Best Tarpon Photo

Salt Life Team Pro, Cameron Kirkconnell, shares some photos and story's from his recent dive trips while filming for his TV show, Underwater Adventures.

Read more on Cameron's Blog at:

http://www.spearblog.com/2012/06/05/best-tarpon-photo/

Stay Salty!

SaltLife front page of Yahoo news!

This video was just on the front page on Yahoo! How amazing is that?
This footage was shot while we were in Fiji this year and the Dogtooth Tuna footage is now my most famous footage so I'm really excited and to be in the video as well! I'll happily ride the coattails of Mark any day. Pretty awesome and shows the difference when a professional film crew puts videos together what is possible. Now we can work on a video for our Dogtooth tuna fishing shirt. Ha!

Healey is an animal but one of the most well spoken guys out there. Insane video, huge coverage for the sport of Spearfishing and SaltLife as well to be right there in front of millions. This is the kind of media coverage we need! I know I should have combed my hair but its good to see the SALTLIFE in a couple of frames on here!

-Cameron

Hawaii Skin Diver Magazine Cover Photo

The new cover of Hawaii Skin Diver Magazine features a photo of Mark Healey taken by Cameron Kirkconnell. The feature article details their trip to Fiji this year.

Buy yours today or go on line and view the online version at

https://www.imirus.com/fulfillment_files/hawaiiskindiver/subscribe.html?title=869

-Team Salt Life

Cameron on the Cover of Spearo!

Salt Life congratulates Cameron Kirkconnell on earning the cover photo of New Zealand's Spearo magazine. The cover photo shows Cameron Kirkconnell, Team Salt Life diver, with a big amberjack taken off the east coast of Florida. Inside the magazine is a How-to Article by Cameron on Spearfishing using a pole spear. Perhaps he should be the focus of our next Salt Life diving shirt!

The below is the YouTube video of the capture.

Worlds Largest Outboard Engine

I'm missing the Miami boat show this weekend and have heard the rumors about it after seeing them last year. Now they have them on the back of a few Intrepid boats and when you can do 65mph with a single engine in a 29ft boat and have all that extra room in the back it is something to get excited about.Around the world they laugh at Americans because of the bigger is better attitude... too bad. It's monstrous. It looks like nothing else on the market. This is the Salt Life! Imagine taking your best friends out in this thing! It is freaking cool as hell.

I don't think I'll be dropping $70k on one anytime soon but this will definitely open the doors for some cool new engines in the future and I'm sure we'll see some insane boats with them on the back of it in the coming months. Here is the advert from last years show:
Video on how its done and the pairing with Intrepid boats:

Mahi Mahi Throwing Spear

I'm guessing that the fuel prices in Tahiti are not yet as high as here if this is the most efficient way for hunting catching MahiMahi. This is an awesome diving video to check out.
Either way it takes mad skills to throw a spear from a moving boat at a moving target.
I've heard about this in my travels and what they do is ride around on the front of these purpose built boats and chase the Mahi down. The more tired they get as they follow the boat the better they can position themselves and then make a throw securing the fish.



Pretty awesome. Might have to try this sometime in my Salt Life spearfishing shirt.

Cameron Kirkconnell

Marine Closures Florida: East Coast Bottom fishing Gone Forever…

Even if you can't make one of these meetings, if you are a diver/fisherman on the East Coast of the USA and want to protect your resource from the imminent closures that are being pushed upon us by the SAFMC (South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council), read the below and either attend one of the meetings or send an (intelligent) email to:

robert.mahood@safmc.net
gregg.waugh@safmc.net
roger.pugliese@safmc.net
brian.cheuvront@safmc.net
Kari.Maclauchlin@safmc.net
anna.martin@safmc.net
john.carmichael@safmc.net
myra.brouwer@safmc.net
Mike.Errigo@safmc.net

Sadly, as Spearfisherman we talk a lot about how horrible all these closures are and bitch about it after the fact but when it comes down to it we don't step up and help prevent the management from passing this stuff in the first place.
Please take the time to write a short email, offer your help first. As divers, we spend more time underwater actually viewing this habitat without spooking everything off or relying on a few hooks baited with frozen cigar minnows soaked 1.7nm from the actual spot that is holding fish.
All of that GoPro footage you have of Red Snapper, Gag Grouper, Red Grouper, Warsaws, Rock Hind and really any other bottom fish on our coast is gold. Get a YouSendit Account and shoot them over videos with a time and place where it was. This is irrefutable proof that there are fish still out here and a challenge to them to utilize one of their greatest fact finding resources which is us.
Do us all a favor though and deal in fact, be courteous, professional and lets work with them to make sure there is something, anything left to hunt in the coming years by showing them what is still out there.
The below is the press release from the SAFMC. Get involved. Join the FRA who have been fighting for our fishing and fighting rights as well.

Your kids will thank you.

Cameron Kirkconnell

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is holding a series of six public hearings and scoping meetings regarding fisheries management measures proposed for several federally managed species. Public hearings will be held on proposed limits to the commercial golden tilefish fishery, area closures and gear markings for the commercial spiny lobster fishery, and a catch share program for the harvest of golden crab. The Council will also conduct scoping meetings for input on measures impacting the shrimp fishery in both state and federal waters, plus a series of measures proposed in the Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 3. The measures will impact both commercial and recreational fishermen who fish in federal waters between 3 and 200 miles offshore ranging from the North Carolina/Virginia state line southward to the east coast of Florida and the Florida Keys.

Public Hearings will be held on three separate amendments:
Amendment 18B to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan proposes limits to participation in the commercial golden tilefish fishery through the establishment of endorsements for the longline and hook and line sector, changes to the fishing year, allocations between gear sectors, modifications/establishment of trip limits, and modification to the Annual Catch Limit (ACL).

Spiny Lobster Amendment 11 for the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico includes measures to create new area closures for the commercial lobster trap fishery in federal waters off the coast of Florida to help protect staghorn and elkhorn corals from gear impacts and alternatives for commercial trap line marking requirements.

Golden Crab Amendment 6 includes alternatives for establishing a catch share program for the commercial golden crab fishery in the South Atlantic.

Informal Public Scoping comments will be taken on two amendments currently being considered by the Council:

Shrimp Amendment 9 would modify the current protocol used by individual states to request concurrent closures of federal waters during severe cold weather in order to expedite the closure process and help protect over-wintering shrimp populations. The amendment would also revise the Minimum Stock Threshold proxy for pink shrimp.

Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 3 explores options for restricting the use of powerhead gear by divers off the coast of North Carolina and throughout federal waters in the South Atlantic, expansion of deepwater coral Habitat Areas of Concern (HAPCs), establishment of mid-shelf marine protected areas (MPAs) to help protect speckled hind and warsaw grouper, the designation of a new MPA in the Florida Keys, establishing a recreational tag program for deepwater species, minimum size limits for hogfish, changes to bag/size limits for gray triggerfish, and modifications to commercial and for-hire permits and reporting requirements to ensure Annual Catch Limits are not exceeded.

The hearings/meetings will be open from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Council staff will provide periodic presentations and be on hand to answer questions. Local Council representatives will take formal comments on the proposed measures any time between those hours. The Council is also accepting written and email comments from January 13, 2012 until 5:00 p.m. on February 15, 2012. Copies of the public hearing and scoping documents with details on how to submit written comments will be posted on the Council’s web site and available by contacting the Council office at 843/571-4366 or Toll Free 866/SAFMC-10.

SAFMC Public Hearing/Scoping Meeting Schedule4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Tuesday, January 24
Crowne Plaza
4831 Tanger Outlet Boulevard
North Charleston, SC 29418
Phone: 843/744-4422

Thursday, January 26
BridgePointe Hotel & Marina
101 Howell Road
New Bern, NC 28526
Phone: 252/636-3637

Monday, January 30
Hilton Key Largo Resort
97000 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, Florida 33037
Phone: 305/852-5553

Tuesday, January 31
Hilton Cocoa Beach
1550 North Atlantic Avenue
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Phone: 321/799-0003

Wednesday, February 1
Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront
1201 Riverplace Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone: 904/398-8800

Thursday, February 2
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
175 Bourne Avenue
Pooler, Georgia 31322
Phone: 912/748-8888

Bahamas Underwater World in Pictures

It is absolutely criminal to consider going to the Bahamas and not getting in the water.
There is so much beneath the surface and so many colors and life that begs to be revealed.
With the closest Islands less than 60 miles from the South Florida Coast each calm weekend in summer finds boats by the dozen heading for the crystalline aquariums that are the natural coral reefs off the small islands.

On this diving trip I spent a lot of the time with the camera and with the advantage of a single breath of air was able to turn the underwater world into my own petting zoo. Here are some of the little guys we were able to play with.

83 Florida Spiny Lobster ready for anything as long as it isn't the lobster pot
78 This is what greets you if you reach into a hole to get the aforementioned Spiny lobster, a legitimate Sea Urchin Spine that will leave your hands throbbing and a quick invite from your best friends to pee on it to make it feel better.... It just got weird.
87 She's a keeper! and there is a lobster under that rock too...
124 Peacock Flounder. Incredible camouflage, spectacular designs and purple.

154 Big Nurse Shark. This one let me hang out with him for almost an hour. Even hand feeding a hogfish that had been bitten in half by another shark. Such a cool experience and there is nothing I enjoy more than being near any animal underwater and touching them is just a bonus.

185 Staghorn Coral. This spot Jenn has deemed the Aquarium and is one of favorite places to snorkel in the world. The numbers of fish and excitement there is overwhelming.

Live the Salt Life!!!!!

Bahamas with the Girls | Beautiful Bahamas photos

Breezy and her Brother Chad have grown up running across to Walkers, West End, and all the islands of the Bahamas so in essence this was their playground and always will be.
This was Jenn's first trip to West End and she's getting the hang of our lifestyle pretty quickly. Pick up clothes for the beach at Salt Life.
No matter how many times you walk out on the beach, dive beneath the waves, drop in on a bit of whitewater, or soak a line, if you live the way we do, you look at the world with the same childlike awe as if it was the first time.

It never gets old, never take it for granted and appreciate every second you have. There are so many little details in our SaltLife that while aren't going to fill magazines pages or break world records, fill our hearts and minds with stories and memories that get us through until we can enjoy it once again.

Having Jennifer with me makes me appreciate it even more, whether she is just humoring my excitement at every little change in the ocean and the smallest of creatures, she is there with me smiling and laughing and enjoying it as if she found another treasure.
And that is what it is, every day on the water, in this life, what I'm feeling is as if I've lucked into the best life. The only one I ever want. The Salt Life. Click here to see more beautiful Bahamas photos.

Bahamas Dreaming

Had a good trip a while back to West End Bahamas and we were blessed with amazing weather for the majority of the time there.
While I love a hard core fishing and diving trip the beauty of the Bahamas is everyone can have fun in and out of the water and you don't have to go out all day to get enough fish for dinner and have a blast.
With the boat loaded with friends we'll usually dive a few hours on a good reef and while we are drifting inevitably the girls and kids start jumping in and snorkeling with us or having dive contests off the T-top or tower. Grab the best diving gear, including our diver down shirt, at Salt Life.
When the conditions are this good it doesn't take much to make a good day great in the Bahamas.
Here are a few pics from the trip. Can't wait to see you there!
Cameron Kirkconnell

12:11 sec Breath hold! | Learning to hold your breath

This video is the reason why Red Bull will not be sponsoring future "Water Napping" contests.
This is pretty unbelievable. Twelve minutes holding your breath...?!?! Unbelievable performance though - this guy deserves a diving shirt from Salt Life! One of the things we learned in the PFI class was and that you can see in this video, is the guys that are trying for these records pretty much starve themselves for a few weeks leading up to the breath hold to slow their metabolism.

Supposedly as well, if you cut your static time in half that is about the length of your max freedive under optimal conditions? Correct me if I'm wrong?
I don't feel strongly enough about Statics to ever go to those extremes. Personally I enjoy hunting and eating the fish, lobsters, crabs, scallops, oysters, pen shells, paua, urchin, conchs, and all the other wonderful fruits of our diving efforts from the ocean.

Congrats to this guy though. If i could hold my breath that long...
What would you do if you could hold your breath on a freedive for 6 minutes? Spearfishing would be amazing. Go ahead and skip to about 11 minutes or else you'll fall asleep watching this...

171 lb. Wahoo in the Bahamas | World record fish

Ok, where are the pictures?!!?So far I've only heard the rumor and I'm hoping that someone can produce some pics to lay this to rest. Submit your own fishing photos at Salt Life.
From what I can gather, there was a huge Wahoo caught this past week in an area of the Bahamas that is known for big ones. Hopefully someone will come up with some pictures of it soon so we can all drool over it and it doesn't end up like some of the great huge fish Hoax of the past.

The 100lb Mahi Mahi...(Dolphin) click for Spearblog article and other "100lb Mahi pics"

100-lb. Mahi Mahi Dolphin Dorado...

The 2000lb Marlin..... click for story

2000 pound marlin? Doubt it.

And then we come to the monster Wahoo, it is possible. I believe it, I just want to see it. Last year all over the world there were 100+lb ones landed and a few years ago this little guy was landed by a girl who is now known around the world for catching the largest Wahoo ever recorded? 184lbs

Having seen some big Wahoo first hand and put them on the scale to be sure, I think we will all be blown away to see this one if the pics ever come to light.If not... then its just another fish story and we'll just have to all keep trying to find our own monster!

Cameron 119lb Wahoo

Salt Life Pilot Whales | Whale watching pictures

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Freediving Class Part II: 4 min breathold EASY?!?!?

The first two days really opened my eyes to the physiology (what is happening within your body) and breathing techniques to reach my full potential.
Most important for everyone in the class, and this should be for all of us in the world, was the safety aspect.
First off, I don't suggest anyone ever push themselves in diving especially when you are alone. You need to know what is going on with your body and if and when you or your friends are in trouble, you need to be able to identify it and react calmly, swiftly and efficiently to make sure that person lives to dive another day.
After hearing the classroom lecture and seeing a number of videos of divers blacking out, samba'ing and losing control while ascending, we learned how to bring those in trouble safely to the surface and get them to start breathing again.
In real life, if this has ever happened to you while diving, it can be really scary, I know having seen it firsthand 4 times now. The first time it happened, I had an idea of what to do and was able to get the diver back to to the surface and our other buddy in the water had just taken the PFI class, was over to me within 30 seconds of hitting the surface and we had him breathing again after the scariest few minutes of my life.

I am not a PFI certified instructor and can only suggest you dive with them or another Freedive Trainer to learn how to dive deeper, stay down longer, and most of all, save a life. You never know, it might be your own.
I found quite a few things that I had been doing in my own diving that were limiting what I was capable of and robbing my body of what I needed to dive safely.
Prior to the class, I could not hold my breath on land for much more than about 2:30 seconds. Honestly, its not something that I have ever really worked on as I didn't see the advantages of it but with set training tables and having seen what just two days of proper breathing, warm ups, and relaxation technique can do for your own personal diving.

Our first day was spent learning all the safety techniques before we were even allowed to put our heads under water. Might sound extreme, but it goes to show how dedicated to teaching proper diving and safety the PFI team is and how closely they pay attention to their students.
Once we had all checked out on the proper techniques, I personally felt more comfortable if I was to see someone blackout or Samba and confident I could assist them when need be.
Well, that time would come sooner than any of us believed and the next day while were doing statics... sure enough we had a few Samba and chance to practice what we'd learned.
Always dive, train, and prepare with a partner. Having someone watching trained in PFI techniques watching you is mentally reassuring and will make you dive better.
On the second day we did Static breath holds which are simply holding your breath with your body immersed in water (floating on the surface) while staying completely relaxed.
Like I said, I've never been a fan of Statics but was curious to see what was possible and tried to zone out and get into a relaxed state to make sure I didn't embarrass myself with a 2 min breath hold.
Well, I need not have worried as I ( and most of the class) coasted through 1, 2 and 3 minute breath holds enroute to our goal for the day of 4 min.
AS your partner counts out the breathing you are to be doing for this 30+ minute warmup and set of breath holds, you let yourself slip into the "zone" and lose sight of the fact that you are going to be holding your breath for longer than should be humanly possible.
Before you know it, you are 3 minutes into your breath hold and feeling surprisingly calm, relaxed and focused.
Your partner taps you at 3min 30 seconds and tells you calmly to get your feet up underneath you and slowly move your hands to the wall. You give a good signal and its now 3:45 seconds and you are still coasting and fighting the urge to believe it has already been this long since you've had fresh air in your lungs.
No sooner has that thought run through your head then you raise your head from the surface and your partner is counting out your recovery breaths, 2, 3,..5,6 and you give the ok signal and a high five to those around you.
You have just entered the 4 minute club and disproved what 99% of the world believes is possible of the human body.
Maybe there is something to these statics after all, that was pretty cool and I feel like I could have gone on much longer... Maybe tomorrow.
If you are interested in learning how to Freedive or just want to be a safer snorkeler, visit www.performancefreediving.com

Freediving Class part I

This past week I had the pleasure of joining some good friends and meeting some new ones as well at the Perfomance Freediving Class in Miami Florida.
If you want to dive deeper, stay down longer, and dive safer this is the class for you. It doesn't hurt that the classes are taught by World Class Divers who, don't be fooled by their beauty in a wetsuit, have dove deeper than most of us ever will and can do it under pressure of competition.
I had great expectations coming in to the class but was a bit worried as I had spent the previous 5 weeks working out very little with no diving and would have preferred to have been in better physical shape.
Well, I should have worked out harder as the crew we had in our class had a bunch of awesome people including 3 guys that had done some professional Standup paddling.
From the get go, the class was professional and as we got to know everyone in the classroom we all became attentive students with our three world Record Holders Erin Magee, Ashley Futral, and Grant Hogan who are all freakishly talented and well versed in the details of the sport that would become our drug for the next four days.
If you haven't checked into the class and are a freediver and spearfisherman, I can assure you there is nothing more important than learning the safety and physiology presented there. It will save your life and your friends in the coming years and be money well spent.
Over the next couple days I'll take you through what I got out of the class and how it has changed how I approach the sport of Freedive Spearfishing.

Muttons Gags and Lobsters Oh My!

The East Coast of Florida still has fish and you don't have to run all the way to the Bahamas to get good Muttons which is a relief.
From Stuart to the Florida Keys is a great stretch of reef that holds some awesome fish and this time of year the bait is all time.
Its winter time so these same spots are covered up with boats flying kites and live baiting so beware of hooks, props, and angry line fisherman who are frustrated at having to rock and roll in heavy NorthEasterly swells waiting for a fish that resembles a giant needle fish with its bottom jaw knocked off and has a cool purple and blue spotted mohawk on its back.
While Sailfish are protected in the US from Spearos with them come a host of other species that are much better on the table. Dolphin, Wahoo, Cobia and an assortment of other pelagics and bottom fish alike that all share in the feast. The same reefs we were diving also hold some of the gnarliest sharks of Florida.
While the "greens" fight to protect a resource (sharks) that is supposedly disappearing at an alarming rate the numbers of big munchers continues to grow. Last year one of the local divers in Palm Beach was attacked and lost a portion of his calf when a big bull shark hit him on his way to the surface.
Luckily, we didn't have any heavy run ins and our sharks we encountered were well behaved.
Congrats to my cousin Aaron Kirkconnell Scott who came down and dove with me a few days before the end of the year (and grouper season). We spent some time refining his technique and improved upon his safety too. Its amazing to see him diving 100+ ft and shooting fish with the best of them. He has natural fish sense and in the coming years will be one to watch.
Hopefully he and the younger guys out there will take the safety to heart and realize there are so many incredible years ahead of them with thousands of chances to dive again if they stay within their limits, watch their buddies, and don't push it.
Here are a few pics from the day.

Transworld Surf Magazine Dive and Surf Dream Trip

Just got the report from my buddy Justin Cote who along with some spearing and surfing buddies just did a really enviable trip down the coast from San Diego to the islands and some of the best waves and pinnacles on their way to Mexico. I did my best to at least get invited but alas I surf like a three legged donkey and therefor am not very photo worthy.
They crushed it though and there will be a spread in the upcoming Transworld Surf. Here is Justin's report from the Transworld webpage. Check it out:
Baja By Boat
A rag tag band of hired guns ventures into Baja in search of waves, fish, and fun.
Like a lot of great adventures, this one began on a barstool. I’d gotten word that an old friend, Cary Dodson from Success Sportfishing, was taking his 58-foot boat, the Success, from its mooring in San Diego to their winter fishing grounds near Magdalena Bay—a 600 mile journey south. Instantly I thought of the amazing surf and spearfishing you could discover along the way. I brought the idea of surf/dive trip up to Cary and he was pumped. “I’ve always wanted to do something like that,” he said over a happy hour beer. “The potential is limitless.” Over the course of a the next few months we’d meet at the same bar and check out nautical charts and plot a course that would, in theory, put us into some decent surf and really good spearfishing...
For more photos and a few GoPro clips of the boys shooting wahoo and a dorado click on this link: http://surf.transworld.net/1000141733/photos/baja-by-boat/

New Airplane Wreck Found off Jupiter Florida!?!?

Have any of you all seen this one? Supposedly this one was "found" in the past couple of days. I am guessing that like most wrecks and secret spots they have just not been shared with the world and instead remain untouched and little honey holes for Divers in the know.
click here for Airplane Wreck Off Jupiter Video and Story

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_n_palm_beach_county/jupiter/scuba-divers-discover-airplane-submerged-off-coast-of-palm-beach-county

Have any of you all seen this wreck before off Jupiter Florida? Who gets the spoiler alert for blowing this to the world?
I seriously doubt there is anything more than a two feet high that has not been marked by fisherman or divers within 4-6 miles off of South Florida.
And by the way, any dive captain that drops me in 185 feet in a "random" spot is not my buddy. If I'm going to make a dive that deep, it better be right on the spot because I'm not going to look just for the hell of it at those kind of depths.
Very cool. My questions is where the hell are the Warsaw Groupers? I think they must have left that part out of it.
Well my question was quickly answered when Pirate Dave sent me a message telling me a bit more about the dive when they found the wreck sorting out a bit of the mystery:
I was apart of the team that found it. It happened to be lying in an area where there is a ledge between 160-185. We happened to drop directly on it. Did get a nice snouted hog and a 30lb gag. It was just quoted as “random” because the captain didn’t know it was there. I wanted to pop my warsaw cherry. It didnt happen. Not one warsaw. Those were the only two fish on the wreck the first time we dove it. It was deep enough to hold the shutter down on the camera we brought down.
Very cool! All of us can only hope to one day find something like this! Thanks for the email Dave and hope to see some more video in the future from this wreck!

Punta Mita Fishing and Diving Video

Having just gone down to Punta Mita with our friends at Puntamitaexpeditions.com I can only look a this video from another group and wish I was back there.
To book your diving trip today click on their link on the right. Sebastian Melani runs one of the best operations for spearfishing in the world and there is no better place to fish and dive for Wahoo, Tuna, Marlin, Sailfish and monster Cubera snappers. This time of year (winter), is the best time for bottom fish like Colorado, Cubera, and Barred Snappers as well as big Groupers.
www.puntamitaexpeditions.com has a great package for any group staying at the 5 star St. Regis resort with pumping surf all to yourself out front, snorkeling, paddleboarding and hundreds of yards of empty white sand beach and three amazing pools to choose from. More on Punta Mita and Jenn and I's time there soon but check this video out from another group that just got back.

Check this cool diving video out.

Spearfishing Girl Kelsea on Fox News

I missed this a few weeks ago but its still cool nonetheless. Having dove with Kelsea a few times she is a great diver and hunter both on land and in the water.
If you ever get a chance to sit down with her she has come wild stories and is always keen for an adventure.
Check out the video and news article: http://www.fox43tv.com/dpp/news/local/spearfishing-growing-in-hampton-roads