Always wanted to dive for food (crabs, lobsters, clams etc)

I'll be spending a week on the west coast (Ireland- Clare, Galway, Achil Island etc)) on a surfing trip in September. In anticipation of flat seas, I'm going to do some snorkelling… and hopefully catch some dinner. mmmm… free Atlantic sea food… mmmmm!

Anybody do this? Any tips? Where is a good place to buy gear (fins/snorkel etc) on a budget? I've seen a crab bag that looks interesting.

I'm not considering a harpoon at this stage 🙂

Don't you have a Waitrose nearby?

Poor thing…

Was out there last year.
Plenty of razor clams out there, various methods to catch them, see YouTube.
Cracking lobsters too, but I just went and bought them off the local fisherman, maybe not quite the hunter gathering experience you're looking for but a lot cheaper and fresher than Waitrose.

I can see the headlines now!

"Tourist killed by giant mother lobster"

Best way to catch lobster/crab is to put down a pot. Allegedly baiting it with a punctured tin of tuna is best as that means the first crab.lobster in doesn't scoff all your bait. Have tried it but I've never caught anything worth eating.

A big hook is great to have to fish out edible crabs and lobsters which can obviously give you a nasty pinch. a net bag is also good for stuffing them in. I have a friend at uni who eats lobster/ crab many times a week for free and sees some amazing wildlife whist doing it.
http://www.youtube.com/user/tjashton

The lobster's last moments vid gives you an idea what your putting the poor crustacean through though! Enjoy!

Edit: all the underwater videos seem to have gone.

http://flickriver.com/photos/nativemarine/

Some class photos there. Think I'll get a waterproof camera! I live beside the sea (dirty Irish sea though) but love the "proper" coast out west. My auntie says they catch lobsters and crabs using a bucket and brush!

get yourself a speargun and shoot fish.

I'm more likely to shoot myself, knottie.

LOL , I shat myself once when I speared a conger ! And a mate once speared his own flipper to the sea bed .

Yep, I'd be very wary of spear fishing. I used to do some science diving and they made me totally paranoid, especially in a swell. At least with a firearm you don't often get sand and salt in your safety catch 😯

If you're any good at breath holding I'd find a sandy bay 2-5m deep and look for scallops. Clean duck dive to the bottom, equalise your ears on the way down (you'll need a proper mask), minimum movements and look horizontally along the sand rather than from the top down. Get some gloves, wetsuit and a bag, fins helpful but not essential.

safer than a speargun is a spear or a long sharp screw driver. Very good for flat fish who dont swim off untill your right over them.

If you open a plastic bag in front of a flattie and poke its tail it'll swim right in

knottie8 – Member
LOL , I shat myself once when I speared a conger ! And a mate once speared his own flipper to the sea bed .

Doh!

Conor-that sounds great. Fresh sea food and then dressed and eaten the same day, yum.

As a child I remember my Grandpa taking us out to Deganwy, on the Conwy river and picking up quite big crabs, rushing home and dressing them ready for tea. It makes my mouth water.