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Beginner Spearfishing Training

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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noob_spearo

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Jun 8, 2016
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So this is my situation. I live in sadiego and I want to spear in the kelp beds - about half a mile offshore. I shoredive and there is moderate swell at times. I get pooped just trying to get past the waves so I decided to regulary swim in a pool with my fins (and without) to improve my endurance in the water to work up to being able to comfortably swim out to the kelp and back.

Now swimming in the pool I find myself at a loss of what to do with my hands. Usually one arm is clutching my gun or pole spear and is therefore incapacitated, and I use the other to pull myself along and generally keep stable by stretching it out In front of me. But in the pool I feel totally awkward, I don't know whether to swim on my back or side or what form I should use... The internet is not much help only showing proper form submerged, not on the surface for efficient swimming.

Also in the water should I tow my gun with a tether or should I hold on to it? Should I swim with my suit in the pool or without? I am not boyant at all without my suit (trying to float on my back I just sink at the legs and hips) so should I swim with that at the gym?

If I swim in the morning with my suit is it ok to leave it wet in a sealed box all morning before I can take it home and wash it and dry it at home?

Should I swim with find exclusively/ focus on form with fins, or should I practice breaststroke and freestyle also?

Any tips to a newbie spearo will be greatly appreciated!

Josh

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Re. holding your speargun, good question. I developed a should injury a few years ago which has stayed with me. Not sure if spearing fishing in strong current was the cause or a contributing factor but that is certainly a possibility. It is bad enough that it caused me to buy a smaller, slimmer, much lighter speargun to replace my big old railgun, which I sold on.

The Len Jones Spearfishing booklet shows an interesting way of swimming with a long speargun. If I recall correctly the sketch shows the spearo's carrying arm held back against his body (unlike my "always ready for a shot" arm-forward approach, which can strain the shoulder) and hold the speargun parallel to and against the divers side, pointing forwards.

Another option might be to attach it to your dive float. Some float/speargun combinations work better than others. Watch out for rocks.

Don't wear you wetsuit in the pool. I doubt they'd allow it and you'd likely overheat. Legs sinking is normal - they are mainly bone & muscle (women may differ, some carry significant fat in this area - that's natural and normal and related to child baring). To float on your back requires a little technique, you need to tilt you head back into the water - probably further than you want to (these days my ears usually fill with water if I do this) - and fill your lungs with air, as that provides buoyancy, and relax.

I wouldn't leave your wet wetsuit sealed in a box. I rinse my suit in fresh, clean water as soon as practical after diving. If I am traveling (usually I am), I normally keep mine in one of those big, open, Ikea shopping bags, so that it airs and then I put it out to dry - typically on a line or on outdoor furniture (e.g. garden table to chairs) as soon as I can. Failing that, an indoor drying rack can work well.

Training and exercise are good. Do as much as you can. Spearfishing is the best training for spearfishing but by all means work on your general health, strength, cardiovascular fitness. The body adapts to routine activities, so vary your activities to build general fitness. Beyond that, if it is particularly far/grueling, perhaps consider alternative locations or an alternative means to reach your destination, such as a sit-on-top kayak /surf-ski/RIB/jetski? I recently saw an advert for battery powered propeller designed to pull divers along - they have been around for decades but I think may be getting cheaper, smaller and more practical; I have yet to read of spearo using one but I expect it is just a matter of time.
 
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