Sunshine at last!!

Sunrise at Surfers beach this morning.

Well the sun is out at last, and the rain is over 4 now. Only thing is the east is pumping and the rivers have vomited up their bellies. So there will be very little spearfishing or even surfing going down over the next few days.

Just a little heads up ... The Fishing Corner will be having their prize giving this Saturday at the Paddleski club in Durban at 12. So if you keen to see whats going down pop in. For more info go check their site: http://www.fishingcorner.co.za/

Catcha

Coatesman

No Hope Spearo's

I hit the beach early to look for some surf, but the tide was high and the swell still a little bumpy. The vis was not as bad as I thought, and my first impressions where that there was some hope for the water.

I decided to hit the road and get some km under the belt for the week, especially since I probably wont get a chance to dive again for a couple days. That and the thought that in 22 days I will be in Mozam and need to be fit got my ass in gear.

The weather looked like it was clearing and I looked at the only slightly off colour water in hope that todays light east might bring a little clean water in as it pushes the river water back. But that did not last long, the rain came bucketing down after my run ..... at least it was after my run! Man it came down, I just hope it was just a local drench and not up in the catchment areas, otherwise we are fish curry for a week or two.

Only the Barbel are happy!!

Coatesman.

Spearfishing Update

Hey Guys,

Well the west is pumping and hopefully we will get some clean water this time. The last few wests have cleaned the sea but have not brought the warm clean blue stuff we had hoped for. I did get this spearfishing report from Craig Burmeister in PMB .. check it out .....they found some clean water!! ........

Just a quick report... John Little, Andrew Henwood, Hardus Bouwer and myself went out on John's boat Sunday as part of Midlands trials (which got cancelled, due to the other teams boat steering problems...) as we stopped to wait for the other guys behind backline at the Rocky Bay launch site we were greeted with warm blue water, sticking our heads over the sides with only our masks on we could see the ripples on the bottom in 15m ! We couldn't believe how the conditions had changed from the Friday and Saturday !!! We knew we were in for a great day's diving, calm seas, very light SW/S wind, crystal blue, water warm and not much current, wow when's last time we had that???

Anyway we headed out to Aliwal for some bluewater action, as we hit our line to drift outside the crown area we discovered that the current wasn't pushing slightly N to S, but sort of E / SE to N, bit of a bummer... not the magical N to S current, oh yes and the water temp. according to Drew's fancy watch read 24.5 - 25.5 d/Celsius!

As we hit the water, we were all laughing and screaming with amazement through our snorkels, wow man 30m+ viz, 25 dc, just like that - basically overnight!
We dived the NE Pinnacles in 110 Ft(Outside the Crown Area ofcourse) not much fish action, just a couple of Blacktips and Zambezi's checking out the flashers, Drew was hanging down at 25m when he looked over his shoulder he was greeted by a bus of a Tiger checking him out, he says that it was an awesome sight to see (?)(at 25m ???)

We moved onto 19 Fathom's, John missed 1 of 4 big Wahoo in a shoal, Drew says it was like watching a DVD, seeing John chase, then pulling the trigger only to have the spear on his 1.3m gun with break-away to fall short(His line was wrapped around his fin...) John later chased a big bull Dorado but couldn't get shot in.

Not much gamefish around due to the wrong current I suppose. We headed for Deep Scottburgh, conditions still great, John got a nice Kaakap, Drew got a nice Iggie and Drew saw a pod of dolphins with a shoal of 25-30Kg Yellow Fin Tuna just cruising behind them and of course he had just shot a fish and was franticly trying to reload his gun to try and get in a shot, but we all know how that ends...
We ended up with some nice fish on the boat, the sea just got glassier and glassier until the NE started blowing.., but what we all mainly spoke about was that warm, bluewater, top to bottom viz, truly amazing day out there, it's great to be alive!


Craig Burmeister

Pmb Underwater Club


So while we wait for the clean stuff, check out my Youtube clip of Morne and his Wahoo from a a couple weeks back. Also go check the Salty-Diver.com site there some new stories going up.

Cheers

Coatesman

Weekends Spearfishing Up Date

It was a busy weekend.... and now I am back at work (its actually a whole lot less hectic)

Saturday had potential to be a good dive so my dive buddy Morne and I got up long before the sparows, and jumped in a one of our regular spots just as it was getting light. The water was rather miff so diving was not all that inspiring. Another mate came swimming past just as we were going to get out, and told us he had got some fish the previous arvo. So we stuck it out for a little longer before admitting defeat and heading back to shore.


It was a decent dive of about 2 and half hours so we had at least got our exercise for the morning, so we weren't too bleak about the dive. That was until we got back to the cars only to find Morne's window smashed. Xmas bay is notorious for these break ins.... not that it softens the blow. We must have disturbed them because they did not get to his cell phone between the seats. But they got away with his wallet with his drivers and all his cards ...plus some cash! Replacing the drivers license is the real hack, standing in the licensing office has to be the worst thing ever. So that was Morne's diving and surfing over for the weekend!!

Any way my day was very busy, had some work and then a wedding in the arvo. Some guys said that they got some surf, but I did not get close to the sea being so busy. With the wedding I got to bed rather late and when the alarm clock went off early. I was rather glad to hear the wind still blowing and the rain coming down, so rolled over back to sleep.

My family and I hit church and went and had a look at the sea around 11:30 hoping to take my lighty surfing, but the south east was starting to push and the surf was dismal. Rather exhausted we chose curry and dvd's over the cold wind surf.
Halfway through the dvd Steve Ellis calls me to ask if I was home and could he drop my new fins off. Stoked Xmas early!! He was in a rush to go and pick up his new born from the hospital and so he had not finished fitting the blades into the pockets.
Like a kid with a new toy I finished the job while trying to watch the dvd .... I don't multitask well, but got them done in record time. Now my amp to dive was right up, only thing was Morne had gone for a swim earlier and said the water was miff. I also wanted to get back to church for the evening service.

Too amped I grabbed my kit dashed out the door to go and find a point to dive off on the high tide, maybe the vis was ok for that? But driving along the vis did not look to bad, so I bolted down to a spot I know that a certain ledge at a certain time of the day seems to work. (sorry cant tell) Any way I had just over an hour, to dive! The fins were great ...(read more... Xfin) and headed out to the ledge. The water was as expected pretty miff, not that different to the previous morning. So I took a dive to see how deep it was and how far out I was. It was about 8m and I was a little to close in so I swam out some more. I dived again and hit the bottom, the vis was 3-4m at best and it was only 8.5m deep...... I had not swam out far enough. So you imagine my surprise when a Cuta swims up to me.

Christmas again!!! I nailed the cuta and no sooner had I strung the fish sorted my line out chilled a little I hit the bottom again. Only to see some fish overhead ..... damn the fish are ON! Slowly coming up under them I recognize them as snoek (I have a nasty habit of either spooking them or hesitating and missing my opportunity) This time ti worked I came straight up trying not to swim at the fish an allowing them to pass by until I was at their level. I then closed the gap and just as the fish started to move off it got nailed. Fish 2!

I sorted all my line and fish out again and with my heart still over excited I dived down. This time another cuta swims in ... a 'nice fish' its in mid water so I will had to swim up a bit, only to swim slap bang into another cuta which spooks and sends the other one with it.

I foolishly think that maybe the fish are deeper after a couple of dives don't yield another fish. But the deep was quiet, and I headed back to the ledge. I was running out of time and on one of the last dives a shoal of small snoek swam over head and I managed to get another fish.

So I landed up with a cuta of 9.2kg & 2 snoek 6.1kg & 2.7kg

Its so typical, the day you least expect anything to happen it goes wild!

Later

Coatesman

Spearfishing .... Whats up?

Well I tried to dive to day, and the viz was pretty bleak to saw the least. I did get some exercise tho, there was something to smile about. I bumped into a mate of mine from town, and before the dive walks up to the car and hands me some dive gloves he makes. Stoked!!

We then fumble around in the 3 -4m vis, I tried to dive deeper but it was not so cool when you cant see squat. Any how we bump into each other at the cars after, and he makes a comment about how great his milk crate is and how it fits nicely into his butchers blik (large white crate). And asks me to keep an eye out for the milk crates as they are hard to come by. I reply something to the effect of "I don't have a blik they are hard to come by, I just dump everything in the back of the bukkie"

The long and short of it is he empties out his blik and hands it to me. Freak .... stoked, I almost took a foto to show what I had caught. Sad thing is it is the best catch I have had at home in a while. Any way I would like to say a Huge thanks to Sav for his kindness, its not every day you meet guys that are so generous.

So I hope Sav is blessed with many large cuta this season ..... a couple snoek will also be cool.

Stoked

Coatesman

Cuta, Snoek bring on the Summer

Well the conditions at home are not great, but the news of some cuta and snoek coming out has brightened things up a little. A mate got a 16kg cuta off the Bluff earlier in the week and another mate reported that the ski boaters had boated some cuta and snoek of Durban yesterday as well.

I was also talking to a guy who has just come back from Sordwana, he got some Dorado,an Iggie and a small Wahoo. Some cuta were also boated and another guy got a 35kg Sailfish.
All we need now is some clean seas and we will be in the thick of things .... I hope.

Coatesman

Its a good life!

Surfers Lane Ballito this morning with the new deck.

I was reminded this morning that I have loads to be thankful for. I and I suppose every one else out there as well can often get so caught up in the stress of of life, we forget to see the blessings around us.

Well this morning was full of blessings from above, Braidy my 10 year old son came surfing with me. It was an epic morning, with the waves just big enough for me to have a couple and not to big that it would crush him. We had a couple waves long before anyone else even hit the beach, it was super special.

I was checking the time when it dawned on me that exactly one month to that very moment I would be in the water at Mozambique. And now I don't know if i am excited or bummed. Bummed that I have 3 and some weeks left of work to get through. Lets just hope they fly!!!

I just checked the weather for this week and it looks promising, it seems the strong wind season is coming to an end .... hopefully .....and just another thing to be thankful for.

very thankful,

Coatesman

Monster Garrick

Well it was;nt such a quiet weekend after all.
Craig Burmeister nailed this 19.1kg Garrick off Tinely.

Here is the storey ....

Was diving with Greg Bisset, Danie Van Huyssteen and Gregg Audie all the Midlands SU / Pmb Underwater Club guys! We dived the 16m+ most of the
morning and after Gregg Audie shot a snoek out there, I swam inshore to have a
look-see, water wasn't too bad out deep, maybe +/- 5-6m ? We got quite a few
nice bottoms. 19.100Kg Garrick after an epic 45 min walk back to the
bakkie... Tinley Manor, south of river mouth, 18.11.07,
+/- 08:00 Viz
2 - 5m Backline
+/- 5 - 6 m Deep
No snoek...

The last time I saw a monster garrick like this was acouple years ago diving Warren when he got a 19.5kg Garrick - click to check it out.

Coatesman

Weekend Spearfishing Update

Hey Chaps

The weekend went down fairly uneventfully, some guys out of desperation found some clean green patches up and down the coast. I did not here of too much coming out other than the odd snoek and reef fish.

The good news is that there is only 4 weeks left till 'builders shut down' and that means I will be on leave!!! .... damn I hope these 4 weeks goes fast!

There have also been a few guys up in Southern Mozambique spearfishing and there have been reports of some good fish coming out. I have heard of some 20 plus Cuta and Wahoo been boated.
So if you are keen for some action thats were it is all happening.

Anyway let me go and work my 4weeks away ......

Cheers

Coatesman

Cuta Smile

Today was a special day for a mate of mine, he got his first Cuta! For some guys the first one comes easy, I remember taking a friend up to Sordwana on a trip once and he got a cuta on the second day of diving.

Willy's story is some what different, the damn cuta have just been elusive and lady luck has not been on his side for many moons ... that was until today.

I mean Will must have seriously got tired of all his mates getting fish, most guys would have just laughed off the whole thing and taken up bowels at the country club.

I think he might have actually come close tho ..... This last weekend at Cape Vidal Will watched Morne and I get some good fish. Ok Morne's was great!!!! Anyway Will had an opportunity on a bus Cuta and because of a faulty spear totally missed an easy make able shot.

I tried to sort the spear out and got it to at least go near the target. But that was not good enough when a Wahoo swam up to Will. The shot hit the fish, but not good enough and Will lost the fish. This was just another fish in the long list of fish that had gotten away.

So you could probably understand the frustration, anyway Will is a fairly persistent chap and heads out with another mate Hogga for a quickly before work. (maybe I am his bad luck??)
Morne and I dive at another spot and when I hit the beach there is Will waiting for us. I can see he is in an upbeat kinda mood, Not unlike a 'Jack in the Box' waiting to be released.

I cant remember how the news was broken, all I can remember is a big fat grin and the story of the one that did not get away. It was very cool as we all rejoiced in a mates good fortune.

I dont even think there was an ounce of jealousy (I am sure that deep inside we all want to be the guy who walks out with the fish.) Not today tho, just too stoked!

We have a little thing between the mates that a Cuta only counts if it is over 10kg. So there was much jesting, that fish was going to be under, and not a real Cuta. So when the scale was finally pulled out and the fish tipped the 10kg mark at 10.38kg there was lots of laughing and smiles all round.

And so it has been an interesting season for me, I have not been the one coming out with the scale tipper, or the record breaker. But I have been fortunate enough to share in others victories and mile stones. Its a privilege we have to share in others dreams and desires, and kind of makes it almost nicer to see your mate get the fish than you.

I did say almost ...... still tossing with this one. We will see the next time a fish swims past, will I point my mate onto the fish or will I quickly claim it.

We will have to see!

Coatesman

Cape Vidal Wahoo & Cuta at Home

11.4kg Giant Kingfish

Cape Vidal had some fish this week end. You probably saw Morne's Record Wahoo. I managed a couple fish a 11.4kg iggie and a 8.5kg Wahoo. Nothing like The 25kg bus that Morne shot!!

8.5kg & 25.2kg Cape Vidal Wahoo

Back home I heard that the cuta came on at Umldoti yesterday. That is fantastic news ...... you have to love the early shoal cuta that pull in over November. Hopefully we will get some clean water and also get some fish. This morning it was still a murky 3m.

Catcha

Coatesman

Epic Morning!

Gee after that buster of a wind yesterday (peaked at 35 knots/ 65 km per hour) not bad for our coast!! the sea was looking awesome. Not sure about the vis and there were not too many waves around with the high tide. But there was some grommie surfing Salties mid break ..... it should have been me :-)

I heard that over the weekend some good fish came out. Apparently Corrie got 4 Wahoo off the shoal, and some good Cuta were caught and shot between Umhloti and Ballito side. Some guys up at St Lucia dived a fad and got 9 Wahoo!! they were all small, around the 10kg mark ..... but I would not complain.

The wind this week looks like it will predominantly be southerlies, so if the rain holds off we could have some diving. ....... hopefully!!

A mate sent me this vid of a monster wave at Teahpoo check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF7JvG_U7ss

Coatesman

Wahoo Weekend

A dream came true for Morne this weekend when a size Wahoo came and swam right under the boat. This fish was intent on committing "Hurry Curry" swimming within meters of Morne.

We had got to Leven point off Cape Vidal just before 5am, all got in the water when Willy who was still sorting out his gun started to call and point.

The off shore was pumping so we had gone into 13-14m of water, and were going to drift out to the deeper line.
So there this monster was just milling around in the shallows.

I had the camera, and Morne was 'locked & loaded'. He dived down slowly, slightly hesitantly not wanting to spook the fish and miss a opportunity of a life time.

I was sitting right on his shoulder getting the whole thing on tape, when the Wahoo just swam straight into Morne's line of fire. Getting plugged right behind the gearbox, disappearing in a line of bubbles, gun and buoy line in tow. The fish was boated and there were loads of smiles all round.

That was at 5am ..... the sea was epic, and we were now pumped so we dived hard for 9hours and eventually I picked up a small wahoo of 8.5kg on the last drift of the day. Man were we poked!

The fish weighed in at 25.2kg ... which is a new Salt Rock Spearfishing Record.

Nice one Morne

Coatesman

Spearfishing Fitness & a Free Immersion Freedive

We got into the water for the first time in over 3weeks here at home.... bloody sad!!
Any how the water was a fantastic 2-4m but the cloudy conditions made it more like 2m.

We went out to a ref at 10m and just did some training dives, trying to wash away the cob webs.
As far as Spearfishing goes, there was very little going on, the water was 19deg and even the reef fish were thin.

I have been training so my bottom times were ok, I did feel a little slow swimming out. I did feel it this morning, I went for my usual run and it felt like I had absolutely no power in my legs. This is a worrying factor! Even though I am running fit .... that has very little bearing on my diving stamina, what happens when we get a couple days in a row? Fatigue thats what , that damn lazy weight that hits you.

A bunch of us are going to be in Mozambique for a 3 week spearfishing trip, at this rate day 3 I will be sleeping in!!

Lets hope the dive improves here and we get some consistent diving in before mid December.

On the other hand check this vid out, a German freediver Andreas Güldner on a -72m Free Immersion Freedive. The underwater-filmer was on -40m, so you can imagine how deep the dive is. Makes our deep 20 -30m dive look silly.

Coatesman

Spearfishing in 6 weeks

6 weeks chaps! thats it 6 weeks!!! Then we are on holiday!!!!! And more importantly off to Mozambique for some spearfishing heaven.

It seems so long away ... and I am battling to keep my head down at work. I suppose the fact that the sea is still on the dubious side does not help. It did look like it was going to clean up. But the rain she is coming down again .... and so then will the rivers.

Many people believe that the more rain we have the better the cuta season is .... how try that is I dont know .... but it dont help if you cant get into the water!!

I did manage a surf yesterday ... allot of fun! It has been a while since I had some fun ones. So I cant complain too much.

Any way back to the grind stone .... will let you know if anything hots up...

Coatesman

P.S 6 weeks!!

Instant Chocolate

Well the farmers are happy ........

At least some one is coz the dam rain has turned the sea into chocolate brown poo .... in an instant. Blowing ... or should I saw raining away any chances of a dive this weekend.

Seriously this is getting me down ..... so down that if my boss knew how ineffective I am becoming ... he would send me on a paid dive trip in an instant!! Do you think he will buy into this??

Gee I dont know how the guys inland handle life .... freak!!!

Coatesman

Summer Spearfishing

Well I suppose you could say we are in summer now, I just wish the spearfishing would reflect that. Strangely enough there was some vis today after the east, not a lot but enough for a good point dive.

To night is the Salty Divers Club Meet in Ballito so if you are in the area pop in and come saw hi. We will have a braai going so bring something to braai and join in.

Other than that the weekend does not look to great ..... we will have to see.

Cheers

Chris