Headed out with Snappa for shark diving this summer - any advice?

[FettSolo]

Hey folks,

I'm headed out with Capt. Charlie on the Snappa this June for some shark diving! I am pretty excited about it. Just a few questions for those who have gone with him before:

-Do I need weights? I'm not bringing a tank, since Charlie advised against it and I figured the man has done this enough that he knows best, but just wondering if I should wear some to keep me down in the cage or whatnot.

-For the photographers out there, is the cage openings large enough that I can bring my Ikelite 8" dome? Or should I bring something smaller?
-Better results with a fisheye lens or a wide-angle? I would think the latter.
-Is it worth bringing strobes?

-Anything else in general I should know?

Any and all advice is appreciated. Thank you!

 

[kmurray719]

If you're not using a tank, you won't be in the cage unless you've got a good breath hold! We've always used the cage for photo shoots on scuba during any down time and from the outside to stabilize ourselves if wearing scuba gear. Snorkeling/freediving, you're more likely to be on top of the cage or hanging onto it somewhere, or on or hanging onto the snorkel platform.

If you're planning to freedive a bit or don't want to be super floaty I'd bring a weight belt and weight.

Here's a video from one of our charters with Charlie :

 

[FettSolo]

I've got a decent breath hold, enough to stick around and take a few shots at least! But yeah, thanks for the clarification - Charlie was not super clear on how freediving vs scuba was set up, just kept saying that I would have better shark encounters with no tanks involved.

Thoughts on how much weight to wear? I'm used to just weighting for scuba... I'm 150 pounds and probably wearing a 7mm for this, if that helps.

 

[kmurray719]

I'm not sure how much of the leeway we've had to be in and out of the cage is due to having done a bunch of charters and Charlie knowing us, or if he's more strict when he doesn't know people. I know a lot of charters he's limited the number of divers in the water at once, which has never been the case for us since he knows we're all seasoned divers. The only reason some of us have preferred scuba each year is that it allows us to spread out a bit. With 10 people in the water it can get crowded on the surface so having some people down below works well.

7mm are pretty buoyant..if you're just looking to not be ultra buoyant, 10-12 lbs would probably do it. If you're looking to stay under easily, maybe a few more than that.

 

[FettSolo]

I asked Charlie and, to quote, "You can observe the sharks from within the cage, on the roof of the cage, swimming aside of the cage, or laying on the platform or as we call it “The Playpen”." So, sounds like I have some options.

Thanks for the weight suggestion!

 

[FettSolo]

Well, the trip was a wash. Saturday we could not go out at all due to thunderstorms. Sunday we spent thirteen hours on the boat without seeing a single shark. Such a bummer...

 

[kmurray719]

Aw, man, that stinks. I know Charlie hates when that happens and will stay a few extra hours with his fingers crossed. We're heading out Saturday, hopefully not a wash!

 

[Bubblesong]

Bekki and I are going on next Saturday's Boat, hoping for the best, but we're looking forward to good company in any case.