How to be a better spearo?

[Johan Marais]

Hi from sunny South Africa!

I am interested in any info (especially the technical & medical stuff) that will help improve my mediocre ability.

Not living close to the coast, I typically spearfish once or twice a year, to depths shallower than 20m. The main problem is that I’m not doing any dedicated training to improve, but play a little underwater hockey (2x weekly in summer). What training should I do; does anyone have a good exercise programme that would take 2-3 sessions weekly? I would greatly appreciate related info on any links to sites or references to books I could order through the ‘net?


Looking forward to hearing from you all!

 

[ReefTroll]

Firstly, welcome in mate.

The best place for any questions would be uner the spearfishing threads, lots of very knowledgable people in there!

Good luck!!

 

[nostres]

Re: How to be a better spearo?

You have to kill more fish

 

[spaghetti]

What? You can already freedive close to the 20 meters mark, catch splendid fish like the one in your avatar, and ask this to us? You do not need to become a better spearo. You're already good, from what I see and read.

But anyway...

You have to kill more fish

That's absolutely gawddarn right. The big improvements in hunting are only achieved from hunting. The military call it "training on job".

Physical exercise can improve your breath old, depth and bottom times, but that won't necessarily make you a better spearo. A better freediver? Probably. A better hunter? Hardly. Hunting is what will make you a better hunter.

 

[ReefTroll]

It's like cycling I guess Spaggo, the only way to truly train for a race is by racing.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Mr. X]

What? You can already freedive close to the 20 meters mark, catch splendid fish like the one in your avatar, and ask this to us? You do not need to become a better spearo. You're already good, from what I see and read.

There are other things. Writing from relatively fished-out Britain/Europe, you might want to consider how to ensure your fabulous marine environment can be maintained and improved - rather than ending up depleted and damaged, like ours (not due to spearing I hasten to add, mainly due to some commercial fishing practices). SA, Mozambique & the Americas are veritable fishing paradises currently - but how long will it last with the ever burgeoning world population? Cod stocks have already been destroyed off the east coast of the USA by reckless, commercial over-fishing. Perhaps those are the spearing challenges for our generation?

 

[spaghetti]

There are other things. Writing from relatively fished-out Britain/Europe, you might want to consider how to ensure your fabulous marine environment can be maintained and improved - rather than ending up depleted and damaged, like ours (not due to spearing I hasten to add, mainly due to some commercial fishing practices). SA, Mozambique & the Americas are veritable fishing paradises currently - but how long will it last with the ever burgeoning world population? Cod stocks have already been destroyed off the east coast of the USA by reckless, commercial over-fishing. Perhaps those are the spearing challenges for our generation?

100% agree. I am a conservative spearo, the "just one fish for dinner" type, same as most of the Deeperblue spearfishers.

And in facts, let me explain as it seems necessary, I did not interpretate the "kill more fish" sentence as an incitement to make a ruthless massacre. This thought didn't even cross my mind, not at all, when I read that in Nostres's post and when I wrote mine.

"Kill more fish", in this case, is meant as "make experience", go hunting as often as you can, eyes wide open, think and rethink to every single detail you've noticed in fish behaviour, underwater environment, weather implications, all the sort of knowledge that only field action can give you. Not meant as making a carnage.
Be there, do that: this is what was meant as kill more fish.

 

[agbiv]

Welcome from Texas!

 

[Salehthefish]

Hello and welcome on DB...

All best