First brissy summer spanish 13/11

[mackmauler]

got me stuffed how you can hold a breath that long doug and take the water pressure, really solid performance, i had some target practice on morwongs this wk to keep the eye in thats about as good as it gets for me.

[noluck]

nice top staf Doug
could u please tell me how to start snorkling and where to start i know there is so much praktise there
i would like to give try
it looks like it is great sport
cheers no_luck

[sf_russian]

Doug,

We need advise from you guys as obviously you are a professionals when it comes to spearfishing.

I am after your thoughts on shark shields, We have bought couple from adrenalin spearfishing last year but had to return them as they were zapping us (we were not wearing wet suits), we were doing very basic rockwall spearfishing around Amity point, Point Lookout and Cape Moreton with chemmy (my son) but I feel for blue water spearfishing they are essential.

Also if you would be kind enough to provide us with recommended brands for wetsuites (thickness?), spearguns, floats, masks, snorkels, fins, boots, gloves, anti fogging, etc? and what's the best way to get them. I really want to try something like you guys, but we need to be properly equipped.

When you speared that cobia where did you keep the spare spear?

Thanks very much for your time and any advise will be much appreciated, If we could join you guys one day, this would be awesome.

Best Regards

Michael

[bigmack]

Thanks again for the pics and an insight into the underwater world - I dont really care what other people think about you catching your fish whether they be cod or cobia or spaniards. You make the effort, take the risk and hit the bottom at 22 metres.............to me thats an awesome effort to catch a few feeds.

Sometimes its pretty easy to catch mackerel too and one could be forgiven for thinking it was always easy - like shooting cod in a barrell. But its learning, preparation and presentation - not to mention holding your breath for a bloody long time.

Tell us waht happens when you spear a big fish and get dragged around - any "hairy stories or scary moments".

Thanks for the report
BM

[chemmy]

i wouldn't mind some advice as sf_russia said

[DougHanning]

CJ - We have never seen anything eat the sawtails, in-fact they are even pretty average burley. They cover most of the reefs off Moreton and also out at the banks. One place we don't see many is the shallow coffee rocks off Moreton these are generally little Yakka's and a better place to jig for bait. I will in future watch the sounder and see if we can differentiate between yakka's and sawtails, if so I will post results. Years ago when we line-fished these areas we thought all shows of life on the sounder were bait but now we know different. Another fish that can screw up your readings are batfish or moon fish often large dense schools can be found at Hutchies in particular.

Bugman - I generally dive between 16 - 25 metres for a dive time of 1:10 - 1:30 but the other guys I know can dive for 2 minutes to 30 metres. One of the most important hints I can give is to be weighted correctly, we are neutrally bouyant at 5 - 7m. This means beyond this depth we stop kicking and glide thus conserving our oxygen supplies, for example if I was to dive 5m and stop I would be able to hover. On return I can stop kicking the last 5 metres and let myself float back up, this is vitally important as Shallow Water Blackout usually occurs in the last 5 metres (i.e. passing out underwater from lack of oxygen) in that situation I will float to the surface giving a better chance of survival. I know this makes it sound dangerous but the key is to NEVER push yourself beyond or in-fact near your limits and always buddy dive, i.e. one up one down the guy on the surface watches you like a guardian angel, this is especially important when diving beyond 20 metres. As for fitness, I used to do triathlons but as a builder I get my share of exercise. We train in the pool as well, but this information I can send to anyone whom is interested in more detail.

Mick - I can usually get to max depth after about 4 dives and often my second dive will be around 20 metres. I go through a process of almost meditation where I completely relax and slow my heart beat, its harder to do this first up as one is often excited, anxious, nervous etc but that passes and I then can control my body and tell it to slow down, often this involves closing my eyes and breathing deep and slowly.

J Comino - Yeah photos back in Bay near Bulwer at the end of the day, I just saw the three mackerel together no others. They were very slimy so they have been on the move.

Big Ren - It sure is, if I go away diving for 3 or 4 days I go from 94 to 90kg

Mackmaster - It just practise

No_Luck and Michael - Are both you guys brizzy locals, If so its best if you come along to a Freedom Divers club meeting we are just a new club full of enthusiastic guys, most of which are new to the sport. The answers to your questions would be better understood face to face. We can give professional advice as myself, my cousin Brett Craik and brother Dan have done a spearfishing and open water snorkling course and are in the process of becoming level 1 coaches. Not to charge anyone but just so we can give the right advice so newbies dive safe, progress faster and enjoy it more.

Just a quick note on the shark shields, you don't need them not in Brisbane anyway. I have been diving regularly for 5 years and haven't had the slightest trouble. On the weekend at hutchies I burleyed a cudda and had three whalers to 2.5m eating the burley and eventually I gave them the whole fish, fun to watch them devour something like that, amazing creatures. The entire time I never felt threatened by them, they always have a plan and we are never part of it, sometimes they will come in quite close for a look but if you just wave the gun at them they will move away, I know that can be daunting for a new diver but over time you learn to sense what they want. If a Tiger sharks comes along and starts hanging around up near the surface we will jump in the boat and move.

I will send you PM's with next months meeting times and place.

Bigmack - You hit the nail on the head, in-fact I get less fish in numbers now than I did in all my linefishing years and its bloody hard work, it can be very selective and has no by-catch. We use a rig line and a float so when you shoot a 25kg wahoo you let go and start swimming after a rapidly disappearing float. The scariest moment I've had was shooting a large fish at about 20m after I had been on the bottom for a while. It took off straight past me and my rope caught on my knife on my arm and I was dragged backwards across the bottom for about 15 seconds before I managed to free the rope. I was right on the verge of blacking out.

Oh my god did I write all that!

Thats just convinced me to make an educational DVD Freedive Spearfishing. Better finish my other one first.

My phone 0411480266 if anyone wants to contact me.

[devocean]

Doug I hear it is very hard to get into your boat these days.

I often dive with a shark shield as it eases the mind especially when diving in known tiger hark haunts (according to Vic Hislop the highest density of tigers lies between Capre Glouster and Cape Upstart- where I dive)

I can say this they dont work on small sharks up to about 3 metres. Dived at the reef with heaps of white tips and black tips and walers and they had no problems coming within the range of the thing.

Just a quick question Doug how do you find you are weighted correctly?

[JayT]

Hey Doug, saw your article in Spear Fishing mag, a mate an I are thinkin about gettin into it, can you give us any tips for the bay? e.g tides, depth, locations (general), already have some marks for some shallow wrecks in the bay, any advice would be appreciated, especially the resident grey coats
also what are your thoughts on two blokes diving an leaving the boat unoccupied? Have been a fisherman for the best part of twenty years and would like to focus more on one or two quality fish as opposed to quantity, I like the idea of being able to site your dinner, once again any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers Jason

[DougHanning]

Will PM you guys,will let this thread go as we are getting off topic. Any questions just PM or give us a bell. Cheers Doug

[TheDeepSix]

Doug
Please keep those pics comin. Alway love to see whats below. Do you ever dive/have pics of around Smith rock West rocks or up at Hutchies?
Cheers

Chris

[Bonesy]

Good work Doughanning

Bonesy [smiley=thumbsup.gif]