Practical Boat Owner – June 2019

ACTIVE FISHING

Wetsuit You can get away

with a 3-5mm surfi ng suit, but

6-7mm is the preferred option.

It'll keep you toasty warm for

a lot longer. Lots of spearos

(someone who spearfi shes)

use camo pattern wetsuits,

but I don’t want to look like

a commando, so I stick

with black.

Boots Just like the wetsuit,

thicker is better.

Gloves 3mm with pre-curved

fi ngers.

Hood An essential item, even in

summer. It’s called an ‘ice-cream

headache’ for a reason. Some

wetsuits have an integral hood

which is even better.

Mask Don’t buy this online because

everyone has a uniquely shaped face and

you need to guarantee a watertight seal.

Go to a dive shop and fold the mask’s

strap over the lens, put it on your face,

breath in through your nose and take your

hand away. If it’s a good fi t, the mask will

squeeze onto your face. If it falls off, it’s

not for you – no matter how ‘cool’ it looks!

Hirsute readers may need a smear of

Vaseline on the mask’s skirt to provide an

acceptable seal. Stop it fogging by

rubbing saliva on the inside of the lens

and use toothpaste for an occasional

deep clean.

Snorkel A basic design is best. Make

sure it has a hi-vis colour on the end and

add a wrap of black tape which shows up

well in bright, refl ective conditions.

Fins Don’t use small boogie board fi ns.

A proper dive fi n is essential so you can

cope with any currents – even a one knot

current is hard work. Most spearos favour

full-foot style rather than the adjustable

kind, but if the fi n is too tight it’ll cause

cramp and if it’s too loose it’ll fall off when

you’re swimming, so don your new boots

and try before you buy.

Weight belt Your dive shop will advise

you on how much lead you need to

counteract the buoyancy of your wetsuit.

Don’t improvise something that can’t be

immediately jettisoned. For your fi rst few

trips it’s probably best to go without and

accept the restricted dive depth you’ll

achieve.

Float These are infl atable, easily stored

and are essential for visibility – think jet

ski. They're also very useful for storing

gear, water bottle and speared fi sh (be

positive!). The mesh bag you carry your

gear in can also be hung off it and can

take the odd crab or lobster. Add 10m of

5mm fl oating rope and clip it to the back

of your weight belt. You could also add a

small sinker to the end of the line and

anchor it to the sea bed and then hunt

around it. At a push, use a fender – less

gear on board!

Wetsuits of 6-7mm thickness will

keep you warmer for longer

Use rocks and weed as cover

Toothpaste works well for cleaning the

inside and the outside of your mask

Try a mask for fi t before you buy, and go

for a basic design snorkel

Full dive fi ns are better than the shorter

boogie board variety

holiday. The idea of spearfi shing in the

UK just isn’t on their radar, but it’s a great

way to see marine life up close, and you

even get to eat some of your new

acquaintances!

You may already be into snorkelling or

diving, be a dinghy sailor who uses a

wetsuit and you may already keep a mask

and snorkel aboard for prop clearing

duties, so getting into spearfi shing could

be a low-cost operation. If you don’t, the

following gear list will be useful. You can buy

some of this online, but a dive shop will be

worth a visit if you're a complete beginner.

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