New here and don't know much!

[Colby193]

Hi, I'm Colby. I'm completely new to spearfishing but eagerly wanting to start.

I live in Cornwall so I have the sea all around me and I thought I'd take advantage of that now.

Anyway, as a christmas present, I'm able to get some spearfishing gear this thursday.
I'm unsure of what I'm meant to be buying so if anyone has any advice, it's much appreciated.

I've been reading and watching videos and it seems the best way to learn is from experience?

Anyway I'm not sure of what I'm meant to be buying but here is a list of what I'll be buying thursday:

-Speargun (Cressi Apache 60cm £48 or something similar)
-A winter wetsuit. £100ish
-Snorkel £14
-Mask and soft strap cover £30
-Fins £30 (Strap of full foot?)
-Gloves £15 (3-5mm)
-Socks £15 (3-5mm)
-Buoy £23 (Double Skin) if needed?

I was thinking of getting all of that ^ for now. I'm unsure on the fins though, basically what type, strap or open foot and why? And is a buoy needed if I'm staying near the shore? I also don't plan on going underwater yet, just snorkelling as I want to get used to it. Unless you say differently. I spent a bit of summer snorkelling and saw a few big fish that looked worth eating.

After I get all that, I will eventually get:

-Hood £18
-Fish Keeper £10
-Knife £22
-Weight Belt £10
-Weights £6.50 per KG
-Torch £39
-Crab/Lobster Hook £13
-Pole Spear £30

I'm unsure of how you're meant to know how many weights you should apply to achieve neutral buoyancy. Anyone? :L Also, I read that you should never go alone. Is this true? I was planning on going in with someone or at least, someone stood on shore.

To sum up, I plan on doing some recreational spearfishing/snorkelling/freediving a bit this winter and getting more serious towards easter/summer. I don't know much but I want to learn and any information or links would be great! Sorry for the long post! Thanks.

 

[BatRay]

Welcome, Colby. You're in good company; we have a very active spearo contingent in your neck of the woods. It's true that you shouldn't dive alone. It's a good rule of thumb. A freediving course would teach you a lot of the basics about safety, breath-hold, proper weighting, and so forth. The amount of weight you need depends on your wetsuit as well as your body composition, plus your target depth.

Really, your best bet would be to find some locals who share your interest. I recommend that you check out our International Buddy & Trip Networks, then look at the UK & Ireland section. There's a very healthy thread in there regarding Cornwall. That thread would provide you with some good info on that area, and you may be able to find a local person to talk to or even show you the ropes.

Also, a keyword search or just a browse through the Beginner section will yield a lot of information. Welcome to Deeperblue, and I hope you enjoy the site

 

[Colby193]

Thanks for the reply. After posting I actually found a lot of good information here and elsewhere and had a good read on safety and SWB. Thanks again!

 

[scallywag]

Right then, where Do we start.
Wetsuit. I take it you've been looking at winter surfing suits?
Ok for a start however propper 2 piece spearfishing suits are the way forward. Try Oceanos suits for a made to measure suit for under £150 delivered. If you do use a surfing suit then you won't last long without a hood!
NEVER dive without a knife. To me this is the No.1 safety must. First time you almost swim into a rogue gill net you'll understand what I mean.
Weight wise off the top of my head I carry around 9-10 kg. (but I may be wrong!) Basicaly you're negating the extra bouyancy from your wetsuit. I use a weight belt with pouches and use lead that has been scrounged then melted down into ingots with old fishing weights stuffed in to fine tune. Weight belts must have a quick release buckle so it can be ditched in an emergency. Speargun wise a 75cm gun is the ideal starting point. From here you can go shorter for low vis/night fishing or longer for good viz longer range. Air powered guns may also be worth a look.
SMB's are a good tool for areas where you are likley to encounter boat traffic or swim any distance but are not strictly needed when tight to shore over rocks. I often dive alone but I never push my limits. If pushing off deeper then always use a buddy.
Spearos tend to use long fins with " foot pockets" but often like me start out with diving fins then move on long fins as they get into the sport.
I wouldn't bother with a pole spear for now but you will need some sort of fish stringer or catch bag.
Torches aren't needed for daytime spearing unless you're rooting around in holes. Crab hooks can be home-made.

Start slowly, keep an eye on the weather (try xc weather) and don't push it. Dive well within yourself and build up slowly.
Learn your fish, Wrass are the most common fish you'll encounter but aren't good eating so please leave alone and target bass, mullet and pollack instead! Get to know the msl for the fish because if you are caught with under size fish you could loose all your gear and even your car!

Hope this helps.

Where abouts in Cornwall are you?

 

[Colby193]

Wow thank you for that information. It's very reassuring!

Okay I will try get a 2 piece if they have them They should do, if not, I'll buy a hood separate at least.

I'll get a a knife. I like my safety. I've been eyeing up a nice apnea sub knife which comes with a free bungee and line set. Not even sure what that is but will probably need it.

With the weight belt, pouches sound good. Looked it up and at least it doesn't limit myself to buying expensive weights. Thanks for that. And quick release will be a definite for me.

Oh right, well the apache guns come in a 75cm. I think I may have struggled with actually pulling the band back on this length. I'll check again but if not, I think I will have to go 60cm. Doubt it though.

Okay thanks for the info on SMBs. Nice to know I don't have to spend loads if it won't go to loads of use at the start.

I looked in to the fins, I will probably go with the fin type you suggested. I do think they do the full foot ones cheaper though.

Pole Spear and torch were mainly just a try out option but in summer. I'm not worried about that for now. I will get the fish keeper then, probably with a buoy so I can hang it there.

I spent a lot of time looking up safety, especially after reading about Shallow Water Blackout. It made me more cautious and wary. :L

From my fishing, I do know a bit about fish and the sizes. Is there a website I can look for the legal sizes? Would it be alright to shoot a few wrass if I eat them? My dad is from HK so we actually do eat them. But I do prefer the fish you listed, but mainly flatties.

Are there any flatties around? My fishing knowledge is only at a novice level with a few random pieces of information. Thanks for the warning though, don't want to lose all my christmas presents. And luckily I don't own a car. :L

That helped a lot and I am feeling much better about buying the gear and starting. I will definitely start out slow. And I like the idea of not pushing yourself if you're alone and only pushing yourself a little if you're with someone. What's XC mean?

I'm in St Ives so I'll just be going wherever I can but probably around the local beaches. I don't actually know any spots so if you or anyone else knows, that would be great. Thanks again.

 

[foxfish]

You will need a proper 5mm spearo or freedive suit.
You will not be very popular with anyone but your father if you shoot wrasse, they are like little fury kittens of the sea!
A 60cm gun has a very short range a very little power, a 75 is a much better choice, loading a 75 or any gun, is about technique not brute strength1
I would suggest you read through the Cornwall thread... http://forums.deeperblue.com/uk-ireland/93523-cornwall-2012-a.html

 

[Colby193]

Cheers for the reply foxfish!

Yeah I plan on getting one, it was said to me by my father that when you dive deeper (e.g. not the surface) the water is a lot colder. So yes, 5mm definetely!

Oh I was not aware of the view on wrasse, I'll avoid them then. Thanks for that tip!

And nagain, I was not aware of the loading technique. I'll have to ask the store owner but 75cm it is!

Okay I'll read that, anything that helps is good.

Thanks for your input, it is much aqppreciated.

 

[scallywag]

I'm not telling you not to take a Wrasse, I know some people like the odd one for a curry or fishcakes, its just there's alot better eating fish out there. You'll also find that Wrasse are actually quite friendly fish and are no sport at all to catch. XC weather is a weather forcast site I use and find pretty reliable.
There should be plenty of flatties around with the most common being flounder and plaice. Populations can be quite localised.

Have fun and any questions just ask.

 

[Colby193]

Well that's fair enough. I've never had one, I just know a few recipes to cook them with. Not in any rush. (Y) Okay thanks for the flattie info! It's good to know information on my favourite eating fish.

I will, looking forward to it! Thanks again!

 

[manalive!]

You will need a proper 5mm spearo or freedive suit.
You will not be very popular with anyone but your father if you shoot wrasse, they are like little fury kittens of the sea!
A 60cm gun has a very short range a very little power, a 75 is a much better choice, loading a 75 or any gun, is about technique not brute strength1

I'll second what Foxfish said, even in relatively warm water wearing something other than a spear/freedive suit you're likely to feel cold after an hour or so. These suits do occasionally come up for sale on ebay, so you could save a few quid there, though fit is very important so this can be a bit of a gamble.

Welcome to the sport, you're asking all of the right questions. Good luck and safe diving.

paul

 

[scallywag]

Don't be put off by trying to pull back a guns' bands in a shop only to be met with stern resistance!
Guns are easier to load in the water and bands will soften a touch with use.
Golden rule, never load a gun out of the water.
Once you've got used to your gun the first upgrade you may want to look at is a Dyneema wishbone. But thats one for the future.

 

[Kuya]

I can understand not complicating things further and leaving the dyneema wishbone for the moment. However as a newcomer myself, before I even fired my gun I upgraded the metal wishbone on my Cressi band gun to dyneema. Here's why...

I kept reading on the forum about having to smooth down the slot heads on the shaft/spear before using a dyneema wishbone - a used shaft with a metal wishbone invariably has sharp edges to the slot heads* which can cut into the dyneema (this is particularly relevant to the Cressi shafts from what I could glean here).
*slot head is probably not the right term!

I don't have to do this on my new shaft/spear as it hasn't been affected by the metal wishbone and the slot edges seem smooth enough to me.

A dyneema wishbone means you are much less likely to scratch up your brand new gun after firing.

More importantly you are less likely to hurt your fingers/hands should the wishbone accidentally catch you when the rubbers are under tension.

The dyneema upgrade is very easy to do and inexpensive - on my gun (Cressi Geronimo Elite) I bought 1.8mm dyneema and some 1.8mm beads. As you are in Cornwall you shouldn't be too far from a chandlers - pm if you want me to send you some beads, I have lots spare!

You mention about the bungee and line. Where a reel isn't used, a line is usually connected to the spear and then to a short length of bungee which is connected to the gun. The bungee helps to tension the line and buffer the force of the attached spear when fired and when you have a fish on the end.

There are various clips which can be used to connect the line to the bungee or it may simply be tied. Using a clip means that the shaft with an unclipped line can be easily passed back through a fish, reducing damage.

Crimps are usually used to secure the line to the spear and to create a loop in the line on the other end which can be clipped onto the bungee. If you use crimps some people will advocate using a proper crimping tool whilst others suggest pliers if you are handy with them - myself, I used a crimping tool for peace of mind.

Given the weather is a bit pants at the moment you may find you have more time to set things up at home before you hit the water. I had to wait a while on a few of the things I ordered. However, the service I got from the shop which you have seen offering the free bungee and line set was fantastic.

 

[foxfish]

Great post mate, it all makes sense....

 

[Dai ASBO]

Hi Colby,

I'm not going to add anything to what has already been written above as am considerably less experienced, but will say that you have been given very sound advice and have come to the right place for it. I was in the same position as you in March this year - COMPLETELY new to the world of Spearfishing. I started with 2 friends and we all made our own decisions as to what kit we wanted / needed to get kitted out to get in the water - I'm pleased to say that I came across similar advice to that you have been given and took it. My mates spent money on gear without much real consideration (I'm the only one with a 2 piece spearfishing wetsuit) and have paid the price by having to spend even more money on extra gear unecessarily. You sound like you have your head screwed on in this respect and fair play to you - and respect further to the guys above who have taken the time to offer you this advice.
I've replaced some gear throughout the year but this has come from experience and discovering what has worked for me - having said that the only purchase I regret at the start was not buying proper long fins (which I now have).
All the best in your venture into the world of spearfishing - I'll be one of many to say you've made a damn good choice!! Be safe, be responsible and enjoy every minute.

 

[Colby193]

Yeah not fancying the gamble but all my gear I'm getting tomorrow is coming as different presents from different people. So I will get a proper suit if the price isn't ridiculous. Thanks for the welcome Paul!

Alright cheers scallywag, I definitely will get a 75cm regardless. I read a bit more in to lengths today so I think it's a good idea. And yeah, I saw that rule before and I agree! I heard they can reach 40ft + out of water. I don't fancy doing that ever so I'll keep to it.

I'll have a look in to it Kuya, I have to be honest, not being familiar with spearguns at all, I'm a little unsure about your info but I will definitely look in to it as it sounds good. But thanks for the information on the bungee and line set, I had forgotten to look in to it. And it's good to know the site I plan on buying a few things from has good service!

And thank you, Dai, it's nice to hear experience from a newer spearfisher.

Thanks for all the help everyone, I should know what to buy tomorrow!

 

[Kuya]

Colby, I had a think about this thread again and forget to mention that there is a right and wrong way to take off a wetsuit designed for spearfishing.

It would be a shame if you damaged your wetsuit before you had a chance to use it!

The inside of a spearfishing suit is open cell neoprene. This looks more like a soft flexible foam and its easy to nick or tear it if you don't put on/take off your suit properly. The basic rule is don't grab this part of the suit when you put it on or take it off.

Rather than explain the right way here, there are a couple of YouTube videos which show you how to do it.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bn8AbypfxY]Put on a spearfishing wetsuit - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jb9iv439_8]Taking off a spearfishing wetsuit - YouTube[/ame]

Also, as you may know/have read, people often put a mixture of water and hair conditioner or shampoo or shower gel to wet the inside of the suit first. This makes the open cell neoprene more slippy against the skin making it easier to take the suit on and off.

 

[Colby193]

Ah thanks for that piece of information. Unfortunately the shop didn't have any spearfishing suits in my size so I ended up getting a Cressi wetsuit. Pretty nice though, got some padding and was on sale. I watched the videos anyway since I will get one probably next year. Unfortunately I noticed today that they have them online but I don't know what the fit would be like. Well I've gotten everything now so I'm eagerly awaiting to go in soon.

 

[bela]

Damn i wish someon would reply to my thread lol. Im new here too .
http://forums.deeperblue.com/introductions-greets/96652-hello-lake-constance.html