Posts by Dan

Since the bulk of my diving is done with Pantoja and his boat is parked in the water I'm less familiar than I should be with launching points in Broward and Miami Dade. I hope I'm not way off target thinking that it may be interesting to everybody to have a quick place to refer to when looking to go out of a particular area. It will be useful when you want to set up a meeting to dive with new guys. I don't even know if there are that many options but I know they will be new to me. So how about you post your favorite ramps along with some quick info about cost of parking, availability of trailer space and non trailer space, hours of operation etc. Remember that non members can't see this info so please be generous if good launching points are a little like numbers to you

Haulover - Haulover park marina

The only place that I'm familiar with is Haulover park marina at [SIZE=-1]10800 Collins Ave. Miami Beach Tel. (305) 947-3525[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] I think parking is $5 for cars. It's 5 minutes from Haulover inlet and there's a gas station and convenience store (ice) on the water between it and the inlet. When we go out of there we'll go as far north as Dania and south almost to government cut. Interesting thing is that at very high tide the water can go half way up the parking lot.

[/SIZE]

It's certainly nice to have full confidence in the person you're asking for a spot, makes for good camaraderie. Even if I have a spotter I still would not push past my limitations. This almost sounds like I will never progress but this is not the case. It's just that my limitations differ from day to day. It is important to recognize this.

Hubert, do you only dive from Duck key?

Thank you for the concise information Hubert. I really like that bottom and the visibility in the video.

We will keep you sharp!

Are you there is no hole

Well that eliminates the possibility for the user to switch between spikes, one that would have a line guide welded on and one without.

When you say it was a press fit did you actually use a press to do it or did you hammer it in then sharpen the point?

Quote from KeysKid

And Seahunter49, Everyday I can. Usually 3 or 4 days a week, sometimes more, sometimes less.

How deep is the water you can get to on those days? I understand that in the keys you have to go a long way out to have 60fsw? Are there any drop offs/walls?

How easily does the spike slide out of the plastic?

Here's a Rabi stealth 110 on ebay. It didn't sell for $200 and was relisted at $150 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300261436452

Welded onto the spike itself comes to mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deonAehavUI&feature=related

Thanks for the tip. I keep my spears in just such a thing.

OK waiting for the pics of the finished spikes on this thread. Then I'll be looking for pics of them installed

How often do you go spearing Jeremy?

Quote from Marco

As far as I know the rail iin the Rabby's is not part of the alluminum barrel, right?

Anyone that has or have had both, please comment a little bit.

I recall Rolo mentioning that the rail on his Rabi Apex is not incorporated with the barrel.

I want to clear up a term, when I said "ask for spot" is that the accepted term for asking someone to watch you or am I uselessly reliving my weightlifting days?

Quote from JimCuda

It's certainly not impossible to maintain, we did it on this dive. We knew that it was important to have a buddy in this case. I wear my seatbelt in the car for the same reason.

You're missing my point. There are different kinds of diving. People who tend to do "numbers" or specific wrecks all the time get accustomed to this kind of diving. When you're covering large areas of reef like what Pantoja and I tend to do, which is a habit from Cuba and shore diving and we're productive at it, you're bound to get separated. Even if you're only 60' apart it becomes the "same ocean same day" principle.

Extending your bottom time to the point of danger can happen at any depth. You can have a situation in 50' that will put you in the same position, but you didn't have a buddy watching you because you didn't think it was so deep. It's best to always concentrate on what your body is telling you rather than counting on another person as the last line of defense. You get used to it and you're screwed IMO because one day you will be alone and you will push yourself.

The seat belt analogy reminds me of the false sense of security possessed by drivers who wear the seat belt religiously but are really shitty drivers in all other respects, a danger to themselves and most unfortunately others. I don't wear a seatbelt most of the time but I'm very aware of what's going on on the road and take evasive action. I think you've seen that for yourself

Quote from JimCuda

I wasn't aware of how the depth would affect me as this was my first time, but I was erring on the side of safety by dumping the belt. Under different conditions, I could have kept the belt and completed the dive without any repercussions. I was in doubt, so I tried to lose it.

I was not saying that you shouldn't have dropped the belt. I was just explaining how certain things you do underwater will tax your bottom time. Focusing on an activity that requires fine motor skills is one of those things. Even acting on the thought of looking up to see how far the surface is while on a tight ascent can push you over the edge. I was pointing out that what you did, undoing the belt and fastening it to the gun, could have possibly consumed more breath hold energy than a controlled ascent with the belt would have. If you get to the point where you decide to drop your belt there is no other thing that should be on your mind than pull the tab and kick up in a controlled manner.

Good observations.

Quote from JimCuda

1) Dive with a Buddy, one up one down at depth

Impossible rule to maintain unless diving two guys with one gun. Focus on your limits instead. Learn when it's time to ask for a spot and don't dive unless you get one. Don't grow dependent and complacent with the idea that someone is always watching you.

Quote from JimCuda

6) Dump the Weightbelt

After I shot at the grouper and missed, the gun was freespooling and letting out reel line as it was going up. I wanted to lose the belt (to be safe), but be able to pick it up. I took it off and tied it around the reel line to hopefully snag the flopper and I could just retrieve it on the surface. At the time, I thought I was gonna be fine, I didn't fully see how close to SWB I was. I should have just dumped it and brought the gun up with me.

Sounds to me like you're not aware how much O2 is expended with the energy required to focus on a task requiring fine motor functions like what you described. Not to say that you should have left the belt on but I think you may have been able to make it back safely without dropping it considering what you were able to do.

Quote from JimCuda

2) Don't focus on a goal, see the big picture

Quote from JimCuda

If you want to add something constructive, please do. I won't be offended. I will take some offense to attacks directed towards the guy who just saved my ass, though.

I think #2 is the best one, but I don't think you're following it even now. I want you to be safe Jim and that's my only motivation in saying this.

That's some great info Emil. Problem is that I never seem to stay in one place long enough for the chum to take effect. How long do you let the chum do its thing in one spot before moving on to the next?

The emphasis when I'm diving is to cover a lot of ground. We don't have a lot of "numbers" where fish congregate on a relatively small patch of reef or artificial structure.

On the other hand I have seen what you're talking about, fish appearing out of nowhere in response to some commotion. It seems like a gamble though to do it on a spot say at 50' and wait around when nothing might happen. Currents are usually such that chumming a spot and returning to it later is not practical. I'm talking about chumming with fish that you shoot on the spot not chum that you bring along on the boat.

I used to gut fish in the water always and scale it too, now I do it rarely as there's the cooler with ice on the boat. I like the idea that the fish matter will go back into the environment. In all my time doing it however I've never seen anything shootable appear.

I'd like the opportunity to see a chumming master at work and pick up a few tricks.

And I hear you on them chubs.

It is a nice example of kendo vs fencing but the video I'm talking about is much older than that and the fencing practitioner is world class.