I was asked to ad to this thread, so hear it goes...
Spearfishing / Abalone diving Equimpent
Though I am a certified SCUBA diver with many aqualung dives under my belt, it is for observation only, not hunting.
Like Scott, I am also an avid freediver, however, my experience with hunting lies mainly with the elusive abalone and lobster.
Though I have been spearfishing for years, I don't have many kills under my belt. The gun I used before now was a fairly small, old aluminum deal made by Voit which I stole from my Pop years ago along with the simple but effective Hawaiian Sling. There have been a few big ling cod fillets on my grill c/o the sling.
I recently bought a much nicer gun for my trip to Mexico. It is, however, not as nice as Scott's Riffe.
Mine is a A.B. Biller 48" LTD Teak gun.
I got it for $350 which is much less than the Riffe of similar size.
Mine differs from other Biller guns in the sense that it is a 1 piece stock, like the Riffe, with the grip and trigger mechanism fitted into the wood as opposed to two separate pieces of wood which make for a weaker, less stable design (so I have been told).
If you have the dough, get the Riffe.
I am going to start going after white sea bass here in the Monterey Bay and will probably move up to the Riffe as well.
Abalone is a great sport and a tough one, mainly due to the conditions in the oceans above San Francisco, which is the only area left in California you can legally dive for Abalone. Very cold water, rough, rocky conditions and, if on a Zodiak, you may be diving up to 50' deep on a breath of air to get the big ones.
Usually, when I freedive, I adhere to the K.I.S.S. method and use as little equipment as possible.
For Abalone:
*4/3 O'Neill surf suit in all conditions and a good hood, gloves and booties.
When you ab dive, you are usually very active and you stay warm so a thicker suit is not necessary or advised as it is harder to maneuver in.
*Ab bar / Iron
I use the aluminum Ab-Grab which is a favorite as it is lightweight and has a built in gauge on the handle. Abs must be a minimum of 7" in diameter to keep. Though, after diving for them for a long time, you get to know the legal ones by sight, it is illegal to dive for abalone without a gauge.
There are specific restrictions on what you can use for a bar, the main thing is that the bar has a dull end on it. If you cut an abalone that is too small, it will bleed to death since they are hemophiliac by nature.
*Good freedive fins. I use International divers Frogfeet. Love them.
The old fashion ScubaPro rubber vent fins are very good as well.
Don't make the mistake of getting some fancy shmancy fins. Remember, K.I.S.S.
*I wear 14 lbs of weight, always have, probably always will. It is perfect for me for some reason. I am 200 lbs +/- and just under 6' tall. The belt is one of the rubber ones with the simple bullet shaped 2lb lead weights. The belt has been in existence for 40 years as it was also my Father's before I was born and it still functions perfectly.
*My mask is a an anti-reflective coated true color, low volume, black silicone hunting mask. The black sides keep the excess light out so you can focus on your quarry. Hence the term, 'hunting mask'. It is a Seadive Superba.
I have had many masks and this one is by far my favorite. It is one piece glass as my large, Neanderthal brow gets in the way with the two window ones.
*Snorkels are a personal preference. I like the cheap, non-vented ones. Basically a curved tube. I cut mine shorter for easier clearing and breath acquisition. The vented ones always seem to have water in them. To each his own.
*As for a knife, I have a couple but rarely wear one, unless I am diving in a lot of kelp. If I do wear one, it is on my upper arm with the handle facing down towards my hand for less hang-ups in the kelp.
*Abalone tube, which is basically an inner-tube with a nylon netting wrapped around it and a zipper to put the ab in so you can continue hunting without fumbling with them and bring them to shore securely. I use a small diameter rope and a plastic utility clamp attached to the tube to secure it to large pieces of kelp while I dive.
**For spearfishing, I just substitute the tube and ab bar with a gun and fish stringer (looks like a big safety-pin).
It is best to float the stringer on a long rope away from you as having bloody fish around you is not advisable, especially not here in the Red Triangle.
If I get into the white sea bass thing, I will be purchasing a camo wetsuit for stealthy hunting.
Oh, and always have frosty beer waiting to wash the salt out of your mouth AFTER the dive!
Hope this aids for you interested in this sport!
Here are some pics of some gear, area, and some of my clown friends haming it up for the camera.
:beer:
