Floats

FLOATS

A spearo's float has three main functions:

1.  To transport fish and spare kit
2.  To make a spearo more visible
3.  To stop large fish

The best size for New Zealand conditions would be 11 litres.  This has more than enough lift to stop 99% of the fish we shoot here and, more importantly, enough lift to hold 10 butterfish and a kingy without sinking!  There are lots of bigger floats on the market but they are unnecessary for all but the biggest Three Kings kingies, tuna and marlin and not worth the extra drag or expense.

The importance of a float for visibility cannot be stressed enough especially when diving offshore.  Choose a brightly coloured one with flag. 

Sausage shapes are the best as they have the least drag and, with the addition of a lead keel, will remain upright with a flag mounted on them.  Flat ones are hopeless if you want to put a flag on them.

 Foam filled floats will maintain their buoyancy even when pulled under and will eventually pop up somewhere whereas a hollow float will implode and sink.

Inflatable floats are very useful when travelling and quality ones are usually very durable.