PB Crayfish freediving on the FFB
Was real rough out there today and the wind didnt drop as forecasted, so the white caps were coming through. Visability was a hazy 8m and the overcast skies did noting for good viz - the boat ramp car park at Garden Island was almost empty.
This was the hardest I have ever worked for a Cray in my 6 years of freediving! I spotted him in 9m on the FFB in a small cave, I tried to loop him but he retreated. My dive buddy and I then dove on him at least 8 times each trying to pull him out with loops and our hands as he had no where to escape. After a lot of trying and frustration, I promised my dive buddy ONE MORE dive. So I removed my snorkel so I could go right inside the tiny crevice and not be restricted by the snorkel or have it jag on the cave. I asked my second dive buddy to spot me and follow me down 30 seconds after I dive so when I'm inside the crevice to make sure I didn't get stuck so he could pull me out if need be. I asked the first dive buddy to watch from surface in case I push too hard on my return to the surface and blackout.
So I go down into the hole, I cant see anything and go by feel. I reach deep into the hole, and I feel one leg, I fin and push myself in harder I feel another leg. Fining real hard and feeling my way in deeper, yet being restricted by the size of the hole I managed to get a hold of the carapace and then in a swift tug of war I tear him out of his hidey hole.
Stoked I make my way for the surface for some sweet oxygen. Greeted at the surface by both my dive buddies WAHOOO'ing on the five and throwing mutliple high fives. Stoked! my heaviest so far and the team work we put in it was great to get my prize.
Incidentally, he was a soft shell too - never had a soft shell jumbo before.
New PB cray, 2.84kgs on certified scales.
Legal cray in picture for comparison.
Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
Stonka! And even better
Stonka! And even better freediving !!
oz74
Posts: 276
Date Joined: 14/05/12
nice.
Nice big boy there- good stuff on the PB.
interesting about your conditions - I dove NOR about 7-8am and conditions were pretty good?!
was a bit blowy earlier but then dropped below 10kts.
same sort of depth, same sort of vis- def had worse. Got a few thumpers as well- bit easier with a tank strapped to your back tho :)
plenty of crays around for divers at the mo.
cheers
brett
D_d_001
Posts: 1522
Date Joined: 09/03/13
awesome..... hell of a
awesome..... hell of a cray.
great buddy system and team work.
sea-kem
Posts: 15010
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Ha ha Jesus, and you got him
Ha ha Jesus, and you got him out intact. Nice job, would love to know how it goes etaing wise.
Love the West!
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
Great story and a great
Great story and a great cray! Congrats mate
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Team work, the way to win
Ripper of a cray.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Great work and well written
Great work and well written into words! What an absolute beast!
Fish! HARD!
Boydy
Posts: 623
Date Joined: 26/09/12
Well done on the PB
Good cray and top effort on the free dive.
matdee74
Posts: 8
Date Joined: 27/06/10
Hardcore.
Persistence pays..! Well done mate.
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Thanks fellas - was tough
Thanks fellas - was tough diving today, plenty of ground surge about and the crays were a bit thin on the ground.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
Ol Tom
Posts: 331
Date Joined: 17/12/13
Wrapped for ya mate
Its great to see you pushing the boundries to do stuff you love doing, but for f*ck sake dont over do it. Its easy to think you can when you are at that bullet proof age... which I have found to be anything pre fiddy (and a cuppla good crashes). Maybe Im a pessimistic old fart but I love your posts Notoriuos just dont want to hear you are no longer mate!
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Cheers Ol Tom - I'll be
Cheers Ol Tom - I'll be around for a long while yet :)
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Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Monster Cray
Well done, looks like it could be a good season......
Cheers & Stay safe
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Good cray
Hard work. I prefer to breath underwater:)
kirky79
Posts: 1354
Date Joined: 13/01/12
Great Cray!!
Team effort fellas. That's what it is all about. You will talk about that for ages.
Rick
Posts: 1113
Date Joined: 22/12/06
Nice
Well earned Roach mate, well done
PGFC Member
hornet42
Posts: 179
Date Joined: 24/07/12
Nice
PB Dhu 850 mm Pink 820mm
axey45
Posts: 1758
Date Joined: 26/11/13
Well done m8,
Well done m8,
soupster51
Posts: 2724
Date Joined: 29/11/06
Top Cray
Pushed to the limit but the reward is yours. Top cray - congrats.
The best reason for doing what's right today is tomorrow.
barracuda
Posts: 221
Date Joined: 01/09/13
Yep
You are the maddest cray hunter out there :)
Jsmolly
Posts: 187
Date Joined: 10/04/12
I'm with you little john,
I'm with you little john, some will say takes the fun out of it but I'm quite happy breathing and with a shark shield that to date seems to have worked.
a mate had a Brush with A 2.5m shark species not known NOR this week and promptly went and bought one!
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Thanks again! I dont
Thanks again! I dont remember the last time I was so happy at the surface as a result of a capture, think because of the amount of effort that was put in.
Anyhow, heres some raw footage from the same day of looping a cray (not the jumbo tho)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiQwUdUOTOY
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
psion
Posts: 424
Date Joined: 15/05/12
Nice cray
Are you allowed to dive for them with a bottle on your back?
cheers