So after reading all you guys posts about spearing for the past few months I will finally be getting to give it a go. Only planning one day of spearing but if it works out well (and I don't shoot my sister) maybe I will get some more time.

Hopefully will be reporting back with a picture of a fish (or many) with a hole and not a sis with a hole. Wish me luck:)

Please don't shoot your sister! ANd shoot lots of fish :BoomSmilie_anim: "Good Luck"

good Luck! Coz has always interested me and the wifey

Well sadly no picture of shamu to show off:(

Landed in Miami to change planes. Got on a bus taken out to the plane, parked right behind the engines and told the plane was over booked and we were getting bumped. After they had to wrestle a few more people off of the plane they started the engines and proceeded to blast the bus for 20 minutes while we were locked in. We then got the enjoyment of watching our plane take off and fly to our vacation....American Airlines sucks.

So we had to get routed to Cancun and schlep our gear and luggage to Playa Del Carmin to catch a ferry to coz. Of course we had to sit around in Miami for 4 hours waiting for a flight. Then sit around in PDC waiting for the 11 pm ferry.

Then of course the next morning we had to miss our dives because no bags except the ones under our eyes. Then we were told our luggage was lost. We eventually beat our stuff out of them by mid day. Hey did I mention American Airlines sucks?

OK so being we were off to a great start...

We dove the first few days non spearing. If any of you are not familiar with Coz 95% of its reefs are in a national marine park. I am not complaining this is actually a nice thing. As always the diving can not be beat. There is nothing like traveling the reefs being as lazy as you can with the drift gliding you along.

Well along comes spearing day. Very excited about it and hoping it goes well. There are really only two reefs on coz to spear that are out of the park. They are considered for experienced divers. Well hey! I have a padi card I can handle it! A local ex-pat happens to be joining us that day and gives me some help learning the gun and protocol etc. Also 2 other divers decide they are going to give it a try as well. I was kind of hoping for more personal instruction when we set it up but it was not to be.

So off we go, we get out of the marine park and start to round the shelter of the island. The sea picks up with some huge swells. I am told yea this is the norm on this run. The dive briefing goes something like this. We will drop in everyone needs to keep in close site, if one person stops all need to stop and wait. Once one gets low on air all must come up. If you get separated you are heading to Cuba. Hmm ahh hell I have a Padi card ! I can handle it!

Off we roll. I hit the water and holy shit! You guys talk about the current in Jupiter all the time but I never expected people to dive in this jet stream stuff. I have my gun and am keeping an eye on everyone as we drop. We are down about 90 feet and its getting hairy, we are moving so damn fast. About 15 minutes into the dive all thoughts of actually shooting a fish are gone and I just want to get out alive.

The two times I had to stop to wait on others I made the mistake of looking to teh side. The current was yanking on my reg and spun my mask around my head and flooded. DM said at dinner a few nights later it was 3-4 k current. Man does that sound so much slower on paper.

One fish is taken on the dive a horse eye jack by the ex-pat. Very nice fish I will say 20"s at a guess. He runs low on air so we all start to come up for our stop. Ex pat makes a much faster stop then anyone else and we are starting to spread out on the drift. Finally get to the surface and thank god that I have a bright as hell big yellow sausage with me. The Capt was great and kept letting us know he saw us as others were loading. But when the swells keep you from seeing the boat most of the time its nerve racking.

So two people decide that it was the scariest dive they have ever done and will not be going in on the second drop. Well I am going back in. I am now buddyless due to mine not going down but as the first drop showed a buddy was not really possible anyway.

In we roll. Much slower current depth about 60' so much less stressfull. Less people in the water also made this drop much more enjoyable. In coz they spear lobsters when in season. DM spears a monster right off the bat. I see two fish I should have shot but not knowing the species well nor size limits I make the mistake of looking for confirmation both times and end up losing the shots. Second dive I got to actually stalk etc was very fun. I am now addicted.

Boat takes 2 lobster 1 school master and a huge trigger on the dive. Day is over and we head home.

All in all it was a great learning experience for me. I can't wait to go again but maybe next time will be in a mellower environment. Maybe next time I get to Fl I will beg a trip and some advice from one of you folks.

Did I mention American Airlines sucks?