Poor Grad. Student Looking to Dive/Spearfish Southern Louisiana

[coolclay]

Hey guys, this is very likely my last semester here in the beautiful (but too hot for me) state of Louisiana. I've been diving and spearfishing for 6 years now, and have about 100 dives under my belt (mostly cold water btw). Either way I was hoping to make some friends with a boat or meet up with someone that had access to the oil rigs but so far it hasn't played out.

Regardless my goal before I leave LA is to make it out to the rigs either spearfishing and/or diving, I can pay for gas, beer, whatever but I can't afford the ridiculous fees the charter boats charge. I am also a homebrewer/distiller and have wine/beer/rum that I can trade. If anyone knows anyone that could accommodate I would be forever grateful if you could put me in touch with them!

 

[coolclay]

Guess I'm just S.O.L., unless of course I hit the lottery and buy my own Grady-White in the next few months.

 

[Hetland]

Your share of expenses on a 100-150 mile round-trip spearfishing jaunt to the deep rigs will probably be in excess of the charter fee you would pay to go spearfishing in Pensacola (about $95 for two-tank inshore, and $150 for offshore + at least a 10% tip for the divemaster).

There are two rig jackets that are diveable in Pensacola. Both start at around 70ft from the surface. One sits at about 145fsw, and the other at 175fsw. Both usually sit in blue water. Both are about 20 miles offshore.

Most charters in Pensacola only allow spearfishing within State waters, but Capt. Andy (Niuhi Dive Charters) has a permit that allows you to spearfish in Federal waters. IIRC, you don't even need a Florida license, as I think his boat license covers all passengers.

You may also want to contact Gulf Coast Divers in Mobile. They sometimes have private boats looking for divers to share expenses. Occasionally, someone will plan a trip to the rigs South of Dauphin Island, but you'll seldom find blue water on those trips.

 

[coolclay]

Great, thanks for the tips. That sounds like probably the best option I guess. I just see people online going out there all the time like the Hell divers club and other local Louisiana dive/spearfishing clubs and figured it couldn't be that expensive!

 

[Hetland]

Let's just say 125 miles round-trip. Fuel economy is going to be somewhere between 1 to 3 miles per gallon with a fully-loaded boat, and I'm betting very close to the minimum because of tanks and other gear. I have a buddy with a very fuel-efficient boat/engine, and we normally burn around 100 gallons hitting several closer spots.

42-125 gallons @ $3.50/gallon = $147-$437.5

Figure another $50 for ice, snacks, water, a few more gallons for transporting the boat to and from the launch, a launch fee, which I've seen as high as $20, and you'll have to chip in another five or ten to cover boat maintenance, insurance, etc. So for four people you're running $45 - $117 per person, technically cheaper than an offshore spearfishing charter, but you also have to load/unload the boat, wash the boat, clean the fish, etc.

I've been out with awesome divers that weren't interested in washing the boat afterwards, or, who disappeared before giving the boat owner their share of gas money, or, who showed up late at the meeting place without the courtesy of a phone call. Once you find 6-7 divers that pull their weight, show up on time, and don't dive stupid, you have a hard time clearing their spot for an unproven "new guy".

Your best bet getting on a private boat is by paying your dues (and fees) on a few charters. You'll meet new divers, learn new techniques, and (hopefully) get added to someone's back-up list. It helps if you can get off during the week when there's less competition too.

 

[Dan P]

How much longer are you in Louisiana? We'll start going out to the rigs pretty regularly as soon as it warms up a bit, probably the April - May timeframe. We usually have 4 on the boat, and our average trip runs about $140 for gas, ice, etc. We usually launch out of Port Fourchon. We're all in the Aqua Aces club. There's some great diving out on the rigs -- spearfishing, photography, or just sightseeing. Dan

 

[coolclay]

Thats awesome Dan! I PMed you, thanks.