Chasse sous-marine à Cape Henlopen — vent, houle, visibilité, marées et caméras en direct

• tautog
  Tautoga onitis · 3–18 m · légal
• black sea bass
  Centropristis striata · 5–40 m · légal
• summer flounder (fluke)
  Paralichthys dentatus · 3–30 m · légal
• scup (porgy)
  Stenotomus chrysops · 5–30 m · légal
• bluefish
  Pomatomus saltatrix · 0–20 m · légal
• striped bass
  Morone saxatilis · 0–15 m · ⚠️ fermeture/limite
  Striped bass is spearable in RI/NY/NJ/DE/VA but BANNED in ME/MA/CT/MD (no ban in NH). Never gaff.

• ✓License/registry per state: ME registry $1–2, MA permit $10 (60+ free), NY/NJ registry FREE, RI $7/$10, VA $17.50/$25.
• ✓Striped bass is spearable in RI/NY/NJ/DE/VA but BANNED in ME/MA/CT/MD (no ban in NH). Never gaff.
• ✓Often must be fully submerged (NJ/DE); muscle-power guns only (NY). Lobster never by spear.

• ⛔ 🚫 American lobster — NEVER by spear anywhere on the coast (hand-take only, under a separate dive permit).
• ⛔ 🚫 Sturgeon — total ban; sharks in many states (VA/NJ/NC) not by spear. Striped bass: see the species note.

US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.

• Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
• Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
• Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
• Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
• Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
• Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
• UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
• Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.