Posts by dsculley

    I used tung oil to finish a rifle stock that I made from African Mahogany. It turned out really nice. All the natural colors of the mahogany show through. For an oil finish, it is my oil of choice.


    Dennis

    I plan to start at the Jetties and see what is there. Next, I plan to go to a couple of good spots for snapper that I have fished before. If time permits, I will finish up on a spot or two that should be holding cobia. There were cobia on them a couple of weeks ago. Where we go and how many spots we hit will be determined Saturday.


    Dennis

    I plan to go out Saturday morning the (7/23) (weather permitting) and need 1 to 3 more divers. I am still new to freediving and prefer to have at least one other person along. If you have someone who would like to stay on the boat while we dive, we can handle one or two riders. This will be inshore/near shore in a 21' Carolina Skiff. I will leave from Boggy Point boat ramp. If you are interested, let me know so we can plan.


    Dennis

    I am in Orange Beach AL. If there is someone close by with a roller gun we can shoot it over a chronograph. And the chrono is conclusive. If you have two projectiles of the same mass and form (spears), the one that has the fastest muzzle velocity will have the most energy. This equals flatter trajectory and more penetration. Penetration comes from momentum, or the remaining energy when it reaches the target. If you want to prove it to yourself, go to any ballistics program, select a bullet, then run the program with two different muzzle velocities using the same projectile. The one with the higher muzzle velocity will shoot flatter and retain more energy downrange. Whether you are shooting bullets, arrows or spears the science that predicts performance is called ballistics and is a function of the mass and form of the projectile and the amount of energy that is used to launch the projectile.


    No matter which method you use to test the theory, (chronograph, Go-Pro, or penetration test) you need to make sure the butt end of the guns are supported in a manner (such as against the pool wall, perhaps with a foam cushion between the gun and wall) so that differences in recoil due to differences in the mass of the guns will not affect the results.


    If the roller guns provide a smoother power curve and deliver less recoil, they may seem more accurate to some users for that reason. I think this is one of those - "If it floats your boat, then use it!" scenarios. Personally, I like to keep it simple so I will continue using a conventional style. If you like the roller guns, then that is good.


    Dennis

    I have been following this thread and I see a lot of theory being suggested. There is one sure way to answer this question. Shoot comparable guns over a chronograph. If a roller gun will propel a shaft of the same mass with a faster muzzle velocity than a non-roller gun then it is more effective. If it does not, then it is not. There has been a lot of research done in archery regarding power curves in compound bows. The actual science gets pretty complicated. Still, the only way to increase the power of a bow is to propel an arrow of the same mass faster. I would have to see the chronograph numbers to believe that adding rollers and increasing the power stroke by a few inches without also increasing the pull weight of the bands would make any difference.


    Whether they are more accurate/easier to be accurate with is a completely different question and mostly times comes down to personal preference.


    Just my 2 cents.


    Dennis

    My vote goes for "Lined" vs "Unlined".


    I never have understood why the term "Open Cell" is used to describe any neoprene wetsuit. That type of neoprene would be of no real benefit to a diver unless in very warm waters. Unfortunately, all consumers are not created equal, and many can be confused by written descriptions or prior conceived notions/hype.


    Dennis

    I have personally been on a shark feeding dive. It is very educational. You wiil learn that individual sharks vary just like any other species. Some are more aggressive than others.


    The argument that divers feeding sharks makes them more aggressive to divers (perceiving them as food sources) has been around for a long time, but in those waters where it is practiced there has been no increase in shark attacks on divers.


    With that said, if inexperienced divers decide to host their own feeding dive and things go wrong they are responsible for themselves and the results.


    Dennis

    Regarding chest carry, you can get some nylon webbing straps and fashion a harness (shoulder straps going to a single torso strap that would be buckled around the torso similar to a backpack) and attach the sheath to one of the shoulder straps. You might need stays between the shoulder straps about halfway up as well. This would allow you to experiment with chest carry without damaging a wetsuit. The harness could be sewn or riveted together.


    Dennis

    Well, I am a bubble blower too. I use a computer and my Citizen dive watch when on scuba. I use my Citizen when freediving. It logs my dives automatically, I can access the information readily and can download it to my computer if i want. I don't really watch it that closely when freediving, as my lungs dictate my bottom time, but it is there if I want it. Having the data stored lets you see how you progress in your diving (i.e. bottom time).


    Dennis

    If that area is anything like here on the northern gulf coast, you can get a "fishing chart" that has lots of public numbers for you to try. You might try a visit to a local dive shop when you get there for advice also. Maybe offer one of the guys a the dive shop a free trip and perhaps he will show you some good spots.


    Dennis

    Actually, the equation I gave earlier is correct. If you got 80 lbs of lift in freshwater and given that the weight of freshwater is 62.2 lbs per cu ft and the weight if saltwater is 64 lbs per cu ft (dependent on the actual salinity of the saltwater) then:


    80 lbs lift/62.2 lbs per cu ft = Y lbs lift/64 lbs per cu ft
    (64 lbs per cu ft *80 lbs lift)/62.2 lbs per cu ft = Y lbs lift
    5120 lbs lift sq per cu ft/62.2 lbs per cu ft = Y lbs lift
    82.315 lbs lift = Y lbs lift


    so yes, about 2 lbs different.


    Dennis

    Two things:
    Your test was in a fresh water pool, the result in salt water will be different but you should be able to do the math and get the salt water results.
    (x lbs lift fw/wt of freshwater per cu ft) = (y lbs lift sw/wt of saltwater per cu ft) if you know 3 of the 4 you can compute the 4th
    Additional inflation should affect the compression rate as the float is towed underwater. This would increase buoyancy/lift. Additional inflation could stress the buoy and cause it to fail.

    You said you were filling the boat at service stations. Unless it was a station that had ethanol free gas, that is probably the primary reason for the delamination of the hoses. The hose installed on most boats (for sure on older boats such as this) was not designed for ethanol. Ethanol is a very strong solvent. It has caused many problems for boats since it has been added to gas. If you check around, you may be able to find a station that has ethanol free gas.


    Dennis

    For night diving, I use the brightest light that I have. I don't like big, heavy lights. Make sure you have one good main light with fresh batteries and a good backup light. Surfacing without a light is not really a problem, but some people get a bit claustrophobic without the light. I am assuming you will be diving from a boat, make sure your anchor light is on and if you have spreader lights you may want to have them on as well. Night diving can really be a lot of fun. This is a good time to gig flounder as well, They are much easier to see at night with a good light.


    The main thing about night dives is good planning for contingencies/emergencies. Make sure you have someone along to stay with the boat.


    Good luck and stay safe,


    Dennis

    Hi all. I live in Orange Beach AL. I have done most of my spearfishing on Scuba, but I am very interested in pursuing freediving and spearfishing. I see on here that there are a couple of people who are local to me. I own a 32' sportfish boat so perhaps we can plan some dives in the future.


    I am in the process of remodeling a couple of JBL spearguns, going from closed muzzle design to open muzzle. I have seen some of the wooden guns made by members here. One of my goals is to complete a wooden gun this winter. I see that there are lots of resources here on this site. I may be asking for assistance when I begin my build.


    It is currently deer season here. My son is 21 and away at college. One of the the things we really enjoy together is our deer hunts. Due to this, I will not have much additional free time between now and the end of January. I will probably start diving again in February. I try to swim to stay in shape for diving, but since the local pool hours correspond to my work hours now I am not getting much pool time in. Guess I may have to start swimming in the bay.


    I look forward to meeting the contributors on this site, either electronically or in person.


    Dennis