Any private divers in West Palm or Jensen Beach spearfishing 6/19-6/26?

[chickenwarrior]

Hello everyone,
My wife and 2 girls, (ages 12 and 15) are headed to West palm Beach next week and staying in Jensen Beach 6/19-6/26. We are planning to do some dive charters in West Palm as well as dive the Blue Heron Bridge (We dove it earlier this year on our won and visibility was terrible. We are all certified but my youngest was just certified last year so doesn't have a lot of experience but is very eager. We dove a wreck in in Port St. Joe last year and the girls enjoyed spearfishing for Spadefish with pole spears. (Which are very good eating, so I don't know why they are not more popular, but they are hard to clean!) Since spearfishing is generally frowned upon on most dive charters, and I'm not looking take them deep for big game fish I just thought I was ask if anyone in the area was going out and possibly join to help teach the sport to some novice girls. Even Lionfish would be appealing for them, but again, not looking to go much beyond 50ft until they get a little more experience. Longshot, but thought I would see if anyone had any idea or recommendations.
If not I would still like to hear from anyone with recommendations of the west palm drift dives and/or wrecks in WPB that fit into their experience level and not too deep (hard with wrecks I know) I called some shops and they said right now vis is about 40' and the wrecks have a big current. We are all used to diving in poor visability and I would love for them one day to be able to see what 100' vis looks like! Looking for Turtles, Rays, Eels, Sharks, etc. They love to look in holes so even lobster scouting would be fun.

Thanks!

 

[johndiver999]

They would probably be safer diving in 100 than trying to shoot spadefish in 50. Are you prepared to subject the young girls to aggressive sharks that are much larger than them?

Spearfishing in that area has become quite interesting as the shark abundance has exploded.

 

[chickenwarrior]

They would probably be safer diving in 100 than trying to shoot spadefish in 50. Are you prepared to subject the young girls to aggressive sharks that are much larger than them?

Spearfishing in that area has become quite interesting as the shark abundance has exploded.

No I am not! That is why I am asking the questions! for information like this! Thank you!

 

[Johnoly]

...Longshot, but thought I would see if anyone had any idea or recommendations to help teach the sport to some novice girls. Even Lionfish would be appealing for them....., .

{disclaimer, I hacked up your reply and put it out of order to make more sense to my response}

The best spearfishing and lionfish teaching are taught by people and friends that you know and trust because you met them face to face and you can tell if they are a good people for you. Your travel dates uniquely fall on a great opportunity to have your whole family meet a ton of divers and DIVE FAMILIES that once were just like you guys. You want your family to meet a similar family who is already spearing and lionfish hunting.

Next weekend on Saturday June 22nd , the MClionfish tournament (www.mclionfish.com) will be held at the Jupiter Pointe Marina (www.jupiterpointe.com). This is an EXCELLENT venue for your family to meet other similar families who go spearing. Most of them are private and have their own boats. There are a TON of young girl speara's and lionfish hunters here. This venue also is very unique in that it's an outdoor covered area with a POOL so the kids can play in the pool and meet other friends and ask them about diving and spearing (can't find that anywhere else). And don't most parents meet other similar parents thru their kids and their activities?

So what to do next? If dad(& other family) are already scheduled to dive on the morning of June 22nd, plan on catching a lionfish. You don't have to spear them, you can take a net also because lions are slow moving. Enter the tournament and attend the participants meeting prior to the Friday before (21st 5pm-7pm). When you dive on the 22nd, look for the SMALLEST lionfish with the kids. First place for it pays $500 !!! and kids are great at finding small stuff. A buffet dinner is included with the registration and of course there is a cash bar too.

But the purpose of the tournament is not to win, it's to Connect, make a new circle of friends, and relax around the pool with 100 - 150 family divers who you can make plans with for future trips to the area. This unique pool & family oriented venue only happens once a year and your timing is perfect so don't miss it.

Best thing is I'll be there and I can introduce you to my dive team buddies and we all know ALOT of dive families!

 

[luscioman]

I suggest going south of Jupiter. Jupiter is usually sharky when soear fishing. I suggest checking on Florida Scuba Charters. They are south of and are spear friendly. Br prepared for swift currents and drift dives.

I have no affiliation with the boat. I have dove with them on several occasions.

 

[chickenwarrior]

Hello everyone,
My wife and 2 girls, (ages 12 and 15) are headed to West palm Beach next week and staying in Jensen Beach 6/19-6/26. We are planning to do some dive charters in West Palm as well as dive the Blue Heron Bridge (We dove it earlier this year on our won and visibility was terrible. We are all certified but my youngest was just certified last year so doesn't have a lot of experience but is very eager. We dove a wreck in in Port St. Joe last year and the girls enjoyed spearfishing for Spadefish with pole spears. (Which are very good eating, so I don't know why they are not more popular, but they are hard to clean!) Since spearfishing is generally frowned upon on most dive charters, and I'm not looking take them deep for big game fish I just thought I was ask if anyone in the area was going out and possibly join to help teach the sport to some novice girls. Even Lionfish would be appealing for them, but again, not looking to go much beyond 50ft until they get a little more experience. Longshot, but thought I would see if anyone had any idea or recommendations.
If not I would still like to hear from anyone with recommendations of the west palm drift dives and/or wrecks in WPB that fit into their experience level and not too deep (hard with wrecks I know) I called some shops and they said right now vis is about 40' and the wrecks have a big current. We are all used to diving in poor visability and I would love for them one day to be able to see what 100' vis looks like! Looking for Turtles, Rays, Eels, Sharks, etc. They love to look in holes so even lobster scouting would be fun.

Thanks!

 

[chickenwarrior]

Definitely don't want to get into anything "Sharky" with the kids. THanks for the info!

 

[chickenwarrior]

{disclaimer, I hacked up your reply and put it out of order to make more sense to my response}

The best spearfishing and lionfish teaching are taught by people and friends that you know and trust because you met them face to face and you can tell if they are a good people for you. Your travel dates uniquely fall on a great opportunity to have your whole family meet a ton of divers and DIVE FAMILIES that once were just like you guys. You want your family to meet a similar family who is already spearing and lionfish hunting.

Next weekend on Saturday June 22nd , the MClionfish tournament (www.mclionfish.com) will be held at the Jupiter Pointe Marina (www.jupiterpointe.com). This is an EXCELLENT venue for your family to meet other similar families who go spearing. Most of them are private and have their own boats. There are a TON of young girl speara's and lionfish hunters here. This venue also is very unique in that it's an outdoor covered area with a POOL so the kids can play in the pool and meet other friends and ask them about diving and spearing (can't find that anywhere else). And don't most parents meet other similar parents thru their kids and their activities?

So what to do next? If dad(& other family) are already scheduled to dive on the morning of June 22nd, plan on catching a lionfish. You don't have to spear them, you can take a net also because lions are slow moving. Enter the tournament and attend the participants meeting prior to the Friday before (21st 5pm-7pm). When you dive on the 22nd, look for the SMALLEST lionfish with the kids. First place for it pays $500 !!! and kids are great at finding small stuff. A buffet dinner is included with the registration and of course there is a cash bar too.

But the purpose of the tournament is not to win, it's to Connect, make a new circle of friends, and relax around the pool with 100 - 150 family divers who you can make plans with for future trips to the area. This unique pool & family oriented venue only happens once a year and your timing is perfect so don't miss it.

Best thing is I'll be there and I can introduce you to my dive team buddies and we all know ALOT of dive families!

Wow. Thank you for that information! That's exactly what I am looking for! How would I go about hooking up with someone (sharing expenses of course) to try this out that would be family friendly and not have us cramp their style of serious lionfish hunting?

 

[Johnoly]

...How would I go about hooking up with someone ....

So what to do next? If dad(& other family) are already scheduled to dive on the morning of June 22nd, plan on catching a lionfish. You don't have to spear them, you can take a net also because lions are slow moving. Enter the tournament and attend the participants meeting prior to the Friday before (21st 5pm-7pm). When you dive on the 22nd, look for the SMALLEST lionfish with the kids. First place for it pays $500 !!! and kids are great at finding small stuff. A buffet dinner is included with the registration and of course there is a cash bar too....

Since it's just a couple of days before the tournament many divers are are set with plans. But at this coming Friday's participants meeting from 5pm -7pm, all the families will be there. Maybe someone will let you hook up with them that you'll meet there. The links in my above post gives all the details to sign up.

 

[chickenwarrior]

So what to do next? If dad(& other family) are already scheduled to dive on the morning of June 22nd, plan on catching a lionfish. You don't have to spear them, you can take a net also because lions are slow moving. Enter the tournament and attend the participants meeting prior to the Friday before (21st 5pm-7pm). When you dive on the 22nd, look for the SMALLEST lionfish with the kids. First place for it pays $500 !!! and kids are great at finding small stuff. A buffet dinner is included with the registration and of course there is a cash bar too....

Since it's just a couple of days before the tournament many divers are are set with plans. But at this coming Friday's participants meeting from 5pm -7pm, all the families will be there. Maybe someone will let you hook up with them that you'll meet there. The links in my above post gives all the details to sign up.

Thanks. We will go check it out. I can't really sign up for the tournament and pay the fees not having a boat. I have access to a boat, but not wanting to take the responsibility of taking it out in new area I 'm not familiar with.