Experience Adventure with Florida Spearfishing Charters

---

All divers must:

• Be Open Water certified
• Be physically fit to dive
• Have recent dive experience
• Be comfortable diving from a boat
• Be comfortable diving in Gulf conditions
• Be able to follow captain and crew instructions
• Have properly maintained dive gear
• Sign all required waivers before the trip
• Provide certification information before the trip
• Have no alcohol or drugs before or during the trip

Florida Spearfishing Charters reserves the right to refuse any diver if we believe they are not prepared, qualified, medically fit, properly equipped, or safe for the planned trip.

Recent dive experience is important.

Spearfishing adds task loading. Divers are managing buoyancy, gas, depth, current, visibility, fish identification, a speargun, shot placement, fish handling, and boat procedures.

For that reason, divers must be comfortable and current in the water.

For advanced offshore and Middle Grounds trips, recent offshore dive experience may be required.

Each trip will have its own set of requirements, and they are trip-specific. 

The Gulf can be unpredictable.

Visibility is not guaranteed. Some days may have clean water and great hunting conditions. Other days may have low visibility, strong current, dirty water, or changing surface conditions.

All divers must understand that:

• Gulf visibility can change quickly
• Weather can change quickly
• Current may be present
• Bottom conditions vary by area
• Fish harvest is never guaranteed
• Safety comes before the trip plan
• The captain may change locations, modify the trip, or cancel if needed

Florida Spearfishing Charters will always make the best available decision based on safety, weather, water conditions, diver ability, and trip goals.

Discovery Spearfishing Charters are designed for certified divers who are newer to spearfishing.

Advanced Offshore, Middle Grounds, and Custom Long-Range trips are not beginner trips.

For advanced trips, divers should already be comfortable with:

• Diving from a boat
• Managing their own gear
• Maintaining buoyancy
• Diving in limited visibility
• Handling a speargun safely
• Identifying legal fish
• Managing fish after the shot
• Following drop plans and time limits
• Returning to the boat safely

Divers who are not ready for advanced offshore spearfishing should start with a Discovery Spearfishing Charter or Private Gulf Harvest Charter.

All divers must have properly maintained scuba and safety gear.

Required gear may include:

• Mask
• Fins
• BCD
• Regulator
• Dive computer
• Wetsuit or exposure protection
• Weights
• Tanks
• Surface marker buoy
• Cutting device
• Whistle or audible signaling device
• Speargun or pole spear
• Stringer or fish handling gear
• Dive flag or marker equipment when applicable

Additional safety equipment may be required depending on the trip.

All gear must be in good working condition. Florida Spearfishing Charters may refuse gear that appears unsafe, damaged, poorly maintained, or inappropriate for the planned dive.

Spearguns must be handled safely at all times.

Divers must follow all crew instructions regarding when spearguns may be loaded, unloaded, handled, pointed, or stored.

No speargun may be loaded on the boat.

Unsafe handling of a speargun, powerhead, knife, or any other equipment may result in removal from the trip without refund.