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Ireland spearing 2008

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Hi fearthespear cheers, no filter on the camera its set to u/w mode and the three close ups on macro setting on the camera but i haven,t done anything else with the pics. they were taken in shallow water appx 4-8m and in pretty good vis. I was wondering about a filters but am hoping to get a wide angle lense and mount at some point but its pretty much the same price as the camera and housing again so it will have to wait a while. Flash on the shrimp and crab because they were tucked into a crevice but no flash on the others.
 
We had a good if cold weekend and got all our trainnees through their skills on scuba. Very little fish about I saw one Blenny and one flounder very small and that was it. A small congor way into a hole and not coming out. Some pics attached.

Really nice pictures Fearguss! Hope the weather gets better and fish appear!!!
 
don't have anymore info on that, but i think the guy who made it ashore was irish. i pm'd seamunki, as i believe he is up near there, but haven't got a reply. sad news indeed.
 
Has anyboby had any trouble with the guards in ireland in relation to spearguns?I have asked the local superintendant who deals with firearm licences and he said he does'nt know what the law is.I then asked a few guys from various different dive shops and they had different opinions such as a weapons licence is required/spearguns are totally illegal as they are not seen for sale in dive shops in this country and another guy said they are legal.
I then even looked up government firearms acts and it seems they arent even acknowledged in this country.Just wondering do any of you other irish speero's have the actual written law in writing? and if a guard caught you with a speargun would it be confiscated and you charged with a firearm offence?
 
Hi Bass,
AFAIK the situation is pneumatic speargun requires a gun licence as its classed as such. banded spearguns are kosher as long as (1) your are not in freshwater (2) You are not on scuba or have any scuba gear with you even in your van. There was a case were guys scuba gear was lifted after they collected scallops by freediving but a local reported them to the guards and they couldn't prove they didn't use the scuba gear while collecting scallops so the catch and their gear was confiscated.
For the most part no one passes too much heed as long as the gun isn't being bandied about too much in public.
 
Feargus is dead right. have a few guard friends myself and he says the exact same. he says they probably would confiscate it if you were "acting the mickey with it". other than that banded are ok but pnumatic ARE illegal without a licence.
 
Hi Bass Hunter, I think much of the diving community frown on spearing so advice from dive shops should be taken with a pinch of salt. Anglers will probably tell you it's illegal for obvious reasons
 
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Thanks guys,glad to get that sorted out.I think I'll get a case for my gun so people can't see it when im walking around.
Just out of curiosity what lenght guns do you guys use.Last year I was using my Dads old band gun from the 1970's.Very underpowered,only managed to spear fish close up.Just bought a 75cm single rubber gun,havent used it yet but it looks powerful enough for irish waters.
 
Hi bass hunter :) I'm just across the water to you near Holyhead. a 75 is a good choice mate. A bag is a good idea sometimes, some people can get quite hostile towards us occasionally :(
 
Thanks guys,glad to get that sorted out.I think I'll get a case for my gun so people can't see it when im walking around.
Just out of curiosity what lenght guns do you guys use.Last year I was using my Dads old band gun from the 1970's.Very underpowered,only managed to spear fish close up.Just bought a 75cm single rubber gun,havent used it yet but it looks powerful enough for irish waters.

A 75 should do just fine - especially if you're spearing around Dublin. I haven't come across a situation yet around there where I was wishing for a longer gun. Get in touch if you ever need a buddy - I'm in Rathfarnham and usually looking for an excuse to go spearing/fishing/shooting.
 
Hi all!

First of all, sorry for my pathetic English.

I´m from Asturias, in the north of Spain. I'll go to study in Dublin in September, and I'm very interesting in practise spearfishing and freediving there.

I don't have idea about what kind of equipment I'll need there and I think that's would be much complicated to take my equipment from Spain in the plane.

What can you tell me about spearfishing there? Spaniard, other forum user, tell me that you use only 5 mm wetsuits, really? I thought in 7 or 9 mmm. What is the temperature of the water there?

Thanks to all :)
 
Hi Gendler welcome to db.
There are not any shops in Ireland selling spearfishing gear so you will need to bring or have sent over what you need.There are afew guys from Dublin on this thread. 5mm freediving suit is usually fine,its cold at the moment but will be well warmed up by September and begins to get cool again by November but we are often caught by bad weather before that.
 
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