I am carrying my boat down to Islamorada the 25th of April thru May 1st. I have no SCUBA experience but I want do some snorkeling/freediving/spearfishing around the shallow reefs. Does anyone have any experience with this down there? Just looking for some tips and equipment recommendations. I know I will need fins, mask, snorkel, and maybe a speargun. I really don’t want to spend a fortune on this stuff b/c I will probably not use it much more after this. How much $$$ would I be looking at? Is there a place to rent this stuff cheaper down there? I want to get some lobsters too. I know you aren’t supposed to shoot them so is it possible for me to get them off of the reefs freediving? If so, what is the best method?
There are plenty of places to rent them down there. Need to make sure you have the right permits and liscenses. Also, take a look to see what is in season. I know Lobster are in and out of season. As for how to catch them, get yourself a small net, a stick and a glove. Put the net at the other side of where the bug is and use the stick to scare him into it. You will need a lobster measure tool too. If there is no pass through, grab him. We would ride around and find “ghost” traps. These are traps that no longer have markers on them, they have been lost of the lines cut by boats. The bugs will crawl into these and die. Free bugs! Be careful, you may find a wayward stone crad in there, and they pack some big hardware.
James H. DuBose III
Striker
“Blue Sky”
2004 56’ Viking
Georgetown, SC