# Death and Demons



## Sniper Spear-It (Jan 16, 2008)

<P align=center>JOn has begun this story so i am just going to give a few details that he might not have. The first dive in over a month for me.Time left me rusty.missing a few shots but nailing an aj on a quick shot. had a chance at a grouper but saw a shadow beside my left leg and looked while i was shooting. missed the grouper(damn) but noticed the 6-7' bull following me within about 5 feet of me. swung my empty gun at him and he retreated. started up and was followed by sharks darting in and out after my aj. came up about 30yards from the bow of the boat, so it was not a fun swim.Thought to myself, i never see sharks on more than one dive on a trip so im gladi got that over with. Next dive waas great. good vis shot two nice snapper. then behind me i saw some beastily AJs coming through. Shot a 40# that ran me through the ribbons. great dive. air running low headed up.got to about 40' and a very hungry 5-6'bull started trying to bully me around. he keptdarting to me but stopping just far away enough to keep me from sticking him. at about 25' a second bull of the same size joined him and then they both started acting in the same manner. these sharks were charging head on with their pectoral down from different angles, but luckily both in view.ya safety stop my ass. i didnt make one for my safety. had to fight these fish off on the surface for prob 5 min till i got my fish off and handed them in. kept my loaded gun pointed down the entire decking process.Third dive noticed the aj had bent my shaft so i just took my 42" sea hornet down to see if i saw a giant red. Jon nailed the biggest sheep i have ever seen then i notice a giant come into veiw. prob a 10footerdecided to just keep an eye on Jon while he is stringing his fish and looking for his last red. after he finally notices the shark we both move toward the anchor line debating on shooting another fish since this big fellow was circleing at about 15-20' prob could have got another, then his twin brother or sister came into veiw and wee both decided to go up. during our safety stop i was hanging out giving jon cover since i wish i had it on the previous dives. all of the sudden jon bailed and surfaced. i hung out below him locked cocked and loaded just to see if the man in grey was going to bother him. luckily we made it aboard fully intact.here are some pics of all of the fish, yes we didnt give up any to the grey marauders.it actually never crossed my mind.Well maybe a little

Hope you guys start using those power heads for a good reason. i beleive i will be aquireing one of those bad boys for the summer. any body have any reccomendations?























































The last pic was of the smaler aj 

All in all it was a good day on the water, otherr than the sharks(7)

Sniper Spear-it

I think Jons boat attracts shark. gonna have to enter him in that shrark tourney

Enjoy


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## Tuna Man (Oct 2, 2007)

And to think that's enjoyable:doh:boo

Sorry, I can't see it, so guys have a good time.:clap


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## sniper (Oct 3, 2007)

man I was excited reading your post. You did everything right. You kept the sharks away and didnt get intimidated. You got your fisha nd a great story and probably the same rush a sky diver gets when his shoot dont open. Sound like an exciting dive, I would love to go with you guys sometime. Bang sticks are good to have but can get used when not needed. I bet you felt you needed on ebut you guys did great ithout one. THe most important thing was you watched your buddy's back.Great post guys!!!! thanks NICE FISH!!!!!


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## bmoore (Oct 10, 2007)

Nice fish,

I was looking at one of these:

http://www.beco-products.com/beco_catalog.htm

http://www.beco-products.com/beco_223_powerhead.htm

I believe it was around 140-150.

The .223 model is what I would recommend. Had one years ago. I called the guy a week or so ago and talked to him about them. You have to let him know how you will mount it. Whether on a pole or speargun and the approximate size and number of bands. He adjusts the spring to work best with either gun or pole.

The owner of the dive shop I worked atdid tests on with these things years ago in a pool. 12 guage, .44 , .357 and .223. We were banging lead with em. The only one that would split a piece of lead was the .223. That is the one I would have. Seems like the most powerful, concentrated blast and it is the smallest.


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## theangrydolphin (Oct 2, 2007)

Will the gas that is released when the powder is ignited in the shell cause any damage to the "victim"? Kinda curious. Seems I asked this question before and forgot the answer.


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## HateCheese (Oct 2, 2007)

> *theangrydolphin (5/5/2008)*Will the gas that is released when the powder is ignited in the shell cause any damage to the "victim"? Kinda curious. Seems I asked this question before and forgot the answer.


Yeah, the pressure change is what tears them apart, not the bullet. 

Hey BMoore, cool link. Did I read that right - their powerheads actually slip on over a regular spear tip?


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

It wasn't my boat that attracted them, it was your shark attracting ass.:moon Remember, I didn't see any in the water till the last dive. You were the one they wanted. 

It was a good time with some adrenaline rushing through our bodies. I was still on that rush when I got home. It's a story we will remember for some time to come. I look forward to the next time out.


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## bmoore (Oct 10, 2007)

They have a model which will slip over a tip. Not sure how well that would work. I would talk to em and try to get one that would work either way, slip over or permanantly mountable/screwed on a shaft/pole.

The expanding gas is what does the damage. A blank will work. You actually want to make sure you are looking at it when it goes off as the concussion will blow water pass your head. Could do some ear damage (which i have heard of) and/or rip your mask off. (Which I have heard of as well.)

It is a toss up. The things are dangerous as hell. I have heard of them rolling off tables and going off, dropped on the decks of boats, or someone shooting a solid object like a rock or log and the shaft or pole coming back and hitting them. I read where dude shot a piece of coral and the spear shaft shot back and impaled him in the forhead. He surrvived only because it hit a sinus and stopped short of his brain!


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Sweet report Sniper and John!!!! Nice mess a fish too!!:toast

As far as a powerhead, I personally wouldnt go with the slip on type. 1, they are the more dangerous type prone to fire from bumps. 2, U can aonly use it when your spear is loaded, if you just shot a fish, and your gun is empty, yer screwed. I have mine mounted on a little 24" gun with real short bands so it still has plenty of power. I ussually clip it onto me, or if I stay in one spot, set it on the wreck. I am going to make a "holster" with a velcro strap on my tank, to mount it behind me with the handle sticking up near my tank valve for easy grab behind my back, yet low profile and streamlined.

Beco, and AB Biller both make very good, safe ones. They have a spring in them, and safeties. I know a safety can fail, but any body who has been around guns knows common sense gun safety. Same as people who carry "locked and cocked" .45's, or Glocks with one in the chamber. The beco actually has 2 safeties, a pull out cotter pin, and a screw safety. 

The Billers have a soft spring, and are not meant from the factory for firing from a gun. They are meant for jabbing, and to be attached to a side mounted shaft on your gun.(I learned this much to my exitement when I fired it from the short 24" gun, andthe .357 magnumwent off immedietly when the bands released!) They are standard 3/8" stainless steel springs, sold at every hardware store and you can get a stiffer one to make it suitable.

I have a beco .223, which I have not had the oppurtunity to use yet.

FishinFL has a 44mag mounted on a short gun, and has used it dozens of time. It completely blew a 4 foot cuda up and saved all of us from my stupidity for messin with it in the first place! He probaly knows the most about em.


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## FishinFL (Sep 30, 2007)

Clay, Clay, Clay; Flattery will get you every where!!! Sorry to hear about your premature detonation. 

Very nice mess of fish guys and I applaude your determination!! Thanks for the post and pics. The 44 mag has worked for me as long as the powder stays dry. I have seen bullet exit wounds with the round. When shooting the power head off of a speargun, The kinetic energy of the spear shaft causes it to go into the wound of the fish a few inches after the powerhead opens a hole.I've had to pull back out the shaft after hitting most sharks. I have only shot the sharks that came in on me. It sounds like they are getting pretty aggressive! Sounds like y'all were on the Tex Edards, Liberty ship, or3 Barges. I do love the smell of cordite in the water!! LOL 

I carry the extra gun down and lay it on the wreck while I spear fish.

I hang my fish stringer on the accent line half way up too. It helps you get in your safety stop and you can police your catch.


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## dkdiver (Oct 15, 2007)

Hey gents,

In a former life (pre-kids) I used to do a little long range (40-50 miles) commercial spearfishing out of Jacksonville in the 140+ foot water out there. Grouper on live bottom was the target and all we used were powerheads. It was legal and frankly, with a bottom time of 6-7 minutes you had to work fast.



That being said, around here powerheads are not legal to harvest fish except in a very restricted area, at least that is my understanding. We used Becos, they have stiff springs and the round will survive the kinematic energy of being shot from a gun. The counter to that is that they have to have a very stiff shove to detonate off of a pole spear. The ones we had were threaded and screwed right on to a Biller or JBL shaft. Those were the guns we were using so I do not know about Riffe, Sea Hornet. etc. They also have dual safeties (pin and threads) so are safe.



I had a premature detonation on a biller powerhead that was shot from a short JBL gun. That being said, if you were going to use the powerhead for shark protection on a pole spear, I think it would be a good choice and a little easier to get than a Beco. Any Biller dealer can get them. My recollection is that they also have a dual safety. It would detonate very easily.



The cheapest, and least safe, powerheads are the one that are single safetied with a pin. I have one on my boat that is a .44 and honestly, it scares the willies out of me compared to the Beco and Biller. They are easy to load but if that pin comes out inadvertently, it is live and can go off quite easily. I knew a guy in Jax that lost 2.5 fingers to one. That would make for a lousy dive tale.



Anyway, just some thoughts. If anyone want some more, give me a ring or send me a PM. I am not a big proponent of hunting sharks just for fun but protection is protection. Like SGT Esterhaus (sp) used to say, "Let's be careful out there."


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## Ocean Man (Sep 27, 2007)

Thanks for the post. You got some nice fish and a great story to go with them.


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## Evensplit (Oct 2, 2007)

The list of accidents with powerheads probably rivals the list of sharks killed with them and the accidents far outweigh the number of shark bites on divers. 

A shop owner from south FL shot himself in the chest with a 357 last year, and I've known 2 guys that have shot holes through the bottom of the boat - one from the top down and the other from the bottom up, neither hit the gas tank, and both boats survived. We had a 357 powerhead brought in last year in pieces - "it just blew".

If you owna powerhead- PLEASE BE CAREFUL!


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## flyingfishr (Oct 3, 2007)

Hey Jeff, it sounds like you guys had an action packed day out there. Way to bring home the fish and all your digits. Hopefully I'll be able to make it out there again sometime soon. Looking forward to diving with ya'll again.


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

I hear ya Jim. I treat it as a gun on my side....or down the front o my pants like when I was ridin dirty back in the day in D-Town!

Jus kiddin...seriosly, I do treat it like it is, a loaded gun. And its a personal desision to be weighed, like the possible dangers of guns in the house...vs....protection. Anda lot of the accidents I have heard of are with slip on, or ones with poorly designed safety mecks.

But thanks for the advice!


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## diverdwn (Nov 13, 2007)

question to the divers that have used a powerhead on a shark- How did the shark react to the hit? Does it stone them or do they thrash around gnashing their teeth? does it put alot of blood in the water? does the commotion attract other sharks that are around? 

Thanks,

Lane


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## FishinFL (Sep 30, 2007)

You hit them in the head and they do abit of a barrel roll and calm down! Then they drift off to sleep....


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

Great Report.



Word = SharkShield.


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## diverdwn (Nov 13, 2007)

thanks FishinFL! that's what I wanted to hear. Do your ears ring bad after firing? I guess I need to get one and testit out with some target practice. Do you attempt to reload underwater (if there are multiple sharks?) Sorry, I don't know anything about powerheads....


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## FishinFL (Sep 30, 2007)

You dont turn your head to the side 'cause the shock waves will harm your ear drum! The larger the fish, the more it absorbs the shock and sound waves. I reload but it is a chore because the casing swells up and I bang it out with a nutdriver that I keep in my pocket. I have shot one shark and have his buddy swim by after to investigate. I always seem to see them near the end of the dive when I'm getting low on air too. Just be REAL careful and unload it before getting back in the boat!!

Good Luck, Reese


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Sheeeeeeeee ...... yit.

I'll mark diving and spearfishing off the Bucket List for sure now.

Nice read, thanks.


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

I heard a .357 go off (one of Clay's "premature ejaculators") last summer that MISSED a fish and I was prob 25 ft. away and I had a headache for 2 days. That crap is LOUD.


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## Joebm83 (Apr 28, 2008)

Sweet report!!! I have yet to even see the man in the gray suit while I'm down. My buddy claims to see them all the time while we are diving but I guess that I am oblivious.. Or I just vacuum out my tank so fast i'm not down long enough.


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## Sniper Spear-It (Jan 16, 2008)

Give it time Daniel-san give it time


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Haa haa...Fender called one of my powerheads a "premature ejaculator"! Haa haa.


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