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Upper Gulfcoast This is the area for spearfishermen in Panama City, Destin/Ft. Walton, Pensacola, Alabama, Miss., and Louisiana.

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Old 06-22-2014, 11:04 AM   #1
Ledslinger29
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Rig diving tips?

Anybody got some? Will be heading to Venice next week from the east coast of Florida for two days of YFT fishing and two days of rig diving. Seen some YouTube videos, and read plenty about the associated dangers there as opposed to common wreck diving. Got some SS cable for the gun to prevent cutoffs, but that's about all I've done out of the ordinary. Hints or tips would be greatly appreciated, TIA!
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Old 06-22-2014, 11:20 AM   #2
Lone Star Spearo
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Re: Rig diving tips?

All you need to know about rig diving

This post has a lot of info on rig diving, dive safe.
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Old 06-22-2014, 11:50 AM   #3
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Re: Rig diving tips?

Are you freediving or scuba?

If the rig is in water deeper than you can dive, a scuba diver can quickly get in trouble by shooting a medium or large fish away from the rig structure. Nothing to hold on to or tie off to = a trip to the bottom unless you turn loose of your gear. I personally know of people that this has happened to. Some got bent, some didn't.

Next thing, the layer of bad visibility on top sometimes has a strong current. Hard to swim against that especially with scuba. You need to drop behind a rig leg and get down rather quick to avoid winding up way behind the boat. you ain't going swim back against all that current, and they will have to come get you. sometimes its difficult to spot someone in heavy seas.

Lastly, don't bang your head surfacing, you can cut it or knock yourself out.

Anyway, these are my observations from 30+ years of rig diving. I free dive so the deco thing does not apply to my spearfishing
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Old 06-22-2014, 01:20 PM   #4
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Re: Rig diving tips?

Thanks, I figured I shouldn't shoot fish outside of the structure, got some Teflon gloves for hanging on. Good to know on the whole going down behind the leg thing
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Old 06-24-2014, 09:53 PM   #5
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Re: Rig diving tips?

How can you tell a floater rig? Been there for YFT fishing, and all the rigs looked different
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Old 06-27-2014, 11:08 AM   #6
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Re: Rig diving tips?

DONT DIVE A FLOATER!!!! they have pumps, and if turned on, you're toast. You can free dive near one, but you need to be a good distance from it.

The link earlier is a good place to start, but the best thing would to go with an experienced rig diver. You'll learn more talking to him on the way out than you would in weeks of reading online and diving on your own.

The rigs maybe the best place to dive in the world, but they can be extremely dangerous. Be careful, and have fun!
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Old 06-27-2014, 02:19 PM   #7
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Re: Rig diving tips?

Thanks for the tip, I just don't know how to look at a rig and tell if it's a floater or not. We don't intend to hit any of the way out stuff, which I would assume is the only time they use floaters...
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Old 06-27-2014, 09:49 PM   #8
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Re: Rig diving tips?

that's correct. The floaters are the ones way out there. They look like this:
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...GAw7aTIElpyH51

Send me a PM with your phone #. It'll be easier to give you advice over the phone than type it on here.
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Old 06-28-2014, 05:03 AM   #9
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Re: Rig diving tips?

What is the proper etiquette for diving a rig? Do you just pull up and tie off to a leg and jump in? Or do you try and get permission from someone on the rig? If so, how do go about communicating with them? The work platforms are usually pretty high above the water and you don't always see anyone. Is there a certain radio frequency they monitor?
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Old 06-28-2014, 08:29 AM   #10
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Re: Rig diving tips?

Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelBait View Post
What is the proper etiquette for diving a rig? Do you just pull up and tie off to a leg and jump in? Or do you try and get permission from someone on the rig? If so, how do go about communicating with them? The work platforms are usually pretty high above the water and you don't always see anyone. Is there a certain radio frequency they monitor?
Proper etiquette rarely happens. You should radio the rig when you're approaching it and ask for permission. Usually they are monitoring 16. You say something like "Ewing Banks 305, you copy?" "EB 305, we copy". "This is PartyTime (name of boat) we're heading your way from the south, and want to know if it's OK if we do some spearfishing on your platform for the next hour" "That's fine. We have to unload some personnel in about 3 hours, but you're welcome to dive until then" "Thanks EB305". Doing this can save you plenty of time/gas b/c you can't dive if they have a work boat on the rig.

As I said that rarely happens. Most of the time, you pull up to the rig, and tie off to one of the legs. If there's another dive boat on it, it's best to go to another rig. if there's a fishing boat on it, you should be OK, but some fishermen get butt hurt when you shoot a lot of fish when they're not catching anything.
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Old 07-10-2014, 08:36 PM   #11
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Re: Rig diving tips?

Just wanted to tell everyone thanks again for the tips, we had a successful trip, no casualties and plenty of meat in the box. Met a husband/wife team of Aqua Aces with a spun hub that were very helpful and just damn nice people, offered us their spare air tanks when they found out we were diving nitrox., and thus limited. Not sure who you are on here but thanks, we opted to fish the following day since YFT are pretty hard to come by here on the east coast of Florida.
I've never seen dirty water clear up like that, the clarity below that fresh water was unbelievable. Also unreal how close that next horizontal looks, I watched someone take a shot at a gag that was 20 feet away, we just aren't used to re clarity and vertical structure, it was really somethin to see.
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Old 07-10-2014, 10:28 PM   #12
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Re: Rig diving tips?

Glad to hear you had a good time and are safe. That couple was "SeaWolf and SheWolf". They're on here, but I'll also tell them thanks when I see them next.
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