How do I get into spear-fishing?

[SC Short Stick]

as a new guy myself, i would recommend a pole spear. For starters they take a whole two seconds to reload and you shouldnt be hunting big fish that would require a spear yet. Ive also been heeded by experienced spearfishermen not to be exploring caves and big holes too much as it can warrant trouble.

I dont know where your from, but in california, all you need is a State fishing license. its 41 or 42 bucks. Also, i HIGHLY RECOMMEND a knowlege of your states fish and game laws. As said by another post, you will look really stupid if you bring up something too small or protected. Not to mention the fines are pretty hefty and you better believe any other diver in the water is an undercover F&G Warden. You need to know sizes of fish, bag limits, location of your license, (may need to be on your person) and whether you can fish at certain locations...i.e. State Marine Reserve vs. a State Marine Reserve Conservatory. Catch my drift? Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[SC Short Stick]

i forgot to ad that i paddle out to my spot on a modified surf board. Its a little over a quarter mile and kick-paddling is very efficient, even with all your gear on. Dont forget to have a flag, even if your in a super kelpy spot with no boats around.

 

[Hetland]

best way is to go with experienced spearfishermen. watch, look and listen. remember that your attention is divided, so it's like you're a drunk driver, and you will be much more prone to making mistakes. pay extra attention to your dive computer and air. i've seen extra-conservative guys get bent and almost run out of gas while spearfishing. it's easier to make mistakes because you're in hunt-mode. in your off time, practice reloading your gun (the line, not the bands). take the spear out of your gun, turn your head, and shake the bands, lines, etc back and forth until it's nicely scrambled, then reset the spear and restring. do this over and over until you are comfortable with the process. the more you do it, the better/faster you will be underwater. better yet, practice in a pool while maintaining neutral buoyancy. pulling the trigger and hitting your target are the easiest parts of spearfishing. it's the other parts that can get you hurt, or slow you down.