Bluewater hunting questions

I got an invite to go on a multiday freedive bluewater hunting trip on a charter boat off the Channel Islands.  I'm a reasonable freediver up here in norcal, but I've never dove for sea bass and yellowtail before.  My question is to any of you bluewater guys:  Will i be laughed off the boat if I show up with my regular black two pieced wet suit, my jetfins, and my crappy old 50-60 cm Biller gun?  Or even worse, will I waste my 275 bucks for the charter if I'm not properly equipped?

I used to have some Esclapez freediving fins, but I broke a blade and never replaced them - due to lack of money.  That's my real problem.  I don't have enough dough for the trip and to completely gear up.  I just looked up prices for a new frediving suit, fins and a decent gun and, well, it's no-way.

I've always wanted to do this, but if I'm not even going to have a shot maybe I should save my money.  Any advice?

When's the trip?  Where?  That usually dictates what type of fish are around.

You'll definitely have some issues with that setup.  Your wetsuit should be fine but you'll probably want a different pair of fins, a more proper gun, and a floatline(& float for open water).

Not sure if you'd be into borrowing equipment, but I have extra spearguns & some other gear.

I agree with Fuzz.  As long as your suit keeps you comfy and warm, who cares what it looks like?

You'd be better off borrowing a more appropriate gun, floatline and float.  You will minimize maiming fish and maximize your selectivity.

I've often felt that having all this gear sit in each person's garage to be used once in a blue moon is quite a waste.  Owning the equipment only makes sense if you actually use it fairly often.  If not, then we are all better off just loaning/borrowing when necessary.  PM me if you're interested in checking that out.

John

Thank you guys for the advice, and your offers to loan me gear is really generous.  But it occurred to me that this trip is out of a dive shop called Blue Water Hunters in Santa Barbara, so they must rent this stuff, right?  I guess I should have called them first.  I think I can swing the rental for freediving fins and a large gun.  BTW: what length gun does this type of hunting call for?

More advice?  We're going on a dive boat called "Peace" in mid June.  Is that good?  How deep for pelagics?  I've heard some guys say that actually the dives aren't all that deep in open water.  Hopefully they're not.

Also, how about float lines?  I've always just shot rockies and lings and my line has just been cliped to my gun, but I saw a guy diving with a float line up here.  Is the line not attached to the gun?  Sounds like it'd work much better than my set up, even up here.

Blue Water Hunters doesn't rent out spearguns.  Actually, I don't know of any store that does.

The gun length is dependent really on visibility and diving in kelp vs. open water.  As a best guess - the optimal gun would be a mid-handle wooden gun between 55-60".  A slip-tip will also greatly maximize the chances of landing any fish you skewer.

The Peace is a nice boat out of Ventura.  They usually run trips to the northern channel islands like Santa Rosa & Santa Cruz, but on a multi-day, they try to hit the farther islands.

June is right between White Sea Bass & Yellowtail seasons, so it's a pretty good time.  WSB will be primarily in the kelp & you can find & shoot most in the top 20ft of the water column.  After being shot, they can tie up deeper, but you can always get assistance at that point.  YT are found primarily in open water near bait and also are near the surface.  Both can be shot as deep as you want to dive, but there are some very successful wsb hunters who shoot a large percentage of their fish from the surface!

The typical setup is a breakaway where the floatline is clipped off to your shooting line(not your gun).  That way when you shoot a fish & it runs, the setup is more streamlined.  You put your arm through your speargun bands so it doesn't float away & fight the fish on the line.  For open water, the peace will require you to have a float at the end of your floatline.  While it's the standard for bigger fish, the breakaway does not work well for local diving conditions & quarry.  More hassle than it's worth.


Here's a pic from last year.  After shooting my wsb, I swam around & practiced stalking them with my camera.   

Fuzz, thanks for the great advice.  After seeing that pic, there's no way I'm not going - that's an amazing image.  Just the scenery and visibility will make it worth it.

I guess there'd be all kinds of liability issues with renting spearguns, so that's why they don't do it.  Any chance you got one that you want to get rid of?

How big was your WSB? 

I have a few I'm selling off; however, you're more than welcome to just borrow one.  If you're still set on buying one, send me a PM 

Pescadore, are you going on the June 18-19 trip? I am signed up for that one. Fuzz, sign up!
I don't use a camo suit. I would recommend a big gun and slip-tip. I'll be using a Riffe metal-tech 5 with an icepick tip. You can get ice-picks on E-bay a lot; Ray Odor sells a lot cheaper one but IMHO not as good. The diving for WSB is usually pretty shallow, with a large portion of your time spent on the surface. However, after you spear one, they head for the bottom and wrap up in the kelp. The crew will help you get a fish that's too deep. I'm relying on that because I ruined my ears on the June 2005 trip retrieving fish (see my avatar).
I would use the wetsuit and fins you have, but a larger gun is important. Also a float line. You can't drag a float through the dense kelp; most of the guys don't use anything on the end of their float line. I made a streamlined thing out of bright red and yellow cordura ribbons from the fabric store I'm going to try this trip. Lets the boat crew see you and helps you find your floatline if it gets away from you.
Finally, practise diving and surfacing super-quiet with your snorkel out.
See you there!

I have an extra pair of Cressi Sub Rondine Gara 2000 open heel fins you can borrow for the trip.
They are yellow and measure 28'' from the tip of the fin to the top of the foot opening.
If you need to borrow then let me know an I can mail them to ya.

Yes, I am going on the 18 & 19 trip.  It would be cool if you guys went.  And about the offers to loan me gear, what can I say but you guys are awesome!  I'm stoked!

Here's another question:  If a guy wanted to buy like the toyota of freediving fins these days, you know economical but functional, what would fit that bill?

Check out Omers, I think. Good fit is essetial. You need neoprene socks; booties with soles won't work.

Rich,
That 18/19 trip is good timing, you should have fun.  Some of my friends are set up on another trip around then, so looks like I'm going on that instead.

Pescadore,
What size shoes do you wear?  I have a set of Toyota's that don't fit me that I'd be willing to sell cheap.    Cressi gara's are nice pretty soft fins.  Omer & Sporasub fins are also priced well and offer the flexibility of changing out your stock fin-blades for some of the newer fiberglass or carbon fiber models down the road.

Fuzz, are you on the Kelp Stalker's trip on the Peace, or another boat?

Another boat

Pescadore,
What size shoes do you wear?  I have a set of Toyota's that don't fit me that I'd be willing to sell cheap. 

10 - 10.5.  That'd be great if you had a pair