Posts by hank

  • Need some help choosing first gun

    Quote from continentaldrifter

    6"1" 242 lean....I wish i had the opportunity to go in and practice with someone, but its a bit chilly at 6000' and everything is frozen. Today it should be in the high teens...unfortunately this mission came to me in the beginning of November, so i didnt have alot of time.


    Would it be wiser to start out with a polespear? I like the idea being simple and effective, it was the range of the speargun that intrigued me. Thanks


    6'1"...242 lbs....lean?...I thought Denver was in the Playoffs....how is it that you can take off and go spearfishing? <img src= " height="23" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x">


    Yes, a pole spear is a very good way to start. The true art of spearfishing is getting close to the fish. This takes knowledge of the fish's behavior and the skill to be able to adapt to that behavior and get within range. If you get good with a pole spear, you're well on your way.

  • Need some help choosing first gun

    Quote from continentaldrifter


    Looking to contact free dive this week and ask a few questions.


    Thanks Hank.....very excited.


    You're welcome. You're getting some good pointers on here.
    Not knowing how much ocean experience you have makes it hard to begin advising you, as Don mentioned.


    A couple from Colorado just moved down to Belize. The woman is very athletic and is a nationally ranked slalom water skiier. She's badass and used to fresh water lakes... and has broken bones and internal organs from falls she's taken.
    I've recently started taking her free diving and starting spearfishing. Despite her water experience with skiing, she's pretty much like most beginners in the ocean. We forget and take for granted how much we've learned in 35 years of surfing, body surfing, diving and free diving until we see someone new in the ocean. There is a lot to learn and get comfortable with.
    Currents, waves, how much weight to wear, wetsuit...and then how to rig your gun while doing that swimming. Free diving....learning about fish, how to approach them.
    If you're truly new to the ocean and diving, one month is just a taste. You could hook up with some really good diver/spearos who may drop you on some big fish out in the blue. It could be done. But that's not really learning. It'll take more than that. Watch out...you may sell your house, quit your job and move to the sea....a nice tropical sea. <img src= " height="23" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x"> It' addicting. Good luck and be safe.

  • Need some help choosing first gun


    WOW !! You're ambitious. There's a lot of guys on here with a lot more experience than I have with the fish you mentioned....not to mention a lot of other fish.
    You realize that those species are pretty much blue water, pelagic fish?
    I'll sit back on this one and let the more experienced guys advise you. Marco has shot wahoo. Don Paul is hard core....lots of good guys on here.


    For the record though. I have a 63 inch Wong super magnum (that sits in my room most of the time) designated as my Wahoo and blue water gun. I have a 100 foot floatline and breakaway shaft setup with a slip tip. Designed for strong fish.


    And yes I carry at least one extra shaft on my boat in case I bend one bad. And no, I don't use a lanyard. If I let go of the gun, I want to really let go.

  • Need some help choosing first gun

    I woud guess that the Marshall Islands has pretty good visibility.
    The guns you mention are pretty short. A short gun is good in limited vis where you barely see 4 feet past the end of the gun, or shooting in holes but to make shots on wary, larger fish, you need a longer gun.
    I would go for a gun at least 50-55 inches long. It's good around the shallow reefs but can also make longer shots on bigger fish. That is the shortest gun I use in Belize and the Philippines, which probably has similar conditions to the Marshalls.
    A reel is a good investment and with line should only cost you another $120 or so. You are likely to eventually run across a 20 lb plus fish (as sadot alluded to) that could be hard to pull to the surface if you're deeper than 20 feet and could result in loss of gun and or fish.

  • Golden Eagle Snatches Kid

    Quote from Nate

    I can see that Judah. Kind of like the tourists who think the first pelican they see is the coolest thing ever.. until an entire flock swarms you and shits everywhere. <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">


    Which is how Jake came up with another version of, "is the Pope Catholic?. Does a bear shit in the woods?"


    Does pelican shit smell like fish? .....yep, it does. <img src= " height="23" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x">

  • Major surgery for the Carrot Juice

    I passed by the guy's shop today. He hasn't started it yet. He has about 5 other boats there he's working on. I want to see what it looks like when he gets the floor off. Maybe there's a cubera hiding in there. <img src= " height="23" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x">

  • Major surgery for the Carrot Juice

    Quote from ladvr

    Nice rig Hank. Pangas have become quite common here in LA .


    They're a practical boat. Good on gas, plane easily on low horsepower for the length and are known as "the boat that built Belize".
    The downside is the flat bottom makes for a pounding when beating into the wind. Most all boats do but a deep V is more comfortable for sure.
    I don't have a choice because I have to cross water as shallow as a foot at low tide to get in or out of our canal here where I launch it.

  • Major surgery for the Carrot Juice

    Yeah, that's the boat in my pics. It's the standard Central American Skiff hull shape. But the Mexican one has a better design under the floor. I didn't know all this when I bought it.
    Once this work is done it'll be fine. And it's lucky. haha I wouldn't trade if for anything.

  • Linguist learning from expert indigenous speardivers

    Quote from Samadivers

    Thanks all for your replies and greetings. Here in the Davao channel it gets as deep as 90ft. You have to go out on the backside of Samal to get the 150ft and be in Saranggani to get the 250ft. I still don't do well beyond 40ft :) My ears sting too badly.


    There are many Ilonggo and other Bisayans here in town, but according to the Sama, no one goes much deeper than 50ft except for the Sama.


    I don't know the Ilonggo for oyster, but the Sinama is tipay.


    Davao is a beautiful place, It reminds me of Hawaii.....so lush and green. Bisayan...meaning Cebuano? Amazing how the language changes from island to island. I can't understand any Cebuano.

  • New Dive Video

    Very nice video. You're a good shot.
    That was heavy with the ulua and your buddy...or you? swimming into the house with the fish on. Those fish scare me. They won't die and can wrap you up so fast. Nice work.

  • Major surgery for the Carrot Juice

    For the last 6 months I've been noticing a sloshing sound when I rock my boat sitting on the trailer.
    I drilled a hole and installed a porthole to try and get the water out. But I had to gouge out foam and when I got to the water, it was only about half inch deep.
    This boat has a weird design. It has compartments, or honeycomb design under the floor but they were designed to never take on water and were foam filled. So they were never designed to drain the water out and the water is trapped since it came in from the floor above.


    I took it to a guy who works on lots of boats here and he has to cut out the whole floor and remove the foam. Then drill holes through the back of each of about 10 compartments so the water will continually drain out to the bilge.


    Why didn't the Guatemalans think of this when they designed it? Water gets in but can't get out....gfrrrrrr. Anyway, it's going to cost me US$1750.00 for the work. Lucky we just put that boat together for our friends and they can take us out this week. :thumbup:
    I'll try and post pics of this surgery as it progresses. Beware of buying a Pesquero Panga from Guatemala. It looks just like the Mexican Imemsa but the under floor design was done by morons.