Competitive Spearfishing and Freediving

Being in a competition and being competitive can be looked at in a negative light. Most of us came into Freediving and Spearfishing because of the fun and food collecting aspect so we don't want to take something we do for the passion and make it a "job." Or are there valuable lessons that a diver can learn by participating in a competition that may help him/her in everyday Freediving and Spearfishing?

The purpose of this article is NOT to try and convince you or anyone that competing in Freediving and Spearfishing is good and you need to try it. No. My goal is to express, through personal experience, my thoughts about competing so those that have heard of or thought about competing, but had reservations about it, may decide to compete, or not, based on fact more than fiction.

Growing up, I didn't know Freediving and Spearfishing was or could be competitive, my friends and I would go out and catch some fish, Lobster, Scallops and Abalone and grind until you ate so much food you almost "tossed your cookies." Only when I moved here, to Hawaii, did I learn about and understand a competitive side to Freediving and Spearfishing. Learning about competitions, when I have always done the sport for fun, I was turned off from competitions for a long time. Although, the concept was intriguing and I wanted to learn more without having to actually compete.

I used my video camera as a tool to gain me the knowledge by offering to video the competitors while they are in various tournaments. I have to admit I learned more by simply watching different competitors than by viewing the videotape latter, but again it was the video camera which gave me the opportunity in the first place, so it wasn't totally useless. The video didn't work out very well because I didn't want to piss off any competitors by scaring their fish away trying to get "the good shot" so I kept a pretty good distance.

My thoughts of competition changed but only after several years of careful consideration and many "changes" in how these tournaments were run. Not too many years ago a Spearfishing competition required each diver to catch a limit of twenty (20) fish of various species. There was size limits imposed, along with other guidelines, but the thought of each diver spearing twenty (20) fish left me with a bitter taste in my mouth considering there could be between forty (40) to one hundred (100) divers in one small area!!! That's as much as two thousand (2,000) fish in one day from one area!!! At the same time I remember seeing pictures on the cover of some Spearfishing magazines where a proud diver displayed his "winning catch" of dozens of fish and most of the fish were relatively small. Later I learned of the "point system" and figured out why.

These days, for example the YMCA Sonny T. Invitational Spearfishing Tournament, you'll note a three (3) fish maximum (instead of the twenty (20) mentioned earlier) limit as well as the usual minimum size limits etc. which turns out to be even more competitive due to a decrease in "opportunity." Boy has times changed. Better competition and less impact on the environment. That's a step in the right direction.

But what can you and I gain from competing? Well, there are several important lessons within the actual competition and surrounding the event(s) i.e. like what it takes to organize and hold a tournament. Most commonly a diver will ask: "Why make something I do for fun and make it serious and competitive?"

Tell me that you wouldn't like to be in better "shape" or have better conditioning— I know we all would, but I also know myself. Are you like me? You see, I know I need a "reason" to get in shape so I feel like I have a goal to reach. Without a "purpose" I have a difficult time getting motivated to better myself. Diving will always be fun even if I never leave the surface but wouldn't it be nice to have a three-minute bottom time? You don't think you can? Would you buy a three-minute bottom time if you could? Well you can't, so you'll just have to work at it like everyone else does. But I'll guarantee you you'll know when you got it.

Along with conditioning naturally comes a great increase in knowledge of yourself, your surroundings, fish habits and habitats, and the gear you use. Personally, I feel the knowledge you will gain about yourself and how to stay calm in stressful situations is priceless, because it doesn't only pertain to diving. How many people do you know, maybe including yourself, who are stressed out all the time and will snap at the slightest thing that goes wrong in their lives? And how nice would it be if everyone could take some time out and immerse themselves in the underwater world us divers are drawn to and learn that life isn't all about expensive cars and picture phones— On a further note of advancement in self-discipline, have you ever missed a shot on a fish because you were too excited? Don't worry, we all have.

One of the largest factors about competing that has helped me personally, is how to think during a situation where "normally" I would lose all motor skills—like when I came across the Ahi (see Dive Journal - July 28,2003). I saved my excitement for after I pulled the trigger, not before, which is a very fine line with and a very different outcome. I can honestly say that the few competitions I have done contributed greatly to staying calm during the event with the Ahi.

A common feeling among "competitors" is the natural feeling of being "afraid" or "scared" of the other competitors. However, to put this thought into reality a person must realize this is not a boxing match whereby if you "loose" the result, more than likely, is you have ten black eyes and fifteen swollen lips. This is Spearfishing and your not going to get beat-up by your competition so why be "afraid" or "scared?" After a Spearfishing competition the "losers" get first crack at the beer while the "winners" are busy signing autographs. Now that I mention it, I think I'd rather lose—Just kidding!

A phenomenon among divers is the fact that many are willing to participate in "small home town" kind of competition but they won't compete on a "larger" scale i.e. State, Nationals or Worlds—perhaps not realizing it's the same thing with a different title and with the same end results— some people spear more fish than the other people. That's it!

Like many sports, almost all of the discouraging factors are mental obstacles, not physical. Many people have found, during a competition, that by thinking "it's just another day to shoot fish to take home and grind" they stay calmer and more focused on the goal of spearing fish—not who's going to win or lose.

It's well known among "experienced" competitors that the divers that have more fun do better than those that take it too serious. So am I saying to go out there and screw around—YES! And those of you that think you're "not good enough—" another common consensus among veteran competitors is that Spearfishing competitions are largely based on luck. But as the saying goes, "the harder you work, the luckier you get." Remember, it's just another great excuse to take the day off, go diving, talk story and learn more about diving and yourself. But be careful, you might even have fun.