Posts by wootin tootin

  • Speardiver Blades Repowered with Beuchat Foot Pockets

    My original setup was Pathos pockets and Speardiver Carbon 90cm blades. In the beginning they were just right, but after 20 dives a year for 2 years I found them too soft in current and not stiff enough when starting off the bottom.


    Dan did the installation of my “soft to medium” blades into Beuchat pockets and a few days ago I checked them out. I experienced a positive performance change that was totally unexpected. All the negatives I had with the original setup were gone…gone. Now the fins have the backbone I was looking for and still soft enough to move around on the bottom in a low energy fashion.


    What I learned…the foot pocket has a lot to do with blade performance.

  • Off the Beach…6/29

    Kayaked off the beach for a solo free dive. Sea was flat and warm (rash guard temp) with a strong current to the North.


    Paddled to GPS numbers I had not been to before and the place turned out to be fishy with a lot of 8 to 12 inch fish. Scouted around and got lucky when a grouper decided to investigate who was chilling out in his territory. Made a bad shot (don’t know how to stop the Rob Allen 100cm from shooting high) and had to leave him on the bottom because he wasn’t hurt bad. Pulled out my hole gun from the yak and finished him off.


    Lesson learned…I had let out a lot of reel line when I left the grouper on the bottom. When I came back, the gun could not be located. Fortunately, I knew approximately where to look in relation to the anchored yak and there was the gun being pulled underwater by the strong current. From now on, I’ll be using a float line.

  • Scallop hunting tips write up

    So true, but the only place on California's north coast with an abundance of scallops in shallow water has to be the Sea Ranch.....a private gated beach community that stops access to 15 to 20 miles of coastline. I could be wrong, but I have dove every access point in the Sonoma /Mendocino county coastline and never saw anything like shown in the video.

  • Birthday Boy (78) goes Grouper Free Diving

    I sneaked away from the Senior Day Care Center to celebrate my birthday and participate in the opening of grouper season.


    I kayaked off the beach about 1.5 miles to waypoints I had not been to previously. Visibility was 25 feet and the bottom structure was sparse. Prospects didn’t look good, but since this was a solo dive trip, I didn’t have to make apologies and thought it satisfying just to be out here. Got lucky and ran into this red grouper.


    In the kayak photo you can see where I had previously cut-out and lowered the seat because this kayak model is notorious for being tippy. Now, the kayak is very stable after the seat is 4 inches lower and glassed the seat to bottom of the hull. Kayak is 14 feet, 26 inches and weighs 40 lbs. (Current Designs, Kestrel model).




  • ooh no

    Yellow kayaks are their favorite color. The recent yak attack in Capitola. California, the guy was paddling a yellow yak.......might be something to it and I've heard people describe a kayak as yum yellow.

  • Don't mess with a mango tree

    Face swelled up and had to go to emergency. They gave me Cortisone that reduced the swelling, but the side effects were worse. The chemical burns caused scars on my face. which 3 months later are just starting to fade. I tried everything from from baking soda to shark liver oil (Hemorroid Medicine) and nothing reverses the skin damage............good luck with the cure.....salt water at 60 feet will probably work....Dave

  • Adrian's new muzzle

    " Dewasw - Is there a reason why you need a 7mm (0.276") diameter spike?"


    My only reason is I just bought a couple of Power Heads to fit a 7mm shaft and if their actual dimension accomodates your spike I see no problem.


    Is it possible to have the band holes drilled for 5/8's bands and slot to slide the bridle (dynema) through ..........Dave

  • Fiberglass blades comparison, DiveR, Edge & Waterway

    Good work Dan. As usual your analytical skills come into play when you're going to make a buy decision. What was the stiffness (soft, medium,or firm) of the DiveR blades you used in this evaluation?


    I'm looking forward to the results of your carbon blade evaulation. Thanks again for sharing your hard work with the diving community.

  • RIFFE EURO> }help{<

    av001....Thanks for your opinion....I've read the shaft will raise slightly off the track/open muzzle area a little bit when band power is put on the shaft....so is that why you prefer the closed muzzle.



    Hau....thanks for your input based on many years of experience. Also, that's a good step by step process to quickly get control of the big boys.


    Well, the preference of top spearo's for either an open or closed muzzle is tied 50/50. So, I need Marco to chime-in and break the tie........thanks for everybodies guidance.

  • RIFFE EURO> }help{<

    Since I'm thinking of buying an RA 130, I would appreciate hearing from Hau and Marco what their preferences are for 1) open or closed muzzle and 2) notched or pinned shafts.....tia