Florida Keys Spearfishing, why not? If you are on vacation in the Florida Keys and you want to try something new, then why not try spearfishing?
Florida Keys spearfishing isn’t for everyone because it requires physical conditioning, especially if you’re freediving. You can either freedive or you can spear fish with scuba equipment. Either way, practice and preparation are important. There are some charter boats who will take spearos out for a day of spearfishing or you can rent a boat and bring your own gear.
At first, most people who try spearfishing for the first time can only dive down around ten feet. It’s important to learn the art of clearing so that you don’t damage your ears. They say it’s the first ten or twelve feet that’s the most difficult so if you can master this, you’re on your way.
Gear is very important, especially if you’re wearing a wetsuit. A wetsuit is a good idea if you’re spearfishing in the winter months. Water temperatures drop into the 70s in the winter and your body will get chilled after a while, even if the water feels ok to you at first. Wetsuits are buoyant so they will adversely affect your ability to dive down. Therefore you must put on some weights to compensate.
Good spots can be found anywhere if you drift your boat and swim alongside it looking for structure and fish on the bottom or any pelagics you may encounter. Watch your conditions, though, since a strong current or high winds can make drifting dangerous. Some people like to keep one person in the boat who can move it to stay with the divers. The boat person can also watch the divers and if anyone gets a fish he or she can drive the boat up and get the fish on the boat. Anchor up if you find a good spot, put up your flag and work a spot looking for your fish.