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Unread 11/30/2010, 04:29 PM   #1
CoRPS
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OT: Wanna get into spearfishing.

So, my boat is done. I've been fishing my whole life but.. Never went spearfishing before, and I think it's time to start that! Anyone here have any experience? Any good reading material? What are the different style guns and how do I go about choosing one for my specific needs?

Obviously in the beginning I'm going to be shooting stuff like snappers and small grouper. However, I want to eventually get into the bluewater and start shooting dolphin and kings.

Furthermore, does anyone have any equipment for sale?!




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Unread 11/30/2010, 04:41 PM   #2
Elan L.
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Ive been getting into spearfishing too! i usually go off beaches with some friends on weekends, a little to cold right now.. Hopefully we'll get to deaper water off of kayaks as we work on our freediving. One of my friends took a freediving course and improved his static time insanely and can go much deeper.

No guns tho, just sling and pole!!


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Unread 11/30/2010, 04:59 PM   #3
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visit www.spearboard.com theres alot of good info on there. As far as guns go, it really depends how much you want to spend. If your going to be starting off freediving shallow reefs buy something on the smaller end. I own a JBL magnum for reef shooting that I love (although it has mixed reviews). Like I said, it really comes down to price range. And ive heard great things about a few freediving classes in Ft. Lauderdale though they are kind of pricey.

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Unread 11/30/2010, 09:01 PM   #4
ReeferChris
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Actually the reason i got into reef aquariums was because of fishing/spearfishing. Ive been fishing since i was old enough to hold a rod. and have been spearfishing ever since i was allowed to. Best advice i can give you is dont go and buy a bunch of equipment take it slow just like our aquariums. All of the equipment will add up. And just like aquariums its better to wait a bit and buy something that is worth it rather than trying to save some money. I see you live in Perrine. If you need to go to a dive shop the only place i go to is Austins dive shop. Great people to deal with, they will not sell you something that they believe you will not need. And when i've had issues with any of the equipment they have been there and have gone well out of there way to help me out.

Ok so different type of guns?
-Band guns and pneumatics
-Its personnel choice, i prefer band guns. Why? because if a band where to break while diving (I've never had this happen unless the band was very old and needed replacing) you can just swap it out and bam good as new. Also you can add or decrease the band length and strength to better suit your needs. With pneumatics if it breaks while you out, thats it your done for the day. Although as long as you take care of you equipment this shouldn't happen, but there is always the possibility.

-Within band guns you have two main types aluminum barrels and wooden guns. Again personnel choice. Myself, i have a wooden gun (riffe to be exact) the reason for wood (actually teak) is when you shoot the gun the shaft will not make noise which would occur with an aluminum gun, also with wooden or teak guns when they scratch you can refinish them which you should do anyways about once a year to keep the wood from getting bad and also you basically end up with a brand new gun. With an aluminum gun once it scratches it done, all gun no matter what they are made of will get scratched eventually. If you want to get really into it there is hybrid combination of wood and aluminum and even carbon fiber. Or there are actually complete carbon fiber barrels.

Also with band guns there is also closed muzzles and open muzzles. My preference is open muzzle. This is hard to explain, but here goes lol. With a close muzzle, the muzzle (the front of the gun has an enclosed ring where the shaft has to be fed through before locking into the trigger mech. With an open you can just load the shaft into the trigger mech and the line attaching the shaft and gun hold the shaft in place until you shoot.

As for Blue water, yea it cool, and everything is blue, lol. Yea for this i have a Rob allen i think 130 cm (don't quote me there not sure). I'm like 5'7" and the gun itself is about my size, with the shaft loaded its taller than me lol. My advice is get into shallow or reed spearfishing. Smaller gun, easier to load, easier to maneuver when tracking fish (believe me the blue water gun is not that easy to maneuver). Then once you feel that you have a hang of it then jump into blue water.

Some other equipment you may want to look into are:

I saw you stated that you have a boat so i might just be repeating stuff you know but just incase.

-Fins - do you need freediving fins? no, but they are pretty cool and once you start diving deeper you will like them. in the beginning not needed, ordinary fins will do

-A good mask - get a good mask. a good mask is one that fits well. Basically put it on your face and suck in through your nose, if you notice that there is an air leak then water will get in. Also make sure its comfortable, after having it on for a while they get annoying.

-Snorkel - don't waste your time with the dry snorkel, just get your regular old snorkel, having the little blow off valve is an added bonus but not needed.

-booties and gloves - fins will hurt your feet esp free diving fins, and fire coral hurts like, well you know lol.

- most importantly a dive KNIFE, i can't stress this enough.

Hopefully i didn't overwhelm you here (wow i just wrote a lot), but just take it easy and before you know it you will have another money hungry hobby lol.

If you have any questions about which brands are good which are bad or anything feel free to pm or ask right on here. Have fun and remember NEVER DIVE ALONE, and if a shark grabs your catch let him have it lol


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Unread 11/30/2010, 10:20 PM   #5
Rogger Castells
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nice info


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Unread 11/30/2010, 11:18 PM   #6
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I have been spearfishing for a long time now, freediving 90ft+.

Definitely check out spearboard, a lot of good information on there. I'm on there, same name. "Keyskid"

For a good beginner gun I would go with a railgun, definitely don't get a AB Biller, JBL, or anything along those lines. Not worth it, they really don't shoot good at all, waste of money.

Railguns are good guns that wont cost too much. Some good companies for Railguns are Mako, Rob Allen, OMER, Hammerhead and Rabitech.

But if your looking into getting a wood gun then Riffe makes good guns, but they are also very costly. IMO, I have two Riffes and they really aren't worth the money, they are good, but railguns are just as good for a lot less.

Like stated above, There are also very costly guns called Hybrids, which are a combo between teak wood and carbon fiber. Definitely not suggesting it for someone starting out considering they are VERY costly. But I have one and it is very nice. Daryl Wong makes them completely by hand. He paints each gun to whatever color or camo you want, and also puts whatever you want on the gun, such as your name, nickname or whatever. He will also carve whatever fish or whatever you want onto the gun as well. They are very nice. Check out his website just to see.

Best thing I would say to do is getting a used gun on Spearboard. The guys on there will definitely get you good deals.

It all depends on the vis (visibility) and depth of where you are going to be diving for how big of a gun you should get. A good sized gun for snappers and small groupers is 90-110cm, but for bluewater I would suggest at least a 120-130cm gun. Even when I go on the reef from 50-90ft freediving, I use my 130cm Mako.

As for other gear, The best mask out there, is the one that fits your face the best. Don't get a mask for its name, try some mask out at your LDS and see which fits best. Its also better to have a lower profile mask if your going to get into deeper freediving.

For fins, If your looking to get a good beginner pair of freediving fins I would go with the Cressi Gara 3000s. I have used them for years and they are great fins, very durable. Now I use carbon fiber fins, they are very nice, but not near as durable as the 3000s. If your going to be staying shallow for now though, you really don't need any freediving long fins. Just make sure you don't get too heavy of fins, or split fins.

Just go with a normal J-snorkel, you really don't need any valves, just un-necessary. Even when taking a professional freediving course, they will tell you that no valve is better. Keep it simple.

Definitely get a good pair of gloves, hammerhead and akona makes good pairs. Dive socks are a must with fins, wont be long before you get blisters all over your feet without them. Just make sure you don't get too thick of a pair so they can fit in your fins.

Knife is a must. Most knifes out there will attach right to your leg with a holster. There are a lot of companies that make knives, and most will just rust out or get lost, so don't spend a fortune on one. Can't even count how many knives I have lost.

If your going to get a wetsuit, For Florida during the winter I would go with a 3mm. And if your going to use a wetsuit then you will definitely need a weightbelt. Without weight with a wetsuit on, you will float like a buoy.

If you have any other questions just PM me.


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Unread 12/01/2010, 01:05 AM   #7
goingsalt
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might want to check out FWC for spearing rules and regs ...


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Unread 12/01/2010, 08:27 AM   #8
Ludwigia73
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Watch craigslist... I got mine after 2 weeks of hunting... It's a 40" (I believe) teak gun, name brand, although I can't remember the name, for $150. It was a great deal, has 4 bands (1 spare on the gun), and the bands are an enormous amount of pull. Still haven't shot it, hoping to soon. I've been in the water twice with guns, just never shot anything yet. (nothing worth shooting those 2 trips, ended up just getting lobster.)
Let me know when you go, I'd love to get wet again.


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Unread 12/01/2010, 10:52 AM   #9
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Goingsalt brought up a good point. Check out the rules and reg for where you are going to be spearing. In all the years I've spent on the water, i have never been able to get one officer to tell me clearly what are the rules, or even where i can find a chart that has a clearly drawn line as to were its ok and were its not. Basically my understanding is that inside the bay no, outside ok unless its designated as a marine preserve or something. Also remember you need a dive flag on the boat its a bigger flag than the one that people usually swim around with. And just because you have a flag don't assume that other boaters will not go near you. Half of the boaters in miami just bought a boat and have no idea what they are doing. Be aware of the boats around you while spearing


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Unread 12/01/2010, 03:54 PM   #10
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Really good info here.

you CAN spear inside the bay, no bugging though.


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Unread 12/01/2010, 07:51 PM   #11
clayspst
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i though in the state of FL, you can only spearfish 3nm off-shore


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Unread 12/01/2010, 08:50 PM   #12
KeysKid
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clayspst View Post
i though in the state of FL, you can only spearfish 3nm off-shore
I really only know of the regs for here in the keys, because thats where I spearfish. But I know if your off of key largo you have to be 3nm, but if your any south of long key bridge which includes marathon, big pine, key west, etc then you don't have to be 3nm off. You just cant dive under public fishing piers or fishing bridges.


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Unread 12/01/2010, 09:53 PM   #13
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Ive been spearfishing for the last 10 years mostly in Key Largo/Tavernier and a little bit out of Homestead. I agree with most about whats been said about gear but ill throw my 2 cents in

masks: read above, find the one that fits your face best

snorkels: get a plain old J snorkel without any of the anti-splash guards or whatever on top, IMO they are a gimmick

wetsuits: 3mm is good enough for florida winters, theres alot of personal preference on these regarding 1 or 2 piece and different materials and inner/outer linings so best bet is to read as much as you can then try on a few at the dive shop. personally i prefer 2 piece because you can take off the lower half (the farmer john pants) if its not cold enough to need them but cold enough that you wont overheat with the upper half (the jacket)

weight belt: invest in a rubber belt with stainless steel buckle, the cheap nylon ones will constantly slide off your waist and are very uncomfortable. as far as the amount of weight to use, start low to get use to the weight then add weight as you get comfortable using the belt probably over the course of a few trips. I believe the rule of thumb is you want to adjust the weight so that you are neutrally buoyant at 15 feet. Im 160 lbs and im guessing 15-20% body fat, I wear 4 lbs in the summer and with a wetsuit I will add 2-3 lbs

Fins: Start with some cheap scuba fins or whatever you buy off craigslist/yard sale/not retail...upgrade to plastic longfins after a couple of months. I would recommend Cressis or Omer Stingrays. Ive had an my Omer Millenium Competitions for like 6 years and have gone to 80 feet with them, better divers can take plastic blades down to 100+ feet. Plastic blades can also take more of a beating compared to fiberglass/composites/carbon/kevlar blades

Guns: Ive been using a Rob Allen Railgun 110cm for the past 8 years and its an excellent size for diving on the reefs here in Florida. It has shot everything up to a 35lb Kingfish and other people have used similar sized guns to shoot fish that weigh double that. IMO start out with a 90-100cm railgun from any of the brands Keyskid listed, they should last you years and years. Also invest in a float line and float so that other divers and boats know where you are, then with more experience you can consider using a reel.

Some other notes, become familiar with the rules and regulations and use them as a bare minimum for what you can shoot but dont try to shoot every fish you see thats just bigger than the minimum, you really wont get much meat at all from them anyways. In addition, you will inevitably shoot fish that will be undersized in the process. Always dive with someone else that is similiar to or better than you in skill and experience. Spearfishing is more of a relaxed activity than say team sports like basketball and football, self control is very important when the s*#t hits the fan, a big fish is rocked up, sharks show up, you gets tangled with a line, etc....be careful and take it slow, experience is the best thing you can have. Read up on spearboard as much as you can, I read it all the time and its pretty much the equivalent of what reefcentral is to aquariums. There are freediving classes for beginners up to the competitive level. I havent taken any yet but I have nothing but great reviews. They are very safety oriented and will teach you warmups, excercises, breathing and finning technique, etc.. I think for the beginner course they will let you dive to ~60 ft and intermediate ~130ft. I plan on taking an Intermediate class next year. Check out Performance Freediving and Freediving Instructors International for the classes.

Ummm...thats about it for now, good luck and enjoy the ride


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Unread 12/02/2010, 09:29 AM   #14
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Lemme first off by saying thank you for the wealth of information. I've also been lurking on spearboard for a couple of days now. When I get some time I'll post a more lengthy response, on my way out the door now. Just wanted to make sure you guys know I appreciate your help!

Edit: Going out on the boat today, too bad it's just a quick trip out. Day after a coldfront? Winds out of the NNW? Sounds like sailfish heaven.


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Unread 12/02/2010, 12:10 PM   #15
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Not sure where ur from...... but florida free divers is located in north palm beach and they are strickly free diving and spear fishing shop. They have a huge selections of guns Riffe, AB biller, rob allen and more they stock all the sizes. Also all the good masks and free diving fins.Awesome people, family ran and all personally into free diving. I would recommend checking them out to see what is out there. I personally use them to make my bands for my riffe and my shot cords. They also have all the shafts...hint when u F*ck up a shaft!! In my expirence keep it simple. I use a wood 3 band Riffe about 6 foot with shaft loaded. I love this gun due to the trigger being so quiet underwater. Other guns will click and make noise. Riffes are very qiuet and durable. The money is well worth it. I would see what you feel comfortable with as to the size of the gun. Time to shoot some Cobia!!!! Winter is here!!!!


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Unread 12/02/2010, 06:44 PM   #16
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Dude, Sunday would be a great day to go out for Spanish Mackerel... I've gotten pretty good at finding them (fishing, not spearing). If you'd like to go, I help pay for bait and gas, I'm on time every time, and I help clean the boat afterwards. I have lots of gear, let me know.


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Unread 12/02/2010, 06:44 PM   #17
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Oh, and you say your boat is done. What do you have?


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Unread 12/02/2010, 07:11 PM   #18
CoRPS
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1989 Seacraft 21' w/Yamaha 150 4-stroke. Should have gone w/a 200hp but, oh well.

Taken today:


Also in the process of restoring a 1993 Rampage Express 33'. Going to look amazing when it's done.




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Unread 12/02/2010, 09:34 PM   #19
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Sorry, 20'... Not sure why I typed 21.


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Unread 12/02/2010, 10:23 PM   #20
Elan L.
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dang nice boats man!


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Unread 12/02/2010, 11:16 PM   #21
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Thanks bud! The Rampage is going to be a while before it's done. Needs lots of $ to be invested into it, but it will all be worth it in the end.


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Unread 12/03/2010, 09:03 AM   #22
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Dude, I think 150 hp is perfect. Only thing 200 will do for you is increase your speed over flat water, you'll have to dial it back on choppy seas. 150 will save you money in repairs, and also fuel consumption, now that gas is approaching $20 a gallon! (LOL). NOW what you need is someone who'll help pay for gas (I wonder who that is, hint hint wink wink)


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Unread 12/03/2010, 08:24 PM   #23
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The seacraft would be a great boat for spearing. The 200hp i think would add to much weight to the back and mess around with the ride. If your looking at better fuel and speed look into changing your prop out for a different one it could really make a difference, but get someone that nows what they are doing, seen a few people mess up there engines when they think they know what they are doing. Then again they probably ran Verados so that would explain why lol, j/k. But yea yamaha ftw, only engines my family has ever run or at least since I've been born lol. Just keep up on your maintenance and you could drive around the world twice, oh and if you use gas from the gas stations run some type of fuel additive because of the ethanol, although you've been fishing forever so you probably now this and i look like a fool now lol.

Keep us updated on your adventure into another expensive hobby. Oh yea this cold front is going to be nice for sails this weekend, haven't checked to see how the weather is going to be yet.


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