Finding the Right Spearfishing Charter

Finding the Right Spearfishing Charter for You

Spearfishing charters are not always the easiest to find. Finding a good one is even harder. There are a couple things you can do to help determine the right charter for you. 

 

Location

The first thing you need to determine is where you are going and what you want to shoot.  Whether you are traveling or just looking for a reputable charter in your local area, you want to do your research.  Social media and internet searches have definitely made finding and communicating with charters easier. If they are active on social media you can usually see the quality and frequency of the fish they are catching, and you can read some reviews. The right spearfishing charter is out there, you just may have to do some research for what is best for you.

 

Price

When you are deciding on a charter, price can be a big sticking point which is largely dependent on location and type of charter.  Often times you get what you pay for. The cheap charter can still be a good one, but you may want to speak with the captain to make sure your trip is what you are expecting. Be wary of split trips. There is nothing wrong with splitting the cost with some other people, but a failure to communicate can result in one or both parties to be disappointed.  

The expensive charters can be absolutely amazing. They usually provide a world class experience and are true professionals. If you a going with a group of dive buddies, just think about it as cost per person rather than total cost of the day.  When it really comes down to it, would you rather spend $100 per person and get a sub-par experience, or $250 and have an epic day of diving?

 

Professionalism

Talk with the captain or crew. Make sure they do what you are looking to accomplish. When reaching out to them, keep in mind that charter captains are often offshore without signal, and work strange hours. It is not uncommon for captains to be at the boat two or three hours before meeting the clients. They are often there for several hours after clients leave as well.  If the charter is doing full day charters that can mean 14-16 hour days. A delayed response doesn’t mean they are not interested in your business, they are just unable to contact you at that moment.

Once you do get a hold of the captain, you can usually get a feel for how professional they are and their enthusiasm for the job.  There are all sorts of people that become charter captains, but at a minimum they tend to be enthusiastic and knowledgable about being on the water.

 

Skill

A charter captains skill can be hard to judge outside of actually going on a trip with them.  Organization is a big signal of a quality charter. If they have a designated place where they want your gear, that is a sign for a quality charter. An organized safety briefing is another thing to look for in a good charter. Having a good safety briefing is a sign that they take your safety seriously. 

Knowledge of the area is also a great indication of a skillful spearfishing charter captain. They should know the spots well and have a couple adjustable plans for how they want to run the trip. The contingency plans are usually based on conditions of the day, which are impossible to predict perfectly.

 

Recommended Charters:

Upper and Lower Keys: Forever Young Charters

Central Florida: Wildblue Charters

Southern California: Lineage Charters

Australia, Port Douglas: Bianca Charters

Texas, Matagorda: Top Spearfishing

Mexico, Sea of Cortes: Palapas Ventana

 

Recommended Guides:

Belize: Elvis

Costa Rica: Sol Spearfishing with Armel

Bahamas: Cameron Kirkconnell or Pete Correale

Mexico: Agua Azul

Rhode Island: Spearfishing Rite of Passage