Hello Everyone,
I'm new to the spearo world. I have been diving with a spear twice. And I can't wait to get in the water again, or to catch my first fish. I'm planning to make a regular trip down to Rocky Point, maybe once a month. I just got back from my first trip a couple weeks ago. Is there anyone here in the Phoenix Valley looking for a Newbie to carry his gear bag or drive a boat?
Can anyone recommend a clear spot to practice diving? On the Salt River, or maybe Saguaro Lake?
Cheers,
Allan
Hi Allan,
Yes, there are free divers in Arizona. El Mar Dive Center in Mesa, Arizona, has a sizable group and is an SSI free diving training center. I suspect El Mar would welcome you into their free diving group. There may be some other dive shops in the Phoenix area that do free diving activities as well.
Lake Pleasant north of Phoenix sees quite a bit of spearfishing activity. El Mar Dive Center actually hosts an annual yellow tail spearfishing tournament in San Carlos, Sonora, every spring. El Mar owns a 'sister dive' shop in San Carlos and runs a large, well-equipped dive boat there. Mexico doesn't allow spearfishing on scuba gear. When El Mar's boat takes spearos out they aren't allowed to have scuba gear on the boat.
The Salt River is a good place to float on an inner tube, but not so good for any kind of diving. Saguaro Lake is essentially a water filled canyon; the drop off is pretty quick and deep. Shallow areas tend to be brackish and home to lots of leeches.
Rocky Point isn't a hot spot for free diving. The water there tends to be really shallow and tidal exchanges can stir things up pretty good. There are some good places to scuba dive in the Rocky Point area. The second largest rookery in the Gulf of California is southeast of Rocky Point, but requires a boat ride to get there. An unfinished port development near town has become a decent artificial reef diving area.
Some of the Phoenix area shops concentrate on promoting trips to southern California. While some of the southern California dive allow hunting, some don't.
El Mar and several dive shops in Tucson run monthly dive trips to San Carlos.
Phil
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