Posts by Nickmal

Really Dan,

Get a Mirrored Mask! Thats it?

The rest of your post was off topic:)

Technique TELL ME

I have fine-tuned my gear and I am content with its performance in my specific fishing conditions within my skill level bandwidth. I don’t hunt much past 40 feet and one minute to a minute thirty is fairly representative of my limitations.

I am 64 years old, 6”5” and weight 242. That is the Indian I dive in.

Threads that begin on topic with what’s the best equipment usually get derailed by the interjection of the axiom of “It the Indian not the bow. So I acknowledge that their are Indian’s on the forum who could catch fish with a dinner fork and remain down under long enough to clean and eat them.

Baseline
I dive every day excluding typhoons and hospitalization’s interference. I live directly on the China Sea it is literally 40 meters from my doorstep.

The reef in front of my house is overfished and populated by only a few skiddish shy fish that run first and don’t look back. I am f the opinion that the fish of adequate size that are worthy of a shot on my dinner plate are the same ones who have grown to that size by being smart, easy to spook, and defensively evasive all their lives. Dumb fish die young and are too little to eat.

”It is not a sin to want to get a few extra feet out of a gun. Nor is it unfair to point out that physics underwater is matter of choice and consequences.

I have learned a great deal from many sincere exchanges on numerous topics but in the end after several years of spearfishing you have to become your own expert.

Lord knows there is no shortage of experts on the forums. Even the Supreme Court justices have differing opinions of the application of the law given the same case facts. So who is right…you have to be for yourself.

So it is no surprise that drama plays it’s way throughout the treads on the forums for such is human nature. To differ in opinion is the fuel that drives analysis and critical thinking. To make personal defaming remarks defines the trolls from the well-meaning souls

Individual preferences and personal philosophies abound of issues ranging from roller guns to super soft hybrid carbon fins.

Long in depth discussion get in to the Metaphysics of spearfishing in such detail as to require an engineering degree from MIT. I salute those who can truly follow the meandering logic thread as it makes it way through the post. I personally struggle just to be ignorant and drown in my own personal sea of stupidly once a formula’s get introduced into the argument.

Topics like “Which gun can shoot further?” or “Dive depths and bottom times” are subjected ridicule as being just dick measuring contests or worse.

“The time has come," the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax—Of cabbages—and kings

I am sincerely interested in meaningful specifics. Tips and techniques you use while spearfishing in like conditions like my own, specifically reef fishing

Every thread finally gets around to suggesting that you shouldn’t be concerned with equipment just improve your technique. Well I have heard you so lay it on me.

Here is what I do now but is pure self-observation, tempered with trial and error.

Currently I swim the surface in open water just off the reef head, maybe 25 feet deep tops, for several hours and generally at random I swim down like a falling leaf to the bottom where I lie still and head down close my eyes and remain motionless for say one minute give or take a few seconds.

Then ever so slowly I will look around to see if any curious fish have come my way or happened to come by. My belief is that body language, quick movements, or starring at a fish are prime factors in diminishing my chances to get within striking distance. If I see a fish at a distance and try to close in on him 99 out of 100 time the transport to another dimension.

Some times I swim down to the bottom and then slowly swim up over the top of the reef. Pausing every few feet peering over the shelf I have reached and wait for an on coming fish to chance by. Once I expose myself the neighborhood clears out.

So how do you close in on a fish or get it to come to you? I suppose it depends on the species. Well anyway. Do flashers or rattles work? Well you get the idea. I am looking for constructive input as to how to improve or actually develop a technique.

Don’t get me wrong I do successfully catch fish it’s just that sometimes I am at a loss as to how to precede. So share your secrets. Give me insight talk technique to me.

I leave you with a challenge share you successful techniques in detail as to how you clean the reef.

George that was an Awesome video.

My impression is that if I ever saw that many fish in such a few dives it would take the sport out of it. Some of those fish seemed to swim up onto the spear tip and impale themselves. I would get herd blindness.

I am lucky if during say 5 hours of sustained fishing on my reef if I come across 3 fish that are worthy of a shot. Don't misunderstand me I don't mean I get to shoot at all three. The fish here are so skittish that when they see you it literally and figuratively scares the shit out of them.

When I am out in my bunka boat the locals parade by aimlessly wandering from one ecological disaster to another. I am always told that the big fish are at the reef I am currently not fishing. They then ask if I have any spare rubber for their guns:laughing3:

When I see schools of fish in such abundance my first though is oh ya baby then I give pause and wonder what is the next after I fill my bunka. I remember a Twightlight Zone episode where the guy won every game he played at the Casino. BORING:fishswim:

What I am trying to say is that the sport for me is as much about waiting to capitalize on that one moment in time when all the stars and planets align When and if it should occur as well as making the perfect shot because if you screw it up the moving hand having writ moves on.

Still my tune varies especially after 3 or 4 days with nothing to show for it but a vast wasteland of traveled sea bottom. Still that is what makes the perfect shot at the right time so sweet.

Hell I guess I would like to shoot a shitload of fish a couple of hundred times

Some of the info in this post was part of an introduction post some time ago but has been expanded.

Part I

How I came to Love Spearfishing if you would have it.

I don’t holds any world records.

This post is about a plain humble fisherman. Who’s only goal in life was to feed his relatives from the bounty of the sea and thus reduce his capital outlay each week to match his meager pension. To truly grasp the meaning of that simple goal we must travel back to Dec. 6th 1999,

The place is Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. After an Eight thousand plus mile journey and one year of correspondence I found myself in an old Catholic church, built by the Spanish over 400 years ago, proclaiming the words “I DO!” in a wedding ceremony given in a foreign language to an island princess. I married a Filipino. No check that I married an entire family of Filipinos. I suppose I could claim I didn’t really no what I was saying, “I do”, too. The truth be know it was the best thing that has ever happened to me besides catching the fish that is the center piece of this yarn.

Visitors
In the year of our Lord 2001 we built a modest cottage in Puerto beach, Ilocos Sur, right on the China Sea. Every year there after, we visited for about two months at a time and swam in the ocean and entertained many visitors. Typically on any given night there would be sixteen to twenty relatives sleeping on our floor spreading out from the second bedroom and ending in the living room. People would just show up and it seems everyone on the island has some distant connection to my wife’s family and they would come to pay respects and visit. The term visit in the Philippines is more akin to the term permanent resident in the USA. My vacation time was joyously enhanced by a sea of bodies between me and the ice box.

Rural Philippines
The main activities in our remote location, about 300 miles north of Manila, are rice field crop tending and fishing. The trip from Manila by bus can take any where from eight to eleven hours literally. We live near Vigan the capital of Ilocos Sur. There is a mall of sorts about fifteen minutes from our home with a supermarket that has things like Oreo cookies and Delmonte Italian Sauce. Not a large range of imported items but still better than the street vendors for my taste. There is always of course a market day in each town and you can get fresh fruit and veggies at what resembles a large food flee market. Transportation consists mainly of tricycles and jeepneys.

The Beach
We have a great sand beach stretching out for more than 3 miles in front of our house. There are several Sari Sari Stores and small Karaoke Bars down the beach from our house. They are like small garages selling beers and chips, no food to speak of. Each of these establishments has built several cottages on the beach, which they rent to visitors for about two dollars a day. Very few People ever come to the beach even on the weekends. If there are a dozen people there it’s a surprise.

Remember the big “Keep America Beautiful “ campaign where the Native American has a tear in his eye because of our disregard for the land. He would cry an ocean for the Philippines. People here just leave trash or throw it wherever they are. The beach looks like a garbage dump with no sorting when it is visited by any kind of group or party. Sometimes while I am fishing I come across potato chip wrappers and the like. I know Americans throw away more trash per capita then any other nation but we at least hide it better.

Fishing Progression and History
The last time I held a fishing pole was when I was 12 years old in Menomonie Wisconsin. So as a lark I ordered a pole spear off the Internet from Amazon.com to take on vacation some 15 years ago to our home in the Islands.

Pole Spear Fishing
I live in Wisconsin so I am no stranger to water but fishing with a ridged fiberglass rod with a three pronged tip underwater was something in hindsight I mayhap per chance should have researched a little more. My beginning attempts we actually quite comical and the subject of much discussion in many ninpa reed huts during the evenings I am sure. I first tried to actually throw the spear over hand at a fish some 10 feet away. I suppose fish have no sense of humor much less the bland emotion of disdain. I swear a fish mouthed the words “What the hell do you think your doing?” The spear fell at my feet less than 24 inches away from me.

I will concede I am a self-made fisherman. I learned by trial and error how to use the rubber sling attached to the end of the pole. I actually learned to pole fish by throwing over hand. It wasn’t till two years later while watching the TV series Survivor that I saw they used them underhanded. When I returned home that year I was bringing home 7 to ten small fish each outing.

The Reef
The reef in front of our house has been destroyed by local fishermen over the past 20 years. Dynamited! The coral is all but dead and gone. The ECO system is devoid of any real sea life but people still need to eat and the fishing continues. The locals use bamboo rafts and nets with the occasional employment of home made spear guns. On a positive note there is a fish sanctuary designated and the promise of hope is dim but still glowing amber. Planning for the future is a hard sell when you have an empty rice bowl.

Progression
The skill I possessed as a fisherman was secondary to the enjoyment I got when I did catch fish and they were consumed by the noon meal each day. My sister-in-laws would begin to greet me when I returned from the beach holding out a plate upon which to place my catch. Some days, I fished for more than 4 hours at a time rather than return empty handed. The grass if always greener and the big fish were always faster and smarter than the small ones. Up until that point I only caught dumb fish to stupid to put enough distance between me and about 4 feet.

Technology Advances
The following year I purchased a 39” Riffe Spear gun. I began to notice an increase the number of fish I caught. My range had extended to about 6 to 8 feet. I could hold my breath longer and knew more about stalking or should I say surprising my prey. I had in fact improved both my skill and my equipment. I had purchase a Seasoft backpack for my weights and some Picasso free diving fins. None of this is an endorsement for I am not qualified to proffer. (*All equipment updated little by little over the last 10 years)

Ninja Fish Assassin
Ok so how does a land locked Wisconsin man fall in love with spear ishing? It’s like real estate, location, location, location. I researched and in the end and decided I needed a bigger gun, not to knock down a 200 hundred pound Tuna but to reach out and tag the few bigger fish that did still habitat the reef always mocking me from a safe distance with a smirk of their fishy lips. Some people in Wisconsin own expensive deer rifles, snowmobiles, 4x4, the list goes on.

I had Daryl Wong make me a custom 55” semi-enclosed track hybrid spear gun. He is a world-renowned spero and someone I now consider a friend. He went out of his way to help me select the right gun for me. He spend personal time helping and assisting me to be all that I could be so I would not have to join the Army.

I get up a 6:30 am with the local half naked fisherman looking like an astronaut from 2001 a Space Odyssey with a dwarven hand cannon. I use my Wong gun on the shoals reef at night with pride and respect and I use my Wong gun to bring home fish the locals admire and dream about during the day. (*Note I can hit within a 4” circle at 8 to 12 feet away if no one moves and there is no current lol.)

Summary
I don’t hold any world records and I would be embarrassed to dive among true sepros. The ocean is big enough for us all. I am a 64 year old retired district administrator who brings home the bacon more often that not. There is no greater thrill than hunting the sea bed for prolonged length of time and chancing upon the moment where you and the fish collide. The first one who gets his act together wins?

I am now been accepted among the local fisherman as one of them. I have my own bunka boat. The biggest fish I have caught was a Spanish mackerel right here off shore in front of my house. It was approx. 3 feet plus long and weighed maybe 10 kilos. My relatives ate it before I could get it to a scale.

Just a little background stuff on a fellow member hope it does please ya. Long days and pleasant nights

Henry
Santo Domingo, Calay-ab Puerto Beach. Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Quote from hank

Nine hours? That's intense. Great art work.

I thought of getting one about 15 years ago. I actually drove to the place to do it, but it was closed. Had it not been.....??
But then my ex wife got one of three dolphins in a circle on her ankle. My friend Boy looked at it and said, "why did you do that? When you're old, it will look like Uga". Uga is dried fish in Ilonggo. haha

A friend of mine also said when you get old and wrinkly it will look bad. He fails to realize I already old and the canvas was wrinkly when it was rendered. So the wrinkle have already been incorporated in the art that you see. How much more will I shrivel up before I take my last dive. Even if it does go south on me I am already married and my wife will over look it because she sees with her heart.
Picture two of the loves of my life.

Doesn't rife have a shaft that screws together. I was going to look into it to see if It could be used but I little knowledge of it except for the Ad for their traveling g gun

Dan I know mean green is recycled. I have further experimented with the rubber it does have a completely different feel for the release and is truly a smoother launch. The shaft spends to long going down the run way for me. I still like the snap, crackle, and pop of the small ID stuff.

OK I am 64 years old and for the most part of that life I have frowned upon tattoos. I told my children only criminals and sailors got them and the must never defile their god given canvas. About three years ago my oldest daughter, who happens to be a police officer, accidentally exposed a small tattoo on her ankle inadvertently while visiting. I smiled and said oh what have we here? She braced herself for my less than praiseful comments she thought forth coming. Naturally she is an adult and can do as she sees fit. It was a small tattoo of a pyramid (Boring). I said nice and the conversation moved on.

Imagine her surprise when I returned this past week from a spearfishing trip in Southern Philippines where I decided to get a tattoo for myself. It took nine hours to render and was painful. I understand that on the arm is one of the least painful spots but none the less it was nothing short of an endurance marathon of trying not to cry. Later that evening at dinner a lady from Norway asked why did I decide to get it now. She commented that most people got them at age eighteen and then regretted it the rest of their lives. I responded I don't know and that since I was much older I didn't have that long to regret it.

Truly I did not go there with the remotest notion of getting a tattoo. While I was there I passed a shop and went in out of some sort of Peruvian interest
. I then went to a couple of other shops and finally ended up on line researching the art form. Certainly the acceptance to tattoos with the media exposure of numerous sudo-reality shows has given broader appeal and less disdain to the general public. However I decided I wanted one because it was out of character for me, sort of a mile marker on my lives trail that states he has taken a road he has less traveled. Oh YA and because It would be badass and look cool.

I called my wife and said honey what do you think of the idea of me getting a tattoo, She paused and said "I don't like" but it's up to you. I said great and hung up the phone.

Quote from Dude george

I really enjoy all your write ups, thanks! Curious though as to why you ordered a twin gun? did you make some tweaks to the second one?

Dude George,

It does also have some tweaks - will report on them in a later post. I want to convert one into a break down traveling gun for touring the island...more later

When I am in the Philippines my home is in a remote rural part of the island that means you are own your own. Supplies, Shafts, rubber, line etc... I have a redundant back up so I don't have go 4 to 6 week down time if something major fails.

Another reason I got another gun from Ihab is because I just can't miss with it. It's feel and accuracy are perfect for my style and location. Others' may know better but I hunt happily and successfully with these.

If it ain't broke don't fix it. So I got a back up. It's hard for me to imagine a better gun. Fortunately I don't have too.

Review

The Mean Green Rubber (Acid Green) 16mm purchased from Neptonics.

The claim: SALVIMAR ACID GREEN RUBBER is the most powerful rubber available with 380% Stretch. It's not harder to load, it's just snappier than any other rubber giving your shaft more acceleration. Any other rubber on the market has 350% stretch compared to Acid Greens 380% stretch. The bands are manufactured by dipping creating a multilayered structure reportedly improving memory and miniumizing elongation over time.

My Impression: The rubber is in fact not harder to load perhaps even easier. The launch has a very smooth even acceleration that reduces kickback noticeably. Theoretically since the band stretches longer the shaft should have force applied longer and closer to the end of the muzzle.

I was watching a TV show about a guy who had the world record for paper airplane throwing distance. He explained that you should launch a paper airplane with a slow steady even throw,not to throw it hard, if you want distance.

My Experience: When I shoot the Green rubber it has a very smooth,even, and accurate delivery. However the smooth launch is slower (*the paper airplane launch) but perhaps it sails over a slightly greater distance with greater accuracy till the end.

Issue: Most of the fish I hunt on my over dynamited out reef are very small and very skittish. They feel the shock wave of the launch and have time to dodge it like Neo in the Matrix. I can actually see them turn and swim away as the spear approaches

Methodology of comparison: I own two almost identical Laser Tec 115 made my Ihab. I rigged one with my fall back Small ID 16mm rubber and the other with the Acid Green Rubber. The guns both have enclosed tracks and kick back is minimized by their excellent balance and design.

Conclusion: I find the snap and quicker power of the small ID hole rubber to best suit my fishing conditions and preference. Since most fish I shoot are at a range of 10 feet or less away the shaft out of the gun time is critical.

If in fact the Green rubber delivers a smother take off and flies truer over a longer distance, then it might be an advantage on a bigger fish 4 or 5 meters away since they aren’t quite as agile.

Exception: I don’t agree that it has quicker acceleration. Perhaps they mean it accelerates for a longer period of time due to its increased elongation.

When I hunt for spanish mackerel further out from the reef perhaps the Green might prove a positive for extra distance and truer aim. That is pure speculation since I have no antidotal experience to remotely support such speculation.

Baseline: I use 5/8” small ID rubber purchased from spearfishing.store. For the record Primeline’s power calculator suggests that you get an extra two pounds more pressure out of the smaller ID hole product.

I personally find the smooth power delivered thought out the length of the physical launch to be a excellent balance between fast acelleration and a snappy response without too much kick back.

I will continue to experiment with the SALVIMAR ACID GREEN RUBBER and try to give you keener insight as I become more familiar with it's properties.It is a very interesting media and I like the smooth delivery. Perhaps it will grow o me and I will adjust to it's delivery

First let's get it out of the way I buy my rubber at the Freedive store. The small ID hole stuff is what I use and you can't do better.

However I am always experimenting and ordered some of the Green stuff and a pair of Kevlar gloves from Neptonics. I have also purchase assorted tackle for rigging my gun from Josh over the years. I have had nothing but successful transactions getting top quality merchandise.

Case in Poinr I ordered some of the green rubber stretches to 380% (Will give feed back after further evaluation) They have partnered up with DHL and I got my rubber delivered to my house in the Philippines 5 days after I ordered it. So not sure what your issue is but man you can't do better than that. Free Dive store fan you bet Neptonics is a viable supplier. I will order from them in the future.

This is a boat I had made at a local fishing Village here in the Philippines. The coast was $216 US. It is made of plywood and glides effortlessly over the top of the water. It has extend my diving range at least 10 fold. It used to take me 35 minutes to swim out to the outer reef in front of my home in the Philippines I can now be there in under 10 minutes. It is also nice to have base to fish from that far out.

Notice the wheel? I made a cart so that I can ferry it to and from the China Sea to be stored above the tide line. Without the cart it would require two or three people to carry it back and forth. Since I can't count on help to be present every time I want to go diving (Each Day I am Alive) I developed the cart using two motor cycle wheels welded to an axel on a simple plywood base.

I can transport it back and forth easily by my self. One note it is a bitch to get in and out of the water but doable. It's like doing a chin up and push up at the same time. The outrigger do stabilize the entry and exit quite nicely though.

I row it because I have no mechanical aptitude what so ever. I had it made in a local fishing village cost $216 US. It is light and glide effortless over the water. It's a bitch to get in and out of but it has extended my dive range 10 fold.

OH ya notice the wheels. I made a cart to ferry it to and from the ocean above the tide line by myself because it would other wise requireat least two people to carry it.

I built the cart using tow motor cycle wheels and bingo in and out I dive so often that I can't count on others to be around each time i want to go fishing. It is also nice to have a base to fish from on the outer reef infrom=nt of my house used to take me 35 minutes to swim to can now be there in less than 10

Here is a side view to show it thickness. The low profile reduces drag to almost nill. and as you can see it is flexible and conforms to your back for a snug comfortable fit.Other dive vest are meant to augment the belt system this one replaces it. I can not fathom the claim that the slimmer neoprene vest can support up to twelve pounds. Look at the picture and the required volume of lead to reach that level. How can they claim stuff that kind of mass into those small flat pockets? Picture 6 pinch weight in those pockets and the issue of the profile weight and pressure per square inch. Hard for me to imagine comfort at that heavy end of the spectrum. That is the struggle I have hade developing this ugly but beautifully distributed prototype.

I agree my original concept is to make a hydro dymanic shape like a turtle shell that is custome formed to fit your back and expels vis a spring loaded ejection system but alas I am in the Philippines restricted by available materials and construction skills. Still it works and is effortless to move in and extremely comfortable. May I just have too much time on my hands.

Dialing in Your Equipment
Chapter 1
WEIGHTS

This post is focused on my search for my perfect personal weight control system. I am 6’ 5” tall and weigh 245 pounds. I have lost over 80 pounds over the last two years driven basically by the desire to be in better shape to dive deeper and longer.

The quest for fine-tuning your equipment is a multifaceted diverse universe. I started with a standard scuba divers nylon belt with lead weights. It had three immediate drawbacks for me personally. The first one is the belt cuts into your waist and is just plain uncomfortable. The second issue is the placement of the weights mass located in once central line around your mid section forces me to be in motion to plane horizontally. If I lose momentum I tend to settle downward and become up righted not the ideal position to scan for critters below. The third problem bearing the weight around my midsection causes me lower back pain due to the localized stress and after several days it takes a serious toll on me.

So I began to seriously experiment with modifying an existing commercial design to meet my particular prescriptive needs.

I have a standard rubber Marseillaise belt with pinch weights. They are superior to the non-stretch nylon belt no doubt. The belt’s ability to expand and contract in tandem with your depth allows for a snug fits at all times. The negatives mentioned above still existed for me personally. I can use them in a pinch (Pun intended) but they still do pinch.

I then considered different weight harnesses systems. I reasoned that the weight supported by straps across my shoulders would reduce stress on my back. Some configurations seemed no more than suspenders with five weights supported in the middle by a central back weight in the shape of a hexagon. I considered trying one but opted for a Seasoft free diving weight harness, as it appeared to be more comfortable.

It resembles a scuba BCD but instead of a tank trap it had a zippered weight pack on the back. The weight compartment measured approximately: Length 9” x Width 6” x 3” in Thickness. It was comfortable but a little short in length due to my height.

It held the weighs above my waist allowing for a horizontal resting position. I used soft lead pellets in bags. The bags did not press into you back but tended to slide in the weight compartment. They would bunch up in the bottom of the weight pouch and pull back on the straps when in an upright position. The weights would also slide up to the top when descending to the bottom. The system is bulky and creates noticeable drag. I could dive in it for hours in relative comfort.

I made several adjustments to the harness over the last four years in an effort to personalize its performance. I first stabilized the weight in the zippered backpack by putting lead washers in a compartmentalized plastic fishing lure box. The problem with that solution was that is was hard and non-flexible making it uncomfortable even with the padding in the vest. Still it held the weight in a static position and I used it that way for 2 years.

My next generational improvement attempted to solve two specific problems with my current deployment modifications. The first one was to lengthen the torso portion of the harness because it rode up on my stomach even with the shoulder strap fully extended.

So I cut it in half and added a center extension section. I then completely removed the back zippered pouch and strategically placed pinch weights sewn on with nylon dive belt scrap pieces to provide the proper ballast for my particular body shape.

This proto type allowed me to place lower profiled weights in the exact places I designated to achieve a near perfect dive profile. It greatly reduced drag during descents and assents. I was able to move with less effort and still retain the comfort of the harness system. You could spearfish without even realizing you were wearing weights.

The pinch weights placements provided excellent balance but were slightly uncomfortable due to the density of mass in the areas they were fastened too. They had a lower profile than the Seasoft lead bags that I had ruled out because of the bulk required to achieve the 12 pounds I required to dive.

The pinch weight deployment was not a perfect solution either due to it’s shifting of position on the belt straps that had been sewn to the vest. So the system was evolving and improving but the fat lady had not yet sung.

My anal retentive quest to continually improve my design led me to my current renovation of the system. The design issues I attempted to address were strategic placement of a balanced weight distribution across a broader area and to reduce drag to a minimum acceptable level. The paramount consideration is comfort for endless spearfishing, a no compromise requirement in the design.

I have a vision for a system that would be ridged enough to hold lead weights in place on my back distributed across a wide area to reduce pressure per square inch and still have the flexibility to be agile while diving. My implementation using local materials resulted in the system pictured below.

I took plastic pieces I cut to custom shapes trying to follow a scaled backbone plate approach up my back. Not unlike a motocross protective vest’s. I did them in four pieces so they would flex at specific joints. I chose plastic because I had an old storage box I bought from Wal-Mart that I used to ship my equipment over here to the Philippines.

Once I cut the scale,s I drilled holes spaced out to hold the weights firmly in specific patterns. I used lead washers from a local hardware store. I stacked them on bolts inserted threw the holes I drilled into the plastic back scales. I then drilled holes to receive stitches in the plastic scales on the harness from a sewing yawl. I drilled them for fear of cracking the plastic during the sewing process.

What I ended up with looks like something that you might see at a cosplay convention. It is not pretty. I like to think of it a functional art.

However it is custom fit to my physic. The weights are perfectly placed and it is literally unnoticeable in the water. It does not shift regardless of position during diving. It has a low profile and causes very little drag. The weights can be adjusted to a tolerance of a fraction of an ounce by simply removing or adding lead washers.

When I descent it I am a leaf blowing in the wind minimizing O2 consumption as I drift to the bottom. While I am on the bottom I am balanced like a submarine in a perfect hunting profile. I am able to lay flat and still waiting for a curious fish too foolishly inquire as to my purpose.

The refinement of my concept would require a back mold made from plaster and them used to create a fiberglass back scaled plate that would be form fit. It would have the protruding bolts to fasten through layers of lead sheeting. Each sheet would be smaller as it layered on up to form a turtle like shell shape. The individual scales would be set into the form molded fiberglass back plate on a spring loaded platform that could be triggered to pop off it you needed to ditch your weights.

Well that’s what I made marvel at it or make fun of it. I currently am revamping it to ditch the scales by pulling a rip cord that disengages the back scales as currently designed so save the you are an anchor human comments.

Summary
I may not know Art but I know what I like. WORKS FOR ME!

(* It is worthy to note that the Seasoft product is of excellent quality and lasts forever. I dive up to six hours a day 4 to 6 days a week depending on the condition of the China Sea in front of my beach home in the Philippines.)

P.S. I am not endorsing any product. What you see here is a far cry from the off the shelf product I started with. Equipment is personal choice and what I have come to peace with is in the end when all is said and done you are your own best expert.

When I am in the Philippines if you sent something FEDX and then It was mailed back to you the cost would exceed the price of the watch. The customs would be on it with a fee as well as FEDX. Wouldn't matter that is was a used watch being repaired if it comes back into the country with a carrier like FEDX, UPS, or DHL get out your check book Momma. I had a speargun muzzle sent to me and they charged me 95 dollars for shipping and when it got there it an additional 45 dollars for fees and customs. The Part cost $25 US. So I understand why he wants to try to resolve it there if possible not to mention the turn around time. I accept the maybe you can't get there from here but still it is very frustrating to deal with service issues when out of the country. I just accept I am on my own and improvise or do without .

Speardiver Small Hole Speargun Band Rubber
Highest quality latex tubing for speargun band making. Special small 1/16" (1.5mm) inner diameter. Smaller hole = more rubber = more power. Available in 9/16 (14mm), 5/8" (16mm) and 3/4 (19mm) diameter. Sold by the foot

It is most excellent and I can't see myself using anything else. I got a smooth powerful pull out of it every time. I did a piece on the Myths and Facts of Latex tubing. The facts or myth of small ID tubing is moot with me. I may not be an art critic but I know what I like. Try one set of bands and you will understand.

Well actually the last picture is of my House in Wisconsin. That was taken while I was fishing in the Philippines....call it contrast if you like

I am in ILOCOS Sur up near Vigan about 400 miles north of Manila. Rural Area which translates into an almost private 3 mile wide beach