Keys spearfishing is warm-water, shallow-to-mid-depth hunting with current. That combination rewards a simple, light setup — and punishes anyone who shows up with cold-water bluewater gear.
Speargun: 100–120 cm covers 90% of trips
On patch reefs a 90–100 cm gun swings fast in coral. On the deeper reef line and for muttons that stand off, a 110–120 cm rail gun with two bands gives you the extra reach. Anything longer belongs on bluewater trips.
Exposure suit and weighting
Summer: a 1.5 mm suit or a long-sleeve rash guard is plenty. Winter: a 3 mm open-cell suit. Weight yourself neutral at 15 ft, not at the surface — over-weighting is the most common mistake visiting divers make, and it is the one that gets people hurt.
Float, line and flag
Florida requires a divers-down flag or buoy. Beyond the law, a float and 100 ft of line keeps your fish from reefing you up and shows boat traffic where you are on a busy Key West weekend.
Safety kit you should actually carry
A dive knife, a whistle or air horn on the boat, a first-aid kit with a tourniquet, and a clear buddy plan. Sharks are part of the Keys experience — get fish out of the water quickly, never string them on your body, and leave an area that gets crowded.
- One-up-one-down buddy diving, always
- Never hyperventilate before a dive
- Surface interval at least twice your dive time
Renting versus bringing your own
Most Key West charters can supply a full gear package, which makes flying in easy. If you own a suit and mask, bring those two — fit matters more than anything else in the kit — and rent the gun.
GEAR WE RECOMMEND
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110 cm rail speargun
$$$The single most versatile Keys gun: reef line reach without being unwieldy on patch reefs.
CHECK PRICECarbon or composite long fins
$$$Less leg fatigue on long drift dives and easier depth in current.
CHECK PRICERubber weight belt
$Stays on your hips through a duck dive, unlike a nylon belt.
CHECK PRICEDivers-down float and flag
$$Legally required in Florida waters and cheap insurance in Key West boat traffic.
CHECK PRICE
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KEEP READING
- Best Spearfishing Spots in the Lower Keys
Where to spearfish around Key West: patch reefs, the Western Dry Rocks area, wrecks, and Gulf-side ledges — with depths, species and access notes.
- Key West Spearfishing Season Calendar
Month-by-month guide to what you can legally and realistically spear around Key West, including grouper seasons, lobster dates and hogfish limits.
- Florida Keys Spearfishing Rules and Closed Areas
License requirements, protected species, sanctuary closures and distance rules for spearfishing in Key West and the Florida Keys.