Rough seas and rainwater have affected visibility.
Our divers went out the past couple days and found the visibility in 65 feet to be less than 3 feet. Other divers braved the big swells and found about 15 feet of visibility in 110 feet of water.
Large grouper and snapper were found on the bigger wrecks and ledges. Common large wrecks such as the Mexican Pride will hold bigger fish in rough weather. Twenty-pound gags were speared off the Pride.
Divers will have plenty of land time until the gulf becomes more conducive to diving. Take the opportunity to do maintenance updates on your spear gear. Leaks in the barrel of aluminum guns can be sealed. Mahogany and Rhino guns that have areas where the protective finish is worn off should be dried and resealed. Teak guns need less maintenance, just the occasional application of teak oil.
Replace your worn bands and line systems. This is also a good time to double-check your spear shafts for bends. A slight bend can seriously affect your accuracy. If you're not sure how to detect bent shafts and how to fix a bend, your area spearfishing dive shop can help.
Bill Hardman teaches scuba, spearfishing and free diving, and runs daily spearfishing trips through Aquatic Obsessions Scuba in St. Petersburg. Call (727) 344-3483.[Last modified September 11, 2004, 01:53:28]
