Reels

Q: When would a reel be better than a floatline?
A: In New Zealand most divers use a floatline but there are situations where a reel can be of benefit. Snapper would be our most cautious target species which are very wary about any motion in the water that is not the norm. This includes float lines, if a Snapper spots one of these it could be enough to make it shy away before there is a chance to take a shot.Smaller fish like Tarakihi my also be easier without a floatline. But in the case of Kingfish it's far safer to have a floatline to run through the fingers on the accent instead of fighting a large fish on our return.

Wetsuits

Q: What is the difference between freedivers suits from of scuba suit?
A: Differences between freedivers wetsuits over scuba diver wetsuits have come about by demand of application.
Although a freedivers wetsuit can be very warm they have a tendency to compress more at depth thus loosing some of their insulations properties. But in turn the flexibility of a freedivers or apnea wetsuit is far more liberating than that of the scuba design.
Scuba divers tend to change out of their suits between dives. Where as freedivers tend to keep their suits donned for the whole days diving.
So for the apnea wetsuit there are usually no zips & they often made of open cell neoprene.
to be continued
Q: How do I don a open cell wetsuit?
Some open cell wetsuits have a coating on the inside, which allows the diver to fit the suit dry, but even this layer has a limited lifespan. Most wetsuits require soaping the interior to make it slippery. Mix approximately one part solution to eight parts water in a small bottle. Squirt the contents into the suit top while it’s lying flat. Then grab both the cuffs and hood in one hand sealing them to avoid substance pouring out. With the other hand holding the base of the top sealing that end too. Shake the top back and fourth, dipping one end lower than the other to encourage the substance to move throughout the whole wetsuit top. Once this is done, pour the substance into the long johns which are lying flat on the ground. Repeat the exercise the long johns.
To be continued
Q: What should I use to lather my open cell wetsuit?
A: The soap used should be very mild as its only function is to don the suit. Do not use dish wash or any kind of detergent. These are very harsh on the skin especially as the substance stays in the suit for hours while diving and can cause welts. Johnson's Baby shampoo are very mild and lather quite well.

Q: How should I store my wetsuit?
A: After a days diving a suit should be washed with some form of disinfectant and rinsed. Then hung to dry in such a manner that the suit is well vented. Avoid drying in direct sunlight, although this may kill a lot of bacteria it also kills the suit. When using a coat hanger, look for one that is thick to avoid leaving marks in the wetsuit.
Author: Ron Bakker

Weight

Q: How much weight should I use?
A: This can be determined by your target species and your dive ability. Take Snapper as an example, which are often in shallow waters. In order to hunt these fish effectively we need to be weighted slightly negative for when snooping over a rock. Being under weighted would cause energy to be wasted to maintain depth, and this would increase the chance of giving yourself away to the fish. This all comes with practice. If the rock you were diving was 5 metres deep and you suspected Snapper in front of this rock, you could apply enough weight to make your buoyancy neutral at 4 metres. This would make you slightly negative at 5, which makes Snooping for Snapper a lot easier. A situation where the target species is Kingfish and we are expecting them at a 15 metres, we would make ourselves neutral for this depth. Again this makes the dive far more relaxing. We can then dive to this depth without too much effort and then maintain that level without having to kick our fins to stay there. The return trip would also not be too strenuous.Weed edge diving where the diver sits or lies on the sand is again a situation where the bouyancy should be slightly negative so the diver can stay perched on the sand without having to expel energy to maintain depth.Although it’s not reasonable to expect we change our weights for every dive, this at least gives you the general idea.
Author: Ron Bakker

Spearguns

Q: How long is a speargun when it states e.g 110cm ?
A: When a gun is quoted as a 110, this means the length of the barrel of the speargun would be 110cm. But the total length of a gun like this including the spear would be about 160cm.
Q: How do I load my speargun?
A: Technique is important, the higher we get the gun butt to chest level the better. This style of loading is especially good for when loading longer guns. Start with the handle in your right hand in such a position that the slings are within reach (for right handed people). Then with the left grab the left rubber sling close to the bridle with your wrist side up. Then move the handle up into the chest area, which should stay there. Then with your right hand letting go of the handle & then grabbing the other sling. Then pulling back with both hands with wrists facing up. In some cases where the spear has two notches we can hook into the first and then the next one.
Take care when hooking into the notch making sure the bridle is well seated especially if it's an articulated type. If these let go they can do serious damage to fingers.
In the case of open muzzle guns where the rubber is a single piece and can move from side to side the technique varies slightly from grabbing the left sling to hooking two or three finger over the bridle and then moving the handle into place. This only really works for dyneema or spectra type bridles as articulated are to hard on the fingers.

Author: Ron Bakker
Q: What length gun do I need?
A: In short visibility and target species would be the main influences that would affect deciding maneuverability or range. A short 75cm speargun is very quick to turn and aim. Then a 130cm speargun will have a very good range providing there is enough visibility to see our target.A good all rounder is usually about 110 or 120cm for divers who want to land anything from Snapper to a good size Kingfish. But let say further south where the target species are often smaller and the visibility is frequently 3 to 5m we may find a 90 or 100cm is better suited, as the target is closer. For the likes of Snapper a shorter speargun can be quite good in situations where the diver is snooping over the rock and want to bring the gun forward slowly holding the speargun by the handle at all times. Long spearguns often give the diver away to the prey before there is a chance to take a shot.
This has addressed the length of a speargun but there are other aspects of a speargun to be considered such as muzzle type, bridles, spear thickness & metal type etc.
Author: Ron Bakker
Q: What are the benifits of an open muzzle
A: Most open muzzles have rap around rubber slings which go through the gun below the spear. The result is a clear line of sight

Author: Ron Bakker

Masks

Q: How can I stop my mask from fogging?
A: When masks a manufactured they often are left with a thin film that causes the fogging. the most common remedy is to rub toothpaste into the lens(on the inside of the mask). Another method is to use a few drops of glycerine which works quite well.On a daily basis it's normal practice to spit in the mask just before we dive.
Q: How can I stop my mask leaking?
A: Common reasons for a leaking mask:Hair between the face and maskAlthough shaving the head is a guaranteed fix for this problem, It’s probably a better option to feel around the perimeter of the mask to ensure no hair is caught under the seal. This is easier to do without gloves on.The mask overlapping the wetsuit hoodSometimes it’s worth trimming the hood if this is a frequent problem.Facial hairThis can let water in very quick even if in the morning the diver has a clean-shaven face, by the afternoon the smallest amount of stubble can cause problems.An ill-fitting mask. Although mask seals are quite similar some are better suited for a narrower face, then others for a bigger nose and so on.Not maintaining equalization.This can quite often be the cause when a diver finds the mask sealing fine for the first 8 metres or so, but at greater depths water starts to fill the mask. What happens is the external pressure of the mask is increases, pressing the mask into the face, making the seal deform and leak.Facial tension.Always keep a poker face. There are plenty of reasons for a mask to leak, but how we maintain our facial composure is one not often covered. As we immerse ourselves into the ocean, there are plenty of influences that can result as some kind of facial strain. Focus on keeping our face as emotionless as possible. It’s a very easy problem to fall into without being aware. A proven example can be seen on many divers snorkels. Quite a large percentage of divers gnaw on their mouthpiece until they are chewed right off. So relax. If nothing else relax the face. This can make a great difference to sealing your mask. Strap tensionIt would be natural to assume that if a mask is leaking, we should tighten the strap. But especially more modern masks, the seal are often improved with less tension. The difference is some masks have very soft silicone, and increasing the strap tension squashes the seal out of shape.
Damaged MaskQuite a few masks are made up of a frame, a silicone skirt the lens and a clip that holds the lens locking rings in place. Sometimes after a mask has been stood on or just knocked around, the tabs on the lens locking ring ether dislodge or break off. The most obvious thing to look for is the locking rings sitting proud from the frame.
Author: Ron Bakker

Avoid cross threading new rubber slings

With the Euro rubbers the ends sometimes have quite a bit of rubber past the collars. This is usually the main cause for cross threading rubbers when we screw them into the speargun. The best is a bench grinder where we make them into a conical shape. Or with a pair of side cutters, trim around the edges.

We don’t want to go too far as the swollen part of the rubber is there to stop them pulling through the collar.

Speargun Bridles

Bridles vary from steel wire to pressed sheet metal, to dyneema. The wire bridles are very simple but do have the tenancy to snap at the bend when they get older. Which can be quite a nasty experience for the fingers. This is the one of the reasons that Dyneema bridles are very common.
French articulated bridles
Very common on European spearguns, these work fine and sit very positive in the notch of most guns.

Wire bridle
These are often on cheaper or entry level guns, very simple but the wire does become more brittle over time and does sometimes break.

Looped wire bridle

Pretty much the same as an ordinary wire bridle.

Articulated bridle for bulk rubber
These go into bulk speargun rubber and then have a constrictor knot around the rubber to hold it in position.

Wide 4mm bridle
This is a fairly new type of bridle which give more room for the fingers when loading the gun, also because of the rubbers being further away from the barrel means there is less chance of the rubber caps colliding with the spear guide as the gun is fired. Finally they are a solid piece of metal with no moving parts which don’t wear out.

Dyneema bridle
Very common on South African spearguns, these are nice bridles to use and on a good notch they will last quite a few dives, but the dyneema will need replacing at least once every spearfishing season.

Plug bridles

These are quite dyneema fed through brass balls which are inserted into bulk speargun rubber.

Stainless plug bridles

Again these are inserted into bulk rubber the end with the holes protruding out the end where the dyneema is fed through and tied off. This means the dyneema can be replaced without having to remove the inserts.