Speardeals.com Blog | Everything Spearfishing - Everything Spearfishing

In a word? Absolutely.  Here’s why…they’re warmer, they’re more comfortable, they’re more flexible, they’r built for freediving/spearfishing – they make you better.  Yes, that’s right, having a good wetsuit can make you freediving performance better.

What I refer to as a standard ‘freedive suit,’ is as follows.

The most crucial part, to me, of a good freediving suit, is a smooth rubber interior.  Essentially, the rubber is bare on the inside, as opposed to that of a nylon-lined surf or scuba suit.  This type of suit generally features a softer, more pliable rubber, with a tough nylon shell and glued seams.

The softer rubber bare inside allow the suit to have an unimaginable amount of stretch and flexibility.  These characteristics allow for a much more comfortable fit, and can even help your performance.  Less stretchy rubber can restrict breathing, or put strain on the chest during arm movements, which can damage dive times.

The bare rubber, or open cell feature provides added warmth, as well.  Basically, the rubber acts like a dry suit gasket, over your whole body.  Open cell suits, especially with gaskets on the opennings, allow barely any water in, and insulate only your body, making you much warmer.  Nylon-lined suits allow water to surge in and out constantly, open cell don’t.

Generally, my preferred freediving suit will have a hood; it’s never a bad idea to protect your head, even if it’s in the slightest, especially near rocks or boats.  Hoods provide generous amounts of warmth, as well.

Most open cell suits consist of two pieces, I’m assuming to protect the suit during donning and removal.  The pieces overlap at your crotch, and up to your mid chest.  Some suits have long john style pants, I like high water pants.  I learned quickly that long johns aren’t the good choice on a boat or multiple dive day, simply cuz you have to remove the jacket to wiz.  It gets cold, then you have to put it back on, its a mess.  I prefer high pants.

Camo is a gimmick.  Some people say it work…maybe it does, who knows.  Don’t choose a suit because of the camo pattern, choose it because it fits right.

Now, there can be a little more to ask for once you’ve established the necessities.  Open cell rubber tears easily compared to nylon-lined.  Getting a suit with quality rubber that isn’t prone to tearing or fallen apart is, at the least a consideration.   Knee pads and elbow pads come in very handy, and I’ll never own a suit without em.  Gaskets around the face, wrists, ankles and neck help keep water out.  Some suits have a knife pouch, which can come in very handy.  A lot of freedive suits have loading pads on the chest; these are great but I find that it’s placed too high to actually use. Perhaps it’s just me.

Determining the suit that is right for you should rely mainly on one thing: fit.  Fit is key, as with everything else.  Warmth, flexibility and the suits life will be maximized if you find a properly fitting suit.  Cost is important, and then the features that you want on the suit.  Remember…you get what you pay for.

A warmer, more flexible suit will make you much more comfortable.  After you are comfortable, you dive with much more ease, less hesitation; you can clear your mind and focus on the dive, not shivering or adjusting your arm.  I recommend purchasing a freedive style suit, they are in fact worth the money.

Fine tuning your weight set up for freediving is a very important, very often over-looked aspect of gear prep.  Finding the ideal weights for different diving scenarios, for me, has been a very successful tactic for improving dive times and depths.  When a diver is improperly weighted, everything becomes a hassle.

Too light, and you’re going to have to fight just to become submerged.  After you’re beneath the surface, you’ll struggle to get to ten feet, then twenty, even thirty.  By the time you hit the bottom, chances are you’ll be too burnt out to maintain a decent bottom time.  The swim back up will be a breeze, especially the final twenty feet, but your times and depths will suffer.

The same detriment applies to an over-weighted diver, too.  Number one, you may sink on the surface.  Never be this heavy, that’s ridiculous, and terribly un-fun.  Becoming submerged will get a bit easier the heavier you weight yourself, but in turn the ascent will become increasingly difficult.

Finding a balance between these two extremes is necessary to making substantial improvements to your diving capabilities.  This balance is specifically referred to as a “neutral” depth.

A diver’s neutral depth is defined as the depth at which he will neither sink, nor float.  Your ideal neutral depth depends on the maximum depth that you will achieve during a dive.

For example, if I plan on diving to a maximum of 60 feet today, I will weight myself neutral to about 20.  Twenty feet is a good depth at which to be neutral for general freediving.  Extremely deep or extremely shallow conditions will warrant changes in weight.

The only way to find out exactly how much weight you need, is to experiment.  Here’s a few examples of starting points for weighting:

For a diver with no wetsuit, if you find that you need weighting in order to comfortably dive, use 2lbs.

With a rash guard or vest use 2lbs, add weight in 1lb incriments if you find that you need more.

Basically the theme is the more neoprene, the more weight you need in compensation for the neoprene.  With a 3/2 surf suit, start with 6.  With a 3mm freedive suit, with hooded jacket and pant, start with 8.

In a 4/3 surf suit, go with 10.  In a 5mm freedive suit, you should start around 14.  With 6.5/7mm freedive suits, 16-18lbs.

These, again, are general, safe guidelines.  You may need to add weight to your belt after the first dive, but do so in small increments.  It’s a hassle, but the benefits that you will realize are spectacular.

Fine tuning your weightbelt doesn’t end with weights.  When I fish, I usually carry a D-ring, with stringer attached, a Carter float, that is “tuna-clipped” to a loop of cable on my belt; usually it’s carried just for safety, and can be pulled at any time, but it’s also detachable in case a fish gets tied up in an unreachable spot.

Your weightbelt is also a good spot to keep your knife.  Keeping a knife on your leg or arm may leave it inaccessible in certain situations.  Not good.  A knife that’s kept on the belt is in quick reach of either hand the instant it’s needed, it’s also easier to prevent it from tangling in the kelp.

Spare flashlight, perhaps, lobster guage, ab bar and guage, maybe even a belt reel?  There are endless possibilities guys.  Having a good setup here can make things a lot easier.  Oh, but make sure you never have too much stuff on your weightbelt, to the point that you would hesitate to drop it.  DONT hesitate to drop your weightbelt in an emergency, no matter how much money you see drowning with it.

Once your buoyancy and weighting are figured out, things should become a lot more enjoyable.  Take advantage of the benefits by relaxing as much as possible on your dives, and using as little movement as possible.  Good luck!

Freediving for lobster is true sport.  I consider it the most primitive way of catching prey that hunters practice today.  There is no advantage given to the fisherman, and instead numerous given to the lobster.  In preparation for what is sure to be a battle, a lobster diver must gather the proper gear and knowledge he will need to overcome the many complications of freedive hunting.

Making your lobster hunting experience an enjoyable one depends largely on your ability to gather the proper gear.  Most of your standard gear will work fine, but fine tuning some aspects can make the event a lot more fun.

Your normal freediving wetsuit will work, but be ready to make a few repairs; possibly huge ones.  The tight quarters and sharp rocks that you will be encountering in you hunt are sure to tear apart anything but Kevlar if you aren’t particularly careful, and it’s hard to be careful when you find a 7lb beast peering out of a crevice at the edge of a rock cropping.  Before you know it, you’ll have your first tear.  Be careful, but remember that nothing you do will prevent the imminent destruction of neoprene.  If it’s in the cards, use a suit with knee and elbow padding.  Having a hood is critical when diving around reef structure, especially for lobster.  Wearing a hood will save you a lot of grief and blood loss some day.

Your usual fins will work too, but I wouldn’t take carbon or fiberglass fins lobster diving, at least not with a little hesitation.  Shorter fins are fine for lobster diving; not only are they much more maneuverable, but you aren’t going to be diving 75 feet down to find lobster.  Plastic is best, long fins are not necessary, but whatever you have will work.

You don’t need to be quiet when you’re hunting lobster, at least not on the surface like when you’re going for ghosts, so go ahead and use a more comfortable dry snorkel with a purge and all the goodies, if you so prefer.  And since you won’t be diving as deep, if you’d like to use a mask with a little better visibility, go ahead.  Mask squeeze doesn’t destroy a dive at 20 feet the same way it does at 115.

Since we aren’t diving as deep for lobster, a quick change in weight can make the night a lot more enjoyable.  I like to add one to two pounds for lobster diving, depending on how deep I’ll be going.  Usually lobster diving is done in a maximum of 20 feet of water.  For more info on weighting please check out our blog titled ‘Weighting Yourself for Freediving.’  The subject is covered in greater detail there, but the long and veiny of it is that for lobster diving, heavier is better.

Gloves and lights are the most important pieces of gear.  Like I mentioned before, Kevlar is the least-destructible material that’s used and available in a dive glove.  These will not only last the longest, but will give your hands the best chance at avoiding painful slaps and spikes of lobster tail.  If you’re on a budget, leather gardening gloves, thick ones or multiple pairs, will work for a few dives.  Get Kevlar.

Lights.  Important.  Tuning your light set up to perfection can be crucial to bringing home a limit.  There are many different ways to set up your lights, some depending on your state laws and others, again, your budget.  I’ll start with the most popular.

The pistol grip light is probably the most popular choice for the majority of lobster divers.  It’s easy to point and handle in this position, and can be much larger in this configuration.  4 or 8 C or D cell batteries usually power these beasts.  Lantern style lights are also available in the larger sizes; I’d recommend having a big light, a primary, as well as a smaller secondary.

There are a few different combinations that can make you a successful lobster hunter.  I like to have a small light that mounts onto the side of my mask.  This way, whatever I point my head at is instantly illuminated, and I can swing the big light around if anything strikes my interest.  I’ve seen wrist mounted lights as well, the idea being that when you move your hand into or toward a hole, it will make illumination easy.  I think it could be bad; the extra baggage hanging off of your arm will limit the holes you can stuff your hands into.  Always carry two lights, even if one is just for back up.

Oh and a bag, you’re definitely gonna need a bag.  Anything will do, really.  I try to use something with a smooth material on the upper portion, so that the spines and legs don’t get caught in the mesh toward the bottom.  Make sure the bag locks in some fashion, ’cause those bastards can get out of control.  A zipper will obviously be a pain, don’t waste your time.

The MOST important gear you can bring along is a BUDDY!!!  Do not dive for lobster without a buddy, at least not at night.  Whether you get your arm stuck in a hole, or need help fighting a bug into a bag, you lose your knife or your lights go out, everything is a pain in the ass at night.  Having a buddy has consistently saved me much trouble and hassle, and occasionally my life.  Be prepared, don’t dive alone, especially at night.

That should sum it up for lobster gear; having all of these things will make your dives much more enjoyable.  Last but not least, you need to prepare yourself mentally.  Even the most experienced divers and spearfishermen have trouble adjusting to night dives, it is a completely different world.  Do not underestimate the focus and attention required for a successful night dive.  When the lights are out, it’s a completely different game.  Be safe, be smart, be successful.

Float line or Reel? This has been a long debated question among spearfishermen for years and years. Here are my 2 cents:

Floatline

• If you are hunting large pelagic fish (>100lbs) a floatline is the way to go.
• floatlines can work out well around kelp as long as you have plenty of float line and little to no float. (the float WILL get caught up in the kelp).
• Acts as a diver marker

• easy to get untangled from the kelp if a fish runs deep.

Reel

• Great for paddy hopping for pelagic fish <100 lbs. A reel makes it a lot easier to be the first one to get in the water and get the fish. The first guy in the water gets the fish.
• Good option for reef hunters.
• Not always the best choice for kelp hunting. If a fish goes on a deep run and weaves its way around kelp stocks it would be very hard to distinguish the reel line from the kelp when cutting away the fish.

Now I know that there are many different thoughts on this, but this is mine. Take it or leave it.

Like many other watermen, I entered the sport of freediving with a surf suit and a cheap set of SCUBA fins.  Mine were open heel, and had buckle style straps.  I learned quickly that these weren’t the ideal freediving fin, especially when they got caught in the kelp once every fifty dives.  These days didn’t last long; I quickly realized that fins are a necessary upgrade.

Since then I’ve gone through a number of different fins.  Fin selection is probably the most critical and important gear choice that a freediver or spearfisherman can make.  Selecting the proper fin for your body type and diving style can make a world of difference in efficiency, which translates into more comfortable and, more than likely, longer and deeper dives.

My first long-blade fins were Picasso Black Team fins, under the recommendation of my new boss.  I loved them, especially compared to my original kelp-catching setup.  I quickly took these down to 75 feet, and absolutely loved them.  The Black Team is a stiff fin, in comparison to others on he market.  It is pretty thick, and fairly heavy; and virtually indestructible.  The foot pocket is kinda comfortable, thanks to some soft rubber, but it’s shaped like a brick, compared to my feet at least.

I currently use Spetton Carbon Flex 85cm blades set in OMER Stingray foot pockets.  They’re bitchin.  The most important transition I made in long blade fins was from a stiff, heavy blade to a softer, lighter fin.

Choosing the right fin is important; here are a few things you should absolutely consider before selecting your new pair of lifelines.

First, you need to find a foot pocket that fits you comfortably.  Most pockets are sized to different scales, and all are shaped a little bit different from the next.  If you can, try a few on before making your decision.  Being comfortable and not cramping up is, well, pretty damn important.  Find a set of fin keepers; the kind that goes over your foot, behind your heel, and under your heel – over your fin to hold it tight to the bottom of your foot.  Those are great.

Blade stiffness is very important.  I like to tell people that you should dive with the softest blade that you are comfortable using.  Using a soft blade will burn less oxygen, produce less CO2, and essentially be more efficient.  Too stiff of a fin will not only burn excess energy and limit your dive times, but will also wear you down after much fewer dives.  Too soft of a fin, and you may have problems returning from great depths; for example, it may take a few extra kick cycles to return from 100 feet with a soft fin.  If you are going especially deep, past a 125 or so, you will more than likely need a stiffer fin.  Most divers will benefit from using a softer fin, and will notice the difference in dive times and comfort at depth.  From a freediving standpoint, softer is the way to go.  Softer fins are generally lighter, and overall are much more efficient for most styles of diving.  Larger and heavier divers will need slightly stiffer fins, but the same ideas apply.  Sometimes it’s hard to select the right stiffness the first time around unless you’re able to try a few blades out, but generally, a lighter, softer fin will be the best choice.

Blade length can also be a crucial characteristic of a fin.  Taller divers with a longer frame can use a longer blade, in order to maximize efficiency.  Long blade fins can range from 65-85cm, some even longer.  For depth diving, longer blades are generally more efficient.  However, the longer fins get, the more difficult they become to maneuver.  For shallow diving or diving around structure, shorter fins may make it easier to turn.

Foot pocket construction can be crucial to proper energy transfer.  If a foot pocket is too soft, especially on the bottom, it can flex throughout the kick and absorb some of the power meant for the blade.

Many new blades and pockets feature steeper angles from the foot pocket to the blade.  Basically, this serves to make the fin an extension of your leg, rather than of your foot.  With steeper angles, the fins will sit on a plane closer to that of your legs.  This produces a more effective kick, and relieves stress that can be placed on your ankles and knees.

Most divers prefer fins that feature a removable blade.  This is a good choice.  If you break a non-removable blade, you’re stuck buying a whole new set of fins.  With removable blades, you can replace only the broken part, whether it be blade or pocket.

Some fins feature full length rails on the sides of the blades, that are meant to help channel water on the blade face, and keep the blade from gliding side to side during kick strokes.  These rails can be especially helpful with weak or injured ankles.  In most cases, the rails of the foot pocket come about half of the way down the blade, and serve the same purpose.

Weight is a consideration, as well as width.  Neither should be a deal breaker, but should definitely be considered.

With Fiberglass, Carbon Fiber, or other composite material blades, there are a couple more things to consider.  First and foremost, you need to understand the reasons for using carbon fiber or fiberglass as a blade material.  These materials are much lighter than plastic, and much more responsive.  They will rebound to their original position, straight, much quicker than plastic, while maintaining a similar or lighter weight.  Because of this, they can generally be made softer while retaining the same reflex and “snap” capabilities.

CF and FG blades are constructed of multiple layers of fibers, varying in strength and flexibility.  Many of the best manufacturers taper their CF and FG blades.  This means that the thickness of the blade, and therefor the stiffness, varies.  Near the foot pocket the blade will be stiffest and strongest; toward the tip, less layers will be used and the blade will become gradually softer.  Having varying stiffness throughout a blade allows you to have varying power, on demand.  With this type of construction, a soft kick will flex the tip of the blade, and produce a more gentle movement, while using very little energy.  When a lot of power is put into a kick, the thicker base is utilized, and a powerful stroke is produced.

Carbon fiber and fiberglass blades, though expensive, can be well worth the cost.  The technology used in their construction allows manufacturers to produce a blade that takes every aspect of freediving into consideration.

I think this covers most everything you should consider before you purchase this most vital and beneficial piece of freediving equipment; if I think of more, I’ll add it in later.

Good luck!

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Hello everyone,

We are slowly, but surly adding Sporasub products to speardeals.com. This is including the very popular Sporasub Mystic mask and Sporasub Breeze snorkel. The new Sporasub line includes wetsuits made of  Yamamoto rubber and a revolutionary new fin called the Revolution. Check it out!

the best knot used for tying a wishbone to a powerband is the double constrictor knot. Here is a easy to follow image:

Here is a good formula for figuring out the length of your powerbands:

1. Measure the distance from the middle of the
band slot to the center cocking tab.

2. Double the distance ( for both sides of the gun )

3. Subtract the length of the wish bone. (Alexander and Riffe’s are
approx 6″, Daryl Wong uses about 3″.)

4. Divide the number by 3.5.

5. This is the length of your powerband if you are using a standard 3.5
: 1 stretch ratio. This is a measurement of the powerband from knot to
knot. For actual rubber length, add 1″ to this length or 1.5″ in you
are tapering the ends of the powerbands.

Congratulations to Brandon Wahlers on his official World record North American Yellowtail for men – 87.6 Pounds, (39.7 kilograms) Guadalupe Island, Mexico, Aug 23, 2009.

It’s official. Brandon Wahlers landed his World Record yellow tail off a pinnacle near the Guadalupe Islands while on a trip for a National Geographic Great White Shark study trip. Brandon actually called back to a chase boat for a larger tuna gun after spotting 100 lb. class Yellow Fin Tuna swimming by. He dove down about 50 ft. to wait for the Tuna to show themselves again when he spotted the huge Yellowtail just below him. He slid down the pinnacle to get a good shot on the fish with the massive tuna gun (I believe it was a SeaSniper). As he got about 25 feet away from the fish he began to see how big the fish really was. Because the water was so clear (about 80ft viability) he took a longer than expected shot and hit the fish in it’s midsection. The fish was stunned when he hit it so he grabbed the shooting line and swam towards the surface. He grabbed a Omer 130 cm gun to give it a head shot before braining it.

Amazing catch, and all at the same time sharing the same waters as the GWS that they went to the Islands to study. I have a feeling we have only begun to see this great waterman achieving records.