In The Mix Spearfishing: a cure for the bodyboarding blues P2

In: In The Mix by doclach 0 Comments Thu 5th Jan '12

Tags: Spearfising , freediving , Lobster , Jem Cresswell , Jeremy Greive , Tom Rayner , bodyboarding , Sharks

This is part 2 of Lobster's insights to spearfishing as an alternative to Bodyboarding when the waves are flat. If you haven't already, you need to read PART 1 first.
Here is the second section of the write-up (a few words of overlay to give continuation). Hang onto your seat.....

.....It is for these reasons that an increasing number of bodyboarders have taken up spearfishing.The list includes names such as Damian King, Ewan Donnachie, Michael Novy, Mark McCarthy, Shaun Pyne, Glen Thurston, Damien Martin, Brenden Newton, Daniel Scarlet, Matty McArthur and, as featured in the accompanying Vimeo edit, underground charger Jeremy "The Bull" Alderson.

Bodyboarding can get the adrenalin pumping, and in many cases, this forms an integral part of the allure. Spearfishing is no different. The thrill of your first ‘real' shark encounter or first big fish will be something that will stay with you forever.

In my case, my first big fish story also doubles as my first ‘real' shark experience.

A friend and I were diving over a kilometre offshore behind a rocky outcrop at a secluded location. It was one of ‘those' days, the visibility was incredible, at over 25 metres, and the water was warm and teeming with fish. Towards the end of the dive a Kingfish caught my eye, it was cruising along the bottom in 25 metres of water. I dove to 15 metres when it began to angle up towards me. I levelled out and took the shot. It wasn't until the fish took off with my gear and repeatedly pulled me underwater that I realised that it was bigger than I had first imagined (it later weighed in at 23kg). After a long fight and a second shot to secure the fish I finally had it in my hands. I was ecstatic, after some high-fives we decided to make the long swim back to shore. My mate was a little way ahead of me when I noticed a big shape coming up at me out of the depths. I immediately knew what it was, a Bull Shark, and a big one at over 3 metres. However, it wasn't the length that I first noticed, but how wide it was, suddenly the name "Bull Shark' made perfect sense. I felt pretty insignificant at that moment, a long way from shore, a bleeding fish and a big, notoriously aggressive shark ascending toward me. My mind was telling me to let it take the fish but my heart wouldn't allow it, not the best fish I had ever caught! I had heard that when you encounter a big shark, swimming toward it can scare it off. So, I decided to dive towards the shark in the hope it would get frightened away. To my surprise, it turned sharply and once again drifted into the deep. That day will be forever etched into my memory, alongside my best surfs.

Whilst you will eventually encounter a shark of some nature spearfishing, they are not as common as you would think, nor are they the man-eating killers the media often makes them out to be.

Eight times Australian Spearfishing Champion Ian Puckeridge gives his insight regarding sharks in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney:

"I haven't seen many large sharks in the Eastern Suburbs and when you do run into them it is usually when the water is warm. From the diving work I do with fisheries we know that Bull Sharks turn up around December and stay until around April before migrating north. I had one encounter at Bondi, just off the Icebergs (pool at South Bondi) in February a couple of years ago. I was with my son and he was spearing and I was just watching, he went down to shoot his first fish, a Salmon, and a large Bull Shark approached form the other side of the school and then turned and swam back to where the surfers were. When I got home my wife asked me to ring the lifeguards. I did, but they thought it was a joke so I wished them all the best and gave up", Ian said.

Similarly, Ewan shares his experiences with sharks:

"I've seen sharks in the water, but very, very few considering the amount of time I have spent spearfishing over the years. The largest was an 8ft Hammerhead off Bangalley Headland. It was a bit of a shock and slightly unnerving, but the shark was so placid and relaxed, it made me realise the chances of being attacked by an aggressive, large shark are truly minimal. This was further reinforced just recently on my last trip to Tahiti when we swam with over 25 Black Tip Reef Sharks without a care in the world", Ewan said.

First-hand accounts such as these paint a more accurate picture of how sharks really behave. Sure, the occasional shark will show interest in a diver, but they very rarely act aggressively. One of the great things to be gained from spearfishing is a newfound respect for these amazing animals, rather than a media-fed fear. There are far fewer sharks than you would imagine, knowing this, and how they behave makes those early morning paddles a little more enjoyable.

A far greater risk to spearfishers is blackout. Blackout is the sudden loss of consciousness caused by oxygen starvation. Divers can experience two types of blackout. Shallow water blackout (SWB) occurs when divers ascend vertically in the water column and undergo pressure changes. Secondly, static apnea (holding your breath) which can happen in the bath or swimming pool.

Experienced spearfisherman, and qualified freedive instructor Simon Trippe details some important safety points regarding blackout:

1. Any apnea practice, such as spearfishing, should always see a buddy watching over their
partner while they are practising breath-hold underwater
2. The loss of motor control experienced during a blackout sees the spearfisher unable to help
themselves and the chance of survival is minimal unless the buddy has been watching over the dive and is able to assist the distressed diver
3. Blackout sees no suffering and can occur with little to no warning. The dive buddy needs to
be vigilant
4. Always dive well within your limits!

Regardless of whether you are experiencing the bodyboarding blues or not, spearfishing is a fun and exciting sport to participate in. It can offer an adrenalin rush few sports outside of bodyboarding can. As with any extreme sport it is important to understand how to practice it safely, always dive with a buddy and well within your limits. Next time the waves are poor or you can't make it down the coast, grab a mate and explore the world beneath the waves.

This link http://www.usfa.com.au/guide/FINAL%20GUIDE.pdf provides a comprehensive overview of spearfishing. Check it out!

Thanks to Jem Creswell, Jeremy Greive and Tom Rayner for the Photos.