How to Spearfish – A Primer for New Divers
Introduction
Welcome to Spearfishing School – a beginner’s guide to Spearfishing. Post topics include, safety, basics, equipment, rigging, repair, maintenance, techniques, tips, and more. Each post is clear and to the point, with specific examples, some with diagrams, or photos. Access to Spearfishing School is totally free during the beta stage. All I ask is that you share this page and sign up for our email list if you find Spearfishing School useful. Thank you. Enjoy, be safe.
Disclaimer
By clicking on any link on this site you AGREE with this disclaimer:
Freediving, Spearfishing, and the related topics discussed here are inherently dangerous. Participating in any freediving activity exposes one-self to the risk of death and/or permanent injury. The content of this site is provided as personal entertainment only. Although portions of the content may be perceived as instructional, do not depend upon it as such. The following article is not intended as a replacement for proper training in any water sport activity. There are no warranties or guarantees, either expressed or implied that the information contained at this site is accurate, correct or reliable. You are responsible for using your own good judgment. We urge you to seek proper instruction from a qualified and certified agency before attempting any sport requiring breath hold freediving.
A Work in Progress
All of the sections are not completed yet. We will publish more sections as we complete them. Our goal is to publish at least one new section per week. Check back often.
Spearfishing School
The over 80 part series everyone new to spearfishing should read.
- What is Spearfishing?
- Spearfishing or Spear Fishing?
- Spearfishing Rules
- How to Find a Dive Buddy?
- Dangers of Spearfishing
- Benefits of Spearfishing
- Should I take a Freediving Class?
- Minimum Gear to Start Spearfishing?
- Spearfishing Log
- Spearfishing Wetsuit
- Do I Need a Spearfishing Wetsuit with a Hood?
- How Much Should I Spend On a Spearfishing Suit?
- Do I Need a Weight Belt?
- Why is a Rubber Weight Belt Better?
- How Much Weight Do I Need?
- Should I Wear Gloves While Spearfishing?
- Fin Socks aka Booties
- Freediving Fins
- Spearfishing Dive Knife
- How do I carry my fish?
- Start with a Polespear or Speargun?
- Anatomy of a Polespear
- Anatomy of a Speargun
- Spearfishing Dive Gear Bag
- Spearfishing Log
- Spearfishing Log Template
- Polespear Options
- Choosing the Right Starter Speargun for Me?
- What Size Speargun to Get?
- Cleaning Your Speargun
- Speargun Inspection
- Speargun Maintenance
- Types of Spearguns
- What Order Do I Load Bands on a Speargun?
- What is a Floatline?
- Is it Floatline or Float Line?
- What Length Float Line?
- How to Rig a Kelp Carrot to Float Line?
- Advice on Getting a Float?
- Make a Float
- How to Setup a Float?
- Where do I Connect My Dive Flag and Float?
- Lines and Shock Cords
- Single or Double Wrap Mono?
- Break Away Setup
- The Tax Man A.K.A. Guy in The Gray suit
- After Dive Equipment Care
- How to Care for an Open Cell Suit?
- How to Repair a Hole in my Spearfishing Suit?
- When to Change my Speargun Bands?
- How to Make New Rubbers?
- Do I Need a Dive Watch?
- Benefits of Freediving Ear Plugs?
- Flashlight
- Amber or Clear Lens on Dive Mask?
- Fillet Knife
- How To Disassemble fins?
- Build a “Save The Dive Kit”
- Clearing Dive Mask of Water
- Clearing a Snorkel of Water
- Best Area for a Beginner To Spearfish?
- Where to go Spearfish?
- Why and How to Brain a Fish?
- Spearfishing Techniques
- Fin Technique for Moving On the Surface
- Getting Used to Judging Underwater Distance and Size
- How To Aim a Polespear?
- Polespear Fishing Basics
- How To Aim a Speargun?
- Be Quiet
- Don’t Stare
- How To Sneak Up On or Stalk Fish
- Spearfishing Aguatto
- Spearfishing Aspetto
- Best Time to Dive?
- Tides and Spearfishing
- Where to find fish?
- Learn by Observation
- How To Increase Bottom Time?
- Best Way to Take Fish Home
- Cleaning Your Fish
- Clearing or Equalizing Ear Pressure
- Preventing and Dealing with Sea Sickness
- Traveling with Spearfishing Gear
- What Training Can I Do for Spearfishing?
- Practice
WANTED: Your Questions
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Spearfishing Video School Coming Soon!
Our next series will be Spearfishing Video School. We’ll be describing how we shoot and make our videos step by step. Sign up for our eMail list and be notified when it comes out. Thanks for reading Spearfishing School.