Long Island, New York Scuba Diving

The Bridge Jumper - A Ponquogue Bridge Dive

2009-07-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I found myself at the Ponquogue Bridge. As usual I had gotten there early so I had plenty of time to check out the conditions and watch the tide. I was on the North side of the channel where there is less fisherman and divers. It’s a much longer swim to some of the sites but I’ve become accustomed to it. On this day the bay water was a very sloppy green with tons of seaweed mixed in. The prospect of swimming the 100yds to blue water in the main channel was not something I was looking forward to.
As always, I took a walk to the end of the bridge to check the conditions in the channel. Amazingly there was a clear line between the green bay water and the fresh ocean water of the channel and it was only five feet from the end of the bridge. I also noticed that someone had torn down a few feet of chain link fence from the end of the bridge and now the low rail was very exposed and accessible. Peering over the rail down to the water I estimated a drop of nine feet or so. I stood there for a few minutes working out the execution of something I clearly thought I would dismiss from my mind. However, when I put the pieces together it worked out. I knew I could handle the drop even if I belly flopped and there didn’t seem to be anything I could snag on. The only real issue was climbing up and over the rail with all my gear and weight on. From there I would have to get into a sitting position and just tip forward a little with a slight push from my feet. In the worst case I figured I would tip over backward and land on the bridge again.
With the physics worked out, I walked back to my gear still believing I would bail on the whole idea. But I found myself gearing up and walking back to the end of the bridge. The fisherman on the bridge looked a little cross-eyed as I casually strolled past them in full regalia and armed with a speargun. In moments I was climbing the rail and swing my fins over to the outer side. It was a little precarious balancing there for the 10 seconds it took for me to make sure nothing was hanging loose. I had gathered all my gear and mask and belt and had a good grip on all of them. And then over I went and landed with an uneventful splash. I half wanted to give an OK sign but quickly realized the fishermen might mistake it for water ballet and pelt me with sinkers.
A quick “phsst and a gargle” from my BC and I was on the bottom. In two kicks I was in clear water with a full tank.
I went on to have a very long relaxing dive. I hit the pipe field, the new bridge and everything in between. I even took a few Fluke for the table. When I came out an hour later most of the fishermen were still there and they were waiting for me. It seems my dramatic entrance had somehow inspired them and they wanted to ask questions and see if I caught anything. I passed out a few lures I had picked up off the bottom. I figured it was good diplomacy and they were sure grateful.
Anyway, that’s the story of the day I jumped off the Ponoquogue Bridge. I don’t recommend it and I hate to think of some Schmuck getting hurt trying to duplicate it. After all, I am a professional. With just the right amount off idiot mixed in to make it fun.

Panther Pro 45 Speargun Review

2008-05-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

Simplicity	Accuracy	Stealth	Durability	Flexibility	Price	Overall Impression
5	5	4.5	5	4.5	5	4.8

Rating: 1 worst-5 best

Overall Impression:

Configured specifically for
the rough and tumble conditions of the Americas Northeast, the Panther
Pro 45 speargun will enable any Spearo to bring his best game to the
water. Whether you are hunting wrecks, jetties, channels or moving surf
this speargun will hunt.

The Panther Pro 45 meets the
specific and harsh criteria of the diverse northeast underwater hunter
and can be used to hunt a w3ide range of species from Fluke and Flounder
to larger game like grouper and Striper. However, its features make
it a hunter in almost any marine environment. I really like this gun
and have added it to my regular arsenal for Striper and Fluke spearfishing
off of Long Islands Jetties and beaches. It’s powered well and is
so comfortable and easy to load. I guarantee more fish with this gun
simply because it is so easy and fast to load with minimal body movement
and a virtually silent release.

Simplicity:

This is one seriously simple,
economical design. The composite gun is ergonometric ally designed to
load easily and carries and holds just as well in even the strongest
currents. This is due to the mid-handle design and narrow form fit grip
that can accommodate many different sized hands with even the thickest
dive gloves.

The trigger, sear and line
release mechanism use an absolute minimum of parts and are designed
and configured to eliminate wear.

The top loading muzzle is the
most efficient feature of the gun. By simply snapping the shaft into
the muzzle, load times are incredibly short and very safe. Using this
loading method you will never need to change your position or hyper
extend your body and arms to load a gun again. This means you can load
the gun with a minimum of movement and disturbance. More fish for you!

Price:

The price of the Panther Pro
45 makes everyone a winner. In comparison to other spearguns the Panther
Pro 45 is packed with features at a very economical price that is within
reach of almost any budget. No other gun in this price range could receive
such high marks.

Accuracy:

The panther Pro 45 speargun
has great accuracy due to its fiberglass composite integrated rail system
and partially enclosed track. The gun sports a medium weight 5/16”
stainless steel shaft that will track well under any power level as
well as supplying the durability and hardness only stainless can offer.
In addition the ergonometric narrow grip will give you much better control
of the gun even when you are wearing the heaviest neoprene gloves.

Stealth:

The dense non reflective black
composite material that forms the body of the gun contains no metal
tubes or parts capable of vibrating. This is one of the most whisper
quiet guns available. Trade out the stock metal wishbones for a set
of bands with nylon wishbones and the gun is virtually silent.

Durability:

The Panther Pro 45 speargun
is manufactured from the most advanced materials and processes available.
The super silent bodies are molded from the strongest fiberglass composite.
The body will not crack, delaminate, warp, peal or absorb water. All
components of the gun such as the shaft, trigger and sear are manufactured
from non-corrosive stainless steel. A 5/16” stainless shaft is also
a great trade between tracking, speed and durability. In most cases,
a 5/16” stainless shaft can survive any normal wear and tear without
bending or “whipping”. (A 3/8 shaft is also available if needed)
In short, the Panther Pro 45 is a highly durable speargun that can take
all the knocks, scuffs and bumping that demanding Northeast spearfishing
can dish out. It will never rot, rust, split or snap. This gun will
hunt for years and then some.

Flexibility:

I really like the flexibility
that comes with a medium length speargun that can handle three 5/8”
bands. At the top of its power end the 45” overall length gun will
send a 36” x 5/16” stainless steel shaft out at rocket speeds and
cover any distance required of Northeast hunting. The gun can also accommodate
a heavier 3/8 x 36” shaft if desired. Having three bands does not
mean you have to use them all and the gun delivers superior power with
two bands loaded for striper sized prey and will also shoot great with
one band loaded for bottom fish and smaller species.

In addition, the snap-in muzzle
creates a partially enclosed track that enables the spear fisherman
to choose several different configurations of line such as the standard
shock cord that comes with the gun or a monofilament coil.

Finally, any tip of choice
can be screwed onto the threaded shaft.

	Panther Pro 45	JBL Sawed Off Magnum XHD	AB Biller 48 Mahogany	Riffe Metal Tech
All non-corrosive materials	ü
Single piece construction	ü
3 5/8” bands	ü	ü		ü
Top Loading	ü			ü
Enclosed muzzle	ü
One piece integrated rail	ü	Glued on strip	ü	ü
Thin Grip contour handle	ü			ü
Stainless Steel Shaft	ü	ü		ü
Silent	ü			ü
Durability	üüü	üü	ü	üü
Range	16’	12’	10’	16’
Price	$219	$225	$260	$400

God, I love to dive

2006-04-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

April fools day was no joke this year. I had promised a student that I would do my best to get him into an open water dive on April 1. Realistiaclly, I wasn't too confident that there would be any good diving as this has been one of the oddest and cold springs in recent history. Not only would this be his first open water dive but, he also was going to be wearing a dry suit and 35lbs of weight for the first time. Add his oversized winter gloves to the mix and I knew I was going to have a down right clumsy animal in the water.
Well, the sun decided to show for a bit and we headed for the water. Just as we arrived at Cedar beach the sun ducked behind some black clouds and the rain started again. We donned our dry suits suits and I gave him a tutorial on how to use it.He would be tethered to me on this dive anyway. I wasn't going to take any chances on losing him to an uncontrolled ascent. This is truly one of the joys of one on one training. As an instructor I have a lot more latitude when it comes to what I can handle with just one student.
The water was a toasty 42. Much warmer than I expected. The vis was about 15' although if the sun had come out again I think it would have been 30'. We practiced a few basic skills and he did just fine. I didn't want to try too much so I figured we would just do a nice dive. I clipped my safety line off to him and we started out. drifting over some cold rock crabs and spooking grass shrimp, we made our way along the bottom. He was really enjoying the dive. We stopped every so often and I had him do a skill.
Truthfully, I didn't want to get out of the water. It was so nice and fresh. I had been longing for this and it felt great. I really didn't think we were going to make it into the water that day and I was very tired form an all week business trip. I guess the joke was on me. and this time it was a good one. The drive home was a peaceful one and my student had a calm grin the whole way back. I think I've created another addict.

Ponoquogue, rays and concrete

2005-08-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

That damn old bridge is still one of Long Island's best and most popular dive sites. Why? Very simply it offers clean refreshing ocean water, various structure and bottom types and all kinds of marine life. A friend and I dropped in at slack tide today for a relaxing dive out to the pipe fields. He is new to the area so I figured I'd show him the bridge in little, digestible pieces. We dropped in on the North side of the channel and scanned the first wall under the bridge for lobsters. Then headed for a few concrete pipes that are right at the start of the dive. One nice lobster but I just couldn'r reach him. He chose his home well.
As we headed south under the old bridge we found ourselves smack in the middle of a spider crab orgy. I don't think I have ever seen so many crabs in one spot. They were stacked three and four deep and snapping at us and some were hangiing onto my loose tether lines. Really enjoyed the scene but out to the channel we headed.
At the end of the bridge we were hit with that familar clear cool rush of fresh sea water. I love the taste , smell and soothing comfort it brings when you first hit it. To me it has always felt like a gift as it revitalizes and rekindles my enthusiasm. A few quick kicks and we hit the pipe field which is called so because it is a line of concrete pipe that heads straight North and South across the channel. Lobsters sit inside and under the pipes and Fluke and Blackfish are in abundance on either side of them. My friend was really enjoying the visisbility and abundance of marine life as we swam along the pipeline.
We came to the end of the pipeline and hit the large debris field that is made up of lost parts of the old bridge after it's demolition. Plenty of holes and I showed my buddy where to look for lobsters. He reached in one of them and caught his first lobster. Although it was a bit small and he released it, he still enjoyed the thrill. We dropped into the deep hole approaching the South side of the channel and a really nice Fluke flushed and started swimming down the slope. I fired and struck the Fluke solidly but the tip of my spear did not penetrate completely and the fish got of the spear and started a slow decent into the deeper part of the hole. My young buddy being only 25 years old decide to give chase. I waited about a minute for him to return and then went looking for him in the direction he swam. There he was 50 feet away with Fluke in hand and already on his stringer. I felt a high-five was in order.
The current had begun to change so I decided it was time to head back. I saw something very strange. It was a razor whip shaped eel or something. Then I realized it was the 7' long tale of a Southern stingray. We watched as it gracefully swam the bottom in front of us. It was very cool and I had started to wish I had brought the camera. On our way back we spotted two more rays as we kicked aside the ever stronger out-going current.
For me it was a good dive and I was glad to have seen the rays. For my friend who is a new diver, I think he was amazed to see all the great things along the short path we took today. He caught his first lobster and speared his first Fluke. I also showed him how to fillet it and gave him a few of my favorite recipes. So, in a way, I got to see all those things for the first time again. And I got excited about it. I think the guy is just gonna flip out when I show him the debris around the new bridge but that will be another story.
The Ponoquogue bridge is always a great dive because like most Northeast shore dives it is never the same. Tide after tide it changes like a calidiscope at sunrise.I one weeks time something completely different will be going on there. The rays will have left, the snappers will be larger and maybe the big bass will start moving again. It won't hold still for you. See it now or loose it forever.

Gus Bricker, Dogfish Scuba,Information for students who did not recieve their PADI certification cards

2005-08-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to set the record strait as far as my instructor status is concerned. As you know I had to close my shop due to economic reason. This happen very fast and we had every intention of re-opening at another location. After much consideration I felt it would be better to have fewer successful shops instead of a lot of unsuccessful ones and since I have other means of making a living I decided not to re-open, but instead support the shops that have been friendly to me in the past such as LI Scuba and Ocean Rock. The dive industries is very competitive and many shops feel threatened by any competing shop. They often go out of their way to do anything to hurt competitors I don't think I have to tell you this. Any way that's water under the bridge I wish every shop much success.

I found out about the trouble with my instructor rating when I received a letter from PADI's QA Dept. a few months ago stating I had not been renewed or paid my insurance for 2004/2005 season (of course after trying to submit certifications.) This was supposed to be taken care of by my book keeper at the dive shop. After looking into this matter I found out that they never paid PADI ( no big surprise) I have responded to PADI's QA letter and hope to resolve this matter soon. If any dive shop has contact with any former students that need to complete their certification they can contact me via dogfishdivers@aol.com, or my home number 631-231-8510. My cell which should be working soon is 631-387-3855. I will certainly offer any former student who can not wait for me to get this matter resolved a refund. I will let my past record stand for it's self.. I have certified thousands of divers, donated my time to such groups as The boy Scouts of American, Cleary school for the Deaf,and countless others often providing scuba lessons for no or little cost. I have extended myself at no cost to students working with them when they had problems at no extra cost. I have spent many hours working working for LIDA, I've founded "The Dive Club" about 15 years ago and have promoted Long Island diving every chance I get. I truly enjoyed teaching scuba but under the circumstances am considering no longer teaching and would advise any instructors thinking about opening their own shop to forget it, it's not worth it. I've been teaching about 20yrs and it is unfortunate that some individuals would trash me instead of giving me some professional courtesy and trying to get in touch with me. I think it's just another way for the dive shop owner to get money out of a customer.

Thanks Again

Gus Bricker

Long Island Diving Update

2005-06-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

I haven’t been writing much lately because I have spent my free time diving. In the last month I have had the good fortune to take some big stripers as well as some yummy lobsters both from the North and South shores. Of late I have diving off my Zodiac on the North shore. I have been running out of Stony Brook and Port Jeff harbors to hit the nice string of jetties and drop stone points. A few days ago I was serenaded at the Port Jeff Jetty by a chorus of Toad fish. I managed to take one lobster but this time of year the toad fish move into the shallow still water and take every available good hole and start to drum. It’s kind of a cool feeling having fish make noises while you are in the water. I also shot out to Old field point to do some free diving. Yes free diving. I have been going back to my roots of late and I am enjoying the freedom immensely. I think all scuba divers should spend some time free diving. It builds confidence and it really lets you know what you are capable of.

So in short, The North shiore has been holdiong good visibility and the South shore has been really giving up good sized fish for the month of June.

Well, hope to see you on the water. And if you are interested in learning to dive give me a call. 631 285 1539

Blackfish Hunting on a North Shore jetty

2005-05-23T04:03:00.000-07:00

Well, It's been a cold spring and it's taken a good long time to get the water up a few degrees. About a week ago I decided to try again on the North shore. As soon as I got in the water I looked at my computer and it read 50 degrees. That got me excited as the fish start to really move at that temperature. I swam out to one of my favorite jetties and started the slow creep from rock to rock looking for any sign of movement. Near the end of the jetty I saw a brown streak flash in front of me and it was gone in an instant. I held tight, held my breath and waited. Sure enough he came back to see what scared him. It was a nice big male blackfish with an old timer' white jaw. As he turned from me I fired and bagged my first blackfish of the season. Upon inspection the fish was covered in fresh rust. That meant he had just come off a wreck that he spent the winter on. Makes me wonder what wreck and where the heck it is. I saw a few more fish but could not get into range to fire. The fish are very skittish in the spring and you have to be quiet and creep along. If you startle them at all they are gone. They'll peel off the jetty and re-enter the rocks 50 feet from you. So you can find them again on your trip back.
The following week I did the same dive and saw at least 10 large blackfish. They were very skittish and I could not get any shots. I also had another diver in the water with me and I am sure that added to their nervousness. I did manage to shoot a nice big 9lb fish that I suprised as I turned a large boulder. whenever you turn a corner be ready to shoot. Blackfish will usually give you a 1/2 a second glimpse before they bolt. On my way out of the water I saw a fellow catch a nice keeper bass so the next dive will find me facing away from the jetty and looking for stripers.

Not Too Deep For Tidal Stripers

2005-04-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

When most Spearfishermen think of big fish, they usually associate the quest with a long boat ride and deep water. Not so with the Striped Bass. Stripers are tidal migrants and will move into the shallows with any incoming tide. They will also move out of the shallows on the outgoing tide and hold up in a deep hole waiting for prey to float by them in the current. Also, Stripers are creatures of habit and will usually do the same thing on the same tide day after day with the exception of a change in season. And did I mention that stripers are lazy. They will take every opportunity to position themselves so the food will come to them. On Long Island you can use this knowledge to hunt them on any of the shores or back bays. The North shore of Long Island is dotted with harbors and harbor channels and channels that lead to back bays and even smaller tributary. When the tide comes in the big Stripers will work their way into the smallest tributaries to hunt eels, shiners and crabs. At this point it might sound like a good idea to get in the back bays and start diving for whoppers but you'd need to cover a lot of water. At high tide the back bays can increase to 4 times their size so the fish are spread out over a greater area. The trick is to find concentrations of them. This is even more crucial when you are freediving. How do we find those concentrations of fish? Follow those tributaries out to choke points where there is a hole that the Stripers might wait in to take advantage of prey as it floats by on the outgoing tide. Did I just say fish at low tide? Yes I did and it felt great. I have found that on the north shore these choke points are most productive 2 hrs before low tide and right up to a slack low tide. They are even more productive if there is an ambush point like a jetty or a rock pile for you to blend in with. The underwater structure will also shield you from the current, which can get pretty hairy, as most Long Island watermen know. How did I discover this? As a young freediver, I was diving in a tidal pool for eels when it started to get too shallow to bother with as the tide went out. The tidal pool was part of a small creek channel that lead to a main branch of a harbor channel. At this time the creek channel was only about 1 ½ feet deep. But being a skinny young man I decided to snorkel to the main channel rather than taking my gear off. As my chest scraped mussels and rocks a surprising flash went by me, then another and then another still. A fourth one came past me and I damn near swallowed the whole creek. It was a huge Striper with all his friends and they were on a mass exodus from the ever shallower back bays. As I reached the main channel, which bordered on a jetty there was a hole about 12 feet deep in comparison to the six-foot depths in the rest of the channel. To my surprise the Stripers were lined up in that hole waiting for food to float to them on the current. As I drifted the channel I found a 20-foot hole with the same instance going on. I have produced more large fish from those holes on a single day at low tide than most fisherman can catch in a month. So there it is, a way to spearfish forStripers in the shallows and be productive. Every North Shore harbor has a couple of spots like I just described. Have fun finding yours and when you find it keep it hush hush. I've kept my secret spot for over 15 years now.Happy Hunting
There are a few good spearfishing and striped bass pictures on http://www.spearfishingextreme.com

It's April, It's Been April, When Are You Going To Start Diving

2005-04-23T06:34:00.000-07:00

April is a great time to break out the gear and get into the water. Lot's of ambient light as we approach the spring equinox and the water is clear and free of algae. In addition, there is little to no boat traffic on the water, meaning you can dive some docks and channels that would mean certain death in the summer time. I particularly enjoy diving under floating docks where boaters who trailer their boats load and unload their boats. You can find all kinds of things in those concentrated spots. The other day I went to one of my favorite North shore spots which is located right next to a boat ramp. It's easy access with a giant stride right off the floating dock and the vis was easily 20 feet. I immediatley started rumaging along the bottom under the floating dock as people drop all kinds of things there. In the first 10 minutes I found these items:
Fishing pole and reel
Brass nuts
Cell Phone in case
3 fishing lures
.22 cal bullet
2 .308 cal bullets
watch band (couldn't find watch)
Many bottles

Not bad for a quick salvage run. I continued on swimming parallel to the bulkhead and zig zagging out into the channel. As I did this I would blow some of the sand away with my hand to expose some nice clams. I picked up a bag full this way in no time. As I neared the end of my dive I headed for an 82 Mustang that sank off the boat ramp several years ago. It used to be nice and shiney red but it has deteriorated quite a bit and it is sunk in the sand up to the middle of the doors. The engine compartment is known to hold lobsters so I lifted the hood and was amazed to find a very large anenome. I'll have to remember that one as I expect to setup a nice fish tank this year. All around it was a great dive and I urge you to take advantage of the clear water and quiet diving available to you in the early season. The water temps range from 45- 52 degrees this time of year. so a good 7mm suit will do it. On my dive it was 48 degrees and I was using my trusty Diving Concepts dry suit. I was toasty warm.

Getting Your Kids Into Diving

2005-04-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

I took my 3yr old little girl down to the Port Jeff ferry dock today. It was a beautiful sunny day and we strolled out onto the boat dock and enjoyed the warm rays. Hand in hand we gazed at the beautiful calm water and peered over the edge to find we could see very clearly to the bottom which was close to 20 feet in some places. We both got a kick out of that. I swore I would be in the water ASAP and I told my daughter that daddy would be diving the next day. My daughter told me it was too cold. She paused and then as she looked into the water she said she wanted to go diving too. As you can imagine my heart melted. I told her she needed to grow up a bit and she replied she would go on a “baby dive”. I half laughed but then I thought to myself, “She is right”. Why can’t she go on a baby dive? Why shouldn’t I encourage her curiosity. Afterall, it’s what my father did for me.
Our walk had now brought us to the little fueling station at the end of the dock and I decided we should sit down out of the wind and let the sun really warm us up. The ferry happened to be pulling out and my little girl was pretty amazed by the enormous ship. As she watched the ferry I started to think of how I could get her to see underwater. Then it struck me. I remembered an old oysterbox my neighbor had given me. He is one of those original old timer Long islanders and they used to use these oysterboxes in the old days before dive masks were a convention. Essentially, an oysterbox is a four sided wooden box with a glass bottom that is sealed all around to keep water out. You use it by pushing the glass bottom under the water and then look down into the open end as you walk in waste deep water. The glass works just like a scuba mask and one can see very clearly to the bottom and into the water like peering into a fish tank. There is no reason a 3 year old could not look into the oysterbox and watch hermit crabs, minnows and pipe fish as they swim in the shallows on a summer day. In fact, I would call that one heck of a baby dive. I can’t wait to get her in the water this year as we will be adding yet another fun thing to do at the beach.
I guess the point of this was to talk about how to get your kids into diving. But amazingly, diving is just the extension of a curiosity of the natural world. If you can get your children to recognize and appreciate the natural wonders around them in a fun and relaxed way then they are sure to follow you to the next level.

Onboard Sushi- a quick recipe for a fast delight

2005-04-06T02:51:00.000-07:00

“Yummy Yum Yum.” I sure do like sushi. And I like it even better when it’s fresh. And by fresh I mean still a bit twitchy. When fish is eaten immediately after it is caught the meat tastes exactly as it should. The oils haven’t begun to break down the sweet taste or the rigidity of the meat. So how do you prepare Sushi on a boat or a beach and take advantage of the freshest fish in the world? Here’s how.
It starts at home before the dive. First you are going to need these ingredients: Rice vinegar, wasabi, soy sauce, pickled ginger and black sesame seeds. Into a small Tupperware bowl place 3 parts soy sauce, 1 part rice vinegar, a god amount of ginger and as much wasabi as you can stand. I like it with a kick as it really accentuates the sweet taste of fresh fish. Place the sesame seeds in a little Tupperware bowl as well. Stow that concoction in your gear bag.
When you complete your dive and come up with some nice fresh fish make sure you get your gear out of the way and you have enough room to use your fillet knife safely. Fillet and skin the fish you want for sushi and then slice it or chunk it with along with the grain of the meet. This usually means from top to bottom on a fillet. A large bass provides you with a sweet belly meat that I would suggest you use for sushi before the side fillets.
Anyway, Lay the chunks on a platter or cutting board and put the sauce you made and the sesame seeds in the middle. Using chopsticks, dip the chunks into the sauce, grab a piece of ginger and then dip the chunk in the sesame seeds. Pop it into your mouth and expect heaven. The sesame seeds provide that carb taste you would normally get from the rice and helps to balance all the flavors involved. Once you try sushi this way you may never go back to cooking fish again.
Some of my favorite Long Island fish for sushi are:
Black Fish
Black Sea Bass
Porgy – Truly unbelievable raw (try it)
Fluke
Striper belly
Trigger fish

If you are interested in learning spearfishing and underwater hunting please email me at info@longislanddiving.com or call (631) 285-1539

Happy hunting and good eating!

Good luck and good eating

Catching Lobster, a diver’s guide to Locating Larry

2005-03-31T18:36:00.000-08:00

Come the warmer weather I’ll stop buying so much meat at the market. By the end of April I will be able to substitute some of it for Blackfish and of course my beloved lobster. From May through November I probably eat enough lobster to turn into one. And “No”, I never get sick of them. You got your Lobster grilled, steamed Lobster, lobster salad, lobster rolls, lobster bisque, Lobster sauce, (Wait a minute, this is starting to sound a bit familiar) lobster ravioli, lobster and steak, stuffed lobster. “And that’s it Forest.”
Most new divers and underwater hunters want to know two things about lobster. First, how do you find them? And second, how the hell do you catch them without losing a finger?
Locating Lobsters is fairly simple. You need to understand several things. The three most important points are that they are nocturnal, they like to always have their bellies on sand and they are very territorial. If you are night diving you are likely top see lobsters out for a stroll if there are any in the area. They will usually be close to a hole that they use to hide in during the daytime. The hole will be located under a large rock, where two rocks lean together, under some sunken wood (they love wood), In a debris fields where it meets the sand and inside of pipelines, conduit or old tires if they are available. If you are diving during the daylight hours those lobsters are going to be hold up in their little fortresses with their antenna sticking out watching what’s going on outside so you are going to have to look for them. This means taking your light and getting down low in the rocks and debris(on a lobster’s level) and start looking in every hole and crack you can find. If there are lobsters in the area you will find them. Now we come to how you catch one.
If it is nighttime and the lobsters are cruising in the open, just grab the body behind the claws and hold them tight. They cannot spin back on you and bite if you hold them this way. When you grab for one do it fast and right away so they don’t have a chance to react. Once you have hold of them, open your bag and put them in tail first. Lobster swim backwards so as soon as you let go of him he’ll shoot right to the bottom of the bag. Close the bag and look for another one.
If it is daytime and the lobster is in a hole you are going to have to move quickly. The lobster will most likely be facing out towards you where he can put his claws to the best use on your fingers. When you find one in a hole you will need to get into position to thrust your arm into that hole as far it will go on the first shot. Those holes go deep and if he gets ahead of your hand you will lose him. So get into a good position to grab him kind of as if you were going to throw your best punch. The technique is to keep your hand open as wide as it will go and with the tips of your fingers curled slightly down. You are going to throw your hand in there very fast and you don’t want to jam a finger on a rock. As you throw your “Punch” you will want to keep the top of your hand grazing the top of the hole. The theory is that you will get your hand over the top of or behind the lobster before he can get past your hand. Pin the lobster to the bottom of his hole and start to wrangle him out. Move him around a lot and tire him out. Make him use all his strength as he fights you by changing his balance. In less than a minute he’ll just pop out of the hole all worn out. Throw him in the bag and find another.
The claws don’t really hurt if you are wearing gloves unless it is a little one. They have very sharp claws. I don’t even bother with them.
In New York it is illegal to use any kind of stick or noose to capture lobster as a diver. And you are going to need a lobster permit which costs $10 from the NYDEC. You will also need a lobster gauge to measure them to make sure they are of legal size which is 3 1/4” on the carapace. You must use your hands. I have caught hundreds this way and expect to catch many many more.
Oh, and remember when I told you lobsters were territorial. Well, if you catch a large lobster in a hole the chances are great that that is a prime piece of real estate and he fought off other lobsters to get it. If you go back to that hole a few days later there is a good chance that the next guy in line has moved in. There are a lot of underwater hunting resources available at http://www.spearfishingextreme.com
Happy Lobstering.

Who's Steering This Diver Anyway

2005-03-31T18:28:00.000-08:00

Navigation is a diver’s best weapon against stupidity and one of the best tools for information. If the surf clouds up and you lose visibility the only thing you can really count on is your compass and it’s absolutely necessary on a night dive. I am surprised how many divers don’t know how to use it. The basics are simple. You need to know a direction to swim into your dive and a direction to swim out or back to the beach or boat.
This is how I do it on a beach dive. The first thing I do is set that needle to zero degrees North. I don’t rotate the bezel or use the lubber line. I find it’s just too confusing and I have used this simple method to teach two students with dyslexia and it worked for them.

So we have our needle pointing North and set to zero. Now stand on the beach facing out towards the water in the direction you want to dive. Look down at your compass. The needle is set to zero degrees. Now what number is facing the direction you want to swim out in? Let’s pretend you are going to dive straight north and the number is 0 degrees. That is all you need to remember. O, That’s it. So if 0 is your way out then the number directly on the other side of the compass is your way to get back. In this case the number should be 180 degrees. So when it’s time to come home put that needle on 0 again and swim in the opposite direction which is 180. All you had to remember is one number. Try it in your yard. You’ll see it’s about as simple as it gets. Being a good navigator is a great step towards being a confident diver. You can figure out the rest from there and I have some other tips to make you a great navigator. But, I’ll add to this later.

A short exercise for a longer dive (breathing better or better breathing)

2005-03-30T08:01:00.000-08:00

A short exercise for a longer dive (breathing better or better breathing)
I don’t think I have talked about this much but there are several techniques that will help you to enjoy your dive by staying relaxed and breathing less air. Remember that diving is not a race. Your only goal is to enjoy yourself and get the most out of that tank on your back. First, remember to give yourself an appropriate amount of time to get ready for the dive without rushing or getting anxious. Getting your heart rate racing here is going to waste a lot of gas in the first few minutes of your dive. If that does happen the next step will remedy the problem and make you relax your breathing.
As soon as you drop down in the water and have kicked to a spot free of other divers that might interfere with you, drop to the bottom. Dump all your air and just lay your chest on the bottom. Relax your entire body and shut your eyes. Listen to the bubbles and relax. Feel the water and relax. In one minute you will be a very relaxed groovy diver. If you are on a boat dive you can do this on the wreck, sand or as you hang on the line. Once you are relaxed you will not over-breath and your tank of air will last a very long time. I make every new diver do this exercise when they dive with me. That way I get a nice long dive and they learn how to breathe. I have had some very new divers in the water for 45 minutes or so and be within a few 100psi of my tank.
The next method is to be used on a long underwater swim or a swim against current. The scenario is this. Let’s say you have finished half of your dive, the current has changed and there is boat traffic that is preventing you from surfacing. You want to get back to the beach but you are concerned about air. The question is “How do you do all that work on the remaining air”? Maybe you can, maybe you can’t. As a certified diver you will have to decide what the best course for you is. If you are diving near boats you should at least have a 5’ long safety sausage in case you have to come up. Still there is a way to conserve your air on a long swim like this. You need to roll your arms in a very relaxed position under your body so it takes no energy to hold them up. I then try to think of going completely dead from the waste up. I try to keep my upper body from using any energy whatsoever so I can supply my legs which will be doing all the work. Your legs should be kicking as efficiently as possible and you need to keep a steady pace. You will be surprised at how fast you can swim if you streamline yourself and keep a steady pace. And if you conserve upper body energy and effort your breathing can stay relatively normal. Stopping and starting will waste valuable time and energy. There is a certain amount of time that you will be able to sustain this before your body starts demanding more oxygen and your breathing will increase so it’s best to try it for yourself and learn what your body will do.
Any diver can do these simple exercises and you will immediately see your dives lasting 10 minutes longer than they ever have. With some practice you can start adding to that.

All About Drysuits

2005-03-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

Well maybe not everything but I’ll tell you enough about them so you can make an informed decision if you are thinking about buying one. Traditionally, drysuits are one of the most expensive investments a scuba diver can purchase. In the past few years a large number of manufactures have entered the market and the competition has been able to drive the price down for entry level drysuits. Some Neoprene drysuits start out at $600 now and that is a far cry from prices that used to start at about $1000. You can still spend $3000 on one if you like but chances are there is something comparable out there for you.
Drysuits keep you warm by first keeping you dry inside an external layer of neoprene, nylon, rubber, cordura or some combination of these materials. Typically, a diver wearing a drysuit will also be wearing fleece undergarments for thermal protection. A neoprene drysuit offers more thermal protection because the neoprene itself works as a thermal barrier. A shell suit or nylon, cordura, rubber suit requires undergarments for all a divers’ thermal protection because the outer shell works only to keep you dry. Drysuits operate by keeping a layer of warm air between the diver and the cold water. This is accomplished by running a low pressure line from your regulator to the drysuit. It works in much the same way as your BC. As you go deeper you will add a little air to your suit and as you ascend you will dump a little air from the suit. This takes training and a little practice so make sure you seek the proper instruction before using a drysuit on your own.
It makes the most sense to talk about when it is beneficial to use a drysuit. First, Diving in any cold water may warrant a drysuit. And that may also depend on your own personal definition of cold water. I usually wear a drysuit for all beach dives from Mid-October through the end of May. Once water temperatures drop into the low 60’s and high 50’s I abandon diving wet. I could use a heavier 7mm wetsuit for this but to me it’s just easier to jump into a drysuit rather than fighting a heavy wetsuit in a cold parking lot. Oh yeah, and taking a wet suit of in a cold parking lot is no picnic either.
Drysuits are also beneficial if you will be diving off of a boat at depths of 60’ or more. If you are doing that you can bet you will be passing one or two thermoclines even in the summer and the water on the bottom is going to be cold.
What kind of drysuit? Well I prefer the shell style and after owning many drysuits I have settled on a cordura, front entry or self donning drysuit. I can regulate the thermal protection I wear under it and it is a very tough outer shell that will resist my bottom crawling and wreck rumbles. The Neoprene suits are extremely warm and are very durable but they also can make a diver overheat in the hot summer months. I have seen a few divers sweat it out onboard a dive boat in 80 degree weather before their dive. Crushed neoprene however offers a happy medium between the shell and thick neoprene suits because it offers thermal protection and it is flexible and you can still wear undergarments under it.
Some of the manufactures I recommend are: Bare, DUI, Harveys and Diving Concepts. I own a Diving Concepts Cordura suit and I couldn’t be happier with it. It has all the features of a very expensive suit at a moderate price and it is built tank tuff.
Remember that diving with a drysuit is going to require a little training to make sure you know how to use it and what to do in an emergency so make sure you are trained before you use one. This was just a brief overview to get you on your way. If you have any questions regarding drysuits please feel free to contact me at info@longislanddiving.com or just give a call.

Flatliners, Killer Fluke In The Sand

2005-03-11T03:56:00.000-08:00

I wrote this article some time ago but I thought I would republish it to the blog and give more folks a chance to read it.

A large spider crab raises the alarm and takes an alien stance and lifts his nippers to catch me as I drift slowly overhead. I'm only 15ft deep and I am in a soft current that is pushing me gently as I patrol the sandy south shore bottom where it meets the debris field of a jetty. The usual suspects are there. Rock crabs, green crabs, small blackfish are in plain view as a school of shiners shimmers close by. But, the prey I am looking for I will never see. I will never see him completely that is until he is on my spear. His camo is better than any fish in the north east. His stealth and patience is beyond compare and his speed is as good as any rocket off the launch pad. I am talking about the Fluke.
Also known as the summer flounder the fluke offers some great challenge to the North East spearfisherman. You might think it's a simple process to stick a spear through a relatively stationary fish that is laying on the bottom but that's only part of it. First you have to find them and then you have to see them before they see you. Most beginning divers never see a large fluke but they do get quite a few glimpses of clouds of sand that seems to have just erupted off the bottom like a small stick of dynamite just went off. If you have seen these sand clouds there is a pretty good chance you just encountered a fluke. Fluke are very wary and it takes some skill to come up on them.
Fluke, by nature are super ambush predators. They use their super camo and stealth to suprise passing fish. Usually buried in the sand with only their eyeballs visible. The fluke will lie patiently on the bottom in an opportune environment and explode off the bottom and capture it's unsuspecting prey in it's large jaws filled with backward pointing dagger like teeth. In order to appreciate the magnitude of their hunting ferocity you need to scale it down. Suppose you were diving along that same jetty I described earlier. It's a beautiful day and you can see clearly in all directions and there are no worries. However, on the bottom there is something strange. There it is again it's tiny and it just moved. Just as you begin to focus on what you are seeing as a tiny eyeball, the full mass of a 50ft long animal weighing many tons erupts out of the sand and you are already caught, sheared and held fast unable even to struggle. It's a pretty terrifying scenario and I have often tried pitching the folks in Hollywood about using a flatfish as the next big screen super villain. Maybe starring Richard Dreyfus as a scientist who discovers a mutant flatty off the beaches of Fire island. I don't know why but they don't return my calls anymore. However, you can see how such a predator can also use those skills to elude you as a spearfisherman.
The first step towards a successful Fluke hunt is to find them. Most folks think that Fluke are found exclusively along large stretches sandy bottom. This is not even remotely true. While Fluke prefer to bury themselves in sand they are just as happy to cover up with mussel and shell debris, lay under sea lettuce or dig in amongst the pebbles. Also, fluke love structure and you will always find them around it if conditions are right. What they like most though, is a change in bottom type. They love to setup their ambushes in the transition areas along the bottom. For example, If you are on a sandy bottom and the sand meets a pebble bottom or a rocky outcrop you will want to follow that transition line and you will invariably find fluke. Like wise it could be a mussle bed that meets mud or a wooden dock that meets pebbles or a lettuce field that meets rock. Almost any combo you can think of. Why are they there? There are a couple of reasons. First, those transition areas are great places to hide and break up your background. Second, little fishies also use these transition areas to keep a low profile. When you realize these transition areas have both cover and food it makes a lot of sense why a super ambush predator would want to be there.
Ok, now we know where to find them. The next challenge is seeing them. When hunting most species it's a relatively simple task to see a fish, the whole fish and nothing but the fish. However, it is highly unlikely you will see a whole fluke while you are cruising along the bottom. What you will be looking for is parts of a fish. Because they are buried most of the time you will be booking for two eyeballs, a faint outline in the sand or a protruding tail which they have trouble covering. It takes some practice but once you finally spot one or two suddenly you can see even the best hidden fluke.
The best way to hunt them is to keep yourself at leat 4ft off the bottom. This will give you a better view of the bottom and enough room to maneuver your gun to fire on one of those flatties. And you will want to shoot them in the head to avoid damaging any of that delicious meat. If you see one and you are not in a good position to shoot be careful not to look directly at him as you get into position. If you don't look at him the fluke will still think his camo is working and stay put.
When you finally shoot one be careful. Even with a head shot they can take of fast and crazy. The fish itself is not dangerous but they are incredibly strong and they can whip the spear shaft back and forth violently and I can tell you I have been whacked in the face a few times. Remember to stay relaxed. When you can, grab the one end of the shaft and thrust the point, fish and all into the sand and hold it there. Fluke are great at tearing themselves off spearpoints and because they are against the bottom the spear does not always go through. This will give you some time to gain control and get yourself ready to get the fluke on your stringer. I recommend a stringer over a bag because fish can't escape the stringer. String the fluke through the gills and out the mouth and then close the stringer. Once that is done you can take the spear shaft out of him. Always string your fish before you take the shaft out. It usually takes the loss of one fish to learn this lesson.
I love spearfishing for fluke, I hope you enjoy it as well.
Happy Hunting

Car Keys, Where do they belong.

2005-03-11T03:52:00.000-08:00

As you can see I write about some of the most basic things in scuba diving. Why not, somebody has to. I think it’s a fair task to remove all the stupid barriers and stresses from diving and I aim to do just that for whoever reads my articles.
Back to keys.
I thought I would give new divers some options when it comes to car keys. I have seen them stuffed and hung from every inch of a diver as well as buried, hidden and jammed under chassis. Let’s face it. You can’t very well leave them in the ignition with the car running while you dive.
Option 1- Clip them off to your BC. This works if you have a strong key ring and non-electronic keys. I recommend that they are also in a pocket so they don’t snag on anything.
Option 2 – Place them in a small dry bag or capsule and then clip them off to your BC and in a pocket.
Option 3- Place a single key inside your wetsuit in that little pocket by the zipper. I don’t like this option because you have to undress if you forgot something in the car.
Option 4- Keep a separate key in a magnetic container under your car and just lock your regular set in the car. It’s always a good idea to back up options 1-3 with option 4 incase you lose your keys during the dive. Yes , you guessed it. Redundancy even extends to car keys. If you do get your car keys wet just rinse them off with a little fresh water from a water bottle before you place them in the ignition or door locks. Not much to say about car keys and diving but at least it’s been said.
Good Luck

So, you are going scuba diving.. Are you ready?

2005-03-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

So you are going scuba diving.. Are you ready?
Showing up to dive and being ready can make all the difference in the world in how your day turns out. Beyond safety and preparedness it just makes sense to have your stuff together and really enjoy yourself. Too many times I have seen divers show up to dive at the wrong time, with the wrong gear, not enough gear or any real sense if their gear is operating properly. Sometimes it’s laughable, sometimes it’s dangerous and when the guy who is unprepared is your dive buddy it can downright tick you off. So let’s take a look at the very simple ways a diver can anticipate a dive and show up loaded for bear.
The first issue is timing. On Long Island a large majority of beach diving or inshore diving opportunities are based on tide. This means that a diver is going to avoid strong tidal currents by beginning the dive at the start of slack tide and ending the dive as the current changes again. Logically, one has to know when slack tide is and then can plan in reverse for travel time as well as the time it will take to put on gear and get into the water. You can usually see this done very poorly at the Ponoquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays at the height of Long Island’s dive season. The tidal currents there are extremely heavy and you are going for a ride if you misjudge them. Many divers show up as slack tide starts and begin the dive when the tide is about to change. Poor planning? You bet. There are many services on the web that will help you find tidal information. I like to use http://www.noreast.com/. It’s a great site with a lot of fishing info as well so it also helps to inform a diver as to where the fish are. Look up your tides and plan accordingly. Let’s say a high slack tide is at 12PM. I know it takes me 10 minutes to suit up and 10 minutes to be in the water and start diving. That tells me I want to be there no later than 11:40 AM. Plus, the drive takes me another 40 minutes so I want to start out no later than 11AM. That was pretty easy right? Now onto gear.
The biggest mistake divers make with gear is when they show up to dive with a tank, a BC and a regulator and none of them are connected. I don’t know what it is but some people think it’s cool to assemble all their stuff in the parking lot. I think it’s the dumbest thing you can do as a responsible diver. The best time to set up your gear is when you still have time to fix it if there is something wrong. For example, if I put by rig together and turn the air on the night before the dive I can test it. If an O ring blows I can fix it. If a regulator malfunctions I can swap out the regulator or in the worse case I can cancel the dive and give my buddy options to find someone else to dive with. And oh yeah, don’t forget about your buddy. If you both follow these tips you’ll be better friendlier buddies. I have a few guys that messed my dives up more than once when I really needed a partner. I don’t dive with them anymore. Now if you have your rig setup just turn the air off and pack it in your car. When you arrive at the dive site all you have to do is turn the air on and throw on your rig. Easy stuff…. Now for the rest of it.
How do you keep from forgetting something? That is also easy. First, think about what you’ll need for the dive and make a note of it. If you are not sure call a local dive shop, boat captain or look online for water temperatures and such. Write it down if you are a new diver it’s just easier. Next, place everything on your list in your dive bag or your plastic bin. But, the key is to touch every piece, say its name and place it in the bin in the reverse order you will need it. For example, If I was doing a summer night dive you would hear me in the garage saying this as I filled my bin: “Fin Fin, Glove Glove, Boot Boot, Mask, Hood, Light, Catch bag, knife, Suit, weights” My rig is all together and tested so that’s taken care of. I have touched every piece I need. It is placed in the bin in the order I need it. I am ready. And remember when I told you it takes me 10 minutes to suit up. I lied, it only takes me 5. I’ll be in the water long before you shut your trunk. And I’ll be relaxed and ready to go.
It really is that simple. You can show up ready to go every time and really reduce any stress prior to your dive using and sharing these guidelines. And there is one more tip for those married men out there. If you set your gear up the night before the dive and it won’t work and you need to cancel your dive, call your dive buddy immediately. Then go right to your wife and explain that you haven’t been spending enough time together and that you have cancelled your dive to spend the day with her.
If you have any questions please feel free to email me at info@longislanddiving.com

Are You A Scuba Diver?

2005-03-09T06:05:00.000-08:00

Well, you might be…….Take the test.

Do you live for adventure?
Do you like fresh lobster and sushi?
Do you wish you were offered a spot on the Discovery channel?
Do you crave unlimited amounts of sex?

If you answered those questions, “Yes, but I never get any”, then there is a good chance that scuba diving may be right for you. It’s a very simple sport with simple rules and it opens an entirely new world to you. Imagine being immersed right in the center of life itself. From your very first dive you will discover things about the environment and yourself that you have only hoped to glimpse. Simple things like a jetty or submerged boulder can become a full blown expedition. Your first glimpse of a large striper or lobster will stay with you for the rest of your life. How about dropping down on a World War One wreck in 100 feet of water? It’s covered in anemones with swarms of fish all over it that leads you to a giant gaping hole torn open by a German mine. It’s there for you. Waiting in the water is history, adventure, exploration and a satisfaction that you feel from every visit to the underwater world.
Oh, and sorry if I got your hopes up about the sex. Scuba diving won’t really get you any but at least you won’t miss it as much.

"I think there is something swimming up my urethra"

2005-03-07T10:16:00.001-08:00

Got your attention, didn't it? I thought it would be a good idea to do a series of articles on the the different creatures that a diver might interact with on a Northeast dive. And while very often I like to talk about the edible kind, I find that new divers are very interested in finding out what not to touch and what kinds of creatures are dangerous. Don't worry, nothing is going to swim up any part of your body but if you know a few simple rules it's easy to enjoy your dive and pay attention to the things you are interested in rather than dwelling on a fear of the unknown.
First, wear gloves. Gloves are very important as the number one defense mechanism of sea creatures is to have something sharp and stingy to stick a would-be predator. A cheap pair of diving gloves will protect a diver from almost all sharp stingy things. Most fish have some type of dorsal barb. Trigger fish, stripers, Black sea bass and sea robbins all have the dorsal barb. It will only work to hurt you if you grab down on it hard. If you do stick yourself the hole is going to hurt for days. There is no reason you should ever do that now that you know it exists. I grab all fish from the mouth or gills to avoid any sticky fins regardless if they have a dorsal barb or not. The trigger fish have the added ability to bite so never grab them by the mouth. Then again if you are only swimming around you never need to worry about dorsal barbs or teeth.
Crabs and lobster have pinchy claws and most are rendered ineffective if you grab the crab or lobster by the carapace and point the claws away from you. This works for most crabs and lobsters except for the blue claw crab. If ever God decided to put all the speed, aggressiveness and overall nasty into a creature it was the Blue Claw Crab. They are incredibly dangerous to handle under the water as they are excellent swimmers and can turn their scissor like claws on your pruney fingers in a split second. They have the hardest bite of any crab in the world and their sharp claws can cut right through your glove. As a rule I don't handle them under water. Again, if you are just a sightseer you don't have to worry about any of it.
Jelly fish are not the last stingy critter but they are around in the summer and can give a person a nasty sting. The rule of thumb is to watch where you are going. Most people swim right into them and that's how they get stung. If you do get stung and immediate remedy is urine which will help to back out the tiny stinging probes the jellyfish's tentacles have shot into you. You can also rub them out with wet sand. I prefer wet sand although I really have nothing against anyone who would prefer remedy #1.
Some other rules are don't reach into holes if you don't know what is in them and don't rest on metal wrecks as the rusty metal can be very sharp.

That's really it. There are a couple of things to watch out for. Most are harmless unless you interact aggressively with them. I've been bitten and stabbed by damn near every creature in the Northeast Ocean and every time it was my fault. If you are just out to watch nature and interact with the sea creatures on their level, you have nothing to fear. Good Diving to all of you. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at info@longislanddiving.com

Dive lights, Dive lites..No matter how you spell it

2005-03-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

Dive lights are an important part of the scuba diving experience. Even in the daytime, a dive light can enhance a divers vision by shedding light onto a potential artifact or yummy lobster. Most often, I am asked what type of light should a diver buy. And most of the time divers are asking about brand. There are a lot of good brands out there and you can decide which one is right for you if you understand what you will need it for. The way I see it there are 3-4 types of dive lights. A small light 2AAcells, a small backup light, a handheld primary and a canister light.
The First light, a small 2AAcell light that retails for $20 is your best friend. You will get more use out of this light than any other because it is small and accessible. This is the light to use when peering into small caves and holes during the daytime. I keep mine on a ripp cord attached to my BC so i can drop it in case i need to rush to grab a lobster.
The secind light, a backup to your primary should have 4C batteries. This is the light you are going to use if your primary light craps out during a night dive. It won't illuminate as much as the primary but it will get you home with confidence.
The third and fourth lights are primaries. They are hand held and canister lights. A hand held haologen light should be at least 20watts and should operate off of 8 C batteries. The burn time should be about 2 hours. It is important to use recharcheable batteries for this kind of light because it will burn a little brighter and last longer. And you will spend a lot less on batteries.
HID 10watt lights are also made in the pistol style hand held models as well. These are fantastic lights and worth every penny. They cost a little more than the halogen but you will see much better and in true color as the halogen bulb kind of adds a yellow hue to evereything. I still recommend you invest in rechargeable batteries for this style light as well.
The last kind of light is the canister. The most popular canister lights are the 10watt HID models. With small canisters that attach to your tank and a tiny manuverable light head that burns for 4 hours an a charge, it is no suprise that they are the new great thing in scuba diving. This type of light is going to cost you triple of the best hand held but you will make up for it in cost of batteries and enjoyment of youir dive.
That's the short of it. If you have any questions feel free to email me at info@longislanddiving.com or visit the site if you would like to find out more about our night diving experiences. www.longislanddiving.com

The Cold, The Pole and the Flatties

2005-03-07T06:01:00.000-08:00

Brrrr...... Seems like I caught a chill in Novemebr and I haven't stopped shaking all winter. Normally, I would have been underwater most of the winter collecting clams, mussels and rock crabs but I just didn't have it in me this year. I caught a cold that lasted way to long and I just got really busy. But now, with aprill looming close by I have to suit up and get my butt into the watter for some of Long Island's spring flounder action.
There was a time when I would sit in my little rowboat and dangle worms for the flatties to munch but those days are gone. I take the fight right to them. In the early spring, Flounder are in the back bays and harbors where they spent the winter deep in the mud. As the water warms up they'll start moving to collection points like holes the current drives food to and along rock jetties. When they do this it's time to grab the pole spear and go. I use a pole spear for flatties in spring for two reasons. First, I can wear my big neoprene mitts and keep my hands warm. The pole spear doesn't require that I have a trigger finger available. second, who needs a speargun for flounder. That would be like shooting a humming bird with an elephant gun. I use a standard rock tip so I can run the fish right up the pole as I spear them. I do this because it is fast, secure and doesn't require that I try to fuddle around with flipping fish, catch bags and creels while I am wearing those goofy big warm mitts. Anyway, start looking for some good flounder spots and go down for dinner. It's a nice spring treat.
BTW, I will be teaching an Underwater Hunter course early this spring so if you are interested call me at (631) 285-1539 or go to the site for more information. www.longislanddiving.com

The New Site Is Up And Running

2005-03-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

WWW.LONGISLANDDIVING.COM
The new site is up and running and we will be posting lot's of our training material on there. If you are thinking about learning to scuba dive and private custom training sounds right for you, Give us a call at (631) 285-1539. We can train you to dive in your home, in your pool and off your own vessel. You will learn faster and with better retention as you are guided in a comfortable private setting . www.longislanddiving.com

Wrecks and Rockpiles

2005-03-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

Long Island’s scuba fantasy play land

When most North Eastern scuba divers think of wrecks, a large hulking mass lying quietly in the 80'+ waters usually comes to mind. With today’s equipment and advances in scuba training, those wrecks are reachable to a wide range of divers. However, the accessibility of these dives has made inshore wreck and rock diving all but obsolete. In fact, it isn’t.
I began diving at the age of 8, using my trusty mask and snorkel to explore the back channels of Mt. Sinai harbor as my father collected oysters and clams. My brother and I would spend hours working our way through the tidal channels chasing minnows, tiny flounder and pipe fish. The biggest thing we would see was the occasional turtle or school of snapper. I truly longed for the big water. And by big water I meant the jetty at the entrance of the harbor. What secrets did it hold? What would it feel like to dive along those massive boulders? Surely there must be monsters hiding among them.
I never lost the fascination with Long Island’s tidal zones and you will find me diving the North shore's rocky points like Cranes Neck and Old field point as well as shinnecock and Moriches inlet on the South shore. There is something marvelous that happens when land, sea and structure all come together with changing tides. Besides the massive currents that can develop, marine life seems to gravitate in frenzy to these locations. Often the depths are no greater than 30' but in that 30’ a scuba diver can experience diversity like nowhere else in the north east. Stripers, Lobsters, Eels, Black fish, fluke, flounder, and bluefish all piled up in one dive. And don’t forget the opportunity to find some Indian artifacts or memoirs from Long Island’s early shipping era. These dive spots have produced for native Americans, fishermen and sea fairers for many hundreds of years and you can bet some of their legacy lies waiting to be found in the shallow waters.. I have found several temporary stone tools in Porpoise channel as I sailed along the bottom in a steady current. The current actually helps uncover artifacts as the fast water blows sand away and keeps the stones at the bottom polished. Things that are different stand out quickly and catch the eye.
In addition to rock piles and jetties, Long Island is host to several shallow water wrecks accessible to all levels of divers. Smithtown Bay is host to a network of sunken barges in 35’ of water. Some are wood and some are steel and they all hold their share of lobsters and blackfish. On occasion a diver can also find an unreported wreck of a recreational boat off of Cranes Neck. Port Jeff Harbor has a grand history of ship building and there are several scattered wrecks right inside the harbor. All along Long Island’s inshore waters you can find wrecks. Some are listed and some are not.
There are several ways to find wrecks and rock piles. First pick up a marine map and GPS numbers from one of several online sources. The DEC also has GPS numbers on some areas. You can also ask fisherman where structure is. They will usually tell you where the locations are provided you tell them what is really down there once you dive. It also helps to come back with several pounds of lead sinkers and fishing lures. You’ll make a friend for life. However, one of the best kept secrets for shoreline dive locations is the sources of free arial photographs on the net. Take a look and you will see how the glacial drop stones are distributesd in the water along the shoreline. I have used some of these photos to find a few spots people would never think of .

One thing to remember is watch the tides. You probably will have to dive most inshore locations at slack high tide or slack low tide. Currents on a changing tide at the mouth of a harbor can move as fast as several knots so be sure you are prepared if you get caught in it. If you do get caught in the current stay relaxed and go with it. It will eventually take you somewhere. If you stay relaxed the worst thing you are going to face is a long walk. If that happens, stash your gear and go get the car. Just dive smarter the next time. Don’t ever fight the current. It will rob you of your air and it will always win. Use current to your advantage. For example, if there is a dive spot that requires a good swim to get to you can time the current so you can catch a ride on the last bit of an outgoing or incoming tide then when the tide changes again just ride it in. I have had dives at the famed Ponoquogue bridge that last 1 ½ hours using this method and I guarantee I get to see more of the area then most divers. Be careful and take baby steps. You’ll get the hang of it.
There are also several charters that are running inshore wrecks and jetties. Unique charters out of Mt. Sinai offers access to many of the natural and manmade structure in the Stony Brook and Port Jefferson area. Next time you are looking for a nice dive with plenty of action you might want to stay closer to home and drop in on some of Long Island’s inshore adventures.

Spearfishing in Long Island Sound (early spring)

2005-02-28T18:42:00.000-08:00

Getting geared up for springtime flatties (flounder). the still quiet harbors on the north shore should yeild some nice action this spring. Once this snow breaks I am heading over to Setauket and Mt. Sinai Harbor for a little diving and hopefuly some flounder fillets. I also think I should pay a visit to my favorite clam spot for some cherry stones. Gotta love scuba diving for dinner in the early spring it's like going to thye market and just picking the things you like. Clams, Mussels and floundr and maybe even a few wintering rock crabs and some channel whelk to round out a really nice meal. Yummy yum. By the time I finish eating it will be Striper season.

Long Island, New York Scuba Diving

2005-02-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

Long Island has one of the most diverse set of underwater and tidal echosystems in the Northeast. Formed as fallout from a glacier 12,000 years ago, Long Island offers scuba divers a rocky North shore littered with giant drop stones, Sandy bottoms pocked with structure, ocean inlets, bridges, jetties, open ocean and a gulf stream that drives exotic marine life to us every summer. In addition, Long Island's history of shipping and transport has left us with one of the best wreck diving areas in the world. Science, fascination and adventure are everywhere from indian artifacts to big tastey lobsters and stripers, and hulking legends like the USS San diego and the Andrea Doria.
Check out some of the Long Island Scuba diving links and training at www.longislanddiving.com