Gulf Coast Reef Hunters

When to take up Spearfishing as a new diver

I get alot of questions from new divers interested in spearfishing. Many of them think they can (and some do) jump right into the sport after completing their dive course and receiving that coveted PADI dive card. Before taking up spearfishing, a diver should possess at least an intermediate level of diving expertise. Intermediate skill refers more to a diver’s ability and comfort in the water than it does to “passing” a certain certification level. Just like diving, spearfishing is a very safe sport. However, when you break the rules you get in trouble. Rules include being prepared, skilled and in adequate physical condition for the type of diving activity pursued. Basic skills include familiarity with diving equipment, mastery of basic water skills, including exceptional buoyancy control, and dive table proficiency. Advanced diving skills include underwater navigation, fish identification and at least 24 dives logged in the dive log. Effective buoyancy control distinguishes an accomplished diver from an inexperienced one. The MOST important skill is the monitoring of your air consumption. I know many “experienced” spearfishers who are lucky enough to tell the story of how they ran out of air at 100′ only to do an emergency ascent because there was no one around to help them. One required helicopter evacuation to the decompression chamber as a result. Why did they run out of air? It wasn’t from equipment malfunction. It was failure to monitor the air supply adequately. Lots going on down there while you’re chasing fish. It requires discipline and skill.