About a month ago I was invited by Crusty to come along to a meeting of the Bluewater Freediving club over here in sunny Perth. I was impressed by the laid back and friendly atmosphere of the group and signed my life away for the princely sum of $15 a year.
With the weather and work conspiring against us, it has taken until last Saturday for me to get out on a dive with the club, but it was well worth the wait.
Me, Crusty and Barry woke early to a clear day with offshore winds and a medium sized swell and motored out to a spot well out to sea. I hadn't been able to see land for some time when we finally stopped. Before I'd even had time to spit in my face mask, Barry was over the edge and finning his way towards where he expected to find a hole in the reef some 25m below.
Probably only a year ago I would have felt some trepidation just hanging my legs in the water in this part of the ocean, expecting at any time to have them taken by the "taxman". The confidence exuded by Crusty and Barry made me feel entirely at ease out there, and I knew I needed to stay calm to have a chance at getting anywhere near the fish.
Watching the businesslike way these guys burleyed up with buff bream, it barely occured to me that the blood and guts in the water might have bought in any more trouble than the Spanish Mackerel that eventually made an appearance.
Unfortunately, the pelagics never hung around after Barry picked off his first Mack, but he was able to pick up a couple of nice dhufish and a baldchin groper.
I never shot a fish that day, but I picked up some good tips and a great deal of confidence. Big thanks to Crusty for hammering his tinny all the way out there, and for getting me involved in the first place.
Kmo
With the weather and work conspiring against us, it has taken until last Saturday for me to get out on a dive with the club, but it was well worth the wait.
Me, Crusty and Barry woke early to a clear day with offshore winds and a medium sized swell and motored out to a spot well out to sea. I hadn't been able to see land for some time when we finally stopped. Before I'd even had time to spit in my face mask, Barry was over the edge and finning his way towards where he expected to find a hole in the reef some 25m below.
Probably only a year ago I would have felt some trepidation just hanging my legs in the water in this part of the ocean, expecting at any time to have them taken by the "taxman". The confidence exuded by Crusty and Barry made me feel entirely at ease out there, and I knew I needed to stay calm to have a chance at getting anywhere near the fish.
Watching the businesslike way these guys burleyed up with buff bream, it barely occured to me that the blood and guts in the water might have bought in any more trouble than the Spanish Mackerel that eventually made an appearance.
Unfortunately, the pelagics never hung around after Barry picked off his first Mack, but he was able to pick up a couple of nice dhufish and a baldchin groper.
I never shot a fish that day, but I picked up some good tips and a great deal of confidence. Big thanks to Crusty for hammering his tinny all the way out there, and for getting me involved in the first place.
Kmo