Making a spearfishing board from a Bodyboard

    This diving board is made from a 42" x 22" Bodyboard.


    An important feature that I wanted was an adjustable line retaining system. One of the main requirements for this was a strong hole through the front of the board for the float line to run through. After cutting the hole I had to figure out a way to reinforce it it so the line won't cut into the soft body of the board. I used a short section of PVC pipe of the same diameter as the hole. I also got the end caps for it, and then cut them into rings. I shaped the rings to fit the profile of the board and glued them to the PVC tube on either side of the board using PVC cement.


    For the spool I used a frame made from PVC pipes and T joints. It's anchored in the board in the same manner.


    For the adjustable line retaining system I used a cleat from West Marine. The cleat is held in place with two bolts going through the board and washers on the other side.


    The flag holder is a piece of automotive hose with an inner diameter of perfect size for the flag pole, the pole stays in there with suction alone. The hose is glued into the board with Aquaseal and is solid.


    A 15" x 30" bungee net, secured to the board with zip ties, is used to keep fish and other things on the board. A small but important detail was to use a dremmel to grind down the little stubs of zip ties that were left over after snipping them off. They were kind of sharp and can catch on the wetsuit as I'd be handling fish and shoving them under the bungee netting.


    The first two pics are with the first line spool I put together.




    I replaced the first line spool with this one made of PVC. Also serves as a nice handle for the board.




    Dan i think i know a friend that have a picture of the bouy drawing i send you. Is not as wide as the board there. Though same principle but the front you know is higher and wider, but the board is just a little more than half of that board. Is a little thicker and The mesh was home made. that is why was so different. But yours work for sure. :thumbsup2: I remember it was just a little wider than a riffe float. I wonder if i buy a cheap boogey can i mimic all that to make my own float. Not as big as a regular boogie. but big enough that i can bring on the boat.I really like the idea of the hose portion for the flag. cheap and it works. Though i wont hold to much line on the hooks. I just want about 30 feet of the cheap floatline. That way i can buy a 75 floatline like the riffe one type. And add 30 feet on the holding section, just in case i need to go deep i can release it. I will try my own and see how it comes out.:rolleyes1:.


    If i cut a boogie what material will be good to cover the cut areas?
    And if i glue something on top, what type of glue will work? Aquaseal?

    Don't know about the cut areas. Aquaseal is good to glue many things but it's expensive, $7-$10 for a small tube. In general I don't think it's a good idea to glue as the boogie board surface material varies, and the materials I've seen used don't lend themselves well to gluing. Bolting through is the more secure way to go.


    My advice to you is not to waste your time with the Riffe float line, it's not necessary.

    That was an example. I have made my own in the pass. I use clear tubing, because it helps with tangles. and a strong white line in the middle to keep it as clear in the water as possible. I have heard the new ones without the tubing work as good. But i have never tried one. Do they tangle? I know that i need to swim forward against the current when retriving the fish to avoid it. But anyone here have tried both? I mean tangle in and out of the water(boat). Cause the tangles really annoys me:angry5:

    i made this rig for holding my fish...i tow it behind my flag float..it is intended to keep all the shark attracting juice in the bucket and out of the water...i am very happy with it



    i like to spear fish

    I'm completely ignorant regarding the utility of the different configurations, but I do enjoy seeing all the unique variations that you guys come up with to suit your own tastes and needs. No two alike!

    Dan i think you would just not shoot the fish or let it go.:)


    Reminds me of the joke that said " cuando el pescado no cabe en el sarten botalo" :D


    Nice board by the way looks ready to go.

    if I see such a fish Dan, I will figure something out :).


    I should be blessed to have that problem often


    the nice thing is that most reef fish will fit, they bend, and if the bucket already has a few fish in it, I am close to having all the fish I need at that point.

    i like to spear fish

    sure thing man...i don't know if you can see it in those pics, if not I'll add some..it is a single green bungee that I wrap under the board and clip into the padeyes.


    athough I have a tough time getting the bucket out at the end of the day. I think it would hold just fine without anything, the bungee is really for extra peace of mind

    i like to spear fish

    Great idea!! that cleat system looks neat and effective, sometime it will be offered as a spearfishing board option i am sure. I had seen something similar in Tommy Botha´s tuna board and its a time and tuna proven design. The only concern that i have about those commercial body boards is that they are way too light. I guess the bucket inside lunker´s board gives it the mass to withstand heavy winds. The other trade off of those boards is they start to absorb water at some point and are not reliable to fight a fish. A shardana is an expensive float, but it will outlast any expensive inflatable and most rigid boards. Is heavy but it´s intended to withstand heavy winds and heavy seas, and has some serious fish figthing capabilities. I think a Shardana is a best option in the long run, and it woulb be the best spearfihing float ever if it would had a cleat system like that.

    I'm a Speardiver, not a freediver

    I think this board can handle a 50lb fish. The gun inline with the spear and the float line also creates drag for the fish. I can also put more drag on the line by holding it. It's not likely to encounter a fish bigger than 50lb diving from the beach. Everything's a trade off but the balance of weight, flotation, and durability is pretty good on this board considering what it costs to make. If I was targeting big fish I obviously wouldn't use the board in this thread. What I would like to experiment with would be a board made of Divynicell but not as thick as the tuna board.


    I don't like the bucket. I've tried similar things and there's too much drag on top because of the wind and on the bottom due to water displacement. I also don't like inflatable floats shardanah style. While I've never tried it I know very well what it's like to pull around a small inner tube, it's a PITA and and the shardanah should be no easier.

    Actually, that was what i thought when i first saw the Shardana, but it cuts the waves like butter and it has no noticeable drag. It is bullet proof and a great diving plataform. It aint cheap though.


    And believe me i don´t baby any piece of equipment just for the sake of it, i had got rid of really prestigious stuff that didn´t fit me well, even against everyone else opinions. This board works.

    I'm a Speardiver, not a freediver

    Nice looking rig Dan. I bet that thang could bring up fish bigger than 50 lbs. I've seen hugely obese tourists getting worked in the shore pound on bodyboards. If they can float a 300 lb person they can probably hold up a big ass fish. My friend Brian made a few really nice tuna boards year before last we just haven't found the tunas. He'll probably get caught with his pants down because 95% of the time he shoots with a reel. Hope your luck is better than ours with finding them.

    hahaha true with the 300lb person!!:thumbsup2:...thanks for the net info dan...im doing a float with a boggie board with a huge flag pole cause jet ski drivers here in pr go veryy veryyyy fast so im makin one for the drunk ass jet ski drivers...i tested the float this sunday that pass and it really works they saw me and slow down way back..

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