Posts by John Hanson

  • Trip video Dauphin Island

    Looks like it was a fun few days in the Gulf! I like the Crevalles myself. I opt for the smaller ones (5-10lbs) for sashime. Bonitas are also quite nice but only certain areas of the fish are pallatable; the top shoulder area.

  • California Freediver encounter with GWS

    Great story. I have always referred to the ocean as my "church" simply because of the high number of spiritual experiences I have had while in it.


    Judah, not to put words in your mouth, but what I am interpreting from your post is that emotion relates to intelligence, or vice versa.


    I understand what you are trying to say but I don't think that a lack of emotion implies a lack of intelligence. That being said, I think the most frightening aspect of creatures such as reptiles and fish is that there is certainly a high degree of intelligence with a very distinct lack of emotion. THAT is what I find so frightening about these kind of encounters.


    Just some food for thought.:toast:

  • First Fish

    Thanks for the kind words all. :toast:
    My wife is definitely hooked. She can't wait to get her first cobia.


    Dan, the suit fit well with the exception of the shoulder and arms. It was baggy in that area, but the suit sealed well at the wrists and ankles. The hood was a little large but her long hair filled most of it out. The face seal would be better if it were a bit smaller. The length was good all around. She was very pleased with the color. It was a surprise for her:)

  • First Fish

    Its been quite some time since I've been able to post any reports due to an extremely demanding work schedule and home life. Sadly, there has not been a lot of time in my life for diving.


    I got a call earlier this week from my regular dive buddy, who happens to be working out of state, as am I; that he would be home this weekend and wanted to go diving. My wife, who has just recently been introduced to spearfishing was going out for her first full-fledged spearfishing trip where the intent was to get her on some fish.


    I bought her the basics some time ago; mask, fins and snorkel. I recently picked up the new Speardiver suit for her. She has missed out on some trips because of the lack of a suit that was appropriate for the water temps which have been in the high 60s.


    We didn't have a lot of time to make a long offshore run, so we stuck to the closer rigs. The water was really dirty. We had about 3-5' of viz. A little tough to shoot fish in, especially with a 120cm gun. I made due with the conditions and promptly loaded the boat with some pretty healthy Sheephead. We had quite a few in the 5-8lb range.


    My wife, who has only made one dive with us, thus far, finally got her chance to get back in the water. She has been itching to get back in and get a fish. The last trip she went on, she managed to shoot a fish, but lost it to Davey Jones, and probably at least 1 or 2 sharks out the 40-50 that were under the boat that day:D


    We stuck to the surface. We got up in a corner of the rig and I told her to just hold out the gun and wait for the fish to swim in front of the gun. She could barely see the tip of the shaft. Several really nice fish swam right in the front of the gun but she never saw them. After about 15 minutes of this a really nice one came in. I started yelling "shoot! Shoot!" through my snorkel. It was pretty comical. I saw the fish turn and go down and I am thinking that she missed another opportunity. But she pulled the trigger and I see the shafte go down. I'm thinking there is no way she hit that fish and then the line shooting line goes tight and starts veering off to the left. Fish on!


    We get the line pulled back in and to her delight, there was not one, but two nice Sheephead on the shaft! A double on the third time she's ever pulled the trigger on a gun:cool2:

  • RIP Gil Gacula

    Farewell my friend:( You will be missed.
    The world has lost lost a truly humble man; dedicated to his family and his work.


    A true craftsman and a true human being. May he rest in peace.

  • Hi from Pensacola Fl

    Welcome Nick.


    I dive mostly out of Gautier, MS. We usually have a spot available if you ever want to make the drive. I'm out of state for the time being, but hit me up in the future if you want to dive.

  • RIP Rick

    Haven't been on here in a while and this is the first thing I see after logging in:( My condolences to the family, friends and dive buddies.


    I met Rick (and Lyle) a few years back at the PFI course. Great guys. A pleasure to be in their company. I ran into Rick a few more times afterwards and it was always while diving at Catalina. He always had a smile and a great positive outlook.


    Rest in peace brother

  • Penetrator Fins

    First time I have even heard of them.


    I will say that I have some experience with other blades that have 25 degrees of angle in them and I don't care for them. I prefer 20 degrees of angle. I also don't care for the bend that I see in the pictures when flexed. But that's more of a personal preference thing based on kick style. Everything I see from the photos indicates that these blades are great for pure freediving, but lack the proper design aspects for spearfishing, especially when it comes to fighting larger fish. They look like they would be best suited for diving deep reefs while hunting smaller fish.


    I'm sure Dan will chime in soon on the water channeling rails.


    AUD$290= US$266

  • For any roller gun naysayers...

    You guys sure get some nice gags over there. It would be nice if we could get them as consistently as you do in freediving depths. The scubaroos can get some nice ones deep but it's rare to get such quality fish for us without going past 100'. Of course we don't have a lot of good natural structure in shallow depths and even if we did, the viz is usually horrible.


    We have a few wrecks in 50-80' but more often than not you can't see your hand in front of your face.

  • Float system for yellow tail?

    If its a comfort issue then use should use whatever you need. I am guessing that this will be your first trip paddy hopping.


    I am only recommending a shorter line for line management in the water with other divers.


    You will all be on the same spot. Having 3 or 4 long floatlines all drifting down current or down wind turns into a giant Charlie Foxtrot, especially with the big hard floats. A shorter line gives you more control over the line and allows the group to stay closer together without tangling lines. It will also make retrieving or dispatching the line in and out of the boat simpler and faster.


    Have fun and be safe. Good luck! Looking forward to some pictures and a report:toast:

  • Float system for yellow tail?

    A little overkill for typical paddy diving. However, you never know when the tuna may came through or that one paddy may just be holding that 60lb yellow.


    I never used more than a reel gun for paddy hopping. It gets to be a big pain jumping in and out of the boat quickly especially when there are no fish on it. It's good to have a float rig set-up and ready in the boat just in case there are good signs of the bigger fish being around. 95% of the time it's going to be yellows and or dorado in the 10-25lb range.


    If you are more comfortable having a tag line with the reel gun, I would suggest a short line, 35-50' with a small float; just enough buoyancy to lift your gun should you drop it. You may also want to consider a self-inflating float (look into the Carter Floats) just in case you get in a bind with a fish on the end of your line. These stay rolled up on your belt until ready to deploy.


    http://www.neptonicsystems.com/carter-floats.htm