Met at the dock at 7 Sat am and rolled out to slightly bumpy seas aboard the It’ll Do. Headed out to 70’ to try out a new number which yielded a unique wreck along with a gag and a monster 13lb sheepshead. Moved on to the next spot and worked the same general area for the remainder of the day ranging from 80-100’ with terrible vis and going hit or miss on each dive with some very productive and some whiffs, but that’s fishing. Water was warm with no thermocline and very little current the majority of the day as the seas laid down and turned to a real beauty. Ended up with a limit of gags, 4 hogs, limit of lobster, a flounder, a stud sheepie, a a couple bsb for good measure. Good to get back on the water in what has been an agonizingly slow year.
I’ve never dove the coast off of here. I was wondering do you use Nitrox doing the shallow dive first? The other question is sharks…there would seem to be a heavy presence from them this time of year? Spectacular fish and bugs.
I don’t believe we got a weight on the lobster…sorry.
mdaddy-
yes, we use nitrox almost exclusively with varying blends for different depths. Generally 32 or 36% though. Normally begin with the deeper dives so we can get more bottom time later in the day as we move in shallower. We just stopped a little short to try a “secret” number on the way out this time. Sharks generally aren’t a problem for us. Both teams saw nurse sharks this trip, but most of the time they get the hell out of Dodge as the bubbles tend to scare them off. This is why we don’t normally have the issues that free divers do. We also don’t hang on to the fish we shoot, but send them up on lift bags just as a general precaution (don’t dive with bait attached:smiley:).
Thanks for the reply. I got to get re-certified and will get nitrox certification as well…smarter and safer. The reason I asked about sharks is they(bull) seem more abundant than I remember.
MDaddy, you are in Savannah, right? If you want to get re-certified and nitrox certified by the one of the best, go see Gene at the dive shop on River Dr. in Thunderbolt. I forget the name of the shop, but it’s right near River Services and Tubby’s. Great guy and extremely competent. He’ll do you right.
MDaddy, you are in Savannah, right? If you want to get re-certified and nitrox certified by the one of the best, go see Gene at the dive shop on River Dr. in Thunderbolt. I forget the name of the shop, but it’s right near River Services and Tubby’s. Great guy and extremely competent. He’ll do you right.
I’m getting too old for diving now. Can’t do that anymore, I know I’m not safe. When in doubt, don’t. I used to teach diving, offshore and caves. No more. Better a has been than a wannabe I reckon I don’t sky dive anymore either.
I’ve got a good spear gun that I bought from Gene that I’d sell you cheap It’s a JBL Sawed off Magnum. Only been in the water twice.
I’m getting too old for diving now. Can’t do that anymore, I know I’m not safe. When in doubt, don’t. I used to teach diving, offshore and caves. No more. Better a has been than a wannabe I reckon I don’t sky dive anymore either.
I’ve got a good spear gun that I bought from Gene that I’d sell you cheap It’s a JBL Sawed off Magnum. Only been in the water twice.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
I don't think I'm a wannabe...more like a wannado. The only skydiving I've done was off a 3rd story apartment building when I was framing. I been watching the videos on Bugcather and 01realfish on you tube. I'd rather die doing that than dying in this chair. I'll go see Gene on your recommendation and sign me and my boy up. I'll buy the gun so hold on to it. I'm more interested in doing the dive than killing fish. Using the bags makes sense. I just want to do it right and safe. I don't know if you were here when a diver got left out by R7...big ocean and hard to see people in the water.
I’ll hold the gun for you. Best to get some dives under your belt and get real comfortable underwater and with your gear before you start shooting fish anyway.
quote: I don't know if you were here when a diver got left out by R7...big ocean and hard to see people in the water.
Yes, I was, I helped look for him. I once last a diver off my boat for several hours. We found him, but he was lucky. So was I[:0]
I know what you mean CL. Just think I am to old for the serious diving I used to do. I dove most if not all the caves in and around Branford Fla. and still have a box of black coral. Now my limit is shallow water mostly snorkeling.
Getting back to those hogs. I was never able to catch them on a hook and line, had to spear them. Can anyone offer any suggestions on getting them on a hook?
I’m getting too old for diving now. Can’t do that anymore, I know I’m not safe. When in doubt, don’t. I used to teach diving, offshore and caves. No more. Better a has been than a wannabe I reckon I don’t sky dive anymore either.
I’ve got a good spear gun that I bought from Gene that I’d sell you cheap It’s a JBL Sawed off Magnum. Only been in the water twice.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
IMHO, you are selling yourself short Larry!
When I lived in Southern California, I used to dive with two guys, Dick Bonin (the co-founder of ScubaPro) and Jack Prodonovich (the guy who invented the speargun) who were in their 80’s when we last dove together - spearfishing for yellowtail tuna under the oil rigs off of Santa Barbara.
Best free divers I ever was blessed to dive with. BTW, I still have the last speargun Jack made. I use it regularly. There are spearguns and there are spearguns. But a Prodonovich gun is unreal. Scared me the first time I used it. VERY powerful, has a phenomenal range, and is dead on accurate.
Makes me wish I was young again!
I don’t sky dive anymore either.
It’s a JBL Sawed off Magnum. Only been in the water twice.