Spearing on SCUBA basics

[inquis]

so when they surface it’s not 300-400yds away

Deploy a DSMB before the safety stop is the typical routine for drift diving from a boat.

 

[BoltSnap]

PPD mounted on the speargun

What's a "PPD"?

a light attached to the speargun

Are there lights and light holders made to be attached to the speargun or is it a DIY?

 

[Belzelbub]

What's a "PPD"?

Personal Protection Device. In old school terms a powerhead. In a different configuration a bang stick.
The type I use are a slip on device. It's basically a hollowed cylinder with a chamber to hold a bullet cartridge.

Depending on where you are in the water (distance from land) it may be illegal to use to harvest fish, but some of the commercial spearfishermen do use them legally to harvest fish.

For most recreational hunters, it's a safety device, and really as a last resort. It's for when a shark is way too aggressive and all other efforts to deter them have failed. The PPD slips onto the end of the spear (some thread on) and would be fired at a shark if absolutely necessary. The slip-on type works by having the spear tip function as the firing pin. Spear with PPD is fired and upon impact the PPD stops and spear hits the primer on the bullet. This sends the bullet into the fish along with expanding gases. The expanding gases is what does the most damage.

Are there lights and light holders made to be attached to the speargun or is it a DIY?

Lights are standard for the most part, but there are light holders made to attach to the speargun.

My speargun is an Ocean Rhino RX5 with Kill Package. The Kill Package includes a couple of extra spikes made primarily for dispatching speared fish quickly and humanely. One is near the handle and removable, one is at the muzzle and fixed. Most diveshops carrying Ocean Rhino gear also sell a little piece of plastic with 3 or 4 holes. You can see them here: Speargun Lights | Ocean Rhino near the bottom.

Essentially, the hole near the front slides over the spike at the muzzle, and the camera is secured by the zip ties. I've used this and it works, but more recently switched to what is described in the thread below. This one is more DIY, but with some off the shelf components. It works real well, and should work for just about any wood speargun provided you have a spot to mount the rail.

Picatinny Rail Flash Light Quick Disconnect for Speargun

Anyone ever add a picatinny rail to their speargun? With Magpul's MLOK rail creation we now see glass reinforced polymer adapters in various lengths that scream to me that they should be mounted to a speargun. So my current flash light setup is just a block of PVC with 3 holes. One for the kill...

scubaboard.com

 

[homerdoc]

Dumb question....I didnt think you could "spear" lobsters. Any I have gotten are with a hand grab.

Edit as a dummy misread the post.....

 

[johndiver999]

If you are drifting and have a good operator on the chase boat, then you always tow a float and you can send fish up on a small smb which has a pressure release valve.

If you are anchored, then you must carry dead fish. I would use a bag rather than a stringer, a stringer in some places would be a huge issue.

Most people use a lobster noose for florida lobster. You need a good light, good gloves and a lobster hotel type of bag if diving Stuart or South. North you may find larger lobsters and might want a different larger opening bag.

I recommend having a pony bottle because you may get separated from buddy.

The size of the speargun depends on visibility.

You may also want to carry a pole spear and a lobster hotel if you are going for lionfish. If you have a floatline and float to pull and a speargun and a lobster looper and pole spear and a lobster bag and a lionfish container and a light... That is probably too much to carry when starting. Generally it is better to decide if you are spearfishing with a speargun or are going for lobsters - especaily for a few years.

In many locations on the east coast you would be unwise to use a stringer. A catch bag maybe, stringer no. It ain't like the gulf of mexico. LOL

 

[SubseaSports]

For most I'm familiar with, the boat operator follows the bubbles. I would say it would be the same as a regular drift dive in the area. If they use a float, I guess it's an option, but it sounds like it could be an entanglement hazard. Definitely if you add lineshafting to the mix.

I've just never seen it done. Never seen it in the Keys or Gulfcoast. It might be done on the east coast, but I don't recall seeing it in any videos I've seen of that area.

My experience in N Broward drift dive charters is you pull a float/buoy. Yes it complicates things but is doable. The most sketchy way to do it is using [can't remember product name] a rope connected to your valve...a float about 3' down the rope and your reel zip tied to the other end. The zip tie is a 'breakaway' point.
I would never use this. Others love it. I simply clipped my reel to my hip. I occasionally switch sides depending on the direction I am going. While cruising, tension is easy to adjust if you have the right reel .
Not if, but when you here an a*hole on plane approaching your personal boat racing pylon, unclip and hold until drama is over. Carrying two conveniently mounted cutting tools is critical here lol.

@johndiver999 has good advise in his post. I use a bag, not a stringer. Also, I roll with an inverted backmount bailout. Being self reliant is important as you will inevitably be separated from your buddy/group.

I do have plans in the near future to venture to the Gulf side for the first time and always eager to learn how the local crew does it.

 

[100days-a-year]

Watch videos of some of the better spearfishers in the area on the utubular. The internet is full of questionable advice on just about every topic. Watching someone do it well on video is often the best explanation.

 

[Belzelbub]

Watch videos of some of the better spearfishers in the area on the utubular.

Excellent advice. This is also a great way to improve fish ID. All of the fish identification guides I’ve ever encountered show the fish topside. They are primarily geared towards hook and line fishing. The fish look a lot different at depth.

 

[PBcatfish]

Dumb question....I didnt think you could "spear" lobsters. Any I have gotten are with a hand grab.

Edit as a dummy misread the post.....

You can spear lobsters in the Bahamas, but not in Florida. I don't know about other places.