Outdoors

Captain's Corner

By BILL HARDMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published November 10, 2007

What's hot: The cooler waters and unbelievably great underwater visibility have opened the door for some great shallow-water spearfishing action. The first areas to get hot are the offshore waters from Crystal River south to Tarpon Springs. Gag grouper and large mangrove snapper are being found in waters as shallow as 15 to 30 feet.

Tactics: This is a great time to pursue free-dive spearfishing. The sounds of bubbles escaping from the scuba equipment tend to make the fish in these depths very skittish. The silence of a descending breath-holder keeps the wary grouper, snapper and cobia off their guard. If you're not experienced with this type of spearfishing, it is important to get certified training in free-dive spearfishing. Instructors will first go over the safety aspects well before anyone gets wet. Dangerous line entanglements and shallow-water blackout are just a few of the inherent dangers of free-dive spearfishing.

Proper equipment: Everyone wants to discuss types of spearguns, but just as important is your timepiece. To track your breath-hold duration and your improvement, you will need a reliable and rugged dive watch or dive computer. Popular watches for free-diving and other water sports include the Reactor watches and Tag brands. Some of the more popular dive computers with free-dive modes include the Oceanic Geo and the Suunto Mosquito. Remember, even high quality watches and computers are no substitute for good training and a reliable dive buddy.

Capt. Bill Hardman teaches Scuba, Spearfishing & Freediving classes at Aquatic Obsessions, 6193 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. You can reach him at 727 344-DIVE or bill@aodive.com

For today's tides chart, see the weather package on 2A, or online at outdoors.tampabay.com.

[Last modified November 9, 2007, 20:26:29]