Ray Klefstad's notes on freedive spearfishing from
1) "Blue Water Hunting and Freediving" by Terry Maas
2) other freedivers (mostly via the Freedivelist)
3) personal experience
Scope: Southern California Islands and Baja
freediving gear
wetsuits
custom-fit skin-in full suit 3 mm (summer) to 5 mm (winter)
1/8" attached hood with skin seals around face
kneepadless is for best comfort while freediving
slack in neck section can aid in visual scan
use 1/3 hair conditioner to 2/3 water in spray bottle for lubricant
good brands: Esclapez, Deep Thought, M&B
booties
1/8" to 3/16" thick skin-in shooter sock bootie
Kevlar sole helps the bootie last longer
be sure your fins fit over the booties you plan to wear
gloves
reinforced palm and fingers: US Divers Islander, Oceanic?
mask
low-volume mask
good fit is important
skirt must be opaque (black) to prevent light entering from sides
(light will reflect off inner side of glass making it hard to see)
someone suggested filling extra space with silicone rubber
brands: Cressi-sub Super Occhio, Esclapez?
snorkel
short with large bore attached to mask with silicone 8
brands: US Divers Impulse (the one with the beehive on top)
fins
long-blade, full-foot fins
softer for weaker diver for shallow, long duration dives
stiffer for stronger diver for deeper dives of shorter duration
brands: Esclapez black or green, Cressi-sub Rondine Gara or Gara 2000
weight belt
try to have it rest on your hips instead of your waist to reduce
stress on your lower back
keep streamlined to avoid tangles
rubber webbing belt with trident stainless quick-release buckle
use 1.5 lb weights spaced evenly
knife
attach to fore arm or leg with quick release bungie
keep knife sharp, blunt tip may prevent stabbing yourself
spearfishing gear
spearguns
oily wood like Teak is good
enclosed track for longer arrows powered by 3 or more bands
open track ok for shorter arrows powered by 2 or maybe 3 bands
handle about 12 inches forward of butt
rear trigger mechanism for longest band stretch
balanced just in front of the handle
no safety, you'll forget to take it off, uncock the bands for safety
high-modulus bands retain their energy longer
use Technora, nylon, or steel wishbones
floats
inflatable floats are compact and great for travel
but air compresses when pulled underwater
Divinycell foam floats work the best (try to keep it strong and light)
floatlines
long enough for your deepest dive plus about 10 feet
bungie made from Mullins material with 1000 lb Spectra inside
cheap: 5/16" vinyl tubing with 1/8" paracord or tunacord inside
cheapest: yellow poly line (really not very good for fighting fish)
reel
good for hunting in kelp, paddy hopping, or diving deep reefs
medium-stiff 1/8" thick 540 lb test cord is ideal for fighting fish
shooting lines
use about 2 1/2 line wraps around the gun
fin-attach shooting line is better because slide rings can break
mono:
300 to 500 lb test mono attached, double-crimp each end
be sure not to pinch crimp at ends - it may damage mono
cable:
PVC coated 49 strand s.s. cable 1/16" steel with 3/32" coating
replace shooting line that has any fraying, nicks, or rust
attachments
locking bow shackle, longline clip to attach floatline to float
use same or pigtail swivel to attach floatline to shooting line
be sure connectors are at least 300 lb test
spear tips
detachable with 3/32" diameter 49 strand stainless steel cable
Kitto or Alexander
fish clip
attach to float (or waist if you don't have sharks or sealions)
use stainless clip or wire with T-toggle
Homemade: drill hole in old s.s. knife to use as T-toggle
diving techniques
relax
hyperventilate mildy - about three quick but deep breaths, exhale completely
break seal with snorkel to prevent noise
dive downward with minimal effort and noise
employ about three power strokes at start of dive then glide down
coast downward for deeper dives, head down, then flare to level off to stop
hover motionless as long as comfortable
don't make any sudden movements
use speargun butt to push yourself off bottom and give yourself a good start
head upward with minimal required effort
breathe slowly for at least 10 breaths on surface to recover
hunting techniques
general skills
target practice for best results
pretend you're not hunting and have no gun, fish can sense a threat
stalking
move very slowly and quietly
use kelp and rocks for cover
watching for fish
scan 180 to 360 degrees
try attracting curious fish by waving a white glove or strumming bands
never swim directly towards a fish (unless he can't see your motion)
try not shooting, just observing, to learn fish behavior
fish swimming fast or farther away may require following and leading
avoid getting tangled in shooting line - it could be fatal
yellowtail
if sighted from surface, may dive down or away without spooking
sometimes curious about divers and will come in to check out
may be attracted by sounds and sights of interesting action
often at bait boundry outside kelp or structure or on paddies
best to be down when they come by
they seem to like areas with lots of current
white seabass
often in kelp or at kelp/sand boundry
they favor the upcurent side of rocky points too
sensitive to diver motion
may be attracted to a diver hanging still
if you must dive on a sighted fish, wait until he passes under you
will sometimes return to an area a while after spooking
don't forget to check out shallow water, sometimes they are there
may be attracted by making a double croak (low A) once per 5 minutes
calico bass
often hang in kelp or around other structure
may be approached by slow stalking
sometimes appear out of curiosity while diver is down
often surprised by comming around a natural barrier (kelp or structure)
you have a millisecond to shoot them before they bolt or drift off
baracuda
inside kelp or at kelp bed outside boundry
best approached by hiding behind kelp or wait for approach
halibut
often found in sand around structure (often on upcurrent/upswell side)
sometimes found at sunset on sandy beaches
at night around sandy areas near rocky reefs
tuna
usually fast swimming
often found at offshore banks and paddies and near islands
frequently with sharks
usually best to be down when they come by instead of diving after
sighting
larger ones often come later in the school or swim below smaller ones
may have to dive to 100+ feet for a shot at a larger fish
wahoo
similar to shooting Baracuda, but in blue water
ignoring them appeals to their curiosity
they will often check out each diver in a group
they make one spectacular run, but often tire quickly
dorado
similar to yellowtail, but they like warmer water and they jump!
large grouper or other reef fish like pargo and snapper
often found deeper (60'+) maybe in caves, shallower in Spring
use 500 lb test 49 strand steel cable shooting line
shoot from point blank (less than 8 feet) and try for a kill shot
fish will head into the rocks after spearing
often 20 feet deeper than where you shot them
try to keep fish from getting to rocks
swim upward immediately pulling shooting line
these fish have killed many spearos!
cabrilla
very sensitive to motion
must descend absolutely still
shoot quickly, because you may have only a millisecond to shoot
sheephead
smaller ones are too easy to be sporting, but are better tasting
larger ones (10+ lbs) are harder to approach
avoid shooting them if you value your speartip