Spearfishing and Freediving - discovering the wonders of the ocean
Spearfishing and Freediving are two sports that have been enjoyed by many divers for many years.
If you are new to the sport and you want to find out more… a quick search on internet or talk to other divers will put you in touch with a specialist dive shop in your area. Good, sensible advice and quality equipment should be at the top of your list to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable experience in the water and also to ensure you get the best results.
Equipment
It is very important your equipment is fitted to suit you, mask selection wetsuit , fins and weight belt are 4 of the most important factors you must get right.
Wetsuit Selection
When selecting a wetsuit you are best to select a suit that is made from open cell rubber. To better understand this, it is simply raw rubber with no nylon lining on the inside, however you can get open cell with a coated lining which have been proven to be satisfactory in some brands. An open cell suit requires the use of soapy water to help put the suit on, however they will prove to the warmest and most comfortable suit you have tried on.
Once you have selected an open cell suit the other important factor is the type of rubber the suit is made from as different qualities of rubbers are used for different types of diving. When selecting a suit, it needs to be constructed of rubber suitable for your purpose. A firm rubber will compress less and provide less buoyancy. Consequently, this will make the suit dive faster in the water. Most competitive freedivers use a firmer suit and this has the advantage of giving them less buoyancy as the depth changes.
A softer rubber provides a more buoyant suit, which gives you more comfort and flexibility, but at depths it will compress and shorten the life of the suit. As the suit compresses over time it will loose its warmth.
When selecting your open cell wetsuit you can easily identify open cell by looking at the inside of the suit. The inside will have no nylon inner attached to the rubber. A simple test is to feel the pliability (squeeze the suit) in your hands.
To find what’s best for you, try the different rubbers by how they feel when you hold them, some are softer than others. For general use you want a softer more comfortable rubber, once again seek advice on this as comfort with all breathe hold sports is very important.
Fins Selection
An ideal fin for freediving or spearfishing needs to be long and flexible. To use these fins requires the kick to be a slow fluid action. To get the best results some practice at your local swimming pool will help you improve your technique and get the best from your fins.
Generally all spearfishing and freediving fins have a closed heal foot pocket and you will need to wear a soft neoprene (wetsuit) bootie with them. When selecting fins you need to take into consideration your fitness level and your general health as if you select an incorrect fine you will find them difficult to use. Fin manufacturers do produce fins with different strengths, for example a softer blade would be for starting out or if you do not have strong legs.
Mask selection
The secret to mask selection is fit, and it must be low volume. low volume means the amount of air the mask contains should be minimal without compromising comfort, visibility and safety..
Bright colour’s or masks with side windows do not help. With side windows you do get peripheral glare and it is best to have the light forward on the targeted species or the area in which you are hunting.
Bright colours are not common for hunting as it helps to be concealed when spearfishing. If you are not spearfishing, mask colour is unimportant.
The best masks are made of silicon based products with tempered glass lens.
Weight belt
To get the best results from the sport a rubber belt is preferred, as it offers a very comfortable option but also expands and contracts when you descend/ascend. Weight belt placement on the body is very important as it should be as low as possible on the body and generally on the hips. Webbing and weight belts with canvas pockets will not expand and contract and the pockets types will fill up with water and give you unnecessary drag, and less bottom time.
New products on the market todayinclude new hydrodynamic weights to better assist with being streamlined and also helps the diaphragm flexing to give you a better breathe hold.
The equipment used can be endless with many different options available. Take your time and research products, and most importantly seek advice from professional that specialise in the sport.
I have listed a check list of equipment required for both sports. Use this to help you check what you have or need.
Freediving Checklist
• Mask (low volume, silicone)
• Snorkel
• Fins
• Wetsuit (Open cell)
• Weight belt (Rubber)
• Booties
• Gloves
Spearfishing checklist
• Mask (low volume, silicone)
• Snorkel
• Fins
• Wetsuit (Open cell)
• Weight belt (Rubber)
• Booties
• Gloves
• Float/Flag and line
• Speargun (suitable gun for your type of hunting)
• Knife
Speargun Selection
So what speargun is best! To best select a speargun look at what type of fish you want to hunt, conditions you hunt in, and your ability to load it.
Like any piece of equipment, everyone has their own preferences or favourites and the reality is most brands are good. Some manufactures have better products or better components but the best place to start is to select the fish species you want to hunt.
A guide to speargun selection
Spearguns under 110cm
Used for smaller species and for dirty conditions. The smaller speargun allows you to get close to the fish and if the conditions are dirty it will help you track the fish with your gun.
Spearguns 120cm +130cm
This gun is a safe bet on bigger fish such as Kingfish. The gun will deliver good hitting power with good effective killing range.
Specialised Spearguns bigger than 130cm
These guns are designed to give you better range to be able to shoot your fish. Most often these guns are used to shoot in the clear blue waters for Pelagic fish such as tuna, marlin, wahoo etc)
Other considerations
Some brands have rails which hold the shaft and guide it down the barrel when fired. The rail improves accuracy which is never a bad thing. Other brands have guides which work on the same concept. The best rail on the market is a rail that is the deepest and holds the spear without it rattling around.
Once you have selected all your equipment and now you are ready to get in the water. In your local area there will be clubs that can assist with good local knowledge.
The secret to Spearfishing and freediving
So you have selected all your equipment and now you need to know all the tricks of the trade, a good breathe hold is the secret. So how do you get a better breathhold, a lot of diving helps, but to give you a head start you can attend breathe hold training clinic’ s that are held around the country. Your local Specialist can offer you freediving clubs to join. If you are not able to find any you can contact www.oceanhunter.co.nz to help with finding the nearest club in your area.
One important factor with breathhold diving is to “Never Train alone” breathe hold training , freediving and spearfishing all come with associated risks. It is important you gain knowledge to better understand the risks involved.
