Posts by Reefchief

Quote from telekinetic walrus

Thanks Reefchief and Makoa. I guess I will need to try an open cell suit, then. No biggie, I'm sure I can sell my current wetsuit - it's only been used twice.

Can the speardiver wetsuit be custom fit, or no?

I dont think they can be. But Like Makoa says. No need, you'd be surprised at how "custom" they fit. They stretch so well that you can almost certainly find a size that fits like a custom suit. Especially if you aren't rail thin and tall. That seems to be the body type most in need of custom suits. Look at some of the different body types in Speardiver suits on the reviews and you can see what I mean.

I actually just switched from a small suit to a medium. Ive been wearing a small for 2+ years and it fit great. But I tried on a medium recently and found the fit to be even a little better. I even just bought a new suit in small. The small stretched to fit so well I never thought a medium would be better. Being a local if you buy a Speardiver suit Dan can size you up and fit you correctly to ensure you go home with the right suit.

Read Dan's write up to understand more, he explains all neoprene is "closed cell" and that "open cell" is a misnomer and actually refers to the inside being unlined. Still the problem here isn't just that its a lined suit. It seems instead the problem is the stiffness of the neoprene and the lining. "Rubatex" neoprene's #1 defining characteristic per the website is its dense incompressible stiffness. Great for a scuba suit to last a long time and not compress. But years of life is traded for flexibility. Not a huge deal on scuba. But hugely important in freediving.

Also consider that if you have a rash guard in between the neck seal it will no longer function to keep water from circulating into the suit.

You may not fee that constricted in it, but I can assure you, if you put on a nice 3mm open cell you would feel like you used to dive in a straight jacket.

Yes what those arms/legs are is essentially "open cell neoprene". An open cell suit is exposed noeprene like that on the whole inside. Ive heard those suits called "semi dry suits" by scuba divers because the gaskets keep water out. An open cell suit works like that only better since the whole suit seals to your body."open cell" is a widely used misnomer. If you read the wetsuit writeup on dans suit he explains a little better what an open cell suit is. Speardiver Pacific Wetsuit

Also not all neoprene is created equal. But it was my understanding all common wetsuit neoprene is made using nitrogen to form the closed cell bubbles. And the bigger differences among neoprene mfg's and types is softness and stretchiness. Its assumed that a nice stretchy spearfishing suit will eventually wear out and compress. Its a trade off for comfort and flexibility during its life. If a suit is that resilient to compression compared with other suits it must be very stiff neoprene and not any special nitrogen bubbles. If those seals are chafing you that bad It makes me think the suit is too constricting (causing the neck seal to move and pull as you dive) In my experience most every double lined scuba suit is too constricting for the type of movements going on during free dive spearfishing (duck diving over and over etc).

"The hooded jacket and high waist pants with full open cell interior, are manufactured in high quality neoprene chosen for the ideal balance between stretch/softness and resistance to permanent compression."

SWB is Shallow water blackout aka loss of consciousness towards the end of a dive from overstaying bottom time.

Quote from hotstepper

Omer Zero^3

I really liked the design and fit of that mask except the top hit my brow horribly. That seems to be a very common thing with that mask from people I've talked with as well.

Had it not ran into my face it had really great FOV for the volume and it sealed well on my face. I could just imagine the brow pinching me at 50ft though.

Quote from Dan

Here ya go.

https://spearfishing.world/ima…iroFreaks_zps5f26a03c.jpg

hahahahahaha nice photoshop work Dan. The transition between that dumb grotesque animal and the walrus is great.

Nice work!. Wheres the fish pics? That is definitely a kayak spearing trial by fire and it sounds like you enjoyed every minute of it. KB has a shelf which makes the reefs quite a bit further out then the rest of broward/miami. Similar to the keys. So I can imagine you had quite a long day. Welcome to your new addiction. Time flies when you're spearfishing. I always seem to overrun the meter when I am beach diving, and most days at the end I feel obligated rather then ready to come in.

The crazy boat thing is just unfortunately part of life down here. You cant rely on a dive flag and the law to protect you. Between SWB, Sharks, currents etc etc im far more worried about boats when I am diving then anything else.

If your wetsuit is giving you a rash it sounds like its lined inside (has a layer of nylon inside to protect it and make it easier to put on) Lined wetsuits are mainly for scuba guys who plan to spend two 30 minute sessions in the water and want to hop in an out of their suit in between. If you want all day warmth and comfort your only choice imho is an open cell spearfishing wetsuit. The inside of these types of suits is smooth open-cell neoprene. It basically feels like youre wearing pure distilled comfort. It also perfectly seals the suit from any water intrusion. I wear mine all day on the boat and for 4-5+ hours in the water beach-diving and its always perfect. No chafes or rashes or anything of the sort. I dont know very many spearo's who dont wear one because once you go open-cell you never go back. Lots of guys I know (including me) have a nice scuba suit sitting on a shelf because of this.

Definitely on that Don. A week after I solidified the plans the blank was on my doorstep. Had it not been for woodguy id probably be staring at a blank hanging to dry not a finished gun. And the end result wouldnt even be as nice.

Went and ballasted the gun today. For it to sink slowly and evenly it takes 1.1 lbs of lead, mostly in the front of the gun.

To hold 11.25 ounces in the front I plan a slot 8 x 0.5 x 0.5

For the back I plan to hold the 5.25 ounces in a 3 x 5/8 hole. drilled in the back center.

Quote from gerald

Well, how are they not to draw that conclusion when there is a spearfishing shaft sticking from a bird's head. They are talking about predatory fishing. We are predatory fisherman. How can you not draw a connection. This agency has done quite a bit of work for Sea Shepherds. This was definitely sanctioned by them... Ad agencies don't just do this stuff for shits and giggles, they were paid big bucks for this I can almost guarantee you that.

Dont get me wrong im not defending sea shep. as much as I dislike whaling I probably dislike them more. They are a disgrace.

And I can see exactly how someone can draw the connection. My point is that I think its seeing conspiracy against spearfishing where its purely coincidence, incompetence, and "anti predatory fishing" propaganda. Where we see someone photosopping in a speargun shaft they were photoshopping in a "harpoon" fired by ambiguous "predatory fishermen".

Not saying this to defend the ad or the sea shepard org. Its terrible and In fact, im sure they are anti-spearfishing along with anti every other form of fishing (probably even catch and release). I just dont think people should be worried there is some kind of concerted anti spearfishing campaign taking place.

Also im not saying they arent connected or weren't paid by them in some way. But I dont see the ads being used by sea shepard,. The only places the advertisement is posted is basically on advertising websites (presemably by the ad authors themselves) and that was last year.

I agree its sensationalist crap. But people seem to be drawing the conclusion from it that the sea Shepard organization is making a concerted effort to target spear fishermen. I think its almost the exact opposite. Instead its a couple of hapless guys at some random ad agency barely connected to the sea Shepard org who came up with a really stupid brainless idea.

The former could have serious implications for spearfishing, imagine whale wars plugs for anit-spearing. But the latter not so much. So I think its okay to just laugh at/ignore these idiots.

Reading a little more it seems perhaps they are just beyond stupid and didnt put much thought into it beyond it would make a graphic advertisement.

I dont think they are actually aiming at spearo's rather it was just a convenient way of showing a land animal harmed by overfishing. Stabbing both with a "harpoon" is just a very poor attempt at a literal interpretation "hurting fish hurts all of the earth" metaphor.

The message I think they are trying to relay is "overfishing hurts more then the ocean". But they are just too clueless and stupid and anti-fishing to understand the difference or draw a line between commercial fishing and the rest. If they were smart they would get recreational fishermen on their side.

Dans video makes them appear graceful and delicate. But make no mistake, it was a hardened gang of ruthless fish thieves. Ready to beak you to death at a moments notice for a scrap of fish guts.

They were actually really intriguing and beautiful to watch. In another life I could be a birdwatcher.

hahahahahaha Dan, Thats is beautifully hilarious <img src= " class="smiley" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x" height="23" width="23" loading="eager" data-tooltip="biggrin" aria-label="biggrin">. I forgot about that video we took. And the music matches perfectly. Ending in a tangle of beaks.

Glad to hear the dog snapper was so delicious. Ive only shot one and my wife ate most of it, but I thought it was pretty good too.

Ahh. I misunderstood. I get it now.

Put some backpack straps on it, bring along a floor pump. Youve got yourself an XL banksboard! <img src= " class="smiley" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x" height="23" width="23" loading="eager" data-tooltip="biggrin" aria-label="biggrin">

That really is amazing. Don do you have any idea about this boats life before you got it? Wonder if it was dropped out of a plane in a similar configuration at one point lol.

Marco, the whole sock minus the sole and toe is open cell. Should be very water tight.

Quote from LunkerBuster

Mark. You need to dive with my Tito gun. Wood is just a material. The handle geometry is what you are after.

For sure Judah, read the last sentence of what I wrote. I basically wouldn't mind shooting a nice wooden euro. Except on beach dives I would go for the lighter gun. Also nice wooden euro guns usually cost much more then pipe guns.

Quote from telekinetic walrus

Reefchief - "WISHBONE" That's the word I needed. Haha, now I know, thanks. That makes a lot of sense about the visible wear. As a piano and string player, the last thing I need are damaged hands, or fingers. So the "tuned flopper" is synonymous with "hawaiian flopper"? Can you give me any reason(s) as to why you prefer a pipe gun on the reef as opposed to a wooden speargun? I just love the look and feel of wooden spearguns, and basically wooden anything, even my eyeglass frames. Trees are cool. And those Koah spearguns are especially beautiful. I would be interested to hear some reviews from people who own Koahs.

Makoa - Thanks for the congrats and well wishes! I am very excited to have found a new love, next to my music. I would love to try out as many spearguns as possible, to see the differences of each; however, right now I only have two spearfishing buddies that have a total of 3 guns between them. All three spearguns are off brand types (two air guns and one carbon band gun), of which I can't remember the names. I've killed fish with all three though. I don't like loading air guns, that's for certain. Bands are way less complicated, in my limited experience. But, on the other hand, they do get the job done, equally well. That's awesome what you were saying about using your line as a stringer for the boom boom quickness sickness. I'm guessing that I won't be able to do that with the Riffe, as you have to wrap that line around the top of the shaft so that it stays in place. The laser accurate Wong sounds nice, too. I actually met Dr. Wong at The Blue Wild expo last month - very cool, humble guy. It was an honor to learn how to tie bands from him! And his spearguns look absolutely killer (double entendre). Basically, I need to continue meeting local SoFlo spearos and try their spearguns out before committing to another speargun. I feel that's very good advice. I'm sure the Riffe will be a naughty beast for the time being. Either way, I'm getting up before the sun tomorrow and heading out off of Key Biscayne in the new yak, with the new gun, and all the new gear! It's going to be dope.

Im not 100% on this but I believe "Hawaiian flopper" is the name for a single flopper on the bottom of the shaft. "Tahitian flopper" is like hawaiian only with the flopper on top. "Tuning" refers to the act of pinching a flopper (tahitian or hawaiian) so that when it opens about half way it sticks to the shaft. This means once the shaft goes through the fish, it falls and sticks to the shaft, and is then fully pushed open (and then stuck open) by the body of the fish as it runs. It works very well to ensure the shaft doesnt turn upside down allowing the flopper to fall and the fish to tear off.

I like my carbon Speardiver pipegun over wood guns mainly because I feel like its a lighter better killing machine for the type of hunting I do.

Extremely light, very thin circular profile of a carbon tube for the fastest tracking you can get from a rear handle ( a bigger heavier gun will be slower) Plus I do a lot of beach diving. It really helps the walk back when your gun weighs nothing. Many Aluminum Pipeguns are pretty light too. Unless its an ET Omer.

Very level band stretch from tip to butt of the gun. Look at how far back the loading tabs go. Some people hip load their speargun and hate this. I chest load so the further back the better.

Also look at the very ergonomic handle raised all the way up so the trigger is just below the spear. With my hand in that handle I feel like My hand and the gun are one. Like the speargun is a giant finger and I made one of those rubber band finger guns. When I hold a wooden gun I feel like im holding a big clunky cannon.

Dont get me wrong. I just finished building a huge wooden 4 band gun for blue water hunting. I just prefer the compact ergonomic cleanliness of a euro pipe gun. I would also shoot a euro wooden gun like an abellan denton or the speardiver euro as well. Those guns have most of the features I mentioned minus the light weight. But price is a factor there and I could have 2 pipe guns for the price.

Quote from telekinetic walrus

Reefchief, thanks for the advice. I had never heard of a tuned flopper before; research into this shall now commence! I just watched Dan's video of his tuned flopper; it looks and sounds like a good idea. Do you exclusively use the tuned flopper? The subject of the mid-handle vs. rear handle is interesting, as well. I chose the mid-handle on the grounds of trying to attain as much versatility as possible. However, I recently discovered Koah spearguns (based out of Jupiter, FL) and I think I may get one - they seem to be top notch. I actually met the two guys who own the company at The Blue Wild expo a few weeks back, I'm sure some of you were in attendance and may have seen their booth. Their spearguns are enclosed track, which supposedly, in combination with the metal sling bands, as opposed to rope sling bands, shoot straighter. Their reasoning behind the metal slings (just using the word sling because I don't know the proper term) is that they always line up straight on the notches, while the rope sling bands will always be shifted to one side or the other. That seems to make sense. Also, the Koah spearguns are very reasonably priced for beautiful custom made guns. We'll see what happens, maybe I'll sell the Riffe and get a 50'' rear handle Koah, if I decide the Riffe doesn't work. Or, maybe I'll just add a Koah to my arsenal...

Lunkerbuster, thanks for the pool advice, that sounds like a very smart idea to test out the tether situation. What GPS do you use? Also, I'll definitely be hitting you up on the PM. Thanks.

Andrewk, definitely check out Wet Wear. That's interesting about the bag in the water. I had not even thought about dragging the fish around - probably keeps them cooler, too. Can you give me a product name or link to what it is you use, so I can check it out? Or, do you fashion your own bag?

No Problem, The terminology I usually hear to refer to that style shaft is "Hawaiian flopper shaft" (tahitian flopper is the same with the flopper on top) . Its pretty much the standard shaft style for reef spearfishing. The tuning is used to ensure once the flopper deploys it never closes. Double flopper shafts are most commonly used when shooting fish against rocks/bottom where a very short flopper deployment is needed. The double floppers I used had a tendency to put large holes in the fish allowing them to tear off easier. In bigger fish or good brain shots they had a tendency to do the opposite and get stuck. But the double flopper will work for now just fine.

Based on what ive learned. Enclosed track spearguns arent really any more accurate then a properly set up open track spergun. When a gun is overpowered it can prevent something called shaft whip etc but from what ive read and been told. Other then making the gun easier to load, and the line easier to wrap, it doesn't really matter if a gun is enclosed track. I personally dislike enclosed tracks because of how I load my spear gun.

I also don't think metal wishbones increase accuracy. Really you couldnt pay me to use metal wishbones on my speargun. Unlike spectra, they dont visibly wear, can break without notice, damage guns, muzzles, and fingers.

A few members here own koahs and can chime in more on their quality. But I would say try to get some more exposure to spearing and different types of guns before making a big decision like a custom gun. Some people love enclosed track, others dont. Some people like wooden guns, others like pipe guns. For the reef, I prefer a pipe-gun hands down to wooden guns. And if I had a custom wooden reef gun it would probably collect dust.

With enough exposure it will become apparent what you like in a gun and then you can buy or have built exactly what you want.

Nice yak! Thanks for sharing. It looks like you've got all the ingredients for a successful hunt. Don't worry too much about thinking of every little thing. Mainly you just need a gun. A flag. and dive gear. Although you've done a lot of research, experience will change and solidify your preferences tremendously. For instance I own two kayaks I never use for diving because where/who/how I dive it just usually doesn't make sense.

Be wary of that double flopper. Personally I think a single flopper shaft with a tuned flopper is far superior. I lost too many fish because of my crappy scuba gun with double spinner flopper. Also imho midhandle spearguns dont make sense in SE Florida. They are more for low viz fast tracking situations. Some people like them, but many hate them and others cant even shoot them well. The gold standard around here seems to be 120 rear handles with 2 bands.

Good luck in your new adventures. Take it slow and keep an eye and ear out for boats. They arent keeping an eye out for you.