You don’t need to go all the way to the Caribbean to swim with Whale sharks!

http://news.discovery.com/videos/animals-swimming-with-sharks.html

This is in my budget.

Hope they aren’t napping when I am visiting…

http://news.discovery.com/videos/animals-sperm-whales-caught-napping.html

And this is just a great title…sea urchin orgies?!

http://news.discovery.com/videos/animals-preventing-sea-urchin-orgies.html

Great Job K.I.S. Team!!!

K.I.S. Team sign

The SUP team with their Surf-fur Waterparkas! You guys look warm.

They make it look easy.

Passing up boats....

1. Safety
2. Necessity
3. Comfort/Looks/Improvements

Along the lines of necessity I recently purchased a trident tip for my Ray Odor Pole Spear (which happens to come with a standard 6mm thread).  It’s embarrassing to admit (and unfortunately wasteful) that I recently shot a Halibut that got away.  I like to think that it was able to heal and live on but chances are the wounded fish probably didn’t have much chance.  This incident provided a learning opportunity and to that end I researched and sought advice on the best way to shoot halibut.

I frequent spearboard.com and came across a great thread regarding halibut spearing.  After digesting the information I came away with 3 alterations I am moving forward with:

1. Use a trident tip on the polespear.  A trident tip serves 2 purposes which are to immobilize the fish and also to ensure the spear tip remains in the fish.

2. If not using a trident tip ensure the halibut is speared with the head pointing towards the diver.  Also spear at a 45 deg angle and hold the polespear firmly after shooting to make sure the halibut swims up the shaft.  This will help to land the fish.
3. If using a flopper then consider placing a rubber band under the flopper to make sure it remains engaged after penetrating the fish (like in the photo below).

4. Halibut are strong fish! After shooting do not “fight” the fish.  Have a good float line with bungee section so that the fish isn’t pulling at the spear tip to get away but rather swimming against the flexible bungee section.  Eventually the fish will tire and rest on the bottom.  Have the float line attached to a good float (I just purchased a “Bank’s Board” from John at www.banksboard.com).

I was really excited when the trident tip arrived that I went out in sloppy conditions (windy and choppy) but my excitement paid off.  With about 3′ of visibility I searched the same and eel grass for about an hour and finally spotted a halibut.  I took aim, fired, and was amazed when the fish barely moved.  The trident tip just immobilized it as advertised.  Furthermore I had a little trouble dislodging the spear tip from the fish which was good (this bodes well for not losing fish in the future).

All in all it was a rewarding experience and a great lesson learned.

Stand Up Paddling
Fun & Fitness
By Dan GavereWhether you want to cruise the shoreline watching for whales and sea turtles, get outside for a full body workout, or mess around on the lake with the whole family, Stand Up paddling is the way to go. Easy, simple, and convenient, SUP is fun for everyone and is taking the world of watersports by storm. Join experienced kayaker and waterman Dan Gavere to find out what you need to know about this dynamic and exciting new sport…

Lakes, oceans, and rivers around the globe are seeing the rapid spread of a new phenomenon-Stand Up Paddling. Originated from surfing by the Waikiki Beach boys, SUP has taken center stage as the new rage in watersports. Thanks to people like Laird Hamilton, Brian Keaulana, Dave Parmenter, and others, the sport is now accessible to virtually anyone; as long as you have water you can paddle. Requiring just a paddle and a board, and offering fun on flat water, waves, and rivers, it is simple and convenient for a broad population of enthusiasts. Some think SUP will eventually be more popular than surfing, due to its wide usage and its appeal on both ocean and inland waters. Dedicated users quickly notice the physical fitness benefits and like I always say “it’s the only sport that comes with a six pack at no extra charge.” Whether you’re interested in paddling for exercise, catching waves, riding the meandering river near your house, or just getting the family out on the lake, stand up paddling is now the most versatile recreational paddlesport in the World. So don’t just sit there! Get up, Stand Up, and get yourself out there to see what all this buzz is about.

Stand up paddling is a very easy activity and everyone gets the hang of it quickly. Using a long canoe style paddle to provide the power and some steering, the board creates a platform to stand upright and move with ease. Paddling a stand up board forward is similar to paddling a canoe forward, except far easier and more comfortable! You’re standing facing forward in a skiing style stance and paddling on one side or the other to keep the board moving in a straight line. You can start out slow and easy, cruising short distances to get the hang of it. Once you’re ‘dialed in’, it becomes fun and easy to take longer trips, spending more time outside with friends enjoying the scenery.

Twenty years ago Hawaiian surf instructors created Stand Up paddling; using a paddle to propel a huge surfboard it was easier to get good photos of their surfing pupils and spot waves. Athletes like Laird Hamilton and Brian Keaulana then started using stand up paddling as cross training to increase their stamina, balance, and strength while sticking to their “waterman” ways. It was just a matter of time before images started appearing of Laird and others attempting to stand up paddle into bigger and bigger waves. As these images began to circulate in the surfing world, surfers started trying the sport at their local breaks. Breaking into the real mainstream, the sport began gracing the pages of People and US magazine, featuring high profile movie stars like Jennifer Anniston and Pierce Brosnan talking about how they use the sport to stay in shape while having fun in the sun.

Now the sport of stand up paddling has exploded onto our saltwater and freshwater coastlines as the ultimate recreational vehicle for surfing, cruising, fitness, and simplicity. Stand up surfboard companies are doing clinics and hitting the paddling community with new designs for rivers, lakes, racing, and fitness – boards that have nothing to do with surfing and everything to do with paddling. The sport has officially morphed from Stand Up Surfing to Stand Up Paddling. Where will it go in the future? Many believe it will become bigger than surfing. Some even say Stand Up will be the most popular water sport in the history of the world! Olympics’ 2020?Proper technique and the right equipment is important to getting the most out of paddling a stand up board so making sure to speak with a specialty retailer and instructor who knows stand up paddling is a good idea to get going. Many surf and paddling shops are beginning to see the benefits of sup in their areas and starting to carry equipment and offer lessons. Otherwise you can become what I call a “Laird of the internet” and find some online blogs, forums and videos to watch and learn from.

“It’s the only sport that comes with a six pack at no extra charge.”

Stand up is a whole body workout that is focused from the core out; so your abs, legs, and back get to feel the benefits, as do all the smaller balance muscles in your knees, ankles and even toes. Naturally your arms and shoulders are getting a great workout from the paddling side, but it’s the core muscles that seem to really show the earliest benefits, trimming inches from the waistline or even creating those coveted ‘six pack’ abs. It’s the new cool way to get in shape and look like a surfer. In addition to the more obvious coastal areas, Stand Up is also gaining a strong inland following in U.S. “hotbeds” for the sport like Durango, Colorado, Chicago, and even Las Vegas NV. These are areas with easy access to water where paddling can be a quick 1 or 2 hour “workout” or just a way to get out and unwind from a stressful day in the office. Fitness trainer, Nikki Gregg owner of NRG Lifestyle Fitness Training (www.nikkigregg.com) says ”I have been entrenched in the health and fitness industry my whole life and, even after years of training in the gym, I have personally never seen such an improvement with my own physique as I have with stand up paddling. Most of my training sessions are done outdoors and I am delighted to add stand up as a tool for my clients to have fun, add variety, and get a unique workout”.

Now the sport of stand up paddling has exploded onto our saltwater and freshwater coastlines as the ultimate recreational vehicle for surfing, cruising, fitness, and simplicity.

In California and Hawaii there is now a racing scene that attracts this new breed of watermen and women. There are freshly sprouting events like the Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez “Battle of the Paddle,” which attracted over 300 competitors its first year and awarded over $10,000 in cash to the top racer in a 4.5 mile stand up paddle race. Although the course included a grueling 200-meter beach run on each 1.5-mile paddling lap, some 80 pro men and women entered looking for that chunk of cabbage in a wide open field of paddlers from around the globe. The real surprise came when everyone realized there were an additional 260 amateur competitors on top of the pros, making this event the biggest Stand Up race in the sport’s short history. The Molokai Crossing is a prestigious event that started many years ago but more recently added a Stand Up division; undoubtedly the most grueling race on water it entails a 32-mile paddle between the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Oahu. This race began as the ultimate prone paddleboard race drawing athletes like Jamie Mitchell, who has won this event the last 7 years in a row. Similar to many other prone paddleboard and outrigger races the Molokai has added a division for stand up paddling. Since SUP is an extension of paddling and growing so quickly, the Molokai Crossing is not the only race to have added a Stand Up division. In some recent races, the stand up divisions are attracting more participants than any of the other divisions.

In Hawaii the sport of stand up paddling is everywhere. You can’t drive past a beach now without seeing someone out paddling one. The funny part is that when there are no waves you still see them, cruising the reefs, turtle spotting, and doing “runs” when it’s windy. “Runs” are down-winder’s, or miniature paddling trips letting the power of mother nature push you naturally downwind from one protected cove to another. The higher winds push up waves that can be easily spotted and caught in the open water on the longer stand up boards. Stand Up boards like the SIC F-16, with a sleek designs and long length, were designed to catch these waves and ride them. Riding from one bump to another bump is an addicting technique that allows you to increase your speed dramatically and travel further distances.
Experienced paddlers will easily paddle downwind 12-20 miles in winds as high as 45 mph trying to surf every bump possible.

In Hawaii, and particularly Maui, the downwinder rage has bitten the north community like a bug. From house wives to professional windsurfers paddlers of all ages and abilities are doing “Maliko Runs”. Maliko runs are 6 mile downwinders starting off in a small stream ocean inlet known as Maliko Gulch. Heading out into the reliable daily trade winds which blow directly parallel to shore happy go lucky paddlers paddle in groups traveling down the North Shore past famous breaks and landmarks like Ho’ Okipa, Paia, and finally arriving on the beautiful beach in Kahului. The 6-8 mile downwind runs offers amazing views of turtles, whales, waves, and reefs making time slip by faster than you think is possible. Some of the locals and serious fitness buffs will do this daily for exercise with GPS units to track their progress and speed. Some of the faster paddlers with custom boards can maintain over 10 mph throughout the run making it in under an hr, but the goal isn’t to go out there and paddle as hard as possible. The ultimate goal is to read the open water, wind, swells, and feel the ocean’s power surfing the runners and only paddling at the right times and then resting while riding the swells.
With a well-organized race series, the UK seems to be leading the charge on competitive Stand Up paddling. BSUPA the British Stand Up Paddling Association is the first nationally organized association in the world to host races, create rankings, and crown national champions. Other parts of Europe are starting to light up on the sport as well: Germany, France, Italy, and Spain have seen some serious growth in the last 12 months. Windsurfing is very popular in Europe, and many of the windsurfing brands like Naish and Starboard are now coming out with complete SUP lineups with everything from recreational cruising boards to short high-performance SUP surf designs to full carbon racing boards. Naturally it’s only a matter of time before all the European “boardheads” get a Stand Up board to add to their quiver. Some boards even have a mast track insert so that any sail can easily be attached, making these boards great for light wind cruising and wave riding.

For recreation, fitness, fishing, racing, tripping, or simply just paddling with kids, Stand Up paddle boards are truly bicycles for the water. The sport is in its infancy and the future is wide open to become as mainstream as snowboarding or fishing. With the broad appeal, current growth, and limitless possibilities offered by Stand Up paddling, anything is possible. It’s a sport for everyone, so get out there and check it this newest rage to hit the water!

Online Resources: Providing information, forums, event calendars, manufacturers lists, product reviews, and more…
www.bsupa.org – British Stand Up Paddling Association
www.standupzone.com – The website of Standup Journal
www.supsurfmag.com – The website of Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine
www.standuppaddlesurf.net – An all-inclusive Stand Up website

Dan Gavere can be found following the path of his paddle from Oregon to California and now even to Hawaii. He has fully immersed himself into the sport of Stand Up paddling but also switches it up with kayaking, mtn biking, snowboarding, and the occasional MX or snomo ride.
From head to toe and the river to the ocean Dan is a waterman through and through.

My buddy Chris and I have been diving fairly regularly together since the dive class we took.  It has been mostly a series of learning dives and getting more comfortable with our equipment. For instance, I bought a new game bag to hold lobster and fish because the old one had a metal handle and clasp and opening/closing the bag was quite a chore.  Additionally, the new bag was mostly nylon with little mesh to get snagged on bottom structure.  The first dive out with the new bag I must not have secured it properly because I noticed it missing after 15 minutes!  It was nowhere to be found and a little frustrating to lose something before you even have a chance to use it.

Using a polespear has been an amazing introduction to spearfishing for me.  I have had to learn what fish are legal and in season, how to spot the specific fish, and how to approach the fish.  I remember the first fish I speared in Del Mar.  I was so happy to get anywhere near something larger than bait fish and I shot at some perch.  It wasn’t easy but after about 5 misses, I finally nailed it.  I remember not being exactly sure what it was at the time or how it would taste.  I learned pretty quickly that perch are not the best eating fish out there.  In fact, the only way that they seem to be edible is deep fried!

I continued on like that for about a month before I was able to spear anything of any consequence.  In fact once lobster season started I found myself always leaning on lobster fishing.  It is very tough to drop your spear and lobster search and that is partially why I researched a dive float.  The dive float serves a few purposes:
1. A marker so your dive buddy knows exactly where you are at all times.
2. A marker so that boats can see you in the area.
3. A float to attach a game bag on and a spear to when not in use.
I have about 30 feet of nylon line attached to my weight belt.  At the end of this line are 2 lobster floats attached together.  Attached to the float is a clip that holds both the game bag and spear.  The float is always buoyant enough and follows me around as I swim.

This lobster season has been decent so far.  It is more difficult than last season to find keepers which makes everyone you do find that much more rewarding.  Right now, it is December 9th and I have caught about 10 thus far.  My best was just last week when I found the following lobster poking out of a hole in about 20 feet of water.  He was trying to intimidate a girabaldi that was swimming outside his little cave. ’something I have noticed about lobster behavior: the bigger lobsters don’t like to share holes with anything including other lobsters AND the bigger ones try to intimidate anything that comes near their hole.

I have progressed with the polespear.  In fact, it feels like the only sporting thing to use to fish reef fish.  Using a speargun just seems like it would be far to easy because of the range (15′ or more).  With a polespear one needs to get within 5′ of a fish in order to spear it.  Very difficult!

On a nice day in Cardiff with my buddy Chas, we were surprised with some great visibility… probably 30 feet or so.  This was great because we noticed some great structure that we would otherwise swim right over.  In between 10 and 25 feet of water, we came across a wide variety of fish.  A group of sheephead in particular caught my attention.  I noticed 2 or 3 big sheephead swimming around a rock out crop no more than 10′ in diameter in about 25′ of water.  These fish would not let me within 10′ of them, just far enough so my polespear couldn’t reach them.  I spent about 20 minutes breathing at the surface and diving down trying to get close enough for a shot.  Finally, I figured out the swimming patterns just enough and I hid around the corner of the rock outcropping.  Finally, as one of the fish came around the corner- just before he saw me- I let the spear go and landed a perfect shot.  The spear penetrated the fish and I quickly secured him and took him to the surface.  It turned out to be about an 8 lb fish.

Now that winter is here with the colder weather, I need to consider a new wetsuit.  The best one I have for diving now is a 4/3 surfing suit and it just doesn’t cut it for water below the low 60′s.  I am dying to try out the Matuse 4/5/3 or the Patagonia wool lined. Both are environmentally “friendlier”, But which is the better performance suit?

April 2009 set in and the summer was approaching.  I met my buddy Brian in Ocean Beach for a morning surf session filled with perfect 3 ft mushy san diego waves.  At least the breakfast across from the Pier was good!  On the way home we drove past the spear shack in OB (619-226-2406).  Cindy urged me to stop and take a look.  I am glad we did.  For whatever reason I hadn’t considered building on the lobster diving and working on spear fishing / free diving but after talking to Mark, a super cool guy, I committed to taking his free diving class.  I also talked to my buddy Chris who agreed to try the class out as well.

Our schedules didn’t match up for a few months but we finally joined Mark for the free diving/spear fishing excursion in early August.  We were joined by 2 others on the boat.  After meeting at Mark’s in Point Loma we drove to Mission Bay and launched by about 10 a.m. On an early August sunday.  Mark provided everything including the spear guns.  We just had to bring lunch.  It was a great deal for $100!

So we anchored in 35 ft off of boomers beach in La Jolla.  Mark says alright, let’s start by swimming to shore and back two times!  What?!  I think we all said “you’re kidding right?”, but Mark was already half in the water and raring to go.  That was the toughest probably 2 mile swim I have ever done (the only one too)! 

 It set the tone for the day.  Mark did not mess around, he highlighted the importance of safety, breathing, and technique.  I learned more that afternoon then I did the previous year.  I thought I would be the one with the short breathhold while the others were excelling but after using Mark’s techniques I blew myself away with comfortable breathholds of one and a half minutes to 35 ft followed by dives to 55 ft with ease!  We finished the day by learning the ins and outs of spearing which was cool.  Mark is a patient and experienced waterman and I would recommend his class to anyone short of an expert freediver.

So that did it.  I was hooked.  Not only with the challenges of free diving but also the excitement of spear fishing.  In the following weeks I came across an excellent website:  www.spearboard.com  .  This is a great forum for spear fishers (spearos) and the place where I have excellent my learning curve.

With the tips I learned at spearboard I went out and started to get my gear together.  I started with a spetton excell mask ($52 ebay) and a spetton flexa snokel ($21 ebay).  Now these were recommended on spearboard and I like them very much.  Although I now know that Mark at the spear shack will match any internet pricing and has the best top of the line gear(I also bought from the spearshack a cressi lince mask and hammerhead snorkel, both of which are very much similar to the spetton products – although I slightly prefer the spetton versions)!  I also bought freediving fins(cressi 2000, $50) used from ebay and those have worked great.  I had to get the neoprene booties from the spearshack to wear with the fins.  I already had weight belts from the year before (I use 4 lbs with my 3/2 and 8 lbs with my 4/3).  …but the best purchase was the Ray Odor Pole Spear($55) I bought from Ray Odor’s site.

I wanted to start with a spear gun but the good advice I read was to learn with a pole spear because it is much easier to load between shots(just place the band in between thumb and finger and stretch the band!), it teaches one how to approach fish, and generally just helps one to become comfortable in the spear fishing arena.  The pole spear has excellent follow through because of it’s weight but the deceleration is so fast that you need to be within 5′ of the fish to spear it!  The spear came ready to use from Ray, although I did buy a separate tip($15 approx) to put on the spear.

So I am all geared up and ready to go at this point, but where to go and what to do?  That’s when I turned to spearboard to introduce myself.  It turns out that spearboard is not only a great place to talk and learn spear fishing, etc, but a great place to team up with like minded people and go diving.

My first few free dives with the spear I did by myself.  I went out locally in Leucadia off of Beacon’s beach.  I kicked out to the kelp and proceeded to take a look around with my new spear.  I quickly realized I had two problems.  Problem #1: what happens if I shoot the pole spear and lose sight of it, won’t I potentially lose it?
Problem #2: sharks!  Swimming in open water by myself is spooky.  Swimming with a spear is just a little comforting and making it out to the kelp is just a little comforting as well.  …but it’s constantly in the back of my head!  More on sharks later.

So problem #1 I solved really quick when I posted the question on spear board.  The answer was “don’t let go of the spear”.  What?!?  Sure enough I tried it out next time.  Naturally when you shoot the spear your hand grabs onto the rubber band.  Therefore you never worry about losing it, just pay attention to grabbing the rubber band and all is good.  It actually feels natural!

So at this point I feel a little comfortable with the spear and I feel increasingly comfortable in the water.  My next step is to start spearing fish.  …but where to go and what to do?

I need to start out by saying- don’t ever try these techniques on your own without a dive buddy watching.  Breathing techniques not only slow down your heart rate but also oxygenate the blood AND remove CO2 from the bloodstream. Why is this dangerous?  Because CO2 is what tells the brain to take a breath.  Less CO2 equals less brain signals which equals longer bottom time but also potential to stay down too long!  …at least this is my understanding.

So now that we understand the fun aspects of breathing techniques let’s get down to the nuts and bolts .  There were 4 techniques that we were taught by Mark.  the advice was to try all 4 but also never perform hyperventillation as the last technique.  Also these techniques can be done during the 4 minutes on the surface between dives.

Technique #1: hyperventillating.  This is a series of short inhales and exhales, less then a second a piece, which quickly remove CO2 from the blood.  These also cause lightheadedness so be careful.  If trying these at all which I advise against, always do these as the first technique and only for approx 30 seconds.

Technique #2: deep breaths
Breath in and out in a slow controlled manner.  All the way in till absolutely full, then all the way out pushing every last bit of air out.  These take about 3 seconds for every inhales and about 3 seconds for every exhale.  No faster then this pace.  These are my preferred method.

Technique #3: hook breath
Inhale till lungs full and hold for about 4 seconds.  Flex chest muscles by crossing forearms in front of chest then exhale.  Repeat for one minute.

Technique #4: deep slow breaths
Similar to technique #2, these should be the final breaths.  Take deep, slow, yoga type breaths which act to really slow the heart down and relax you.  There is no pushing or over filling like technique #2.

Finally when you are ready to dive, inhale your breath using your stomach (diaphragm) and inhale as much as possible (see diagram below).  This will fill your lower lungs.  Finally fill your upper lungs by expanding your chest and capture as much air in the lungs as comfortable.  DO NOT PACK BREATHS.  If you do not know what packing is then don’t worry, there is no need for it and it can be dangerous.

…And the last step to a long breath hold is to kick out your snorkel mouthpiece!  This causes the mammalian reflex when your lips are pursed and under water.  This technique should help with a longer breath hold.

So that’s it!  With these techniques you should be able to really increase your bottom time.  Remember, CO2 is your friend, so if diving alone do not perform breath holding techniques.

    It was like when I learned to surf…  I had known about it, I had seen it, and it made perfect sense that I should try it, but it never occurred to me to do so.  Once I did try it there was no going back!

    I am the kind of person who latches onto something and dives in “full throttle.”  It consumes me to the point where I think about it every day.  It’s like that song you like then play it over and over again until it just doesn’t sound good anymore.  With watersports, there is no way to get tired of being in the water…being one with the water. 

    I thought it may be a good idea to chronicle my progression into being a waterman only because I put so much time and effort into researching (it is the engineer in me) and buying the right gear. My wife jokes that I make spreadsheets of the pros and cons of gear before purchasing (I only did that a few times). At this point, I’d say I am inthe beginner to intermediate stages of freediving/spearfishing and I will do my best to bring all events current and post them.

   Our underwater adventures started about 9 years ago when my wife, Cindy, and I bid on scuba lessons at a silent auction and won.  We were certified and entered the underwater world with awe, but it was never something that we were obsessed about like we were with surfing (our above water experience). I think it was because it took so long to get all the gear on for a dive and we always went with a group of people who were as slow as molasses to get dressed (sorry James, but you are really slow- you talk too much).  We did buy all the equipment and the expensive extras that looked cool, but we never used all of them(read dive computer!).  After a few trips to Catalina and some vacation dives, we were ready to get more hardcore! How about ditching the gear and just holding our breaths and get really close to the fish? How about getting in a tank and have sharks swimming around us? Can you rent a Submarine?  Maybe we can freedive off the surfboard? I mean, who needs the boat?

  Fast forward to Fall 2008.  I am pretty sure we were at the beach and I saw a guy come in from a freedive with a lobster in a bag.  “Your kidding me,” I said to myself, “anyone can just swim out and grab some dinner!”  So, I rounded up some of the old dive gear…mask, snorkel, booties, fins, mesh bag, and gloves! I soon found out that this gear was obviously not enough to make the experience successful. So after a search on craigslist, I pickup a 4mm surfing wetsuit for $60, a neoprene hood from unrealfind.com for $25, traded a Surf-fur to Amy at the local Oceanside Dive Shop, visited Underwater Schools of America at  www.usascuba.com for 2 weight belts with weights and I was ready to go.  I also had to get a fishing license with a lobster card… about $40.  The trick was in finding the lobster card since most places were sold out already.  I ended up in PL by the airport at a local tackle store for that.

    I started with a shore dive during the day.  Lobster can be an elusive prize if you don’t know where to look.  Good thing for me I am persistent.  I started finding my groove half way into the season and towards the end I never came back in without, at least, one bagger.  The trick with lobstering during the day is getting right down to the bottom.  5-10′ of depth proved to be all I needed.  Rocks and reef are where it’s at- those are the key.  Lobsters are curious crustations and they like to look at you.  If you are patient and slow then they usually let you just grab quickly at their backs.  The first few times I would get so excited and spook them back into their holes.  Lobsters seem to rarely hole up in a spot where there is only one exit. 

   Don’t forget the gloves!! One day I left the gloves behind on accident.  I got a hold of a good keeper and bagged it but I paid the price with slices all over my hand.  I had to exit the water right after that! (I could have used my hand to catch a shark?) Lobstering is like fishing to me.  It’s fun to explore new areas and see what you can find.  I am constantly trying new spots.

    Half way through the season, I pretty much mastered daytime lobster diving. then, I heard the real fun starts after the sun goes down.  Those lobsters are out and about by the dozens socializing with their friends, ready to be nabbed by the first hungry diver. So, I buy a dive light. I think it was one of the cheaper models from leisurepro.com.  It works great.  I haven’t had the time to coordinate and wait for anyone else so all my dives have pretty much been alone.  Let me tell you that the first night dive I did was pretty spooky!  There is that constant thought of sharks in the back of your mind!  Night diving is what they say it is for sure…the bugs come out!  On more than 1 occassion I have grabbed 2 lobsters on 1 dive using both hands.  The trick is trying to get those suckers into a regular mesh bag with a regular lock (more on that later).  All you need to do is shine a light on a moving lobster and they freeze as if to say “pick me!”.

Some things I learned about lobster diving:
1) If it’s big enough to surf then it’s probably too murky to lobster dive.
2) If diving at night then a gage (for measuring the lobster) that attaches to your light is really important!
3) A good lobster bag is important!  I have done plenty of research and spearboard.com was instrumental in helping me pick out a new bag.  I just bought one that I am really looking forward to using.  It has nylon sides mostly throughout with a mesh bottom to allow the water to drain.  It has a little plastic clasp that you can open one-handed  and put the lobster in with the other hand.  I really wanted to get the Trident one-handed spring-loaded bag but it was a little more expensive and had a few poor reviews.  Whatever you choose, the regular mesh bag with the steel clasp is not good because you need 2 hands to open -which is a challenge with a lobster in 1 hand!

So there is lobstering in a nutshell.  I love to do it and can’t wait for this season to start.

Here is a shot from a fruitful dive last season…