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Relaxed Spearfishing?

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

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2001
259
9
123
Many freedivers are also spearfishers (or vice versa) but there seems to be a dichotomy between the two sports.

Good freediving (so I 've learned from these forums and then in practice) relys on being calm and relaxed and slowing the heart rate. Spearfishing, on the other hand, seems to be adrenaline producing and exciting (note that I have never been spearfishing -but I know from my old deer hunting and fishing days, that when the deer is coming towards you or the big fish hits the line, the heart rate accelerates like crazy and it is very thrilling).

So to you spearos out there, how do you stay calm and get good bottom times at the same time as pursuing the thrill of the hunt?

Thanks for you input,

Scott
 
Chill ....

Well, personally I try and enjoy the dive itself. Looking for fish comes as second nature by now, and I don't get that fright / chill when I see a nice one - unless it's a monster !

But I do get quite a rush once the fish is shot and it's a good shot. That's probably why most spearo's don't dive too deep. If a dive is particularly deep, I mentally focus on the task at hand, treating it as if it is an everyday albeit critical occurence.

And after every fish shot and strung I chill on the surface - basking in the sun, making shallow dives without my gun etc.

Nice topic!
 
Chill ....

Well, personally I try and enjoy the dive itself. Looking for fish comes as second nature by now, and I don't get that fright / chill when I see a nice one - unless it's a monster !

But I do get quite a rush once the fish is shot and it's a good shot. That's probably why most spearo's don't dive too deep. If a dive is particularly deep, I mentally focus on the task at hand, treating it as if it is an everyday albeit critical occurence.

And after every fish shot and strung I chill on the surface - basking in the sun, making shallow dives without my gun etc.

Nice topic!

I'm off now, goin' huntin' - a bit of a night dive planned.
 
spearo

Scott,

I agree, nice topic.
Spearing is like any kind of hunting. Staying calm is essential for a good shot, as well as finding game. In Hawaii there is so much fishing preasure on the best eating fish that they are very wary.

My most succesfull method has been to lay in the surface and sinking to my kill from top. I find myself being able to kill fish at 80 90 ft without problem. Since my max depth (I've only had a guage to barrow twice) is 100ft. I must be staying calm.

I find that if I get excited (like spearing at the bouys) no fish come... It's when you least expect it that the chance comes. I feel because that's when you're the calmest.

As examples: I have seen ahi (tuna) get spooked when my ear makes noise, and when my wetsuit rubs against itself.

I have also seen tunas, mahi's, wahoo, parrotfish, and a variety of other reef fish keep distance when I'm amped, and as soon as I become calm they allow me to approach.

Try it sometime with your local fish. Go into the water without a gun, look around for some fish while being calm. When you've found them get as close as you can without them getting nervous. When you do that, get your heart rate up breath faster, but keep your body still. You'll be amazed at how often the fish will shy away.

I became a freediver by spearing, and I find they are very complimentary to each other. :D

Aloha Chris
 
Last edited:
ancient hunting technique

Hi,

I see fish most often from the surface when I'm doing a long easy breathe-up, they even seem to be attracted to me. In particular when I'm very relaxed, and noodlely, however in my experience you can be too relaxed to care about spearfishing, or even where you are, or what is in the outside reality. I remember last summer seeing this big grouper comming in to take a look at me while I was on the surface, as soon as my hunting mind fired up it took off, it also turned out to be a seal. I had just returned from Cuba and was really disoriented. I remember reading about using chi-kung practise to attract animals, and I have had that work often on land however my in sea chi kung sucks, since I've mostly trained on land. The theory, if you will allow me to indulge in a traditional Chinese model, is that your feet are rooted in the earth, and your head in the sky and you create a energy conduit.
As the energy conduit increases in its ability to tranfer energy, you start to emit energy freely, this draws the animals in. Story has it that this was one of the tests of chi kung, which would be carried out in the winter in the mountains, no Picassos there. Monks would start to warm-up and then have wet sheets drapped over them, the first to dry the sheet, was considered pretty hot. I used to be a much better student than I am now and would practise for 2-4 hours a day on the beach. The animals would come in to take a look. It was not uncommon to have eagles and great blue herons on the beach in close proximity to me. They bugged out as soon as I finished the chi kung part. I remember one instance of doing my Tai Chi form at a farm. The form took about 45 minutes to complete. When I finished, I was surrounded by animals. Now work this out for the water and you may really have something.

Best wishes,

Fd48
 
Staying Calm

One of the techniques I use is to imagine that every dive is the one that I will see the "big one". It keeps you sharp but not necessarially pumped so you lose bottom time. When I lived in the Fl Keys I saw alot of the fish I shot from the surface so I had a chance to prepare. Although after chasing a large grouper or snapper for a while your HR is pretty high. Now in NC I'm usually on the bottom before I see fish and then it's mostly flashes and grunts. With the limited vis you don't have time to get pumped up, it's a quick descion to shoot or not. Hope this helps.
Jay
 
hey guys, i took the liberty of moving this thread to the coolest of thread sections, the freedive hunting section! :D

scott,

i believe your rhythm is the key. sometimes you have to force yourself to move at a beat twice as slow. most times i follow my heart rate and get into a pattern of pacing myself to every other beat.

when i'm in shallow, clear water i'll throw on an extra pound or two of lead. when i see something when i'm on the surface i roll dive and descend at an angle. being in slow motion keeps you calm and also doesn't alert the fish. you'll see this next month. ;)

but all in all, i think it's just experience in the water that helps the most. i've pretty much seen all that exists in the area i dive, so nothing spooks my heartrate. well, not exactly. saturday, aquiles and i were in 120' off key largo. i had my bluewater gun down to about 35-40' just floating motionless waiting for anything. things will appear out of no where and it get's kind of creepy. well, all of a sudden, it seemed someone had parked a VW beetle right next to me! about a 350lb loggerhead was about 15 feet from me right off to my side. scared the bejesus out of me! it had come in for one of the usual "holas" and left. yeah, no heartrate control there! ;)

anderson
 
Thanks for all the great input guys.

Sounds like I just need to get down there and do it - with plenty of rest in-between my big kills (yeah, right).

Scott
 
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