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Topic: Suit and gun guidance  (Read 1937 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Rohde.Soda

  • Sardine
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  • Location: Northern, CA
  • Date Registered: Apr 2018
  • Posts: 6
Hey guys

Interested in getting into spearfishing the CA coast and wanted some input on gear to start me off. The best thing I can find for a suit I know will fit is one of these:

https://www.freedivestore.com/283-speardiver-tall-thin-spearfishing-wetsuits.html

Only one I can find w tall sizes and an actual chart. I'm like 6'4" and 175ish pounds so I'm used to having to seek out shit that fits

For a gun I'm thinking about a Mares Bandit 75 maybe w an upgraded band, from what I've read.

Any advice on these is appreciated.


Twid

  • Salmon
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  • Location: Alameda Calif
  • Date Registered: Mar 2018
  • Posts: 125
A lot of the nor cal divers like the pathos laser 60 for reef guns. Red Triangle in Petaluma will have answers for you, give them a call they have been nothing but professional to me.


moon

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  • Location: Marin
  • Date Registered: May 2015
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Make sure to get the 7mm thick suit for northern California. I do 5mm bootie and 3mm glove for dexterity. Long fins are great if you've never used them.
Check out Red triangle spearfishing. They have all the gear and info you need.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

moon


  • Cabeza de Martillo
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  • Location: Costa de Oro, BCS
  • Date Registered: Jan 2011
  • Posts: 7707
Are you new to spearfishing/ free diving in general?
Pronounced in Spanish  ka·be·za de mar·t·yo
Translates to Hammerhead in English for my Gringo amigos.
....and yes that's me with a 6ft. green moray in the avatar.

"Spearos before Hos" - Silent Hunter

"Give your son a fish and you'll feed him for a day.
Teach him how to spearfish and he'll feed you for a lifetime" - Cabeza de Martillo

Proud Papa of ...........
2018 JAOTY Lucas aka Baja Ninja
2018 JDOTY Noah aka Silent Hunter


Rohde.Soda

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  • Location: Northern, CA
  • Date Registered: Apr 2018
  • Posts: 6
Right on, I'll check out red triangle. The pathos is a little pricey for me, I'm on a budget for getting started

Definitely going for a 7mm, i run cold

I have been spearfishing a couple days in Belize after meeting a local that definitely knew what he was doing. Other than that, all new to me. But I love the ocean and being in the water. I have over 10k miles of sailboat racing under my belt so I have a healthy respect for the sea.

Spearfishing grabbed me though, everything about it.


  • Cabeza de Martillo
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  • Location: Costa de Oro, BCS
  • Date Registered: Jan 2011
  • Posts: 7707
It's a lot different here compared to Belize. Complete night and day.
I would recommend taking a class through Red Triangle and get the
diving techniques and safety down prior to trying to dive with a gun.

At the very least go out with an experienced diver sans gun to start.

Good luck and be safe
« Last Edit: April 29, 2018, 10:33:49 PM by Cabeza de Martillo »
Pronounced in Spanish  ka·be·za de mar·t·yo
Translates to Hammerhead in English for my Gringo amigos.
....and yes that's me with a 6ft. green moray in the avatar.

"Spearos before Hos" - Silent Hunter

"Give your son a fish and you'll feed him for a day.
Teach him how to spearfish and he'll feed you for a lifetime" - Cabeza de Martillo

Proud Papa of ...........
2018 JAOTY Lucas aka Baja Ninja
2018 JDOTY Noah aka Silent Hunter


Twid

  • Salmon
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  • Location: Alameda Calif
  • Date Registered: Mar 2018
  • Posts: 125
The fii class I took at Red Triangle was excellent!


Rohde.Soda

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  • Location: Northern, CA
  • Date Registered: Apr 2018
  • Posts: 6
Appreciate the advice, a class would be great if it wasn't super expensive. Unfortunately their calendar doesn't show any dates the rest of the year in northern ca

You guys ever do group dives or go out w learners?
« Last Edit: April 30, 2018, 07:06:37 AM by Rohde.Soda »


poulton

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  • Location: San Ramon, Ca
  • Date Registered: May 2011
  • Posts: 320
Check out Free Dive shop in Sacramento


ryang85

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  • Location: Point Reyes
  • Date Registered: May 2016
  • Posts: 115
Appreciate the advice, a class would be great if it wasn't super expensive. Unfortunately their calendar doesn't show any dates the rest of the year in northern ca

You guys ever do group dives or go out w learners?
Post on the Norcal Underwater Hunters forum. Most of them are on here but its dedicated to diving the area.  You can usualy find some dive buddies on there if the ocean is flat.
Swing by red triangle, he has the cheepest prices around and id highly recomend getting a pathos or rob allen. You can find those guns for cheep if you get one on sale.  I use pathos  82 but most guys use 60-82cm.  The one thing ive learned is never buy those plastic spearguns because they will always break at the worse time 
 The subcraft suits he sells are dirt cheep and decent for a bigginer. Yazbecks will be much more comfortable after a 5 or 6 hour day but that subcraft will be a lot more durable.

 

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dirkbeachman

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  • Location: Moraga CA
  • Date Registered: Feb 2015
  • Posts: 431
That suit looks like a good option. I'm tall like you and it's tough. Been fairly happy with Sporasub XXL jacket and XL farmer johns, though like all the open cell suits they rip too easily.

Second the rec on a 60 cm gun. In N CA, I've got some of my best fish on my dinky 55- so sweet for being able to position exactly where you want for a shot under a rock. I used to use a pole spear a lot and, like a longer gun, there are just some shots you can't make with a longer weapon.

Also second the rec on going diving with some guys who are used to N CA. It's beautiful, rich with life, but can be life threatening at times. Good luck, dive safe, hope to see ya out there!


Duckguy

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  • Location: Anchor Bay
  • Date Registered: Nov 2014
  • Posts: 625
Check out Free Dive shop in Sacramento
+1 on going to Free Dive in West  Sacto. They will certainly be able to fit you with an appropriate wetsuit.

I have a Riffe 00 speargun that I rebuilt and have never used. It’s a short gun for use in close quarters like rocky reefs. You can have it for $100 if you want to start off inexpensively. PM me if you want to check that out.
Do research, and this forum is one good way to start!

Dan
Warning! Retiree; Knows it all and has plenty of time to tell you about it.

Santa Cruz Kayaks Raptor G2


Rohde.Soda

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  • Location: Northern, CA
  • Date Registered: Apr 2018
  • Posts: 6
Super appreciative of your help guys! I'll check out that forum and the Sac shop. I've been doing a bunch of research, basically just realized that there's spearfishing in our coast. Duckguy I'll PM you on the gun.


srdave

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  • Location: Santa Rosa Cal
  • Date Registered: Sep 2011
  • Posts: 146
Don't spend a ton of money till you find out if your going to enjoy the north coast.  The north coast is a fabulous place to dive lots of fun and you will have a good time. Once you learn it you can never let it go its just so cool...However there is a huge difference between the two. Belize has about 100ft vis north coast average day 5-10 maybe bad day cant see the end of your speargun. Then again some days its killler too and its 20+ ft. not too often. Then there's temperature.. Belize around 82* north coast 52* . and last but not least swells/surge just have to go on good days. If I was talking to someone starting out I would rent a suite and see if you can barrow a speargun. The dive class is a good idea too but what ever you do go with someone that has a lot of experience and is not some gung ho jurk take you out on a rough day ya sure we can dive that, that will not end good for anyone. Done right you will never want to leave and love it.


TheKeeneroo

  • Salmon
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  • Eric
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  • Location: Pacific Grove
  • Date Registered: Feb 2018
  • Posts: 781
Don't spend a ton of money till you find out if your going to enjoy the north coast.  The north coast is a fabulous place to dive lots of fun and you will have a good time. Once you learn it you can never let it go its just so cool...However there is a huge difference between the two. Belize has about 100ft vis north coast average day 5-10 maybe bad day cant see the end of your speargun. Then again some days its killler too and its 20+ ft. not too often. Then there's temperature.. Belize around 82* north coast 52* . and last but not least swells/surge just have to go on good days. If I was talking to someone starting out I would rent a suite and see if you can barrow a speargun. The dive class is a good idea too but what ever you do go with someone that has a lot of experience and is not some gung ho jurk take you out on a rough day ya sure we can dive that, that will not end good for anyone. Done right you will never want to leave and love it.

This is the best advice I've read so far. I'll ride on those coat tails and say, I have a 7mil farmer john closed cell (for scuba) that you can borrow, and a Hawaiian sling I let new guys use that you can also borrow. The caveat is that you have to come dive in Monterey with me. I'll show you the ropes and the fish that way you can decide if you like how cold it is.  All you need to rent is a weightbelt and gloves. I have everything else.
"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails." - William Arthur Ward

There's definitely a fish under THIS rock....

Eric, Pacific Grove
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Level 1 Free Dive Cert, EANx
FIN + FORAGE - Founder                  www.finandforage.com