Spearfishing Comps and Depth

[ivan]

hi guys

I have been reading a few articles about spearfishing competitions and was wondering a few things. First I have no experience in comp spearing because the area I live is to remote for them. It seems that in America some people paddle out in kayaks or something, this is very interesting and I wonder if people do this. Here you would be paddling for 24hours to get to the reef. Second I was reading that at the world spearfishing champs in Tahiti Alberto March was hunting at depths of up to 45m. Is this actually true, what sort of fish would live at that depth, also that must be pretty dangerous spearfishing at 45m if you had to wait those extra seconds for the fish to slowly move in he must be coming close to sambas on some dives.

Also in comp spearfishing what sort of guns would most people use I mean do they hunt with big Riffes and go after monster pelagics, or do you shoot reef fish. If you had to shoot reef fish I don't think I would do very good cos I cant remember the last time I shot a reef fish, 99% of my diving in the last year has been pelagics. Anyway hopefully one day I can compete in some sort of a comp and see what its like.

cheers

 

[Pablo FR]

This weekend I watch a video of a world championship competition that lasted 6 hours a day over 2 days. Salvatorri who was second spent 5 hours fishing between 25 and 35 meters before going for a 20Kg Grouper at 45 meters !

 

[Murat]

Yes Alberto March can hunt at 45 meters.

In World Championship they hunt reeffishes, genreally groupers.

They don't use riffes in those competitions, they use small euro guns suitable for caves of groupers. Generally couple of small euro on the float and one biger one. Lets say as an example couple of 55-75cm one and one 110 cm speargun. Couple of extra spear with and without flopper (for killing grouper in cave), spear extractor etc... etc...

 

[Spaniard]

Alberto March doesn't fish at depth anymore I don't believe...He suffered a blackout fishing in the 40m range and I believe it has caused long term damage.........I think this incident took place at European or World Championships.

 

[Pablo FR]

Alberto March doesn't fish at depth anymore I don't believe...He suffered a blackout fishing in the 40m range and I believe it has caused long term damage.........I think this incident took place at European or World Championships.

It wasn't a blackout, he got a freedivers version of the bends.

 

[Spaniard]

What is 'a freedivers version of the bends'? Never heard this description before. Thanks.

 

[Pablo FR]

He had to go into a decompression chamber and be sent back down I think. I'm not entirely sure but I think this phenomen only happens to very good spearfishermen because they have very little recuperation time and dive quite deep.

 

[donmoore]

Nitrogen narcosis. Normal air is composed of 78% Nitrogen. Its basic scuba 101, which I don’t remember too well. Breathhold divers are usually immune to it because they don’t stay at depth long enough, but in his case he was very deep many times, which caused it. Because the particle pressure of nitrogen in the body at depth is high, the nitrogen is absorbed into the body. It takes time for it to come out, which is why compressed air or rebreather divers have decompression stops.

It’s the total time you are down over a given amount of time that counts. It can happen to competiive freedivers too, but they are usually more careful to avoid it, by limiting the number of deep dives in day or practice. It’s also has been a problem for breathhold divers on scooters because they can reach depths and stay longer at those depth than they can under their own power. Permanent damage or even death can happen by it.

I’m sure some scuba and tech divers on the board know a lot more about it then I do.
don

 

[chasintail]

Freediver bends is the same as scuba bends but it hardly ever happens.You would have to hunt at 100+ ft for several hours to be a risk.
As for spearfishing comps it depends on what you are hunting and where.If there are dives close to shore you can kayak or swim but that depends on where you are diving.I always use a power boat.
During the Hell Divers Spearfishing Rodeo we were hunting oil rigs off the coast of Louisiana.I was using my Wong 55 carbon fiber magnum with three bands a reel and a flopper shaft.I was hunting large reef fish.If I were blue water hunting for tuna or wahoo I would use a 60+inch gun with four bands,a break away bungiee attach to three surface floats and a slip tip shaft.For reef or wreck hunting I would use my magnum or a 110 rail gun with a flopper shaft and a float line tied directly to the gun.

Hopes this helps
Nick

 

[Spaniard]

OK, thanks for info. I believe the accident happened at the Tahiti World Championship and I'd read that he couldn't do 'deep' spearfishing anymore :waterwork