Mattedhead
03-10-2008, 10:29 AM
OMER 7th Annual Blue Water Open
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
July 18th, 19th, and 20th, 2008
$10,000 in prizes
1st - 3rd place trophies (total aggregate)
Large Fish Trophy
Mark Laboccetta, info@omerdiving.com , Omer USA, Technosport, Inc.
Date and Duration
1. The meet will be held over three days, from Friday July 18th to July 20th, 2008, with the earliest daily start from Hatteras Inlet at 0630 hours Friday morning with the earliest fishing time of 8am. All competitors must report back to the weigh in station at Teach’s Lair Marina by 1700 hours during the three days of the tournament. Boats that are inside Teach’s Lair dock by 5pm but who have not yet weighed their fish do not count as late.
2. There will be a divers meeting for all entrants at 5pm on Thursday July 17th and a captain's meeting at 630pm at Teach’s Lair Marina.
3. All vessels must leave from Hatteras Inlet and boats that report back after the official finish time of 1700 hours will not be allowed to record any entry of fish that day.
4. Entrants may trailer their own vessels to Hatteras provided they abide by the above rules and have valid NC recreational fishing licenses.
Diving Rules
1. All divers using charter vessels will have saltwater fishing licenses that apply during the days of the tournament. Those divers who trailer their own vessels for the tournament are responsible for acquiring a North Carolina state saltwater fishing license. All entrants will receive a copy of the fishing regulations, not a license, in their tournament packets.
2. Divers must be freediving when they spear and land their catch. Artificial breathing devices may NOT be used to retrieve fish.
3. Divers must propel themselves unassisted and without motors.
4. Divers must remain in the water unassisted until the fish is subdued.
5. Divers must pull their fish to the surface while they remain in the water. Once the fish is subdued and at the surface, someone may gaff it from the boat.
6. Diver must maintain contact with their float and/or line at all times. If contact is lost, they must reestablish contact while remaining in the water. No assistance may be provided, except for other divers or persons out of the water to inform the diver of the location of the fish or float.
7. Fish must be free swimming unrestricted by nets, traps, fishing lines or other devices.
8. Fish must not be in an artificial environment such as penned in bays or in close proximity to fish nets.
9. Fish mutilated by the spearfishing equipment or by predators are competition eligible only if in whole condition.
10. Although all scoring is on an individual basis, contestants must choose their buddy, which will be respected for the duration of the competition. If no particular buddy is requested at time of application, organizers will allocate a buddy.
11. All boats must be equipped with a marine VHF radio capable of 20 mile range.
12. The Event Organizer will have a safety/police boat in the area of the competition at the time of the event. This boat will serve two purposes: safety boat and official supervision. This boat will be the only boat carrying SCUBA tanks and rescue divers, as no compressed air tanks will be allowed on competing boats. This boat will also have the power to submit a report for disqualification to the committee in case any of the competitors are seen to have broken any of the competition rules. Boat will carry Oxygen and First Aid. This boat is not to be used to transport fish. Any person using the safety boat for this purpose would automatically be disqualified. Being towed in by a safety/police boat will not lead to disqualification, provided the fishing boat arrives at the meeting point prior to the agreed reporting time.
13. No fishing lines, hooks, bait or similar fishing devices will be in the water with divers.
14. Competitors must not load their guns out of the water, exit the water with a loaded gun, or be in a vessel with a loaded gun.
15. Chum, frozen or fresh, may be brought and used if all the diver’s on the vessel and the captain agree to it. Fish may not be shot for the sole purpose of being used as chum.
16. Divers' fish who did not make weigh in time at 1700 that particular day will not count for that particular day. The fish can not be kept to weigh in the following day. Breaking these rules will result in disqualification.
Equipment
1. Spearguns: The gun must only be loaded by the contestant using personal muscle power only meaning band and pneumatic spearguns.
2. Terminal gear: Reels and trail lines are allowed. A float/floats are compulsory.
3. A float, colored Red, Orange or Yellow is to be towed by each competitor. This float must be of sufficient volume to support the diver in distress, and with a minimum length of 450mm (18"). A dive flag must be fixed to each competitors float, or can be towed behind the float. It must be weighted so as to fly vertical at all times - even in windy conditions, and is to be used for the duration of the competition. Flag dimensions minimum size 300mm x 250mm (12" x 10") with base a minimum of 200mm (8") above the surface of the water.
4. A sheathed knife is to be carried by each competitor during the hours of the competition.
5. Each contestant's float and knife must be presented at the sign in area each morning, prior to the commencing of the day's event if requested.
6. No powerheads or explosive devices allowed.
Locality and Transportation
1. The fishing area will cover the waters from the northern boundary of Cape Hatteras and offshore of the Diamond Shoals Light Tower, and the southern boundary is Cape Lookout. There is no offshore boundary. July usually provides the widest variety of pelagic fish. Suitable spots to encounter them can vary considerably and are not limited to Graveyard of the Atlantic shipwrecks, Sargasso weed lines, temperature breaks, light towers and bait concentrations.
2. Most of the “for-hire” charter boats are 35-55ft fast twin diesel powered sport fishing boats, with world class sport fishing captains. These boats are fast, comfortable, seaworthy fish chasing machines that specialize in big game charter services. There will be room for 6 people, three pairs of divers per boat plus Capt. and 1st mate. The boats will be targeting pelagic fish the divers are after and will do their best job to put the divers on the fish. It is the responsibility of the divers to make the charter book arrangements with their captain.
3. The boats will be leaving Teach’s Lair Marina and the other Marinas the boats are berthed no sooner than 6:30am every morning with an earliest fishing time of 8am, although loading the boat can begin as early as the divers want. All boats regardless of local marinas departed from, will weigh in at Teach’s Lair Marina by 5pm each day.
4. Divers trailering their own boats to Hatteras may launch from any of the three boat ramps provided they weigh in their fish at Teach’s Lair Marina by 5pm every day.
NOTICE: We strongly encourage the use of charter boats because of the value, safety, and enjoyment of the blue water diving tournament they provide. Many of these captains have been fishing blue water a lifetime and it is their specialty as this is the year round business they depend on. This will take away any headaches of local inlet and ocean navigation to the dive spots and will maximize the chances considerably for successful blue water hunting.
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
July 18th, 19th, and 20th, 2008
$10,000 in prizes
1st - 3rd place trophies (total aggregate)
Large Fish Trophy
Mark Laboccetta, info@omerdiving.com , Omer USA, Technosport, Inc.
Date and Duration
1. The meet will be held over three days, from Friday July 18th to July 20th, 2008, with the earliest daily start from Hatteras Inlet at 0630 hours Friday morning with the earliest fishing time of 8am. All competitors must report back to the weigh in station at Teach’s Lair Marina by 1700 hours during the three days of the tournament. Boats that are inside Teach’s Lair dock by 5pm but who have not yet weighed their fish do not count as late.
2. There will be a divers meeting for all entrants at 5pm on Thursday July 17th and a captain's meeting at 630pm at Teach’s Lair Marina.
3. All vessels must leave from Hatteras Inlet and boats that report back after the official finish time of 1700 hours will not be allowed to record any entry of fish that day.
4. Entrants may trailer their own vessels to Hatteras provided they abide by the above rules and have valid NC recreational fishing licenses.
Diving Rules
1. All divers using charter vessels will have saltwater fishing licenses that apply during the days of the tournament. Those divers who trailer their own vessels for the tournament are responsible for acquiring a North Carolina state saltwater fishing license. All entrants will receive a copy of the fishing regulations, not a license, in their tournament packets.
2. Divers must be freediving when they spear and land their catch. Artificial breathing devices may NOT be used to retrieve fish.
3. Divers must propel themselves unassisted and without motors.
4. Divers must remain in the water unassisted until the fish is subdued.
5. Divers must pull their fish to the surface while they remain in the water. Once the fish is subdued and at the surface, someone may gaff it from the boat.
6. Diver must maintain contact with their float and/or line at all times. If contact is lost, they must reestablish contact while remaining in the water. No assistance may be provided, except for other divers or persons out of the water to inform the diver of the location of the fish or float.
7. Fish must be free swimming unrestricted by nets, traps, fishing lines or other devices.
8. Fish must not be in an artificial environment such as penned in bays or in close proximity to fish nets.
9. Fish mutilated by the spearfishing equipment or by predators are competition eligible only if in whole condition.
10. Although all scoring is on an individual basis, contestants must choose their buddy, which will be respected for the duration of the competition. If no particular buddy is requested at time of application, organizers will allocate a buddy.
11. All boats must be equipped with a marine VHF radio capable of 20 mile range.
12. The Event Organizer will have a safety/police boat in the area of the competition at the time of the event. This boat will serve two purposes: safety boat and official supervision. This boat will be the only boat carrying SCUBA tanks and rescue divers, as no compressed air tanks will be allowed on competing boats. This boat will also have the power to submit a report for disqualification to the committee in case any of the competitors are seen to have broken any of the competition rules. Boat will carry Oxygen and First Aid. This boat is not to be used to transport fish. Any person using the safety boat for this purpose would automatically be disqualified. Being towed in by a safety/police boat will not lead to disqualification, provided the fishing boat arrives at the meeting point prior to the agreed reporting time.
13. No fishing lines, hooks, bait or similar fishing devices will be in the water with divers.
14. Competitors must not load their guns out of the water, exit the water with a loaded gun, or be in a vessel with a loaded gun.
15. Chum, frozen or fresh, may be brought and used if all the diver’s on the vessel and the captain agree to it. Fish may not be shot for the sole purpose of being used as chum.
16. Divers' fish who did not make weigh in time at 1700 that particular day will not count for that particular day. The fish can not be kept to weigh in the following day. Breaking these rules will result in disqualification.
Equipment
1. Spearguns: The gun must only be loaded by the contestant using personal muscle power only meaning band and pneumatic spearguns.
2. Terminal gear: Reels and trail lines are allowed. A float/floats are compulsory.
3. A float, colored Red, Orange or Yellow is to be towed by each competitor. This float must be of sufficient volume to support the diver in distress, and with a minimum length of 450mm (18"). A dive flag must be fixed to each competitors float, or can be towed behind the float. It must be weighted so as to fly vertical at all times - even in windy conditions, and is to be used for the duration of the competition. Flag dimensions minimum size 300mm x 250mm (12" x 10") with base a minimum of 200mm (8") above the surface of the water.
4. A sheathed knife is to be carried by each competitor during the hours of the competition.
5. Each contestant's float and knife must be presented at the sign in area each morning, prior to the commencing of the day's event if requested.
6. No powerheads or explosive devices allowed.
Locality and Transportation
1. The fishing area will cover the waters from the northern boundary of Cape Hatteras and offshore of the Diamond Shoals Light Tower, and the southern boundary is Cape Lookout. There is no offshore boundary. July usually provides the widest variety of pelagic fish. Suitable spots to encounter them can vary considerably and are not limited to Graveyard of the Atlantic shipwrecks, Sargasso weed lines, temperature breaks, light towers and bait concentrations.
2. Most of the “for-hire” charter boats are 35-55ft fast twin diesel powered sport fishing boats, with world class sport fishing captains. These boats are fast, comfortable, seaworthy fish chasing machines that specialize in big game charter services. There will be room for 6 people, three pairs of divers per boat plus Capt. and 1st mate. The boats will be targeting pelagic fish the divers are after and will do their best job to put the divers on the fish. It is the responsibility of the divers to make the charter book arrangements with their captain.
3. The boats will be leaving Teach’s Lair Marina and the other Marinas the boats are berthed no sooner than 6:30am every morning with an earliest fishing time of 8am, although loading the boat can begin as early as the divers want. All boats regardless of local marinas departed from, will weigh in at Teach’s Lair Marina by 5pm each day.
4. Divers trailering their own boats to Hatteras may launch from any of the three boat ramps provided they weigh in their fish at Teach’s Lair Marina by 5pm every day.
NOTICE: We strongly encourage the use of charter boats because of the value, safety, and enjoyment of the blue water diving tournament they provide. Many of these captains have been fishing blue water a lifetime and it is their specialty as this is the year round business they depend on. This will take away any headaches of local inlet and ocean navigation to the dive spots and will maximize the chances considerably for successful blue water hunting.