SPEARFISHING FOR BEGINNERS FROM A BEGINNER - Gear / Tips / Tricks

More spearfishing adventures : • Spearfishing in AUSTRALIA
Since I've been spearfishing from the shore in Western Australia, I have had a lot of people reach out who also want to begin spearfishing but they have no idea where to start and what gear they will need.
Now spearfishing is a very dangerous hobby, and that risk is massively increased when spearfishing alone.
For that reason I do not want to or intend to encourage people to start spearfishing.
With that aside, I personally found it very difficult when I was starting out and I also made a lot of mistakes which cost me time and fish.
With that in mind, I decided to make a video just going over some things I have learned and the gear I use.
Hopefully that will help other beginners just starting out.
NOTE: I am by no means even remotely an expert on spearfishing!
TIMESTAMPS:
Intro 0:00
Gear 8:11
Speargun 8:45
Float 14:23
Weight Belt 18:27
Mask & Snorkel 19:42
Fins 20:31
Wet suit 21:26
Gloves & Booties 23:04
Diving Knife 23:35
Bag 26:28
Tips 27:17
SUBSCRIBE to follow our Australia overlanding adventure for all things outdoors, camping, offroading, hiking, fitness, cooking and spearfishing.
SUPPORT us on Patreon : / theoutfit
COLLAB with us : [e-mail]
FOLLOW US on Instagram :
The OutFIT's Instagram @the.out.fit / the.out.fit
#spearfishing #spearfishingforbeginners #spearfishingaustralia

[@vanzijlp]

Just a little safety tip: Wear your lead on your back - should you black out, you will float on your back and not face down. I also recover 2-3 times your bottom time. THis recovery depends on the depth you are diving. Love your channel. Great tips that you put out there.

[@Notahuman25]

Good idea mate

[@MacMillanDAN]

I just noticed that this video is 2 years old. Even though, I'll add some advises/ tips/ opinions from a Mediterranean spearo down below for anyone passing by. 1. NEVER DIVE ALONE. It's the number 1 safety rule, so much for the inexperienced and experienced spearos. 2. Remove your snorkel from your mouth before descending. This will save your lungs from filling up with water in case of a blackout. 3. Learn to be as silent as possible. No excessive noices when swimming and especialy when you perform your duckdive. The silent and calmer your dive and stay on the bottom, the more curious the fish will be. They'll come close to check out what you are. Don't underestimate this tip. Could be considered number 1 if we would be talking about hunting alone. 4. Try out different techniques. Aspetto and agguato are very common. There is a multitude of videos on the internet about them. Aspetto, being the most beginner friendly. 5. When you load your double banded gun. Make sure you load the furthest band away, first. The closest band should be loaded lastly. This will put the bands in a more "natural" position and will give you better visibility when taking the shot.

[@southernwarrior9302]

I’ve been spearfishing for 20+years and from what I’ve seen, your doin pretty good mate. Keep up the good work 👍🏽

[@TheOutFit]

Cheers mate appreciate it!

[@TheOutFit]

Because this video is long guys, I have added time stamps in case you want to just flick to a particular section. Let me know if you found any of this useful. Cheers! Chris NB : I forgot to mention, make sure you take a freediving course before you begin spearfishing.

[@Josh-gz5nb]

Hi mate what gun is it? The ocean hunter SG? Does it retail for like $120?

[@Jeep_Forces]

Hey mate nice Jeep

[@apexmoto9610]

@ 19:20 - I realize this video is old, but as a long time spearo I'll just say that weighting for negative bouyancy is totally dependant on the depth you'll be fishing at. If you're fishing on a reef that descends down to 15-30m or along a drop-off shelf you'll want negative bouyancy a lot sooner after your dive so you use as little air as possible during your descent. If you're fishing the rocks in the shallows you'll want more weight to keep you down so you're not fighting to stay submerged. I also use ankle weights for these circumstances.

[@shyandtd]

this video is so thorough and well done, thank you!!

[@nash3913]

What a great tutorial, Thanks! it's nice seeing how much you both love and respect the environment as well as all it's resources, both in and out of the water. I once worked as a research technician for the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources. I have since retired, but while I was there I spent many many summers scuba diving the Great Lakes doing all sorts of different research projects. I freak'n loved it! I was never able to find a commercially manufactured float that I liked either so I made my own out of an old milk crate and a inner tube for a small tire. Just lash the tire to the outside of the crate, zip tie your Dive Flag to it n a rope with a weight to anchor it with or tie it to your belt n there ya go. I'd use it to put samples in, extra gear (gloves, snorkle, etc.), worked pretty good! I know your storage space is at a premium but you do use those collapsible crates for storage inside the General. ?? Just a thought. Hope yer hav'n a wonderful weekend! Take care n be safe out there!

[@fishmut]

Great tips there Nash , will take this on making a float like this . Thanks for sharing. Cheers.

[@wowchad]

Were you lucky enough to have the funding for a dry suit? I’m up here now, just back from first spearfishing in Puerto Rico & I am fully hooked! Always heard how good diving up here in the Great Lakes is because the cold freshwater preserves everything so well, but I’ve moved on from cold & gray to warm & colorful 😊

[@akosijim6473]

I am so proud of you man respecting the water and the life with in.

[@daverenshaw7073]

Amazing job dude, there is a severe lack of information on spearfishing in Western Australia and love your enthusiasm. U have done an awesome job

[@brigittefeton383]

Amazing as usual ! Beginners can rely on you ! Great video once again !

[@michaelhermans4753]

Great content Chris Covered all bases, after 20 years of diving for crays and reef fish all I’ve ever needed is my trusty 1.1 Rob Allen

[@harryesteves387]

Helloo, is that what is referred to as a 110? Is that 1.1meter from the muzzle to handle?

[@michaelhermans4753]

@@harryesteves387 correct it has twin rubbers

[@lamington1949]

thank you so much for making this, it was really helpful!!

[@thepatentguru4358]

Great information and points. Well done! Love it. Keep it going and give us another in a few months. Be great to hear about what new skills you have learned.

[@kirilllevin2211]

I’ve been looking for such video for two days. Man, you nailed it! Thank you for all the advice! You look great, btw. Be safe!

[@mustafakemal9547]

Good stuff mate,nice and simple but informative

[@It-b-Blair]

This was perfect! Thanks for the guidance, lots of helpful stuff here 👍👍👍

[@reefdude329]

This is very helpful! Thank you!

[@Andrew-76]

Great job Chris , very well put together vid as usual I'm sure Ange helped also , I've been keen to get back into this after a long while off and you have inspired me to do so , need allot of new gear so your thoughts are great on what to get , thanks for putting this up , the shark bit gets played in the media allot which concerned me but you seem to cope , cheers Andrew

[@brianwinter7887]

Thanks for posting brotha! Great video!

[@1985goldie]

I really enjoyed this thankyou! I’m just getting into Freediving and Spearfishing. It was really good to hear from the perspective of someone who isn’t yet an expert. Thanks!

[@fabreezem8174]

Great video, here's a few tips to new spearos #1 don't lay your gun on the sand like that, it'll eventually cause the safety and or trigger systems to malfunction. #2 you don't need a massive gun like this specifically not as a beginner, unless you have a massive upper body and arms like this guy, Otherwise you will lose a lot more fish with a long gun, 90cm to 110cm is more than you'll need to start and grow into. Lots of really great info here Otherwise.

[@octopusonmyback]

Excellent summary! Thanks from Brooklyn.

[@fabricecaporal3215]

Nice job! Two comments, I prefer to keep the knife on my ankle. I don't want it on my belt as if you are in trouble and need to dump your belt for buency you still may need your knife. Second I NEVER go alone. It's not worth the risk and it much more fun to share the experience.

[@TheOutFit]

If you need spearfishing gear you can use the *Discount code THEOUTFIT30* for $30 OFF (orders over $100) Seabuck gear : bushbuck.com.au/collections/seabuck If you are interested in catching crayfish/lobster, I have also released a beginners' video with tips & tricks here : kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaKxdamIrM-GoLM

[@shannonmooney1626]

Damn dude! Love this bro! So good! Just started spearo and you have answered every question I have had so far! Best first spear Fisher vid for WA by far!!

[@TheOutFit]

Stoked! Cheers! Hopefully see you out there for a spear

[@hubciok1173]

Great video Chris, as beginner spearo I can relate to pretty much everything you said. Thumbs up for your channel :)

[@bonsoirfrancois]

Nice video mate! Hard to find anything like this about spearfishing online so thank you! 🤙🏼

[@whysthat123]

Great help mate, thanks a lot. U gave me so much new information.

[@ethanpadoa437]

Love this mate Thanks for the help

[@BandoLandoIII]

One of the most helpful videos, thank you!

[@simonslattery1845]

Thanks for the information, very helpful as i wish to take up spearfishing in the future.

[@leroybrown3555]

Just starting out and mate, I appreciate the video, have had a quick skin over your other content and dig it, got yourself a sub. Look forward to more

[@mikehogg6226]

Some great info in there. Thanks Spearbro!

[@michaelmcpherson3440]

excellent video just what i was looking for as an introduction..

[@sharkdreaming]

Hey mate great vid, I’m only new to free diving have got my gear and will be getting in to the water soon. You have done well in your presentation and pointed out some great things thanks heaps for your the time you have taken out of your time to do this vid take care and stay safe 👌

[@xyreyes]

First video of your's I've come accross. Subbed :) Thank you for all the great tips and your honesty

[@dannyhamm]

About to move to Hawaii and this helps out a ton. Luckily there are people there that will be teaching me but this at least gets the ball rolling.

[@jentzwohlitz3402]

I agree with your motivation and views on spearfishing

[@oceanrambo]

Not a bad informational video.I've been spearfishing almost 5 years, when I started I went and bought all cheap gear I found out it was a bar mistake as it costed me more again to buy decent gear ,once I linked up to Facebook divers pages I got alot of advice, it's better to buy good gear from the start as cheap gear don't work properly and at times just break.Be safe spearos ALWAYS dive with a buddy, it's good to do a freediving course to learn more and if possible spearfishing clubs is a great way to go too. DONT dive solo guys

[@alapetiseui2243]

Dude thank you man. Just started and this video helped me out a lot 🙏🙏

[@elektriklibisiklet6278]

Very good, helpful and considerate(for the most part) video.

[@Daniel-pv8jl]

Amazing as always

[@sonnywilmans8196]

Omg this video is so helpful thanks keep doing these pls

[@advrider7777]

Great attitude mate , loved it

[@shawnstephens8852]

For a beginner, your drops look pretty perfect to me,great work bro,great,👍💯💯🐟🥽🦀🦞🦈

[@gooutsideeveryday2017]

Thank you very much for this.

[@richardpreseau7419]

Thx for the info I'm getting into spear fishing and have been weary of what gear to buy so this really helped coming from someone else that just started p.s nice hat 👍

[@TheAussieRod]

Awesome tips, mate. Thank you

[@cjod33]

Good stuff, some things have certainly changed others not. Home made timber spear gun 20m of curtain cord trailng an empty 4lter oil container, piece of fencing wire/coat hange used as a fishkeeper 10inch below the oil container. Wool jumpers n Sox in the winter. Good fun

[@gravyboatcookingandcamping9930]

Great explanations and footage mate. Thanks for the tips. Cheers 🍺

[@poisenwhafflechicken]

great video, thanks mate.

[@ncadventure9703]

Great video mate. I’m just about to begin spearfishing, waiting for a pole spear in the mail due to lockdown meaning I can’t shop anywhere. Can’t wait! Cheers

[@apexstylez7028]

Much respect to you from new zealand mate,keep it up,practice makes perfect

[@sibhs66]

You do such a great revue Chris. Very honest and personal without sponsor bias. Keep up the great work you 'Pansy' Ha ha. Cheers, Marty from Perth

[@chipandrews2892]

Awesome video Chris! Thanks for sharing...but since I live in Alaska...I'll gladly leave the spearfishing to you! Cheers!

[@malisalavis2239]

New to your channel & Loving your content. I am planning a WA trip 2021 Covid allowing. I’m am finding your vids super informative! Thank you 🙏

[@danielblake4975]

Great vid. Very informative. No1 instore had any knowledge on spear guns and what they do/how they work/differences. The eyes on the strap is awesome idea too especially if you're out solo

[@crfi9410]

Nice work. Very useful!

[@brba1325]

Thanks. Awesome beginner experience vid. That's a big gun for a beginner.

[@curtis761130]

Your vid is fxxkixx helpful. Thank you for the tips and stay sharp in WA

[@lanelle208]

Great Vid mate, we've been up Cape Leveque , Broome, and Exmouth all through Covid...Epic stuff, moving to Broome permanently as of next month now have a good boat from Perth to bring up.

[@frooty3684]

Nice one mate, great vid 👍 Ive just picked up my first lot of gear last week. Wetsuit comes in 2 weeks. Can’t wait to get amongst it. 🤙

[@TheOutFit]

Awesome! You'll love it mate!

[@insight7483]

Thanks very informative

[@VidarrKerr]

I am fishing in Brazil. Awesome channel. Great Info!

[@healthfitnessnutrition2345]

Continiou the good work . Your good.

[@benjaminday5238]

Awesome video, I have just found your page. Cant wait to see more videos!

[@wurstrolle1056]

very good video! good informations that helped me well :-) Thanks 🙏

[@austinc691]

Good video! You may like a fish stringer to attach your fish to your float. Also it is best to remove your snorkel before you dive.

[@grahammako477]

Wow what an awesome video. Cheers

[@zohzu]

There should be more videos like this, thanks man. It is really hard to understand what you really need and what not. I would love a video about different spearguns and how far you can shot with them. For example the speargun company Riffe has listed every gun and their reach. Maybe some other views can share their experience with different guns.

[@mojobrown33]

Very excellent video you made here

[@rudivn1]

Yeh mate, great video. Keep it up bru.

[@grindingbricks]

I'm planning to start spearfishing this summer, although i'm in Northern Quebec, Canada... ...so nothing salty, all fresh water, mostly hunting for walleye, pike, muskie, bass. But so far, throughout my research to gear up, your video have been the most usefull in regards of what lenght and force of speargun i should go for aswell as the fin type. Much thanks for making this video.

[@mollieduker8690]

Great Vid Chris

[@hongchang9370]

That salesman saw you coming,I purchased a 36in Biller for starters, but look like a very strong person. I am 64 and living life , I am also 100% disabled, can swim, better than walk. Thanks

[@robertschweppenhauser9891]

love it😁

[@joecant7147]

Wicked video - thanks dude :)

[@hongchaozhang3334]

nice lesson，thanks mate

[@robertlawrence8445]

good video thanks bro shoutout from nz

[@royjo14]

Awesome 👏

[@joefussy11]

In regards to the mask, If you get pain like your eyes are getting sucked out, breathe through your nose to put more air behind the mask to combat the extra pressure from the water pressure increasing with the depth. the idea behind the small volume is that it takes less air to equalise the pressure between the mask and surrounding water. More efficient use of valuable air but not necessary. Also black silicone to stop light getting through sides.

[@jsietsma]

Really great video, I wish I had seen it a year ago 🙂. It's worth mentioning you should spit your snorkel when you drive. If you black out it wont funnel water into your lungs. And you get good clear recovery breaths when you come back up. The dangers of black out grow as your dive ability does. It scares me far more then sharks!

[@malthus101]

what makes people black out? (in this sport)

[@jsietsma]

@@malthus101 shallow water black out. Lots of info online. Most common cause of death. I always dive with a buddy.

[@kweenslandspearo1981]

@@malthus101 quite simply hypoxia mate. The lack of enough oxygen in your system to sustain normal bodily functions.

[@malthus101]

@@kweenslandspearo1981 but can't you feel it coming on? Just like when your hold your breath and at some point you just can't any longer? (I'm no freediver)

[@kweenslandspearo1981]

@@malthus101 there are numerous reasons that an add up during a dive that can ultimately lead to hypoxic blackout. Fitness, dehydration, fatigue, illness, inexperience...the simple fact is that we all push ourselves to the limit.

[@tinashe_survivalist]

Thank you very much for the lesson, I am still planning to start doing that. I think that's the reason why I came across your channel. Anything that you would like to teach me I will be really happy. I'm just a graduate high school student waiting to go to university. But now I am thinking of doing something like your hobby, as a fish hunter 😄

[@rhyswood9117]

Well done mate! Pretty bang on with everything. I think whoever sold you the gear might have pushed you into a few things not very practical for rock hopping and shore dives but mainly gun size. They get a bit hard to swing in the surge along the shorelines and a bit heavy on the inshore fish. A smaller gun will also beat a bit more hunting practice for different species into you as you won’t have the range of a larger gun. Also when you upgrade to a new suit consider an open cell 3-3.5mm 2 piece suit. You do have to lube them up to slip in but a lot warmer when properly fitted.

[@TheOutFit]

Hi mate, appreciate the advice. 100% agree with you on the shop-keeper - the gun is very unwieldy in close and totally impractical for what I asked him for. Ah well, now just need to find a big spanish mackeral.. Cheers!

[@jonburg1787]

Good stuff. I’m a few steps ahead of you, but not by much. You still have a few simple lessons to learn about your gear and how you set it up. Add a steel stringer to your bouy. Fish is on the back of your rig and don’t need to feed your line through the fish. It’s easier and safer.

[@JL-uj6ks]

Great job on the video man!! Just wanted to share how I was taught to load a double banded speargun. I use to load the way you did but was told by some speros that that puts uneven load on the bands. You want to load the first notch with the front band by passing it throught he first band then loading the first band to the notch at the very back of the shaft . That way it puts even load and keeps the band parallel as well! Happy hunting mate!

[@user-wd5mx9ec3p]

My mate shoot me in the leg with a spear gun last Tuesday I have send him this video

[@albusai]

Did it go deep ?

[@user-wd5mx9ec3p]

@@albusai it went almost all the way through

[@It-b-Blair]

@@user-wd5mx9ec3p hope you’re fully recovering! Thanks for the reality check too 😉

[@wishbone5785]

That's why you should always spearfish alone contrary to all the expert opinions here. The biggest risk is other spearos nearby not sharks, boats or drowning etc. This lad is using a blue water speargun for spearing small table fish, its simply the wrong equipment. The best rig for his kind of food gathering is a 1m single rubber gun with pranger head. That is what the dude in the shop should have sold him. And the shark eyes sticker is pure nonsense, they don't work.

[@billgardyne7328]

Ex friend?

[@tom911]

Watching from Germany! Let the international Band Wagon roll! Keep up the great work guys

[@chaostravel7169]

Great video

[@davidtaco8890]

This video will get a ton on negative opinions and generally shitty comments from a lot of those individuals you mentioned early on in your video. I love that you filmed this video. Thank you, especially from a new spearo. Great to hear I'm not the only one who is experiencing these common hiccups. Cheers, and safe spearing!

[@peterjackson4316]

I have to agree with spearing, very sustainable, very targeted fishing! I’m a diver, if there’s any info I can pass on is to be careful with corals, some corals are poisonous to other corals, in short if touch one coral and then another that could poison that coral ! But I’m sure you would be aware of that !! Love the vids keep me coming.

[@TheOutFit]

Great to know! Thank you

[@fishmut]

Awesome stuff Peter , tips like this is great to keep new spearoes from hurting them selves and the corals is fantastic , many a newbies might not realize these things . very good advice. cheers.

[@austhollamby1141]

Hey mate! love the video! was just wondering where you got your gopro mount from as i need a new one and was after one for the stock of my gun like yours is set up but can't find many good ones! cheers in advance!

[@justdowntheroad4218]

Hi guys, thanks for the video. I am actually vegan just because I dont want to support the industrial harvesting and abusing of animals (land or sea). Therefor I can fully support the idea of spearfishing and I am actually thinking about giving it a go myself. Keep up the good work. Great to see the channel grow. We start our travel around OZ next year! Might catch ya on the road :-)

[@fishmut]

If you become a spearo mate you will no longer be a vegan but instead a pescatarian who eats veg and fish. nothing wrong with that either but just pointing that out. don't be pressured by anyone just make your own choices and enjoy.

[@kweenslandspearo1981]

It's refreshing to see a vegan that can see someone taking ownership of their impact on the environment and acknowledging they are trying to make a difference.

[@D.H.CE_FL]

Just down the road, it sounds like we have a very similar story. I started eating seafood again so I'm no longer vegan, but it's good to see another vegan who isn't just hateful and judgemental.

[@tinashe_survivalist]

Yes, I am really thankful for this video as a beginner at least I know something great

[@J-RallySite]

Good info my man. BTW I'm watching from the cold and wild norther California cost...

[@ARCHTECHEARNTV]

i like it . your so humble sir. salute

[@morrishappyfeet]

Thanks for the tips mate I'm just starting out too so don't have all the gear just yet most their just looking for a gun now 👍

[@haydenw1354]

Awesome vid mate and liking all your content. 1 thing i picked up on was the fact ur diving down with your snorkel still in your mouth, defs a no no with spearfishing because if you do black out your lungs will fill up with water straight away. Hope that tip helps and keep up the great work 🍻👌

[@jsjdjjdjdndjxjdjd1278]

thx man

[@BarraKade87]

Nice mate !