water viz

[Jacky]

Hi everyone, kinda new to this sport as only recently i had brought my first spear fishing package was just wondering waht conditions and what to look for when try to get clear visibility under water thanks alot in advance

 

[Mr. X]

You don't need conditions to be crystal clear, often a little murk helps hide you from the fishes. However, you do need to see beyond the end of your spear, ideally a metre or two or more.

Flat(-ish) seas, low wind and/or wind blowing from shore-to-sea seems to help. No rough seas/storm conditions/heavy rain for 2, 3 or 4 days before hand. That suggests a lot of days in the UK will not be suitable for spearing - which is true - but some areas are more vulnerable to , say, rain or wind from certain directions than others. Bays, harbours, headlands, etc. often have their own micro-climates that are not reflected in BBC weather forecasts. Also, even with the above conditions favourable, you might still encounter poor conditions due to, say, "spring bloom".

So my suggestion would be to avoid obviously adverse conditions but do not wait for perfect conditions, they can be few and far between. If you encounter poor conditions, learn what you can from them.

 

[Deon Strydom]

Hi everyone, kinda new to this sport as only recently i had brought my first spear fishing package was just wondering waht conditions and what to look for when try to get clear visibility under water thanks alot in advance

Hi there.
my suggestion would be , ask the locals from the area you want to go spearing.
For example , I am from SA and where I live..Mossel Bay ..we can 95 % expect good warm water and maximum viz. when the South Easterly has blown. But then again..just 3 Km away with the same wind ..no viz. because the shore faces off differently.You have to know the area and yes..wind that make or brake viz., espeacially the previous night ..plays big role/..you see if the SE blows in between 5 to 10 km p/h for say all night long..it brings the Blue water line right onto shore and pushes the brown water out sideways and away..the SE is a direct on shore wind and brings blue warmer water into our bay. If the opposite wind blew all the the crap from shore / sand/dust/ all other stuff into the first 500 meters of water and that sod takes ages to settle down and clear up. Conditions can change in an instant with strong winds blowing yes .That's why I suggest you ask the locals of that area..especially divers ..( but don't tell them you are spearing if they are Scuba divers..ha ha ) mostly they don't like us a lot.
Then again it might be different where you are at. Good luck and happy spearing.

 

[Jacky]

Thanks alot guys has helped me understand water viz alot better much appreciated