spearfishing beginner

[spearman8]

Hi all! I have finally decided to start freediving/hunting, mostly from the shore in fairly shallow water. I surf so I'm very comfortable in the water; however I have no experience under the water so I need some advice. I have just started doing co2/o2 tables to train for static, what kind of training do I do in the pool? It seems swimming laps to boost my lung capacity is necessary but what kind of under water training should I do? Do I train with or without fins? Also, can I use cheap snorkel fins for hunting? I'm a broke student so I would rather not drop 100 plus on freedive fins. Any help would be awesome! Thanks!

 

[Mr. X]

A simple black J-snorkel is all you need. I'd recommend a low volume twin lens spearo mask, such as any of those by Omer (they usually have one model & colour, black, that is particularly good value) or Seacsub or Beuchat. Like most things, actually doing the activity is the best training. For spearfishing, I try to remain calm and smooth in the water, to reduce the need for air and to avoid disturbing the wildlife.

For training schedules, try the Freediving sections of this forums - those guys & gals love tables and schedules, pool training, etc. and would no doubt love to help you out with that (they cancelled the only snorkel session at my local pool last year as part of council cuts - so much for no front-line cuts :hmm).

Big fins are a good idea in the sea, for safety as well as performance.

 

[Salehthefish]

One thing to add Never dive alone and train with a trained buddy.

Best Regards

 

[Mr. X]

Good point Saleh. As you appear keen to improve (i.e push) your performance in a structured way, you might consider taking an apnea training class - to improve you performance more efficiently & safely.

You should also be aware of Shallow-Water Blackout and other potential dangers.

This article by Terry Maas, which all spearos and freedivers should read, has become somewhat famous: Shallow-Water Blackout, from the book BlueWater Hunting and Freediving by Terry Maas

This link is v. good:
News | Shallow Water Blackout Prevention

Wiki also documents it now:

 

[spearman8]

Thanks for the help! I guess the most important way to avoid dying from an SWB is to always dive and train with a partner. As far as equipment goes, what do I need? So far I know I need a snorkel, mask, fins, float, and gun. I already have wetsuits and a speargun. Am I missing something? What kind of float do I need? Also I was reading that people attach their gun to a float line which is attached to the float itself. Is this necessary, and why do they do it?

 

[Belugaboy]

Good point Saleh. As you appear keen to improve (i.e push) your performance in a structured way, you might consider taking an apnea training class - to improve you performance more efficiently & safely.

You should also be aware of Shallow-Water Blackout and other potential dangers.

This article by Terry Maas, which all spearos and freedivers should read, has become somewhat famous: Shallow-Water Blackout, from the book BlueWater Hunting and Freediving by Terry Maas

This link is v. good:
News | Shallow Water Blackout Prevention

Wiki also documents it now:
Shallow water blackout - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Freediver Blackout - YouTube

Wow, Shallow water blackouts.. truly terrifying! that video showed how scary it can be. I'm looking to start spearfishing also but have little experience of freediving. Roughly how long is safe to stay submerged for a beginner? (per dive)

 

[Yoda]

I am just starting out and because of work and family responsibility in the next year, it's going to be a year of training to get in shape for all the different aspects of spearfishing and a lot of studying on the more technical bits before I get really serious.

I want to get myself on a good standard as not to waste my own or anybody Else's time.

This forum is great as now there is a place to ask the questions I am not sure about and you might get a lot of questions in the next year Starting with

Sorry granti for leavening out scotland! from the numbers I can get off the forum 33 are registered and as you said 4/5 or so active and I would actively fishing.How you doing up there and what have you been catching?

well obviously those figures are relative... 94 in ireland? Less than 5 really active i'm afraid... Dunno bout the other regions...

Regarding the number of people actively doing spearfishing it makes me question the rule of never dive alone as we all know how busy our lives are, how difficult would it be to get the same date organised if there is only a handful of active spearo in UK . How many of you dive alone from time to time???


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Kind Regards

 

[Mr. X]

Thanks for the help! I guess the most important way to avoid dying from an SWB is to always dive and train with a partner. As far as equipment goes, what do I need? So far I know I need a snorkel, mask, fins, float, and gun. I already have wetsuits and a speargun. Am I missing something? What kind of float do I need? Also I was reading that people attach their gun to a float line which is attached to the float itself. Is this necessary, and why do they do it?

I attach my speargun to my float via a polypropylene float-line (of 12m-20m) - South African style. Mainly to avoid loosing my speargun -- but it might also allow you to avoid loosing a large fish (perhaps more of an issue with large pelagic fish abroad). A lot of folk don't though (and some loose a speargun from time to time). The line can be a hassle but I've been doing it since I started and have just got used to it.

Weight-belt and weights, mainly to offset the extra buoyancy of the wetsuit. A fish stringer - I like the big Rob Allen ones but they'd become expensive last time I checked, fortunately the inexpensive Omer monofilament stringers work almost as well and have the advantage that you can cut them with a knife. You can use the spike of the fish stringer (or even the point of your spear) to dispatch fish - but a spearo dagger works best (I would recommend a small one rather than a large one) - it can potentially double as your dive safety knife.

Your float should be reasonably large and visible, and should have a diver-down flag. In North America, that's usually a red flag with a white diagonal stripe. For the most of the rest of the world, it is the blue and white "alpha"/A flag. The float is intended to keep boats away but it also acts as a place to hand your fish (on your fish stringer), you may or may not carry other items on it (e.g. compass, whistle, VHF radio, mobile phone, drinking water, crab net, crab hook, flares*), and attach your float-line/speargun - it also helps folk on shore keep track of your whereabouts. By the way, you may need to add ballast to the bottom of the float to keep the flag upright in wind/heavy seas (e.g. old wheel lead weights, a small dive weight or some folded lead sheeting).

*I usually prefer to keep it simple & stream-line: a small plastic whistle, a folded crab bag, fish stringer & 2 clips (I use two old, anodized aluminium Clogg Wales climbing karabiners - but there are various plastic/brass/stainless-steel alternatives) for fast, secure attachment.

 

[Mr. X]

Wow, Shallow water blackouts.. truly terrifying! that video showed how scary it can be. I'm looking to start spearfishing also but have little experience of freediving. Roughly how long is safe to stay submerged for a beginner? (per dive)

It depends on all kinds of things. Read those SWB articles. There are no guarantees with this type of activity.

If you push it (e.g. depth and/or duration) then that could obviously increase the danger. Some basic training by a qualified instructor may help you avoid some bad practices and highlight some of the dangers/pitfalls. While basic skills training may help, dedicated apnea training - i.e. performance training to increase the duration/depth of your dives - may teach your to overcome some of your body's natural safety instincts/defences, in which case your need for external support may be increased (e.g. a good, reliable and attentive dive buddy, capable of rescuing you - and perhaps others nearby that could assist).

I tend not to push it and have found that my down times naturally tend to increase during the course of a dive session (which might last, say, 3 hours) and over the course of a season (e.g. my diving is naturally smoother and longer by the end of my summer spearing vacation than on my first dive in the Spring - but requires no more effort or stress).

BTW I believe some spearos attach their float to the weight belt, rather than the speargun. Not sure of the reasoning, perhaps 1 or more of:
- allows you to retrieve a dropped belt
- provides a possible means to retrieve/assist a down diver
(Anybody care to comment on this?)

 

[Mr. X]

...
I want to get myself on a good standard as not to waste my own or anybody Else's time.

This forum is great as now there is a place to ask the questions I am not sure about and you might get a lot of questions in the next year Starting with
...
Regarding the number of people actively doing spearfishing it makes me question the rule of never dive alone as we all know how busy our lives are, how difficult would it be to get the same date organised if there is only a handful of active spearos in UK . How many of you dive alone from time to time???
...

We all have to learn sometime. This is a potentially dangerous activity, so I would encourage you to do whatever you can to reasonably assess and minimize/control/limit the risk/danger involved. Don't be afraid to ask questions, if it helps avoid problems later.

How many spearos in the UK - I would guess maybe 200-400, at various levels of activity/inactivity. I've heard much higher claims but I don't find them credible. There are some clubs around, perhaps most notably in Exeter, Sussex, Wessex and London (the International Club). There is also training, for example offered by DeeperBlue and various members that are certified.

How many dive alone from time to time? Quite a few I expect, although I would be loath to recommend it to a beginner. That said, I have almost always dived alone (albeit usually with others on the beach or somewhere nearby) - it is convenient and the solitude suits me. However, I used to climb a lot and would sometimes climb/mountaineer alone and/or unroped - it's certainly not for everyone and the increased risk is obvious and real but there are things that you can do to mitigate some of the danger. It would certainly not be appropriate to push your performance (e.g. depth/down-time) when alone. I would also caution against it if you have any medical issue or if you have dependents (e.g. kids) - although I have noticed that parenthood makes most people naturally more cautious. It is a good idea to get a medical check before you start diving - tell your GP what you are planning to do - and periodically thereafter. [BTW There are medical centres that specialise in diving related issues (usually near the coast).]