Storing spearo gear for the winter?

[Mr. X]

I am hoping to dive a few more times before winter sets in really cold (we have had several hard frost & 3 nights with snow -- but sea has stayed relatively warm so far). However, I am wondering about how to store my gear through the coldest part of the winter. Should I keep it indoors in the warm (or porch/utility) or locked up in outdoor storage (shed/garage/porch/...)?

I am particularly concerned about the rubber & silicone stuff. Will they be damaged by frost? I seem to recall somebody suggesting freezing rubber bands to stop them deteriating -- so maybe frost is good?! Also, I have notice quite a lot of whitening on my bands ... presumably oxidition and/or stretch marks; is there anything I should do for these e.g. silicone spray. My fins came covered in some slippery goop which I assume was some kind of silicon oil to keep the rubber looking fresh and new -- is this something worth using?

 

[apnearevOlution]

just put it in your room like i do..

and if u got a 7mm wetsuit u should be able to dive for a half hour or so if u can tolerate the cold.

 

[Huan]

I wash my suit in the machine on cold cycle with a very small amount of detergent, you may need to do a wash for the top and bottom seperately if you do not have a big machine.
Dry inside out first and then normal side out.
Soak and wash all other items in fresh water then dry slowly in the shade, same as the suit.
I put silicone grease on my knife blades and disassemble the cassette of the Spearguns and wipe the sear with a cloth that is covered in silicone grease.
I don't actually apply grease, just enough to stop corrosion but hopefully not enough to attract grit and dirt.
anyway , why are you stopping? Are there not plenty of scallops lying about waiting for you to take them?
Silicone spray is supposed to be good for rubber products but I never bother.
Keep clear silicone from lying in contact with black rubber it will transfer colour to the silicone.

 

[Mr. X]

Thanks Huan. Washing machine though -- I daren't do that to a wetsuit, my previous washing machine (a top loading Whirlpool) would shred clothes from time to time, even jeans. May be the front loader on hand wash would be better but I am not risking it.

I always rinse (or shower) my wetsuit before drip drying, in the shade or in the bathroom. I have never taken the trigger mech out of my gun ... supposedly it does not need maintenance; I take your point about keeping it clean though.

Do you know me Huan -- or are you just reading my mind? I do use clear silicon kit, so thanks for that tip. Also funny you should mention scallops. What made you mention it? I was thinking the same myself -- is this a good time of year for it? I was thinking I might take a look for some scallops. I was also wondering if I might not bother stopping for winter...diving every month of the year might be a cool (figuratively & literally) first year goal.

I was also wondering whether a trip down to S. Devon might be in order.

 

[Groupermadness]

Why stop , i know the waters around us here are warmer than the Atlantic/Irish/channel and North sea but if you have a 7milly why not put it to good use and do a few 1/2 hour in a day dives or longer if you can take it, Just take a huge Thermos full of good old Tea to keep warm.

 

[Mr. X]

Why stop , i know the waters around us here are warmer than the Atlantic/Irish/channel and North sea but if you have a 7milly why not put it to good use and do a few 1/2 hour in a day dives or longer if you can take it, Just take a huge Thermos full of good old Tea to keep warm.

I only have a 5mm -- however it has proved plenty warm enough so far. Also, I recently bought an extra thermos recently, esp. for donning my wettie on colder days. You guys are inspiring me! Thanks

Last time I was out, Nov, I was able to stay out an hour and half, twice, without any problem (except lack of fish ). It is a fair drive to the sea for me (70+ miles) though, so a reasonable temperature & good viz are preferable -- but not essential (the torches are on the way ).

 

[Groupermadness]

Mr X you do have one more option




Move to warmer countries where the seas stay warm forever

 

[nomad1966]

hey dont stop for winter, I still get out now in the northsea in a couple of 3mm suits , still waiting for my new one. Even if ya dont see fish it keeps you in tune with the water an its good for the soul :wave :wave

 

[SEDATE]

Mates

for latex;i use baby powder, how is true i duno!
powdering and covering with a few old paper sheets!

for gun; doing nothing!

for clots; praying the god! cos' rats eating in the pantry!
i always loved cats

 

[Fondueset]

I've been down to 38f (3C) in my 5mm elios - good for 30-60minutes or so. I have to chew raw ginger though to keep the initial face hit from making me nauseaous.

 

[Dobs]

Spent two hours in the water on Saturday in a 7mm suit with 11C water temperature. No problem at all. Only my feet and hands froze due to poor quality socks and gloves. Gloves are 3 mm and are completely useless.
Mr.X, get some decent socks and gloves and you will be ok even with the 5 mm suit. It's the hands and feet that make you feel cold the most. At least that's the case with me.
Cheers!
P.S. And don't be surprised if your face goes numb and the lips blue after a couple of hours in the water

 

[Murat]

I dove with 1.5mm boots and protection gloves last year here in winter when the water temp. was 13 degree celcius. When your feets freeze you don't feel anything later rofl

 

[Mr. X]

hey dont stop for winter, I still get out now in the northsea in a couple of 3mm suits , still waiting for my new one. Even if ya dont see fish it keeps you in tune with the water an its good for the soul :wave :wave

Hi Nomad,
Talk is cheap - how is viz up North? Looks like I will be probably up your way sometime over the Christmas break. I am trying to decide whether I should come equipped to spear (or scallop) -- or bring winter mountaineering/hillwalking gear (or just chocies & booze!). I don't suppose the giant blue fin Tuna have returned to Scarborough?!

 

[Mr. X]

Mr X you do have one more option




Move to warmer countries where the seas stay warm forever

Good idea. Jamaica here I come! (Mozambique?)

I have been abroad for many years, although not to great beach resorts unfortunately. I am happy to be back in the UK, despite the awful weather, high taxes & new big brother police state (cameras everywhere -- awful). It would be nice to live closer to the sea but I like where I live a lot and so don't anticipate moving. Maybe I should get a holiday home (just winding up the Dorset spearos!), caravan or bathing hut near the sea. A bathing hut sold for about 110,000 pounds:duhon the south coast last year -- $192K rofl -- so maybe not. May be I should just find somebody to dive with on the coast...I have some friends that are keen to spear but they already went into hibernation a month or two ago!

 

[Mr. X]

P.S. And don't be surprised if your face goes numb and the lips blue after a couple of hours in the water

:hmm That doesn't sound so encouraging! Better stock up on ginger.

 

[Huan]

I am in the unfortune position of having been out of the water for about 3 months now.
I have been building our house so needs must...
for the last few years I dived every week winter and summer, scallops are in great shape at this time of year.
Mr X I don't know you but nearly every spearo I know has some clear silicone stuff (apart from me)
Don't stop just dive in quality weather.

 

[Mr. X]

I am in the unfortune position of having been out of the water for about 3 months now.
I have been building our house so needs must...
for the last few years I dived every week winter and summer, scallops are in great shape at this time of year.
Mr X I don't know you but nearly every spearo I know has some clear silicone stuff (apart from me)
Don't stop just dive in quality weather.

It was the scallops that most startled me -- that was my plan B, look for scallop bed if I see no fish...which seems likely . That is how I justify making another trip to myself! Returning home with an empty bag is never an option (although handy flotsam & jetsom is all I get sometimes!rofl).

 

[Groupermadness]

Mr X.
Where do you generaly go when you spearfish? i was brought up in the Portsmouth area so i had every type of scenario available(grandad worked in the old dockyard so "access all areas")its a bit murkey inside the harbour but the mouth and haslar area gave an abundance of fish(flatties, pollak, bass, conger,) its a submarine museum now though. and this was around 1975-80, havnt spearfished in the uk since then.

 

[Mr. X]

Mr X.
Where do you generaly go when you spearfish? i was brought up in the Portsmouth area so i had every type of scenario available(grandad worked in the old dockyard so "access all areas")its a bit murkey inside the harbour but the mouth and haslar area gave an abundance of fish(flatties, pollak, bass, conger,) its a submarine museum now though. and this was around 1975-80, havnt spearfished in the uk since then.

Hi GrouperMadness, I am still in my first year of spearfishing, so there is no "generally" really. Most of my spearing was done last year on holiday in Cornwall:inlove. However, the Dorset/Hampshire coast is closest to me. I hope to spend some time in Devon too. I guess I am starting to think of Portland as the center of my spearing Universe -- although that might change, as I have yet to see a fish (other than mackeral & whitebait) down there rofl!

So Portsmouth is worth a look? I haven't visited there yet, perhaps because of sea traffic (I was there the weekend of the Battle of Trafalger celebration recently though -- to see H.M.S. Victory, Warrior & the Mary Rose). Not sure where the submarine museum is -- is it near the Victory? Ah, is this it: http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/ ...cool
http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/general/location.htm

Looks like it is near the SETT tank where DeeperBlue do their free diving courses (I guess it is for submarine rescue). I think, as you imply, much of that area is restricted access.

 

[AndrewD.]

Definately take your rubbers off the gun, spray a light coat of silicone spray, wrap in a freezer bag and store them in the fridge. This was recommended to me by Rob Allen, S. Africa. It practically reduces aging to nothing.