Happy Lobster Season, Y'all

[ProfessorLongArms]

Originally Posted by TCS

That was a great bit of writing! Thanks. Amazing pics too.
I’ve been tempted to try diving for lobster but seem to wimp out every year. How did you get started? Diving with a buddy?

Thanks!!!
Lobster diving can be one of the easier entry points to free-diving/spearing to be sure. Half the time you can find them in 6 feet of water in the eelgrass.

I'd been kayak fishing for about a year, and had also decided to take up Lap Swimming since I was starting to get a little pudge from diet and just not being 20 something anymore....

I'd recommend going about it the same way I did, and if you find you're serious about it, taking a free-diving course. I can't tell you how many people I know who've been diving for a year plus who took a course and said "I can't believe how dangerous I was being"
Some people argue they're an expensive way to get into the sport and not entirely necessary, but compared to the cost of a decent wetsuit, mask, fins, lobster bag, dive light, speargun, etc. etc. etc. it's pretty reasonable as an insurance policy.

There are a number of spearo forums on Facebook for CA and SoCal, and a lot of people just go to a shop, buy the gear, and jump in the ocean.
Similar to Kayak Fishing, it can be a lot more fun and a lot safer if you have buddies. There's a conventional wisdom that you *never* dive alone because most people who die do so from an unrescued blackout.

Feel free to shoot me a DM if you'd like to chat about it more. I tend to almost exclusively dive with certified freedivers for my own safety, but I'm always happy to chat and answer any questions you might have.