Freediving & Spearfishing General Thread

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>Current static breathe hold record?
4 minutes 5 seconds.
>Deepest dive?
93ft line dive
>Closest call?
I had a SWB/Samba incident while diving alone. Pretty fucking spooky.
>Coolest interaction with aquatic animals?
I was hole hunting on the west coast and dove into a rock tunnel. When I was about halfway through I saw a big harbor seal coming down the other direction. We literally swam into each other and made eye contact for a few seconds before both turning and swimming back out the way we came. Scared the shit out of me, but was still awesome.

I just recently bought an OMER Cayman HF Camu in 75cm and am super stoked to get out and try it. What gun do you guys use?

I want to get into spear fishing but I have no idea how to do it or where to start.

Any good beginners guides / tips?

>>935842
>swb when diving alone
NOPE.avi
How'd you get out of that one?

>>935840

>>Current static breathe hold record?
3 min

>>Deepest dive?
I've never dove for depth, just on reefs at ~50'

>>Closest call/scariest experience while diving?
Haven't had anything sketchy happen yet

>>Coolest interaction with aquatic animals?
A few of the standard harbor seal interactions. When I first got my wetsuit I took it to the bay to get the weight right, I was just kicking around looking at stuff when I saw an octopus in a little hole in the mud. I picked up what looked like a dead goby or something and held it by the hole and an arm came out and pulled it in.

Anyone else make guns? I'm currently working on my first, a 58" 3 band rear handle made of mahogany and ipe.

>>935932

Find out if you really wanna get into it before dropping the $ on gear. If you think you're gonna stick with it get a low volume mask, free dive fins and a decent open cell suit. Don't skimp on your first gun, get a 110 or 120 pathos or rob allen. Try and find a mentor/buddy or join your local club.

>>935950
>>935842
> swb

What is that?

>>935961

Shallow water blackout from diving too long/not breathing up properly between dives.

>>935967
Shiiiieeet

Anybody use a Marlin spike to brain fish?

>>935978

I've thought about getting a spike specifically for braining fish, but why? Just get a dive knife with a stiletto style blade and then you don't have to deal with unnecessary gear that might hang up.

>>935950
I dropped my belt because I knew I was in trouble, and spit my snorkel. I got a couple breathes before losing consciousness, and I was only out for a few moments. It wasnt as much of a total blackout as a sort of grey-out. I was only out for a brief moment.

I consider myself unbelievably lucky, very few people have walked away from that but it does happen. ALWAYS dive with a buddy, and if you decide to dive alone dont push yourself.

>>935932
I would start with a pole spear and normal snorkel gear. A pole spear will run you less than $50 and almost everyone has a snorkel set in there garage or closet. Invest in a weightbelt and a dive knife aswell, and a wetsuit if you dont already have one. Its better to start slow, if you use a pole spear you will learn how to approach fish and get better at hunting.

Also some advice. When you do decide to buy a gun, you dont always get what you pay for. My first gun cost $100, a JBL carbine, and it was absolute garbage in every way. My second gun was a Cressi Geronimo which cost only $10 more and is laser accurate, durable and extremely comfortable to use in the water. I just decided after 4 years to finally upgrade from it, but I have nothing but good things to say about that gun. Do your research, you can get a quality gun for the $100-200 range but you can also get real shitters.

>>935955
That octopus story is cool as fuck, I have yet to see one while diving. What general area are you in?

I haven't built a gun yet but I would really like to, how much money has it cost you to make?

>>935932
seconding
How to get into spearfishing alone without dying. I live near the Atlantic, I feel like I should take advantage of it.

>>936067

I'm in San Diego, I've seen octopuses only like three times. Last one was the weekend before last, I saw him kinda orangish from a little bit away and he went to maroon as I got closer to blend in with the algae then he just kinda slowly melted away under the rock he was sitting on.

I've tried not to think about the cost, even though an equivalently set up gun would probably cost more. If my dad didn't already have most of the tools though idk if it would be cost effective.

60 for the mech, about another 65 for the wood (I have enough though for 2 guns probably), 25 for the AR grip plate, 80 + 90 for the shafts and mori slip tip, 60 for the epoxy and I already had extra rubber and wishbone material lying around.

>>936106

do a cert and find a buddy, there are people spearing everywhere if you live on the coast, check for facebook groups

>>936106
Make an account on spearboard! Theres different sections for each region in the US, its a great way to find dive partners and to get advice.

>>936115
Oh nice, Im up in Newport Beach. I just recently moved down from Seattle, planning on making a trip to Crystal Cove and Dana Point soon. I have access to a shop so I have been thinking about making a gun when I have some extra cash, but Im on a college budget currently.

I saw an octopus once in Hawaii, watching it change colors and shape was such a trip. Do you hunt bluewater much in SD? Ive only done reef hunting but Ive been wanting to try hunting pelagics, probably yellowtail.

>>936134

I've mostly just shore dove reefs, though I've recently got access to a boat and taken a few trips into the kelp. That's why I'm making the 58", I want it to be ready for when the yellowtail come back in. Probably my favorite eating fish. I've been going through my dad's old copy of baja catch pipedreaming some trips to san quintin or islas encantadas.

anyone here use a mask with prescription lenses? I know they are available for my mask, but i ahve a feeling not up to the strength that i need, I am gradually going blind as a bat

>>935842
where are you op, puget sound? i live in portland, trying to formulate a freediving plan for northwest waters. ive got my scuba cert and 20 open water dives but i think freediving might be the way to go around here.

>>936402
Im going to school in SoCal right now, but Im originally from Seattle and will be transferring colleges back to WWU next year.

Freediving is definitely the better option, you should make an account on the forum spearboard, there is a section dedicated to the PNW and I would say 60% of the guys are from Oregon, they even occasionally organize meetups and casual competitions. Plus they are all super friendly, I made an account when I was getting into spearfishing initially and they all gave me a ton of super useful advice.

>>936154
Nice, 58" is fucking massive. Im super bummed I missed the BFT coming through because of the El Nino, that would have been a once in a lifetime experience.

>>936238
Im sure there is a niche market for that sort of thing, but its most likely very expensive.

>>936445

58" isn't THAT big, I don't think it's going to be enough to be a tuna gun or anything. I just want to fill the freezer with yellowtail and maybe take some small/med. wahoo in Baja or something. After this I plan on making a 50" or so reel gun for paddy hopping yellows and then maybe I'll get around to a 65" or so tuna cannon if it all works out alright.

How do you get started freediving? Is it freediving if I do it with normal snorkel gear and fins and just dive on down?

>>936238
>>936447

had another search and found they do up to -6 for my mask now, i think last time i looked the mask was newer and everywhere only had like up to -2 in stock, about $25-30 per lens isn't too bad

>>936969

Sure, having the right stuff makes a big difference though.

>>936977
You can have anything done, but it will cost you around 300.00.
prescriptiondivemasks dot com

>>936693
I mean 58" is pretty huge, atleast by my standard I guess. Im surprised you would be nervous about using that for tuna, how many bands are you gonna put on it? 4?

>>936969
Freediving is just the practice of breathe-hold diving, so as soon as someone holds their breath underwater while diving its freediving whether its in 2, 20 or 200 feet of water. So yes, all you gotta do is get out in the water and youre doing it.

When it comes to equipment I would say this, its a bit like driving. Most cars can go faster than would ever be practical on normal streets and freeways and for anyone new to driving or isnt comfortable going fast a normal commuter car is plenty, but if youre a race-car driver who wants to go 250mph its a different story. Freediving is much the same, it has more to do with how comfortable in the water you are and your abilities as a diver than the length of your fins or the volume of your mask. Learning with normal snorkel gear is a great way to start, and once you begin to feel your abilities exceeding what your equipment can handle then upgrade it. To get a set of specialized gear like a set of long-blade fins, low volume mask, open cell wetsuit, weights+belt and everything else will run you a minimum of like $500; but chances are the type of diving you'll be doing for the first year or more wont require/necessitate any of that. A used scuba wetsuit, mask, fins and weights (most of which you probably already have lying around somewhere) can cost you as little as ~$100 and will get you down to 50ft feet no problem. Just make sure the mask you get is in good condition and rated for scuba diving depths, and ALWAYS dive with a buddy.

>>936969

it's a good idea to get a cert to be able to dive safely even with an experienced buddy, you need to know how to breathe up without hyperventilating, recognizing when you need to breathe vs want to breathe, how long to spend on the surface between dives and how to recognize the signs of a shallow water blackout in your dive buddy and be able to assist them if it happens.

>>937302

This guy is right, I started with a 3/4 surf winters it and a cappy US Diver snorkel kit and upgraded piece by piece until I had a full setup. Mako gear, while not top of the line, is good for the money. I wouldn't skimp on a gun though, get a good rail gun to start off.

>>937290

I'm putting 3 on it, look up spearq on spearboard he goes full autism on pool testing stuff, you can actually reduce penetration and accuracy by overpowering your gun. I'm planning on mine being ~9#, the rule of thumb is 3-4# of gun per band and I don't feel like using my dental plan more than necessary. 58" is a light to medium bluewater gun, dedicated tuna guns start at like 65".

>>937429
>piece by piece

That is exactly what I did aswell. I started with a old surf wetsuit, then bought a used 5mm from a dive shop and then I eventually bought a 5mm closed-cell spearfishing wetsuit. I am 100% with you on the gun aswell, the first one I bought was a JBL mini carbine and it was absolute trash in every way and a complete waste of money. Mako, Cressi and Omer all make really good entry level rail guns for like $120.

>>937319
This.

There is no substitute for hands on training. That being said for a beginner its all about knowing what your limit is and staying far far away from it until you have some training and know how to go to that limit safely. Unfortunately training is really pricey which means most people dont get it, and as a result more people die.

>>937501
*open-cell I meant

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you could save some money by building a spear instead of buying a gun at first, this is 3/8th thick walled aluminium tube with stainless steel threaded rod and some bits and pieces of other dimensions, the stainless steel shaft at the front with the flapper is threaded too so it can be screwed in and out, breaks into 3 equal length pieces and is 7 1/2' screwed together.

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>>938375

I've never used a speargun but i'm curious: can they be reliably shot out of the water? All the answers I can find are outdated as fuck, like back before 2013.

Do they get badly damaged or break? What happens?

>>938553

>https://youtu.be/r0yXV-zewTI

>https://youtu.be/6WWw6SXEkLw

If you wanted to make a land-speargun the main thing would be to use a lighter projectile, and to fletch it. A speargun is just a horizontally-challenged crossbow thats designed to shoot solid steel bolts.

TheSlingShotChannel's video features very small, weak spearguns btw.

>>938375
>>938378

No barb?

>>935840
I already posted in the other freediving related thread about this but I wanna make sure all you guys see this.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Omer-Cayman-HF-Camu-3D-Pro-Speargun-With-Reel-02UK/131251771743?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38530%26meid%3D0f38110483ed468190fe32cca2a99679%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D131251771743#shpCntId

OMER Cayman HF Camu 3D's selling for $175 with the match reel pre-installed.

On Amazon and other dive stores this exact same gun retails at $350 without the reel, which is an additional $90.

I was skeptical when I placed my order but I figured fuck it, the seller has 99.9% positive reviews. Yesterday it came in the mail and everything was in order. I got the gun for 60% off of normal retail just by finding this weird Italian seller.

Also, VATS tax is included in the $175 price and express international shipping was somehow literally $20.

Jump on this shit if you have $200 and are looking for a new gun, you cannot do better than this.

>>938715
https://www.amazon.com/OMER-Cayman-Camouflage-Speargun-75cm/dp/B00J0ZUC5O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485520311&sr=8-1&keywords=omer%2Bcayman%2Bhf%2Bcamo&th=1&psc=1


Amazon link

>>938608

yeah the point pictured has a flapper now, you can see the hole for the rivet just about

>>936447
Ya, you can buy them. I learned to dive with my dad 20 years ago and his initial solution was to take lenses out of a spare pair of glasses and actually glue them to the inside of the mask. It worked, but was ghetto and he eventually bought a custom mask

>>938553

If you're going to do something that stupid at least make sure you take off the shooting line.

>>938812
This.

>>938812
But why is it considered stupid? Provided it's a small, band powered one like in >>938606 first video

>>940115

just google speargun accident, 90% of those pics are a result of people loading guns in boats or otherwise fucking about with them out of the water

>not making SCUBA part of this general
>not making a scuba/freediving/snorkel general
Why OP

>>942679

Bubble blowers go home.

Does anyone have any experience with 7mm suits?
I recently bought a 7mm, and it fits, however it's quite tight. Do wetsuits that thick usually stretch over time?
I only wear 3mm, so I'm not familiar with thicker suits.

>>942892

I've always dove with a 5mm. I would expect a 7mm to be pretty restrictive, but I wouldn't worry about it unless you find it restricting your breath hold.

>>942892

just our of interest, where did you buy the 7mm to dive?

>>935840
bump

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Favourite Freediving/Spearfishing youtube channels?

FreeDiverHD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17JYyHmGINg

Daniel Mann

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNbpP6Hesfk&t=609s

I also watch a few sailing channels that feature a lot of spearfishing and diving, anything that isn't nonstop jump cuts and slowmos of bait fish and has actual audio instead of pop/dubstep. Youngbloods Spearfishing sucks massive dong for that reason.

>>946085
Dan Silveira isn't an active channel anymore, but his older stuff is the best west coast spearfishing videos on YouTube hands down. "Harbor House Life" makes some really really good videos aswell. What bugs me about that guy is that he is always preaching about "living a simple and relaxed life", but hes obviously a multi-millionaire. Kinda cringy tbqhwy.

My current favorite spearfishing video is this

https://youtu.be/V2UqCPt7R-0

>>943503
I found it on Craigslist. I'm moving to a coldwater area, so I looked for the thickest suit. I believe it's a Scubapro Nova Scotia, something like that

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>>942892
>quite tight. stretch over time?
tightboots?, I think NOT!
,, buy some material and glue in wedges., they need fitting ,,sometimes.
,ofcourse,, you Should have it custom fitted,,cheapo.

>>947125
What?
I'm saying the whole wetsuit might be a little tight,

>>947436
Thats an old /out/ meme and that anon did terrible at it

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>>947436
>whole wetsuit tight
getit fit., would you Hato tight?,,booto tight?, Panto tight?,
,, its ,a RUBBER suit,, chokeing you out when you need to be relaxed and brething deep?!,
, Cuthat sucker!, slice down the side and addd material!, glue is cheap,, also, wider aplications.
,, rental/illfitting wetsuits=Hell.,, had the skin rub off the Backside of my knees,, the back, right in the flexy spot,, hell.

Anyone freshwater here?

>>948872
I really hope this is a meme like everyone is saying, and not just a person who actually talks like this.

>>948926
I have dove in lakes and rivers before for crawfish and clams. Spearfishing is pretty much entirely illegal in freshwater where I live, sort of a drag. I see alot of big bass whenever I dive in the local lakes.

>>949000
There was a guy who talked like this a while back. Confused the fuck out if everyone and that thread filled up with people just posting their own variations of it.
It is absolutely a meme, and that anon is definitely doing very bad at it

thread is about to SWB

>>949128
Bacon Rider is still around from time to time. The guy is a homeless bum who bicycles around the country but always namefags.

>>951233
Cant wait for his next random appearance

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buble,

>>942892

I have a tailored 7mm suit (around 300$) that i use almost year round here in Denmark. But my suit is a spearfishing suit, so i would guess the neoprene i pretty stretchy. It does get a little loser over time, but mostly it gets colder... I suspect the small airbubbles in the neoprene collapses over time.