ccasions
...Just Write!
©2011 Porsche Cars North America. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of all traffic laws at all times.
Experience the status quo being
bucked at its fastest.
We offer sales, service and leasing with daily pick up
and delivery in Wilmington.
Experience the new Boxster.
Porsche of Fayetteville
(910) 487-0000 • 800-264-3203
3211 Bragg Blvd. Fayetteville, NC 28303
www.porscheoffayetteville.com
30
WBM june 2011
“Cobia,” he says, “are curious. They
usually check you out when you jump
off the boat and I guess that’s what
they were doing. I was lucky to be
the last one in the water and have the
chance to shoot one.”
Ryan McInnis, one of Llinas’s diving
companions that day, also shoots
underwater. The freediver, spearfisherman
and producer of In-Sea TV organizes
the annual Wrightsville Beach
Spearfishing Tournament, this year at
Seapath Marina, June 10-12.
“Some people see freediving as a
macho thing but really it’s about satisfaction,”
McInnis says. “It doesn’t
matter how deep you dive, how long
you stay down or if and how big the
fish you bring home are, as long as
you had fun.”
McInnis says the waters around
Wrightsville Beach are ideal for both
sports.
“Here you have freedive and
spearfishing opportunities that stretch
from underneath the docks in Banks
Channel all the way out to the Gulf
Stream. Flounder, sheepshead and
spadefish are abundant in the inshore
waters. Grouper and hogfish can be
found on offshore ledges and the
shipwrecks that pepper our coast. And
offshore you have cobia, pompano and
pelagic sportfish accessible to those
with a good boat and the requisite
experience,” McInnis says. “Add to
that all the wrecks, ledges and reefs to
explore and you have a near-perfect
place to dive.”
Fortunately, getting the requisite
experience in Wrightsville Beach is easy.
“A good place to get started is with
a freedive school,” McInnis says.
“Safety is always the first consideration,”
and the Chapmans echo that
sentiment.
“You have to watch out for yourself
and your buddy,” Ashley says, “and
you always dive with a buddy.”
Besides safety skills and diving/
breathing techniques, both McInnis
and the Chapmans emphasize fitness
and a certain comfort level with swim-
O
Fine Stationery
Handmade Papers
Pens & Journals
— 313 N. Front Street —
Historic Downtown Wilmington
(910) 343.9033