The surface hunt is the oldest spearfishing method we know. When hunting from the surface the spearo actually doesn't dive at all. He floats on the surface, moves really slowly and silently and waits for the fish to pass by.
During the summer months this method is a complete waste of time. Even if the spearo spots a fish, it would never be close enough for a successful shot. The surface hunt would be somewhat appropriate during the cold winter / spring months. The fish then occupies the upper warmer layers where there's more plankton. That's exactly the time when enormous schools of fish may be encountered. Besides everything else the fish during that period reacts slower due to the cold water and the diminished survival instincts after the hungry winter months.
The natural camouflage colors of the fish should be taken into consideration when applying this method. The dark back of most of the sea habitants protects precisely from the hunters above as the darker color fuses with the one of the sea beneath the fish. During this type of hunt the fish is hard to spot and is extremely cautious.
Surface hunting can be strongly recommended to beginners who are trying to master the diving skills and the ones needed when dealing with a speargun.
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