Spearfishing in the Caribbean?

I posted this in the travel forum, but perhaps I'm better served here:

I have a buddy who is an avid spearfisherman (Block Island and NJ... I see someone on this board has resided in both places). Anyway, he just got OW cert and we would like to hit the Caribbean for diving and spearfishing. Where is the best place to dive in the Caribbean that also allows spearfishing? (US Passports). The spearfishing will be done free diving, not Scuba.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Bahamas Crawfish (lobster) season opens August 1st. Free diving only and no pnumatic guns ... Hawaiian sling or pole spear.

Bahamas is not in the Caribbean. Most of those Caribbean islands which have dive resorts do not allow spearfishing. They protect the reefs for dive tourists. Sometimes they allow spearing on the windward (rough) side. Most of my friends who sail the Carribean (leeward islands) say that the place is fished out. I mean, I have freedived off St Thomas and never took a shot. That was many years ago. Maybe you can chat up the Puerto Rico angle or think about taking a trip to Cay Sal Bank. There are fish and lobster to be had off Man O War Cay in the Bahamas. Pole spears only. You know, you are asking about spearfishing rules, regs and availability among a hundred separate countries covering an area the size of the US. Is that a fair and accurate statement?

Deep Blue:

Bahamas Crawfish (lobster) season opens August 1st. Free diving only and no pnumatic guns ... Hawaiian sling or pole spear.

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I may be trying to book an impossible trip... there may not be a place which is good for both diving and spearfishing.

I thought someone who regularly visits this forum may have known of a 'mecca' of some sort... if such a place existed where there was good diving on the leeward side and spearfishing on the windward that a regular visitor to this forum may know of it.

I'm still hoping to find a place... maybe spearfishing is limitted to a specific area of an island.

By the way, Bahammas would work, assuming spear fishing is possible.

You may not be understanding this. There is no mecca, not since the 1950's. Those days are over. The locals in places like Roatan absolutely savage the fish and shellfish resources. Strict regulation apply, to foreigners, at the behest of dive shop and tourist concerns to protect their interests. To the natives, anything goes. It is disgraceful.

Book a trip from Marathon or Key West to a remote area past Cay Sal Bank. I think the place that we used to go was called Anguella. Find a boat operator who allows spearguns. Don't expect air conditioning and complementary cocktails.
Pesky

mattiedread:

I may be trying to book an impossible trip... there may not be a place which is good for both diving and spearfishing.

I thought someone who regularly visits this forum may have known of a 'mecca' of some sort... if such a place existed where there was good diving on the leeward side and spearfishing on the windward that a regular visitor to this forum may know of it.

I'm still hoping to find a place... maybe spearfishing is limitted to a specific area of an island.

By the way, Bahammas would work, assuming spear fishing is possible.

Click to expand...