Spearfishing is pretty fun. Unlike this insanity, when I go out, it is more like glorified snorkeling. The snorkeling is actually the best part of it. I’ve only been spearfishing a dozen or two times, mostly in Rhode Island, some in Northern California, and even less in Central America. Only once did I head into the water with anyone that had more experience than me (that time was fun, my buddy Stephan took me to an offshore island/reef in his family’s boat). That’s not to say that I’m any good. I just had to figure it out myself.
look at that physique!
Spearfishing can be much more fun than fishing for those of us who weren’t lucky enough to have a mentor show us how/when/where to catch fish with a rod (shout-out to Clifton!). Of course getting hammered with your buddies is fun whether you catch a fish or not, but scoring fish from underwater will actually get you closer to a better physique (it is exercise, after all).
The New England water has less waves than in Northern California, which is probably the main reason the water is clearer. Light offshore wind for a few days, or maybe none at all, is also good for water clarity. Water clarity prediction is one of those elusive sciences, defintely more of an ‘art’. That’s your first barrier. But once you find clear conditions and maybe a wetsuit too, you’re set on your way to explore the coastline and reefs. Kelp forests and thick non-stinging jellyfish swarms were some of my most memorable underwater settings.
The closest I ever got to deep blue spearfishing like in the video above was out in a calm bay in NW Costa Rica. My buddy Karl and I took quads in search of the rumored bay, which was a trip in and of itself. After burning a hilarious amount of time trying to get my knife UNstuck from a coconut, 30 ft up in the air, we took turns with the mini-speargun & snorkel/fins in the glassy waters. While edible fish of decent size were rare on that trip (we came out empty-handed), I did see a moray eel, and a GIANT FREAKING TUNA that swam past my goggles. My brain auto-piloted to “SHARK!” One second later, I had to decide whether to take a shot with my inadequate equipment (and, uh, skill). I chose wisely and the fish swam on, without me in tow.
In the next month I’ll be moving to Oahu, the same island that the video footage is from. Stay tuned for the next update…
