294 replies to this topic

[Going Postal]

Can we hunt lionfish? That can make a slow dive a lot more fun.

[WreckWench]

Hey gang checking in from Key West and Diving on the Atocha!

There are areas we can hunt and areas we can not hunt in. I will go prepared to hunt... kevlar gloves, shears to cut off spines and a good bag along with a lionfish tamer spear. Anyone want one?

I'll talk to Capt Ken about where we can hunt and make sure we dive in some of those places...

[WreckWench]

COOL UPDATES:


Wanna see what awaits us? Check out ScubaFred's shark video HERE... VERY VERY COOL AND GREAT COLOR TOO!

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

DOCUMENT UPDATE:

1. Carol aka galngotham, I have received your Waiver, Insurance Summary, and EV Docs!
As soon as I receive your Survey, you'll be all done!

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

HEADS-UP!

Your first night aboard the boat will be Saturday, 9/1. Your last night aboard the boat will be Friday, 9/7. Everyone must depart the boat with all their luggage by 9am on Saturday, 9/8, regardless of your flight date/time. This gives the boat time to clean & re-stock before the next group arrives & boards on Saturday afternoon.

Many are not departing until 9/9 or after. I don't know when your check in time is at your hotel you're staying at on Saturday night....they may or may not allow early check in. I highly recommend wearing your swimwear under your clothes when you depart the boat on Saturday morning. Then you can go to your hotel, leave your luggage with the office, and sit on the beach (or at the pool bar) until check in time.

[ScubaSis]

I'll take a lionfish tamer spear!! You can show me how to use it! After seeing what those fish are doing, I want to do what I can to get rid of them!! BTW...I did not see one lionfish in Cozumel.

Thanks for the info Tammy!! Good idea on the swimsuit!

[WreckWench]

Sure Sissy...I'll bring you one... will check pricing (I think they are $39 retail and $35 SD price) and we'll see if anyone else wants one. They work great and I'll be happy to show anyone how to use one that wants me too! I'll get an idea from Capt Ken how much we can hunt and we'll get a feel for how many people would be interested and we'll drive them away like they have in Cozy...actually they have just driven them deep but that is ok too... they have to eat themselves at those depths!

[ThatJoeGuy]

Doesn't T&C require all lionfish hunting to be done with a net?

[WreckWench]

Not sure as rules have changed...will be checking and let you know! kamala

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

DOCUMENT UPDATE:

1. Joe aka ThatJoeGuy, I have received your Insurance Summary!

2. Carol aka galngotham, I have received your Survey!

You are both on the Who's Going List now!



Thanks to everyone for getting their docs submitted so I can complete all the spreadsheets before the day job gets hectic! Much appreciated.

[Sir Pete]

There are areas we can hunt and areas we can not hunt in. I will go prepared to hunt... kevlar gloves, shears to cut off spines and a good bag along with a lionfish tamer spear. Anyone want one? I'll talk to Capt Ken about where we can hunt and make sure we dive in some of those places...

Kevlar Gloves? You have some? Is the boat loaning out pole spears or do we have to smuggle our own in? What's the bag for as we normally feed them to the other critters of the deep.

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

Reef gloves won't do.....kevlar or lobster gloves will help keep those nasty spines from getting you. The boat had a couple of spears, but I don't know if they belong to the boat or to staff, and some of those staff have rotated to another EV boat since last year. If you want to hunt, best to bring your own spear. Kamala likes to have the boat's chef fry up some of the kill, so she carries a goodie bag. I don't recommend doing that in T&C unless you are willing to lose your goodie bag to a shark interested in your stash.....which happened to Kamala on the T&C trip in 2010. Kill 'em and feed 'em to an eel, grouper or whatever looks interested, or if you're sure they're D-E-A-D you can just let it drop. Something will eat it!

[Sir Pete]

Reef gloves won't do.....kevlar or lobster gloves will help keep those nasty spines from getting you. The boat had a couple of spears, but I don't know if they belong to the boat or to staff, and some of those staff have rotated to another EV boat since last year. If you want to hunt, best to bring your own spear. Kamala likes to have the boat's chef fry up some of the kill, so she carries a goodie bag. I don't recommend doing that in T&C unless you are willing to lose your goodie bag to a shark interested in your stash.....which happened to Kamala on the T&C trip in 2010. Kill 'em and feed 'em to an eel, grouper or whatever looks interested, or if you're sure they're D-E-A-D you can just let it drop. Something will eat it!

Interesting.. so what is a good manufacturer? I've just spoken to my Padi course director who says they are making a "sanitation" type dive glove. All news to me. Anything will help as it does sting a bit when those spines penetrate.

Edited by Sir Pete, 27 July 2012 - 03:14 PM.

[Sir Pete]

What is the EAN blend that the boat normally supplies 32% ???

[Divegirl412]

Reef gloves won't do.....kevlar or lobster gloves will help keep those nasty spines from getting you. The boat had a couple of spears, but I don't know if they belong to the boat or to staff, and some of those staff have rotated to another EV boat since last year. If you want to hunt, best to bring your own spear. Kamala likes to have the boat's chef fry up some of the kill, so she carries a goodie bag. I don't recommend doing that in T&C unless you are willing to lose your goodie bag to a shark interested in your stash.....which happened to Kamala on the T&C trip in 2010. Kill 'em and feed 'em to an eel, grouper or whatever looks interested, or if you're sure they're D-E-A-D you can just let it drop. Something will eat it!

Are the spines still venomous even when the fish is dead? I need to research that. I saw one of the DMs in Bonaire get stung when he was cleaning our catch for frying after the dive. And he did quite a dance. It was still apparently very painful. But I am still not sure whether he actually just got pierced by the spine without any venom coming from the glands or if the glands can still release venom when the fish is dead. Does anyone know?


And no, I wouldn't carry them around with the reef sharks in T&C. It wasn't a problem in Bonaire.