds painful
Hopefully you are using a mask, rather than goggles (googles?).

I usually try to avoid entries with significant waves. If that is what you are dealing with, you might try to get hold of Len Jones's spearfishing booklet (from Rob Allen in South Africa or one of his international resellers) - he has a technique/system/process for surf entries. If I recall correctly(?), it involved wearing your fins & mask but your fins are additionally secured to ankles and you hold your mask on your face. He also has his dive float secured between the rubbers and the handle-clip of his speargun (presumably a Rob Allen railgun). His float-line is wrapped on a line winder and attached, one end to the speargun and the other end to the float. This is just a partial description though, he has sketches and other advice on surf entry (& kayak fishing, etc.).

http://www.divefactory.co.za/product/books-and-dvds/guide-to-spearfishing-len-jones/
https://www.floridafreedivers.com/florida-freedivers-the-guide-to-spearfishing-by-le.html

I'm definitely going to get ahold of those books.

One question though, I have about a 3/4 mile to swim to get to the kelp beds where all the good fishing is. Is that considered a "short" swim and are my freediving fins good for that?

Maybe I just need to get in the pool and practice... Ocean too... By the time I get past 50 meters or so past the waves I am pooped!

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[landshark sa]

I think your trepidations about shore diving in big swell is absolutely valid. I've seen some really bad accidents when spearos get worked in the surf zone - putting sharp objects and humans together in a spin cycle are bound to cause some injuries and lost kit.

In saying that, although I've a had a few close calls, I think it's possible to get out and back without too much risk.

Going out in a running swell is all about timing and finding the correct spot to enter. What I do is when arriving at a area, even before kitting up, is take some time to sit check out the area and try to find the best entry spots and also a pattern to the swell.

Look for sheltered bays, gullies, rip currents and eddies. Sometimes difficult to spot in a beach break scenario but they are there and walking up and down the beach and studying the surroundings can reveal these areas. If used correctly a rip current can get you out beyond the surf zone with minimal energy expenditure. However, trying to come back in the same rip can get you suck in the surf impact zone and make exiting virtually impossible, so use the natural features to your advantage.

Time the lulls in the swell. When surfing, if I get to the backline without getting my hair wet I know I timed it well and took the correct path out as I didn't have to duck-dive any waves. I try and do the same type of thing when diving. Count the sets and get an idea of how many waves in a set and which waves in the set are the biggest. This will give you and idea of when to enter the water and go for it. Look at where the waves peak and break and plan a path around the heavy impact areas. When duck-diving a wave try and go as deep and close to the bottom as possible, the closer to the bottom the less turbulent the water.

When coming out, again, get your timing right - wait for a lull in the swell. Look for the area on the beach you identified as a good spot to exit and assess if it still is. Conditions change and an area which looked good before may now be hazardous after a long dive. Once you've made up your mind to go out and you do get caught in a big set turn around, face the waves and duck-dive the waves until you see a long enough lull in order to continue then turn and make your way back. If you do get nailed by a big wave the best thing is to relax and go with the flow, trying to fight it will just waste energy. Try and stay as relaxed as possible in the surf zone. For sure there are some rare occasions when one is required to sprint but in general keep the heart rate down, pushing your body into the red will make recuperation to deal with another set very difficult.

A buddy of mine got impaled while kitting on the shore and wave pushed him onto his spear gun. So when entering and exiting keep track of your spear point and make sure its pointing a safe direction. Also if you find yourself in a sticky situation there is no shame in discarding kit in favour of staying safe. I consider all my kit as consumables and have no problem leaving a gun behind or dropping a weight belt.

I know it can be hard to take a half an hour to chill when you can see your planned dive area is looking epic with birds working and bait fish busting the surface but getting a feel for what's happing will not just give a better idea of how to navigate the surf zone but also put you mind at ease making the whole dive more relaxed.

Lastly, listen to your inner voice, if there is something telling you that it just doesn't look safe to enter, don't. Come back another day when things are looking better.

 

[Mr. X]

..there is no shame in discarding kit in favour of staying safe. I consider all my kit as consumables...

Sad but true. That is why I consider cheapness/affordability/value a key feature for spearfishing gear. Would hate to loose either of my carbon fibre Omer XXVs tho'; they were a bargain when I bought them (from Italy) but would likely be difficult and/or expensive to replace now. I clip my speargun to my float-line which reduces loss scenarios considerably.

 

[Pinniped72]

The best bit of advice given above is, in my opinion, "Listen to your inner voice". I ignored mine once and almost didn't get out............ and that was bodyboarding! I was being tumbled in the washing machine whilst being smashed into a sea wall by white horses and now and again the sea was trying to drag me out by my ankles. I was lucky and timed a big wave that literally spat me out, up some steps in the wall and over the edge. I felt so lucky that day, it really could have been my last day in the sea but it taught me to really................really, listen to my inner voice! Great advice given by all above. Stay safe and dive another day

Edited to say, stay in shape, it will help you if you get in trouble