Help....Dive Gear for AK

Ok...yes I'm new to this board, so I may be asking some dumb questions or something that has been hashed out many many times over already....for that I apologize.

I've been spearfishing in cold water before in Northern Utah and Wyoming in some big lakes for trout and smallmouth bass, but never in the ocean.  Been scuba diving in WY, UT, TX, and several places in the Caribbean....(PADI Divemaster rated). Anyways, there are many opportunities for fresh and saltwater spearfishing up here on the Kenai Peninsula with pretty liberal regulations (only 2).  Must be completely submerged & follow sportfishing regs.  I'd like to chase around rockfish, lings, halibut, and salmon.

I've got 2 farmer john wet suits.. 1 -7 mil  & 1 - 3 mil, so if I mix and match I can have 3, 7, 10, or 14 mils of wet suit on me at any given time.  Have snorkel, mask, fins, boots, dive knife, and JBL 38 special speargun.

Questions:
1) any other equipment you recommend for cold water diving? 
2)who is a good supplier for replacement bands?
3) Is my speargun a decent model, or is it junk?  recommendations?
4) Any recommended exercises in pool to get ready?

I'm sure I'll have more questions.

Thanks

Been using the JBL 38 NW Special for years.
I upgraded to a Rob Allen Tuna 70. I like it a lot better.

my only experience was free diving there in June.
I wore a 7mil two piece, with matching gloves & hood, & boots, and a 2mil vest underneath. After 15 minutes I could no longer hold the snorkle mouthpiece in my mouth due to numbness

What are the water temps like? I was diviing Tahoe recently (around 45 degrees) and I was comfortable in my 7mm open cell. Omer makes a 9mm open cell suit, and I can't imagine needing anything more than that!

If you're going to go for halibut up there, you'll want a bigger gun and a breakaway set-up. I know two guys who've freedove for halibut up there. It's no joke and one guy had a 100+ pound halibut he shot turn on him and attack him at the surface as he was pulling it up.

The JBL 38 is an OK starting gun, but it's not very well suited for most of the fish you're targeting. If you can spearfish salmon (I would double check because it's a no-no in CA) then you'll want something with some accuracy and range. I would look at something like a 120cm gun or even a 130cm gun, depending on what the visibility is like. You an also double this gun up for halibut.

For rockfish, you're probably fine with the JBL, but I don't like that gun for freediving since it sinks, even with the spear out. You can fix that by buying a kit from JBL so the gun will float. The gun will still suck though.

Neptonic Systems should be able to deliver everything to you. They ship globally and will have all the band replacement stuff, along with different guns if you go that route. The Rob Allen guns are cheap and durable and come in those lengths.

Here's the set up I would use:
-Salmon - 120cm or 130cm gun, slip tip, breakaway set up with cored float line and a small float. I would get the floatline with a few feet of bungee on one end. Place the bungee at the end where you're attaching the shooting line.

-Halibut - 120cm or 130cm gun, tricut double flopper slip tip (JBL makes a decent, cheap one). Breakaway set up with cored floatline and a small float.

Rockfish - whatever you feel like using

Lingcod - If you're going for the AK sized lingcod, consider using the same set up as halibut. They get huge up there and will fight you underwater. People underestimate lingcod since they're small in CA, but up in AK they can reach and exceed 70 pounds. That' no joke.

Anyhow, that's my $0.02

my only experience was free diving there in June.
I wore a 7mil two piece, with matching gloves & hood, & boots, and a 2mil vest underneath. After 15 minutes I could no longer hold the snorkle mouthpiece in my mouth due to numbness

You're such a wuss Sean.   

Thanks for the responses.

I have a few months to get my gear in order and add anything to my collection.  With the Ling regs, salmon runs, and water temps warming as the summer goes on...I'll have to wait til July to start.

Thanks again.

Having been to the Kenai, life long friends own a fishing lodge and charter service there, my advice is whatever exposure protection you decide on, believe it or not, do consider the topside factor. Topside factor meaning the out of the water time element you may spend "wet" in a wetsuit or dry suit and your ability to warm up or get dry and recover.

Have fun !