Posts by Nate

Quote from LunkerBuster

How do you handle your lionfish?

I've cleaned and eaten a few AndrewK Lionfish. The trick is, he shoots them so many times with a 3 prong that theres nothing left to sting you.

They cook up mighty tender though.

Great filet job man, and those tacos look epic

Battle Royale
Expedition documents epic clash between orcas and sperm whales

I collect fish, dead fish.

It's plenty doable, just less than perfect.

Unfortunately I can go without shaving for a month and still not have enough mustache to interfere.. However, I have dove with some extra manly men who swear by vaseline.. you gotta have thick skin with this approach though, some harsh jokes come your way when you bust out a can of vaseline on a boat full of dudes.:grin:

It can be done, but epoxy is a better choice. I've had it foam up on the surface, which is a pain in the ass.. but I've also had no foam problems on other projects. I don't have any idea why it foams sometimes and not others, maybe somebody knows. I've used both west systems and Phil H's epoxy and I'd definitely recommend either of those above Gorilla glue.

Most descriptive post in Speardiver history, really did the dive justice. :good:

I think I grasp the idea, I'll have to give it a go. Thanks

Beautiful gun Mike. I've always been a fan of the way you do your tie in muzzles. Do you mind sharing how you do the holes? Is it just a jig to hold it at the right angle in the drill press?

I agree with all of the above. The US economy affecting the rates negatively makes perfect sense. The boat owners are certainly despicable. I watched the video and came away with the feeling that those divers do have a choice in the matter, and if your soul purpose is to support your family.. this is a terrible option.

A huge percentage of these divers end up paralyzed or dead. I really have trouble wrapping my mind around the risk these guys take. They do it to support their families, obviously.. but a dead man with (presumably) no life insurance sure as hell can't support a family. I understand, you gotta do what you gotta do. Is there absolutely no alternative.. is diving 40+meters with prehistoric gear the only answer?
IPS – HONDURAS: Death Looms Over Miskito Lobster Divers | Inter Press Service
This article states that they received $2.5/lb, averaging $1.70/lb after paying their cayuco captains. (written in 2004, I'd imagine the rates are higher now) It seems low by American standards, but in poverty stricken country standards, that's a good bit of money. I've been to Nicaragua, $1 is big money. I'd like to see another average wage comparison from jobs where you aren't as likely to die. I'm thinking that this job pays a whole lot better. Is it what they need to do to support their family, bottom line.. or are other less lethal jobs available but lobster diving pays significantly more? There may be no other work available.. I really don't know, but I'm curious.

I watched it as well, sometime last year I think. It's pretty eye opening, gives me mixed emotions.

I love me some muttons. Nothing like rounding out a work day with some productive diving. I'm really liking this coming back with the sun down stuff. No bystanders, no lifeguards.. just raccoons, cats, grounded albino pigeons, feral chickens, and a crazy cat lady feeding all of the above.

Don, with all the really cool toys you have.. how do you decide what you're going to play with from day to day?:D The RIB, the OMER.. those countless guns of the legends, I would never be able to make up my mind.

My grampa used to say "If we all thought the same, we'd all drive a Chevy." That said, I drive a Jeep.:D It's all about preference, what pleases one person may not please another. The loss of band stretch with tie in ferule bands is undeniable. The tradeoff for me is the band profile when loaded, as well as aesthetic difference.. I just plain like it. I haven't had a problem with the bands tangling with each other thus far. They float vertically when I'm loading it so it's easy to just grab one. One thing about it that has annoyed me so far is a single "arm" of the band will rotate sometimes, twisting the wishbone into a clump.. then you've got to untwist it . I can live with it on a gun that I don't have to load all day, however I don't think I'd go the ferule route on a reef gun that will be loaded repeatedly. Here's a quick video of loading my ferule'd gun, watch the third band.. that's the problem I'm talking about. If anybody knows a fix for that, I'd love to be enlightened.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GTgnb_6bbY

The only real speargun style caveat that I have is over extended butts without a remote trigger and pushrod. I understand the whole hip load preference, but some guns are made with literally 8-10 inches of completely wasted wood in the rear of the gun. Then there's rigging that bothers me too, excessive shaft overhang, double floppers, closed muzzles, the super sharp euro metal wishbones..etc However people tend to kill fish just fine with all of the above, and if that's what they're used to and comfortable with.. then who am I to question.

Alien Deep: Wrecks of the Abyss | National Geographic Documentary - YouTube
Some of you may have already seen this on tv. It's a really cool documentary with Bob Ballard, the guy who found the Titanic. He really thinks outside of the box to find these wrecks.

One of the best thread title's of all time, right up there with Hank's "Fricken Jake...." It's got to be nerve wracking to cut a huge hole in the deck of your boat like that. Can you see where the fuel tank is leaking from?

You calling my bluff Hank? Not even an sdeisen push could have made my hogs look anything more than mediocre.

Speak for yourself, my hogs were behemoths.