hello post + equipment ID

[J_P]

i recently got into this interesting pursuit of freediving/spearfishing. i've seen more amazing things in the last few weeks than i really could've imagined were just out front in the shallows.

perusing this site has been VERY informative, so i wanted to offer a thank you to all of you. i look forward to making some sort of contribution, though it seems i am completely incapable of judging underwater distance or actually hitting large fish that are close to me.

the only thing i wanted to offer, after doing several searches to hopefully avoid a repost, was to scratch your name/number into or onto your equipment. i was out in front of the church in malaga cove the other day and saw something bright white down on the bottom. VERY deep dive for me and my super squeaky ears and it turns out to be a cool light with a lobster gauge mounted on the front (ingenious). pull it up, strap it on the belt and lug it around for an hour.

turns out it's some guys high end UK light cannon. he was super stoked when i called to return it! anyhow, i never thought about putting my name and number on my valuable equipment and this was a real eye opener. i'm sure you all knew this, but if one person was slow like me then the post was worth it. there are still honest people out there that will return your item if they find it.

i'll be upgrading to a proper gun and suit in a week or so and hope to see my success rate go up. warmth and a safety that actually allows a gun to fire when a large and very stupid sheepshead happens upon you and sticks around to say hello cannot hurt.

thank you

joel pepper (J_P)

[Styric]

You are a stand up guy. I am glad people like you are still out there.

[Kelsea]

Welcome to SB - seems like you're contributing to the dive community already!

Need to mark my gear too - any recommendations on markers to use, anyone?

Cheers!

[J_P]

this fellow had carved his name and number into the plastic on the light with a sharp object. tough on the resale, but if you have a piece of equipment that you don't plan to ever let go it's very effective.

i'm planning to purchase a nice teak gun and was considering bolting a name plate of some description to it. in the event you ever wanted to sell the gun, simply offer the new owner a new plate with their info?????

the plastic things will simply get carved into i think.

it really makes all the difference. most would have no issue with the 'finders keepers' train of thought without the info, but i wouldn't think many would keep an item with return info on it. that's pretty much just theft in my book.

if any of you guys are around the south bay area, i have mon/tues and friday's open for a few hours during the day if you'd like to head out. the guys at the local freedive shop say that the winter will bring cleaner water out in the kelp and some great fishing opportunities. sounds good to me!

jp

[mokaction]

go to ***********.com and Gil will etch your name into the gun, or you can go to Wong and he will do the same. Stay away from riffe's. Friends don't let friends buy Riffes.. LOL.. I also own a Riffe.. LOL.

Larry

[J_P]

i was under the impression riffe made good guns.

now i'm really confused......

[Styric]

Dremel rotary tool works great for etching all kinds of materials.

[danieltyack]

#1 Don't be confused if somebody says some gear is better than others... Some people swear by one product and nail huge fish some swear by another and nail huge fish! Yes there will always be crappy products in the market so judge gear purchases by how it feels for you and advice from a few trusted friends. This is also why it's good to support local dive shops. You can go in, hold the equipment, talk to the shop owner, talk to other people wandering through etc...

#2 A soldering iron with an electronics tip (small tip) works great for getting your info on plastic gear.

#3 Welcome to the Board! You already learned how to use the search so pretty much everybody loves you :thumps:

[Pinoyfisher]

Well said Daniel!

[jsspagg]

I wish more people behaved like you when they find stuff. You’re a cool dude for sure. I threw a D3 (accidentally) in the water at Catalina one afternoon I wish was returned to me (if found). No way to get it back because there was no ID on it. Not sure if it would be possible to ID a dive watch.

I found a dive light in LaJolla once- I think it was a UK C-8- anyhow, it had too much growth to salvage, but it had no ID markings. No way to return it.

I learned from that and now put an email address somewhere on (some) my gear. I avoid a phone number because it could change. I have a Hotmail address that I use as a secondary address that is FREE and I figure I will always have it.

[Namor]

Welcome.

As far as gear goes its the Indian not the arrow 90% of the time. Once your diving is dialed in, then its time to search for the perfect accessories that aid in your style of diving. For a novice diver its probably better to take the afternoon off and log some H2O time, as opposed to working an extra shift to afford some "Buck Rodgers" gear.


In Carlos Eyles (If this name is new to you you are in for a treat;every breathhold spearo should read all his books) book Secret Seas there is a great description of his encounter with South Pacific spearfishermen using crude equipment to great effect. His observations on what happens when one local is given modern gear, makes for my favorite piece of his writing. The story is called "The Speargun"

For marking gear I use a ZIG brand "Painty Twin" paint marker. This pen has a white and a black tip that dispenses "oilbased-permanent-lightfast-waterproof-opaque" paint from its two 1mm tips. The dual color choice is great for ensuring high contrast on all colors of gear.
The marking is very durable even on oiled teak, and flexible rubber. It hasn't even worn off my dive knife yet.

I mark my gear on a spot that does not receive a lot of wear. For example I marked my weight belt on the side of one of my rubber coated weights.

I bought my pen at a art and crafts store. Ask if you don't see them as they are often kept under lock and key- a result of being a favored graffiti implement.

Jeremy

[Kelsea]

For marking gear I use a ZIG brand "Painty Twin" paint marker. This pen has a white and a black tip that dispenses "oilbased-permanent-lightfast-waterproof-opaque" paint from its two 1mm tips. The dual color choice is great for ensuring high contrast on all colors of gear.
The marking is very durable even on oiled teak, and flexible rubber. It hasn't even worn off my dive knife yet.
I bought my pen at a art and crafts store. Ask if you don't see them as they are often kept under lock and key- a result of being a favored graffiti implement.

Jeremy

Awesome - I appreciate the specific recommendation, Jeremy - You're full of great advice! ^_^

[Fis_Hunter]

Welcome to SB

[J_P]

As far as gear goes its the Indian not the arrow 90% of the time. Once your diving is dialed in, then its time to search for the perfect accessories that aid in your style of diving. For a novice diver its probably better to take the afternoon off and log some H2O time, as opposed to working an extra shift to afford some "Buck Rodgers" gear.

i'd have to agree with that comment. in prior lives i've been a professional ski and snowboard instructor and am currently a FFF certified fly casting instructor, so i've seen more times than i can count the $1000 rod with the $0.10 cast or the guy with $1500 in ski equipment that cannot stand up. then there's the guy i used to golf with that was about a 4 despite a 20 year old set of sears clubs. i get what you're saying.

on the other hand, i've also seen a lot of people that have gotten to a VERY VERY high level of competency despite equipment that has acted as a slight speed bump in their progress. at the end of the day, my experience has shown that it boils down to having equipment that is as high quality as you can comfortably afford so that you can use it as often as possible and get used to it.

growing up i caught ten times more trout on my grandfather's old glass fly rod than i ever have with my closet full of TOL sage and scott's, but they're still a joy to cast. my water time is my water time. affected by family/surf/etc and not the gear i purchase. the only variables i CAN control at this point are acquiring fully functional gear that allows me to be warm and safe and reading/talking to those with more experience to get any tips they have to offer.

thanks very much for the specific input on the pens and i'll check out that book.

jp

[seacrecher]

i was under the impression riffe made good guns.

now i'm really confused......

They do. The difference is that some gear is better suited to individual preferences. I think too many people get caught up in these preferences over quality craftsmanship and integrity of the components. Finding gear that suits both of these needs and that falls withins one's budget, can be difficult.

The bottom line is, that Riffe has a high quality product that will last for years. A lot of the old-timers have Riffe guns that they have been shooting for well over 10 years. I don't know of too many euro guns that have anywhere near that lifespan, yet they are light, manuverable, and extremely accurate.

[Wind_in_his_hair]

I have a garage full of Riffe guns that I have bought from guys that left the sport or gave up on Riffe. They suit my needs well but I am at the low end of the spectrum as far as talent goes. Some of the awesome superstars on the board need better equipment. I do think they are over priced at the retail stores compared to some alternative guns. The larger guns may require some ballasting that will cost you more money. I lightly used second hand Riffe is a good option. IMO.

Mike

Welcome to the board.

[danieltyack]

i'd have to agree with that comment. in prior lives i've been a professional ski and snowboard instructor and am currently a FFF certified fly casting instructor, so i've seen more times than i can count the $1000 rod with the $0.10 cast or the guy with $1500 in ski equipment that cannot stand up. then there's the guy i used to golf with that was about a 4 despite a 20 year old set of sears clubs. i get what you're saying.

on the other hand, i've also seen a lot of people that have gotten to a VERY VERY high level of competency despite equipment that has acted as a slight speed bump in their progress. at the end of the day, my experience has shown that it boils down to having equipment that is as high quality as you can comfortably afford so that you can use it as often as possible and get used to it.

Totally agree!

Basically you just need solid gear that fit's your needs. When I started I dove in the classic Costco US Divers set then I upgraded to a nice set of scuba fins and it was a world of difference. Then I went diving with Todd Peterson and he was pretty much like "Get those the hell off your feet!" he lent me a pair of SporaSub backstrap longblades and they made a world of difference. Then I bought my own Picasso Black Team and my mind was blown!

They aren't carbon fiber and they didn't cost $600 and I remember the first time I saw them (with no real diving experience) and thought "eh... I don't want those, I want to be a good diver! How can I be good with such cheap fins?" Then I find out that Dave (ralfthehalibut) dives with them and a bunch of other great divers on this board do as well. I have to say I was humbled and I changed my crappy mindset around! They fit my needs perfectly (about 50/50 Shore to boat dives with a max depth around 50'). The moral of the story is there's a bunch of shiny gear out there that may be great but your going to pay a lot more for the name.

Just make sure that your image isn't your first priority (This get's you far in most areas of life... hell, I drive an Astro Van!) do your research get solid functional gear and you'll be fine :thumps: