All of the issues involving training have been moved to the Freediving Site (follow the link above). Some thoughts I would like to leave you with:

"TRAIN HARD, FIGHT EASY"
"WORK SMART, DON'T WORK HARD"
"ENERGY FOLLOWS THOUGHT"

Good luck with your training.

Just back from a short holiday in Scottburgh. I wanted to get in some Scuba diving and practice a little photography but the main intention was to spend some time Spearfishing. The Spearo Network was consulted and further extended. Chatted to Brent Addison and he put me onto Paul Putter. Discussed a dive with Paul and everything was arranged. Weather started with a serious SW for 2 days before I did the Scuba thing. The SW cleared the water beautifully. I managed some spectacular pics in the crystal clear water and I was becoming psyched for the Spearfishing. Then the NE started and with all the rain causing the rivers to flush silt out to sea, the viz deteriorated overnight.

I went out with Paul on Friday, in the mid afternoon, to Aliwal Shoal but the viz was under 2m and with the recent reports of a Great White hanging around, discretion prevailed and we moved S to better viz. I did see a gamefish which I followed but the poor conditions meant I was unable to identify the fish, let alone get a decent shot in.

We found better conditions at Cowrie Reef just off Scottburgh. The viz a marginal 6m, strong N-S current with a strong NE blowing, made it necessary to have an experienced skipper at the helm. In spite of taking Paul's secretary along to do some skippering while we dived, conditions did not allow for this. Paul sounded around his GPS mark until he located a concentration of fish activity. A marker buoy was deployed and I was given first crack at the fish. We headed N of the buoy to allow some time for a breathe-up. I jumped in and got comfortable while I breathed up. Duck-dived and finned from the surface. That initial reluctance after leaving the surface settled once I started my drift toward the bottom. I levelled off at 20m and gently approached the reef 2m below me. There was lots of fish activity. Natal Fingerfin (Bankies), Cuckoos (Bumphead), Slingers as well as some Surgeon and Old Woman. The Slinger, Surgeon and Old Woman are always good indicators of where the fish activity is on a Natal reef. I closed my eyes and kept my head down, relaxing, giving the fish a chance to approach, without being intimidated by my presence. My gun rested comfortably in my hand, not squeezing too tight or allowing it to drag over the reef creating a metallic racket. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up. A group of Bankies were inspecting me at close range. I selected a reasonable one and concentrating on the area above and slightly behind the pectoral fin I fired. The shot was good and I confidently held the line preventing the fish's escape and made for the surface.

Paul suggested moving N again, as I had drifted a significant distance. The next dive was far more relaxed. With a fish on my first dive and confidence high, I approached the reef again. This time spiralling gently down scanning a wider area. The handsome eye-stripe of a Sangora (Tropical Yellowtail) caught my attention. There was no time to level off. I flicked my fingers at the fish, which seems to arouse curiosity in most Gamefish. It turned and came to inspect me, getting close enough to place a good shot through its gills. 2 downs, 2 fish and I was getting more confident and more comfortable in the water. Paul took me forward again. This dive placed me near a small channel in the reef. It was a very fishy spot and I was excited. This probably translated in my body language because it was a long while before I saw another fish. A nice Bankie popped out of the channel but I had been expecting it. The place just looked FISHY. It was dispatched quickly and I made for the surface, 3 downs and 3 fish. The next dive produced nothing. Time for me to skipper and Paul to dive. It was getting late in the afternoon too.

Paul started off N of the buoy and soon boated another Sangora. Apparently a school of these fish makes frequent visits to this area. Good to know for future diving. I took him N again, the current appeared to be stronger than when we started and the wind was getting up, whipping the chop into a froth. Paul quickly accounted for a very reasonable Englishman and after several more fruitless dives, he gave me another 15 mins. It was quite late, much later than I have dived before. I drifted down and was surprised at how dark it got close to the reef. I was not feeling comfortable at all and we decided to call it a day. 5 fish in about 3 hrs of diving with very marginal conditions was not bad at all.

Paul suggested I get hold of him for another dive on Sunday before I returned to Johannesburg. The weather had settled somewhat and I was on the boat with Karl Werner and Albert a friend of his from Amanzimtoti. We started at Landers but a strong N-S current was pushing and apparently Landers is really good in a reverse current especially for large Sangoras. The viz was not particularly good and we thought that Aliwal might just work. We took a little time to freedive with dolphins along the way, hoping for some Yellowfin Tuna.

Paul made for the inside edge of Aliwal. I have never seriously dived around Aliwal Shoal, being very unsure of where you can and cannot dive. Our position was determined based on the NE Pinnacle and we travelled shorewards until the drop-off was found. This was marked and the rest of the day was spent drifting over the marked area. The reef drops from approx 12m down to 22m on the sand. By far the best diving was done from the deep toward the drop-off. The drop-off is an area with lots of caves, channels, rip-rap and irregularities. Indicator fish played a significant part again. While drifting, if you do not see indicator fish, you are either too shallow or too deep. Diving when you encounter the indicators usually puts you in the HOTSPOT. I enjoyed the diving very much but would have been in a better frame of mind with my normal Spearo gear. I guess you become a creature of habit over time. Similar to the fisherman who needs his lucky hat before he can concentrate on catching fish. Between the four of us we got a reasonable bag of fish, including: Bankies, Tassels, Englishman, German, Christy and Cuckoos. I even managed a fair size Garfish and Paul took a small Rainbow Runner. I will admit to being a little jealous because those little Runners make absolutely superb Sushi. Karl missed a large Couta. Apparently he was concentrating on Bottoms and when he glanced up, the Couta was watching him. As he moved towards it, it fled. Guess it read his mind. I saw something moving quite quickly between Paul and myself, may have been a small Wahoo, the viz and chop at the surface made it difficult to see. Not a good idea to risk a shot with a diving buddy on the receiving end.

I enjoyed a long chat to the guys about the upcoming Nationals in May and it was reassuring to discover that they were equally keen on the prospect of the diving. An interesting anecdote came my way recently which had to do with a boxer preparing for a major fight and I believe the same holds for Spearfishing. His trainer maintained that his success was due to: 20% PREPARATION, 20% HEART, 20% DETERMINATION, 40% HEAD. I think it is important to remeber that fitness, depth and bottom-time probably only account for 20% of your success. You need to make each dive count and be prepared to take advantage where you encounter it.

One last thought, even if you are competing, for most of us, Spearfishing is how we enjoy ourselves and thank goodness we do not earn our living this way because I am sure it would soon lose its appeal and lustre.

A BAD DAY DIVING IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN A GOOD DAY AT WORK.

I flew out to Sydney on Monday 24 March and then on to Coffs Harbour on the 26 March. Truth be told, I was on my way to an interview with the principle of a veterinary practice in Coffs. Just happened to be the same time as the start of the Great Australian Shark Count and the 2008 Australian Bluewater Freediving Classic. Suffice to say that I fell in love with Coffs. The climate is very similar to Scottburgh, being on a similar line of latitude. If everything progresses smoothly, I should be joining Michael Featherstone in Coffs Harbour in August. I am genuinely looking forward to having my Spearfishing on tap, so to say.

The first day was spent attending to the usual things. Preparing dive gear, looking for houses and schools for the kids, you know, the normal stuff.

On Thursday, I was taken along on my first Australian Spearfishing exercise. Joining us was Adam Smith, Chair of the Australian Underwater Federation AUF. For me, this was a lung stretching exercise and I was happy with the result. I saw a number of fish that I have never seen before and was fortunate to take a Foxfish (Wrasse-like species). Adam took a good Couta (in the future I will probably have to start referring to these as Spanish Mackerel). While chumming (burleying), a large fish swam over me and down to a large piece of chum. My first Wobbygong. Pretty soon, another joined it and I managed to spear a small Silver Trevally which one of the Wobbies readily accepted from my hand.

Friday 28 March and the start of The Great Australian Shark Count. What a spectacularly pro-active and environmentally conscious effort on the part of AUF. Spearos are fully aware of the negative press which we are so unfortunate to encounter with monotonous regularity. Here then is a shining example of how Spearos can make a difference. The Federal Government sponsored the event and its aim is to assess the shark population off the Australian coast on an ongoing basis. In total approx 60 grey Nurse were counted in only the Coffs Harbour area. The Spearos must have been lucky to see so many of this species or the recent research is flawed because apparently there are only 300 left off the Australian coast. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and was extremely chuffed to have played a part in the start of this valuable endeavour.

Saturday and Sunday had us out at sea competing in the 2008 Australian Bluewater Freediving Classic. This is a Pelagic only event but Jewfish (Kob here in SA) and Snapper, both migratory species, are also included. The scoring was a little different to that I am used to. Each species scored 100 points and points for weight were 10pts/kg. If a fish went over 10kg, then bonus points were awarded, with an additional bonus for fish over 20kg. The idea was to take a wide bag of species, minimum size 45cm, except if fisheries rules applied e.g. Yellowtail minimum of 65cm. The weather was a little unsettled and at the end of the day, I had landed a small Yellowtail and an Amberjack (Sangora). Unfortunately I had missed on Tailor (Shad/Elf), Silver Trevally, Highfin Amberjack which Michael managed to get, Needle-Scale Queenfish and the fish which would have made my day, a huge Longtail Tuna. Such is Spearfishing. Seeing the fish and shooting at it or even hitting it, does not guarantee it being in the bag.

I had a terrible day on Sunday, not managing to land any fish at all! Not that I did not have opportunities on Tailor, Amberjack, Yellowtail and monster Wahoo. I really enjoyed the competition in Australia and can highly recommend it for those interested. I finished 27th out of 55 divers and sadly, some divers did not even see a fish in 2 long days of diving. A lucky draw saw me walk away with a beaut Riffe 1200 gun. My son is going to enjoy diving with Dad because I gave the gun to him.

My last day of diving came on Tuesday 1 April with Rees Duncan and his father. Rees is the current World Paddleski Champion. By this stage I was used to the local habit of anchoring the boat and everyone bailing off to go Spearfishing. The boat almost pulled the anchor on one occasion which would have meant a long swim back to shore. I took a reasonable Pick-Handle Barracuda but only saw some undersize Yellowtail and fast moving Tailor.

Diving in Australia took some getting used to. The start of the competition looks like the start of a Bassmasters fishing competition here. The boats all wait for the signal, then charge off to their favourite spots. I was surprised by how many divers all arrived in the same area and competed with no animosity. All divers have to dive with floats and a flag. The buoy-lines formed spaghetti-like tangles around some of the more popular spots and was something to behold.

Come August, Coffs Harbour will be my new home and I will be exercising my Spearfishing passion far more frequently. Something I am really looking forward to doing.

When you are Freediving, you are basically regressing into the forager state of our ancestors: The Hunter-Gatherers. I think that getting back to your roots is what appeals to the Spearos psyche. This form of foraging is so much more than just hunting fish.

One of my fondest memories is of a trip I took with my girlfriend (now my wife) her sister and her boyfriend (now husband). He was a keen windsurfer interested in Spearfishing, I a keen Spearo interested in windsurfing. The trip was planned to hit all the good windsurfing and Spearfishing spots around the Southern Cape. We planned everything down to the minutest detail including a large supply of food which we hardly touched because we existed almost exclusively on fresh seafood.

While windsurfing in Langebaan we took a trip to the bitterly cold water around Paternoster, a quaint town on the West Coast. The crayfish filled every nook and cranny of the 11 degree water. It was so cold that when you walked in, you felt intense pain before going completely numb and that was in a full wetsuit! We quickly filled our quota of crays and decided on adding some mussels to the cray dinner already supplied from the bounty of the Ocean. I hate sand in my mussels, so we finned around to an area where the mussels were exposed to waves in deeper water. We collected our quota relatively quickly. The meal that night consisted of mussels & crayfish in a light white wine and cheese white sauce over rice. The meal was accompanied by a crisp white wine. It was spectacular. On another occasion, we collected crayfish only and prepared the crayfish halves over an open fire, basted liberally with butter. These were simple yet memorable meals.

On our way around the Cape we stopped off at Hermanus. This was a time when taking Abalone/Perlemoen was still allowed. Sadly, the poaching syndicates have ruined that for the rest of us. Several Perlemoen were collected & quickly cleaned. we were very cautious in preparing these spoils because their flavour is so subtle that evn the lightest seasoning may overpower the flavour of the Perlemoen. Suffice to say that the gentle preparation provided a remarkably tasty meal that will live in my memory for a long time.

The jourmey continued on to Sedgefield where more mussels and some speared fish made their way onto our plates and then some white mussels (a type of clam) collected off the beaches of Plettenberg Bay. The trick was to stand in the waves and jive until you felt the shells touching your feet. Unfortunately the knack of preparing these white mussels eluded us because they were full of sand. But the memories of these experiences, I carry fondly with me.

Some time after this trip, I saw a Spearo at work in the surf off Natal. He was Spearfishing but dragged a net with some crayfish under his buoy. It was then that it occurred to me that we are in a unique position to enjoy the Ocean in a way few others will ever experience.

We are the Stewards of the Ocean and while we enjoy its bounty, we have a duty to protect it for future generations of Spearos.

As an introduction, it is imperative that Spearos stay away from 1/4 Mile and 2 Mile Reefs (27 31,2S 32 41,3E). 1/4 Mile is directly in front of the launch area. It is just behind the breakers. On occasion I have seen a marker buoy on this reef but the effect of the sea usually trashes this buoy. 2 Mile has long yellow marker buoys marking areas of interest. Stay well outside of these areas. I would encourage Spearos to use Stringer Reef infrequently and perhaps only late in the afternoon after the Scuba guys have left. Many divers regard Stringer as part of 2 Mile, others maintain it is separate. It is a very small piece of reef and the sand around it is usually productive, not the reef itself. I have also had a White Shark swim over me at Stringer.

1. Starting South of Jesser Point is Adlams Reef. This reef is right behind the breakers, directly West of the Diepgat Canyon. It is a narrow, shallow reef, with little obvious life. If you are patient, you will encounter Ignobilis, Yellowtail and Yellowspot Kingfish and even some Greenspot or Bluefin. If you are really lucky, you could bump into the odd Snoek or Queenfish. Couta are rarely encountered. Keep a look-out for Springer, Milkfish and Pick-handle Barracuda.

2. East of Adlams, the continental shelf forms an impressive canyon close to shore. The water drops off from diveable depths, approx 20m, to well over 600m, within several hundred metres. This is Diepgat (27 37,059S 32 40,005E). The deepsea fishermen spend inordinate amounts of time pulling lures through this area, in the hope of catching the big one. How big is big? Try Grander Black and Blue Marlin. For the Spearo, concentrate on the edges, ideally drifting across the canyon from N-S. Try setting up your drifts parallel to one another and concentrate on productive water (look for baitfish activity). You may consider chumming, deploying flashers or pulling teasers in this area. Species likely to be encountered include Dorado, Wahoo, Tuna and Billfish.

3. Moving North, some way out from 2 Mile is an area known as Hotspot/Gotham/Bambi (27 31,18S 32 41,74E) depending on who you talk to. The first thing about this area is expect sharks and lots of them. They can be aggressive and bothersome at times. The structure may be described as sandy rip-rap, for the most part, with more coral in the shallower areas 22m and more sand out deeper 28+m. I have seen monster Kaakap in this place as well as Couta, Pick-Handle Barracuda and Sailfish. Don't be surprised by large Prodigals or Ignobilis. Remember the old scout motto: Be Prepared! The one thing about this area that it does have going for it, is the scarcity of Potato Bass (at this stage). This is one place I have allowed a Couta to run like crazy, away from sharks, and successfully landed the fish without the sharks getting hold of it.

We have found Prodigals, on rare occasions, hanging behind Zambezis or the odd Potato bass. When these fish have been shot, the shark/bass does not seem to become excited. I cannot explain it but I would always try for a Prodigal irrespective of what it was following.

4. Continuing North you encounter 3 Mile (27 30,1S 32 41,6E) and 4 Mile (27 29,48S 32 41,63E). These reefs are largely uniform rip-rap with pinnacles. So use the co-ords sensibly, look for edges and pinnacles. Concentrate on the edge facing into the current. A flasher is not a bad idea. Expect lots of Reef, Dusky and Blacktip Sharks. They tend to be curious but rarely pose any problems.

While exploring this area pay special attention to your Sonar. There are isolated areas of small reef. Sometimes baitfish activity will give the reef away. These can be little goldmines. They are rarely visited and the Pelagics can be concentrated in this area. Expect various Kingfish (Caranx and Carangoides), Couta, Kaakap and Tropical Yellowtail.

Jesser Canyon (27 37,0S 32 39,75E) lies East of this area and provides large fish with a route into shallow water. So you may just be surprized by the odd Marlin, Dorado or Wahoo. This is true even off 7 Mile.

5. 7 Mile Reef (27 27,068S 32 42,734E) is a wonderful area but expect lots of Scuba activity. It is a popular dive spot, easily found by locating the large white marker beacons on the beach. The Northern Edge is absolutely awesome. You dive through clouds of demersals and baitfish. These schools extend from the surface to the reef 22m below. Watch the surface schools for attendant Sailfish, Couta or Wahoo. The reef is very productive with lots of large Kingies and impressive Kaakap. A flasher or chum is often a waste of time because you will be competing with the attractants (baitfish) already present. A flasher may hold bait around it and that would be the only reason I would deploy it.

7 Mile is directly off the area known as 'White Sands'. During Summer and early Autumn, in water not deeper than 30m, so just off the reef over sand, expect to encounter small Black Marlin quite regularly. This is an interesting piece of information, I picked up from 2 different sources, although I have not been able to verify it.

6. I am very dubious about including 9 Mile Reef (27 25,21S 32 43,5E) or even recommending it at all. There are lots of large Pelagics BUT there are always a large number of Potato Bass and various Sharks present. I cannot recall ever having seen a small Gamefish in this area, the survival rate for small fish is probably very low. This is a spectacular reef but unless you kill your quarry outright and quickly get it out of the water, it will only serve to put you at risk of having a nasty encounter.

The bass at the Northern Pinnacle are 'fondly' referred to as 'The Bitches'. They have bent numerous spears and even taken an expensive ladder-flasher down into their cave, never to be seen again. I believe 'Ursula' from the 'The Little Mermaid' had her personality based on that of 'The Bitches'. I would not chum or use flashers here. In addition, if you see a bass or shark following you, as you drift, get out and move away. They will follow you along an entire drift making life really unpleasant.

'Breaking Waters' is also part of 9 Mile and may present an opportunity at a large Ignobilis. It can easily be seen as large waves, breaking a substantial distance out at sea, at 2 specific areas. You will have to swim to the white water area and hang around under the foam, looking for one of these brutes. Just remember that if it runs anywhere near the seaward edge of the reef, bass and sharks will trash it.

7. 23km North of Jesser Point is Mabibi (27 19,598S 32 43,575E). The area is readily visible from behind the breakers, where one can see the collection of huts hidden amongst the dune vegetation. Move North of the huts and just seaward of the reef approx 19m deep. Drop in and drift N-S. This is a great spot for Couta. We have also crossed swords with Sailfish, Pick-handle Barracuda, Tropical Yellowtail and Kaakap. I have not found bass or sharks a problem. This is probably because the area is so far North the fish have not become familiar with Spearos yet. Use a flasher along this reef edge. Mabibi is a long boat ride if the conditions sour or are poor, it can make the ride back seem an eternity. Make sure of what the weather is doing and carry enough fuel.

When venturing so far North, keep your boat running shallow and look for baitfish activity, as well as swells or dark areas, which could indicate a solitary patch of reef. Don't jump on a boat with a blinkered mentality, keep an open mind and look for opportunity. 'SUCCESS COMES WHEN OPPORTUNITY MEETS PREPARATION.'

8. Finally we come to Island Rock (27 16,642S 32 46,753E). Easily found on nautical charts but a long way North. Take extra fuel. Several divers have found very interesting and productive reef patches along this stretch of coast, so keep a look-out. The sandy area off Island rock is known as a hot Wahoo spot in summer. Jan-April, large rays migrate along this sandy channel, inspect them for signs of Prodigals. I have no experience in this area but am told that the Zambezis can be formidable. You are a long way from medical attention so be judicious when venturing up this way.

Sodwana will be at its best from Jan through to May. You are looking for that warm Mocambique water, with a good N-S current. In these conditions anything is possible. I know of divers who ventured out deep in Jesser Canyon and chummed heavily. All the divers took Dorado, Sailfish and Wahoo on one day. At one stage, 5 divers were in the water with a school of several hundred Sailfish. 4 of the divers took Sailfish, the 5th missed out because he was already fighting a 30kg+ Wahoo. Sodwana on a good day is decadent in its abundance, but on a bad day will tax the determination of even the most fanatical Spearo. When I dive here, I constantly tell myself that on this dive I will see a Marlin. It certainly keeps the determination there.

I made the point in one of my articles on a previous occasion that to really compare your ability with other Spearos, you should compete against one another in the same area. I cannot help but smile when I ask where some-one got a particular fish and they become all coy or just clam up. This is not really the spirit of Spearfishing. I firmly believe that to improve and promote the sport, every effort should be made to share some of your GPS points with less experienced Spearos.

I also believe that should some-one help you out with some GPS points that you behave in a responsible manner in that area. If you find abundant fish, take some by all means, but do not hammer the area. Utilize the area in moderation, this holds true for any area you dive.

Having made these points I am going to provide some of my own GPS co-ords (WGS84; dd mm,mmm) and trust that fellow Spearos will exercise some discretion when diving these areas. Do not interfere with any Potato Bass, Brindle Bass, Parrot Fish or Natal Wrasse. These co-ords are all areas accessed by boat:

1. Nebo (30 14,463S 30 49,349E) This mark was confirmed several times by observing the remains of the wreck on my Sonar. This is a deep area 28-32m. At the right time of year June-Sept, you could expect to find some good Kob here, weather permitting. I am including the co-ords for the Produce (30 15,069S 30 49,752E). This area is closed to Spearfishing, please comply with these regulations and don't sour the situation for your fellow Spearos.

2. NE Pinnacle at Aliwal Shoal (30 15,659S 30 49,657E). I have included this co-ord to allow skippers to orientate themselves around the Shoal. Remember to keep in water 25m or deeper. This is definitely big fish water. Large Pelagics are often encountered in this area and for those who are comfortable at 32m depths there may even be a chance of a good Black Mussel Cracker. This area is becoming notorious for the Tigers and Zambezis. One other factor to bear in mind is that Great Whites have been seen here too. So be careful and have the boat close by.

The ideal current would be a N-S current but before you go jumping in next to the reef look around for activity. If you see fish jumping or being chased set your drift up to pass through this area. The current can be quite strong on occasion - usually means more Pelagics, so you must be judicious when deciding how far upcurrent to get in. Remember that you will see activity at the pinnacle. This is usually the large school of Fusiliers occampanied by Batfish and so on. Suffice to say, stay away from the pinnacle. It creates an extremely poor impression when Spearos flaunt these rules.

When diving this area, it is not surprising to be drifting over sand in water 35+m deep. If that is where the baitfish activity is, then you should be there too.

3. Black Rock Area (30 16,597S 30 47,517E). The topography of this area is very flat with coral rip-rap and an occasional ledge with small caves. The area comprises a rich and diverse demersal fish population. In my experience, the areas close to the caves seem more productive. The diving here is quite easy 18-22m and can be very good. We have not been hassled by sharks in this area at all.

4. 3 Palms (30 17,227S 30 46,665E) A more difficult area but with some very shallow pinnacles. You must watch your Sonar closely and preferably mark a pinnacle with a surface marker buoy. Structure is scattered lumps of coral/rock with large sandy patches in between. The most productive area is near the pinnacles, some not much bigger than a school desk. The sand areas are deeper approx 22m with pinnacles coming as shallow as 16m. Sounds like easy diving but with a current running, it can be difficult to keep in a productive area. Best to plan to drift dive with reference to the buoy and then move the divers up-current to commence another drift. You can expect to encounter Tigers, Zambezis and lots of Blacktip Sharks on occasion.

5. Pipe Pinnacle (30 17,196S 30 45,854E). This is a shallow pinnacle and is the only spot possibly accessible from the beach but it would be a long swim. Before the heavy surge/wave action of March 2007, a kiddies train used to run along the Scottburgh beach front. The train crossed a bridge over a storm-water drain which is visible directly West of this small pinnacle. Again a marker buoy is advisable. The diving is shallow 16m at most. The area is heavily dived so don't spend an excessive amount of time here and be very cautious about stressing the fish excessively. There are lots of caves, overhangs and channels which provide your quarry with rapid means of escape. The reef appears to be composed of a hard rock, not sandstone and is less productive. You may have to dive with a torch and a short gun. Take a look at tactics for diving a heavily exploited reef to get some ideas for this area.

There are lots of other well known areas in this region but I will save these for another article.

I am becoming used to eating humble pie. Perhaps for just a while, I was starting to think I knew what I was doing when it came to hunting pelagics. This last trip to Sodwana was a huge wake-up call for me. Let me share the experience with you.

We rushed down to 'Visagie's Camp' on Thursday afternoon. On the way I realised I had left all my spearguns safely hanging in the garage back at home! I would have to borrow a gun from one of my dive buddies.

The weather predictions were spectacular and we were not disappointed by the condition of the Ocean on Friday morning. After completing the formalities on the beach i.e. filling in the launch log and having our permits inspected, we launched into the easy calm conditions. Behind the backline, we stowed all the unnecessary gear and decided to head South for a change. We are planning on being 'up to speed' with all the reefs around Sodwana when it comes to Nationals in May. We had no co-ordinates except for a marking for 'Diepgat" the Southern Canyon area. As we made our way down the coast, it was clear that the conditions were unusually good. The temperature was in the high 20's, the sea was gin clear which made finding the reef a breeze. Adlam's Reef was marked. For a change, I was not to be the first skipper. While the the Penetrator and I kitted, we observed the drift of the boat: a very gentle North to South drift. Things were looking great for a productive day of diving. I rolled over the side into the crystal clear, warm water and swam toward the reef. There was very little sound coming off the reef as I dived the 8m to the sand. I was weighted for deep diving and slowly drifted back to the surface. Some pretty reef fish and a few demersal species were seen but no gamefish. The reef is particularly narrow and we split up to explore areas which appealed to that in-bred hunter's instinct. Pretty soon the Penetrator had loaded several small Kingfish/Trevally. I managed Bluefin, Yellowspot and Yellowtail Kingfish. The fish were all within the 2kg mark but short of the 3kg minimum weight.

Pretty soon I was skippering and both the Penetrator and the Punisher were diving hard but only small Kingies made an appearance. The decision to move was made and we headed North to Jesser Canyon. We hung around looking for any large Pelagics whose curiosity had been piqued by our sudden appearance. We were only treated to the antics of a Manta but without its usual escort of Prodigals/Cobia. It was time to move again.

We moved on to 'Hotspots' hoping to find some Couta. Some fish were taken on the initial drift while I was skippering. A nice Kaakap and a Bludger. These definitely made the grade. I was in the water again. We were drifting gently from N-S and slightly inshore. The reef comprised coral rip-rap with areas of sandy patches. That spells Kaakap and I soon returned to the surface having subdued one. It made the cut. Then disaster....

I was watching the Penetrator stalking something on the bottom. There were lots of Blacktip Sharks around and they were relatively feisty. The chance of a problem encounter was in the back of my mind and I was preparing to defend his catch if he managed to shoot something. I watch him fire but did not see any tell-tale flash of a struggling fish. He started for the surface. I noticed movement to my left and turned to see a large Sailfish casually swimming toward me not more than 5m from the surface. I rolled over quietly and swam toward a point of intersection some way ahead of the fish. I paid particular attention to avoiding any threatening body language. I levelled off and the fish was well within range. The shot was perfect. The spear hit high right in the shoulder quartering down and out the gill plate on the left. A perfect shot by all accounts. The fish bolted. I was surprized, fully expecting it to just roll over dead. It jumped 3/4 times, the reel spinning wildly. Then nothing, everything went slack.... The fish gone. I could hardly believe it. I was so disgusted, I returned to skippering. Pretty soon the Punisher with the same gun lost a Kaakap, Giant Kingfish and a Prodigal in quick succession. He climbed on the boat disappointed and examined the barb of the spear. It opened and closed effortlessly. We both suspected the barb as the culprit. Suffice to say that in 2 weeks I have missed on two noteworthy Billfish. I will never make the mistake of leaving my spearguns behind ever again.

Day 2, Saturday and there was a slight deterioration in conditions brought on by the mild NE wind. The current remained the same and we headed up to 9 Mile. I was first up as skipper. Pretty soon mayhem erupted in the water. The Punisher and Penetrator were shouting incoherently. I could just make out some choice language. A Couta had been shot by the Penetrator, the Punisher had gone to his assistance, only to have 2 large Potato Bass and a shark come charging in. The Couta was decimated in moments. 9 Mile was a waste of time. Any good fish was going to be lost to the bass and sharks. We moved a little further South to 7 Mile. Fortunately we positioned ourselves at the Northern Wall of 7 Mile and pretty soon the Penetrator surfaced exhausted from an extremely long dive. Turns out he was lying on the bottom when 3 Bluefin Kingfish approached. The smallest fish broke off and came over to investigate him and he bagged it. It weighed an impressive 6kg gutted and gilled! The Punisher loaded another Bluefin Kingfish and a Bludger. When my turn came, I could only take a Kaakap with a lot of effort. It took a long wait on the bottom to arouse its curiosity and then I still had to flick my fingers at it to distract it, before taking the shot.

The result of the two trials, although producing few fish, has refined our knowledge and honed our tactics for the Nationals. Looks like the three of us will be the GSUC Team. One more trial remains, but as luck would have it, I am going to miss those trials and instead be competing in the 14th Annual Australian Bluewater Freediving Classic.

Choosing a speargun should demand a deal of time and consideration. Spearguns are very personal items and a single gun will not work in all applications. Make no mistake, certain spearguns are more fashionable than others but allow what the top guys in your area are diving with, guide in the way of practicality. In principle there are 2 basic types of speargun: rubber powered and pneumatic.

I have only ever seen rubber-powered guns being used in the SA competition scene(this may have led to some problems in the International Trials held off Rota, Spain, where pneumatics featured highly).

Rubber powered guns can again be divided into the Euro-style guns(pistol-grip at the end of a barrel) and the Mid-handle/American-style guns(grip is positioned some way along the barrel, often wooden guns powered by multiple elastic bands).

When selecting a gun, try to keep its ease of operation in mind. A good gun must withstand a great deal of abuse and come up working every time(think along the lines of an underwater AK47).

HANDLE: The handle should be comfortable and resilient with a soft trigger. We often disable our safety mechanisms to prevent the mechanism engaging at an inappropriate time. We attach a clip to our handles on a short nylon tether. This allows the gun to be easily and securely fastened to a buoy or rope.

BARREL: The barrel could be made of any number of materials e.g. aluminium, carbon fibre or combinations thereof. Barrels are normally round but some of the newer barrels do have slightly different cross-sections and additional re-inforcing on the inside of the tube. Some barrels are moulded to improve their hydrodynamics: cross section similar to that of a cuttlefish.

I like a barrel with a speartrack, although there are indications that some guns may be as good with as without a track. Plain barels can have a rail glued on later. Some really neat barrels have the rail incorporated into barrel cross-section(look at the Freedivers guns). Avoid metal rails they make a noise.

Length of the barrel depends on area of use. Rough white water and tight corners in gullies and caves requires a small gun 80cm or shorter. Open water hunting pelagics requires guns from 140cm and longer. A good all round gun that is easy to handle and load approx 120cm long is good for working normal reef and some open water.

I have a 140cm gun which is used for broken reef and most of my bluewater hunting. I use a 100cm gun close to shore or when really concentrating on a smaller reef with an 80cm gun as back-up for searching caves.

ONCE FIRED THE GUN SHOULD FLOAT.

MUZZLE: The muzzle holds the rubbers and spear in place. It serves as an attachment point for small metal loops/hooks to control the line from the gun to the spear. They may be closed or open but we tend to opt for a closed muzzle to keep the spear in place when moving through rough water. Open muzzles have less drag but really only have a place in open-water hunting.

RUBBERS: Rubbers, either 16mm or 20mm are fine. Make sure your gun is not overpowered. What you make up in punch, you are going to lose in accuracy. It is rare to take targets at the maximum range of a gun in any case. One rubber means less tangling. This needs to be adjusted for one shot heavy guns like the big wooden american guns with up to 4 rubbers: often used to hunt large Pelagics exclusively. A single rubber is usually enough to hunt in all but the most demanding conditions. Rubbers may be a single piece that hooks through the muzzle of the gun or two sections of rubber that attach separately to the muzzle. The principle is that the two sections attaching separately pull equally on each side of the spear. With a single rubber you may find one side pulling slightly further down than the other. I think that there is so much variation in how the rubbers are attached that the small benefit derived from the divided rubber rig is outweighed by the ease of use of the single rubber.

WISHBONE: Wire wishbones would seem to be more reliable but woven wire is damaged by the spear-notch resulting in an unpleasant and painful loading experienced. I like dyneema that is strung between the ends of the wishbone. The wishbone ends are fastened into the rubber and you are free to replace dyneema should anything snap or fail. I have also seen solid metal wishbones which are hinged. Again this is an attempt to improve the reliability of the pull on either side of the spear. These hard metal wishbones are hell on your fingers and often end up pinching. I try to avoid over-refining the system. My brother-in-law has a clever saying: "Don't guild the lily."

SPEAR: Coated spring steel 7.5mm and thicker with a single flopper is what we normally use. Prangers do have a place especially in competitons where smaller species are likely to be weighed. Stainless steel is very popular in USA, it is more expensive and heavier(impact at the target slightly increased). It is also easier to straighten.

Spring steel resists bending far more effectively but once bent is very difficult to straighten properly. They do corrode over time. Spring steel works out at about 1/3 of the price of stainless spear.

Remember to keep your spear tips sharp and protect them by always covering them with a short piece of rubber. Prevents anyone being injured by the spear or the spear puncturing an inflateable boat.

Spears need a mechanism to hold the fish. We use a single flopper approx 7cm long attached about 7cm from the spear tip. Whether you use a smooth flopper or a vampire flopper is very mush a personal preference. The flopper should be securely attached to the spear, you are going to be hanging large fish off just that connection!

Slip-tip/ice-pick tips are usually used when hunting large Pelagics in SA.

RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS: All of the Spearfishing we do is on breath-hold freediving. The spear is attached to the gun in one way or another. Either a short length of dyneema 3/5 times the length of the barrel(depends on range you require), 3 is the ideal under normal circumstances, directly attached to speargun. A float/bouy is attached to a length of rope connected to the handle. The speargun is released after shooting, diver heads to the surface and plays the fish from the bouy. The disadvantage is that depth is limited by the length to the rope attached to the float and if the line is lengthened, there is a constant danger of entanglement. This entanglement affects other divers and the boat's propellers.

We use reelguns. Here the spear is attached in a similar way but instead of the spear line attaching directly to the gun, it attaches to line coming off the reel mounted under the gun. Now you are really free to move around and explore without becoming entangled. The reel should carry a lot of line 60m+ to allow the diver a safe return to the surface even after shooting a large fish that is escaping. Disadvantage of tangles does exist after a shot has been made, loss of gun if reel jams. It does not allow the diver to fire, drop gun and head for surface to follow buoy at leisure. I would not recommend using a tether from the gun to your arm when using a reelgun.

Line attaching the spear to gun may be nylon/dyneema. This is very much a personal choice. If you are hunting fish close to the bottom or fish that use structure to dislodge the spear i.e. yellowtail and kingfish(trevally). Then dyneema is definitely the way to go to avoid nylon being snagged and cut on structure.

Breakaway systems are specilaized rigs for hunting Blue-Water Pelagics.

BUNGEES: This is a short piece of rubber which provides a shock absorbing effect. It is usually attached between the gun and the dyneema going to the spear. It probably does not need to be used when hunting with a reelgun but it does give you a little peace of mind when playing a struggling fish.

ACCURACY: Spearfishing is a reflex shooting sport similar to wing-shooting. A hard trigger will affect the direction of shot. You need to learn to squeeze the trigger, don't pull or force trigger. Ideally the spear should readily leave the handle. One speargun actually pops the spear out without the effect of the rubbers at all. This can be tested by pulling the trigger on an unloaded speargun. Spear pops out and forward readily.

I cannot say that I have made any hard and fast discoveries with regard to where you look when you fire. When hunting I like to watch and concentrate on my quarry. Firstly to see that small spot I am aiming at and secondly to see where the spear goes. If I have done everything correctly, then in the majority of cases, the spear should go right through where I was looking.

Remember that underwater, without a point of reference, it is probably sensible to get closer to your quarry than you normally would to ensure your shot.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

A Lesson in how to win friends and influence people.

Smoking is a means of preserving meat. It is a 2 step process consisting of a pickling/preservation stage and a smoking stage. The smoking method could be hot smoking i.e. fast smoking approx 2hrs over 'cool' heat source 120C; or cold smoking where the smoke actually cures the meat which takes approx 5 days (no direct heat involved). Hot smoking is by far the easiest and simplest form of smoking and well suited to curing fish of any sort.

Begin by cleaning your fish, removing the fillets and getting rid of the skin. Some people prefer to keep the skin, in which case you will need to scale the fish before filleting. The fillets are placed in a brining solution for approx 12hrs. Use one of the following basic brine recipes:

1. 750ml water, 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, tot of rum, tspn lemon juice, crushed garlic to taste, black pepper to taste, 3 bay leaves.

2. 750ml water, cup of soy sauce (Kikkoman) or 4 tblspn thick soy sauce, cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup salt, crushed black pepper.

3. cup water, 2cups white wine, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup salt, crushed black pepper, hot pepper sauce to taste.

The ingredients of the brine solution are mixed and completely dissolved. The fish fillets are placed in the solutions and left overnight in the fridge.

After brining, remove the fillets and allow to air dry for approx 1hr. You will notice a film develop over the fish, this is the result of the brining process.

Smoking takes place in a closed metal container placed over a cool heat source i.e. fire, stove or gas. To preserve my position of influence at home, I only smoke fish outside to avoid invoking the anger of my wife. There are many specialist smokers available from camping/outdoors retailers or you can fashion your own (A large pot with a frame to keep the fish off the bottom or hooks attached to the lid, allowing the fish to hang in the smoke-filled environment).

The smoke comes from smouldering wood chips placed in the bottom of the smoking vessel. Several different types of wood are used e.g. Cherry, Alder, Hickory or Oak. I found a French Oak Barrel sawdust which gives the fish a lovely flavour. Shop around and don't be afraid to experiment with mixing different types of wood. Don't make the mistake of using your local indigenous wood. In SA many of our indigenous woods are extremely poisonous!

The wood chips/shavings/sawdust should be dampened (water or wine/whisky for the adventurous) and placed in the bottom of the smoker. A metal frame is placed over the wood. Oil the frame lightly with olive oil. Place the fish onto the frame. Close the smoker and place over the heat source. In a short while, smoke will be seen pouring from any openings in the smoker and you are now well on your way. Allow approx 2hrs to complete the smoking process.

After 2hrs remove from heat source. Open the smoker in a well ventilated area. The fish will appear dark-brown almost black. Hot smoking both smokes and cooks the meat. The fillets fall apart very easily and are delicious when served immediately. I usually make more than I can use at one sitting and this is where you are able to score some major Brownie Points:

SMOKED FISH DIP:
2cups soft cream cheese
1 1/2cups smoked fish: flaked
medium roughly chopped onion
3tblspns rich creamy mayonnaise
1-2tblspns Worcestershire sauce
1tblspn olive oil
1tspn lemon juice
1/2tspn crushed garlic
1/2tspn finely chopped hot chilli
chopped chives to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Use a blender to mix the ingredients. Serve with melba toast, crackers or crisps. A light white wine turns this very easy snack into an occasion.

SMOKED FISH PATE:

1 cup of finely flaked smoked fish
1 cup of smooth cream cheese
2 tblspns soft butter
1 small finely chopped onion
1 tblspn white wine, champagne or whiskey (remember: if its not good enough to drink, its not good enough to cook with)
2 tblspns finely chopped olives
salt & pepper to taste.

Use a blender to combine the ingredients until smooth. Serve with melba toast, crackers or thick crisps

The smoked fish keeps well in the fridge for several days allowing you the opportunity to prepare a batch of smoked fish and come back to fashion the delicacies described. Or you can just cut a thick slice of warm bread, cover it liberally with butter and put the cold fish onto that if you are really hungry and not bothered to go to any great lengths.

Cape Vidal is situated between the town of St Lucia in the South and Sodwana in the North. The area is a World Heritage Site. The dune vegetation conceals the presence of many species of small game but hides some of the bigger things too, 4 of the BIG 5 viz. elephant, leopard, rhino(black and white) and buffalo. Signs posted around the camp also warn of the presence of crocodile and hippo. The immense number of game one encounters on the drive to the campsite is enough to keep me going back to Vidal.

This was my first exposure to Vidal. All the basic planning was attended to. The boat was readied, my gear checked and packed and I loaded all the available GPS points onto my Humminbird GPS/Sonar.

We arrived at Vidal late on Saturday 2Feb and took a leisurely drive through the reserve to the campsite. We started relaxing and enjoying the game viewing, seeing buffalo and rhino next to the road. We arrived at the campsite refreshed in spite of the 7hr drive from Johannesburg. What a wonderful reserve and a pleasure to visit. Preparations were already underway for the diving expected on Sunday. Unfortunately later that evening, weather forecasts indicated a nasty NE and diving was called off. A similar situation with a SW meant Monday was also lost. Tuesday eventually arrived and we were up at 4am and on our way to the launch.

Vidal has very little reef, as a result, gamefish seem to concentrate around the available baitfish associated with this reef. Approx 4Nm North of the launch-site a prominent sand-dune known as 'King Oscar' can be seen. Here a small scattered reef is situated just behind or in the backline, depending on the state of the tide. This small reef is called 'Shallow Oscar'. 'Deep Oscar' is further out at a depth of 30-32m where some pinnacles can be found using your Sonar.

Moving on, about 11Nm North of the launch, two distinct white beacons can be seen on the beach, this is Leven Point. The beacons mark the start of the NO-TAKE ZONE. On a clear day, you will easily see 'Shallow Leven', a reef approx 300m from the beach. This reef is solid and extends a long way South, ending in some broken and scattered structure. 'Deep Leven' is a further 200m into the sea. It is not as long as 'Shallow Leven' and its structure is very inconsistant/irregular.

Our strategy on Day 1 was to head to Leven Point, find 'Deep Leven' and drift South in the N-S current. A light NE was predicted for the day but there was little current. The sea was very clean 30m+ viz and warm 28+. We dropped in at 'Deep Leven' and started our drift. Every now and then a diver could be heard calling for his boat but it was too infrequent to be of any concern. When my turn in the water came, I could hardly contain my excitement. About a half hour into the drift, I found myself completely relaxed, enjoying my diving immensely. I lay on a small section of scattered reef and was elated to see a Yellowtail/Blacktip Kingfish(Trevally) come swimming toward me. I lay still, it noticed me and turned side-long to look me over. Well in range I took the shot, killing the fish instantly. My account was opened. The day seemed to fly by, in spite of the lack of size gamefish. I was diving well and comfortably extending my bottom-time. While cruising along the bottom from one broken piece of reef to another, a large silver form at the edge of vision caught my attention. I slowly angled up from behind to investigate. Awe-struck, I took in the dimensions of a superb Milkfish(Chanos chanos). Lining up I quickly fired, knowing these fish to be skittish. The spear hit low in the gut and I raced to the surface feeling the vibration of the reel spinning off dyneema. 80m of line disappeared in a flash. I was swimming in the direction of the fish as fast as possible when my body was yanked forward by the incredible speed and power of this fish. I was pulled almost effortlessly toward the beach for 500m, almost into the backline. On the way one of the opposing team's members offered to place a second shot. I gratefully accepted the offer and the fish was dispatched. We returned to the launch elated. Every boat had experienced trying conditions and at day's end I was lying third and had the largest fish.

Wednesday dawned. Light NE predicted. Water spectacular again. A slight increase in the N-S current seemed to encourage the gamefish. We headed to 'Shallow Leven' for a change. The diving was particularly good. The bottom often less than 10m from the surface with an extensive reef wall providing cover for baitfish and structure for gamefish to follow. While drifting down to the bottom, a massive shape loomed ahead. Instinctively I knew that I was about to come face-to-face with the largest fish in the Ocean. I could hardly contain my childlike excitement. The enormous Whale Shark drifted into plain sight. I swam across and dived down to hold onto its dorsal fin. I was thrilled by the experience. Another Whale Shark made its appearance a little later in the day. What an experience! What of the Spearfishing? Luckily, gamefish seem to respond to even the slightest increase in N-S current and several schools of Snoek(Queen Mackerel) passed by allowing me to pick up 3 nice specimens, the largest over 7kg. After the weigh-in, I had moved to first place but my largest fish had been comprehensively eclipsed by a monster Wahoo.

Thursday was going to be a calm day according to the weather service. Little current, little wind and a New Moon Spring Tide. I dived like a demon but to no avail. I saw 2 Snoek but these beat a hasty retreat and I was handed my ego on a plate, heading back empty-handed. My position dropped to third. Few fish were weighed but the in-form divers consistantly managed to weigh fish.

Friday and conditions were deteriorating. A light S-SE wind was predicted. It came through stronger than anticipated and the fishing slowed. Along the Natal Coast a SE is called the Poison Wind because of the damper it puts on the fish. I just wish I knew where the fish went when they are put off by the wind. We struggled through the day on 'Shallow Leven'. On the way home with no weighing fish to show for all our effort, we elected to drop in at 'Shallow Oscar' for a quick drift. I managed a 6kg Yellowspot Kingfish. That fish kept me in the top 5 places. With Saturday being the last diving day I needed a strategy to put me in line for winning the Comp.

My dive-buddies came with a suggestion. They were prepared to allow me to dive without having to skipper to give me the maximum chance of getting my fish. They were also prepared to allow me to make all the decisions about where we would be diving. We launched at 4:30am with a SE already blowing. Many divers elected not to dive at all. Many were nursing infected cuts, bruises and strained muscles. 4 days of intense diving will tax your body heavily.

We made our way to 'Shallow Oscar'. A previous team had encountered the odd Snoek and Yellowspot Kingfish in this area in these marginal conditions. 15 points separated me from the diver in first place. Two decent fish would put me in a position to win. I spent about a half hour scouring the reef with nothing to show for my efforts. The viz was poor, probably not better than 5m. We decided to move to 'Shallow Leven'. We tried several spots along the reef, even checking out another Whale Shark for any gamefish which might be drifting along underneath it. We moved to 'Deep Leven'. The S-N current appeared to have switched the gamefish off. With nothing on the boat, our last resort was to try for a corker. We moved to a spot which would allow us to drift over the Canyon at Leven Point. The drift started in 30m of water and progressed to well over 600m in the Canyon. The idea was to look for a big Pelagic. This is boring diving, hanging in the blue water pulling flashers and keeping a constant lookout for a sign of anything. On one dive, all 3 of us drifted down to approx 10m for a photo opportunity. I turned and was startled by the sight of a 200kg+ Blue Marlin. It was lying looking at the 3 of us with its lights on. The blue back and the stripes were awesome. Its fin was up and the fish appeared really excited. The other 2 divers headed to the surface and I set off in pursuit of this fish. It watched me approach, then turned, I fired and it shot off into the blue abyss. I surfaced, elated at having seen such a magnificent fish. Perhaps next time I will try a more leisurely swim alongside a Marlin and angle in for a head-shot instead of charging at it like a deranged maniac. We tried a short drift at 'Deep Oscar' on our way back, but the sight of the Marlin had all but concluded the trip for us.

Sharks did present a problem at times. Divers reported seeing Zambezi/Bull, Tiger, Dusky and Blacktip Sharks fairly regularly. One diver did manage to take a Cobia off the back of a large Zambezi with the shark showing little interest in the spearing. They always remain unpredictable and are best treated with the respect they deserve.

By all accounts the Comp was enjoyed by the divers. I met two great personalities in Rikus and Charlie. I am sure we will be spending many more hours out on the water together. The list of species taken was quite fascinating: Wahoo, Milkfish, Couta, Snoek, Yellowspot Kingfish, Bludger Kingfish, Bluefin Kingfish, Indo-Pacific Pompano/Permit, Cobia, Kaakap. I am already looking forward to the next Vidal Competition.

Spearos visiting South Africa from overseas should really consider Vidal as a destination. It gives you the best of both worlds especially when travelling with your significant other. You can do the whole African Safari thing and still get into the Ocean for chance at some of the Pelagic Predators living off the shore.

1. Consider small factors that affect the optimal use of your gear. Proficient Spearos always make sure their gear is well cared for and serviceable. Small things can make a difference in your preparation for a dive. We dive at an approx rate of 10 dives/hour, one dive every 6 mins. If you extend the preparation for a dive by a minute, you would lose about 2 dives/hr. Little changes can have a significant influence on your productivity/efficiency.

Experiment with where your mask-strap rests behind your head. By moving it slightly up or down, it affects your mask-seal. A small adjustment in position can improve your mask seal/seating on your face and make your diving more comfortable. A similar situation exists with regard to the position of your snorkel. How is your snorkel attached to your mask strap? I have found that by attaching it to the lower band of the mask-strap, much less water splashes into it, even in fairly rough seas.

Wear fin-retainers at all times even if it is just to provide peace of mind that you will not lose your fins in rough water or when kicking up from a deep water dive.

Think about how you load your speargun. Do you string it first then load or the other way around? I thought the logical way to do it was to string first then load. This resulted in numerous tangles between the rubbers and spear-line. I tried loading then stringing and found a marked reduction in tangles.

2. A good buddy will give you comfort cover. If you are diving deep and on your way up and notice your buddy watching you, you are re-assured that your buddy is looking after you. This relaxes you and makes for uneventful calm diving. Look out for each other.

A good buddy times his dives around yours. It is expected that you show the same regard. There is little that is more irritating than lying on the bottom for a long time, waiting for an elusive fish to approach. As the fish approaches, another diver drifts down, scaring it off. The same for fish around flashers. A Pelagic approaches your flashers and suddenly you are in a race with another diver to get to the fish first. The standard approach is: 'your flashers, your fish'. If you are co-operating around flashers then decide on a hierarchy of approach to fish. Take turns diving to approaching fish and back each other up!

3. Mel Gibson's famous quote in 'The Patriot': AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL. When you start Spearfishing, you often shoot at the fish. It is much smarter to aim at a spot on the fish. Try to kill the fish outright to prevent a long drawn out struggle guaranteed to attract the wrong sort of attention from sharks. I like to aim at a mark inside of the triangle between the pectoral fin/eye/lateral line. This usually switches the lights off immediately.

4. We hunt with reelguns. My reels have approx 80m of dyneema spooled onto them. I often don't kill a fish outright and then am forced to allow it to run, to save the hold the spear has. Don't use your reel and gun like a fishing rod. Your gun should float, let it go and play the fish on the line. This frees you up to quickly pursue the fish or release line gently should the fish start accelerating away from you. It gives you greater control over the fish during the fight. Interestingly, on occasions that sharks have been around, a rapidly swimming speared fish, can outflank a shark if you don't put any pressure on it. I have sometimes landed fish in spite of the active attention of sharks. Just be careful of becoming entangled in loose coils of line hanging in the water column.

5. Sharks present a common fear amongst all divers, perhaps more so in the novice and intermediate Spearos. As a Spearo, you need to overcome that fear and put it behind you, to allow yourself complete freedom and comfort in the sea. I achieved this by Freediving with Tigers off Scottburgh. Make an effort to get out and dive in an area sharks frequent. I have gone the route of Scuba and found myself in what could best be described as shark-soup(2 Tigers and approx 40 Black-Fin sharks). Once you are happy that sharks do not represent an imminent threat to you, you will find your excursions at sea far more relaxed.

It is pertinent to remember that far more divers succumb to Shallow-Water Blackout and Drowning than to shark attack.

As your Freediving and Spearfishing improves, so smaller changes or tweaks to your technique become more important. These changes refine your diving, making you more efficient underwater and improving your depth and bottom-time. The following are techniques that I have implemented that have made a dramatic difference to my diving:

1. Many Freediving articles deal with the importance of Yoga. If you have never indulged in Yoga I strongly suggest you do. It is not the only way to limber up but it is very effective for several reasons. Regular Yoga training is very relaxing and rewarding in its own right. I frequently find myself getting into 'THE ZONE'. That state of mind of being completely relaxed but aware of the minutest detail. Ironically I often feel immensely invigorated after a session of Yoga. The various stances serve to gently stretch your body, making it more flexible and supple. I have incorporated this into my regular exercising. Between various sets of exercises, I engage in Yoga-like stretching. All the stretching is gentle and controlled. The practice of Yoga allows you to reach a relaxed state very quickly.

Yoga also emphasises the importance of breathing properly. Men and women breathe incorrectly for various reasons. I can only recommend that you train yourself to breathe properly from your abdomen when Freediving. I will include a link to a really good site which will explain all the details of Yoga and proper breathing technique.

2. Positioning in the water. How you lie on the surface will affect the ease with which you are able to breathe up. Spearfishing rarely takes place in calm flat water. In South Africa, there is usually a significant chop on the swell, some wind effect and strong currents. I cannot predict what is going to be best for you but I find that lying with my head into the current, slows my drift and makes it more comfortable. I also spread out in a star-like stance which stabilises my body on the surface. This allows for a comfortable and uncomplicated preparation for a dive.

3. In a previous article I discussed a pattern one could follow to breathe up, relax and prepare for a dive. In addition, use neuro-linguistic programming to create the best environment for hunting. I like to picture myself becoming like water. Try to be like the 'Predator', become invisible in the water. See yourself as being stealthy. Not being blatant, intrusive or disturbing in the underwater environment.

4. Having described techniques for being relaxed and unobtrusive in the Ocean, the next tactic was an epiphany for me. I had a habit of finning all the way to the sea-floor then struggling to maintain a reasonable bottom-time. In many of the Freediving sites, the importance of a glide is emphasised. I tried this and doubled my bottom-time on the first dive!

You should have some positive buoyancy at the surface. When you dive, depending on the depth you are working at, you should be neutrally buoyant at between 5 and 8 metres. After this, you will descend faster and faster because of your negative buoyancy. There is no need to fin down once you begin your glide. You may just need to fin to adjust your descent path. Make sure your Eustachian Tubes are clear before you begin the dive and remain clear as you descend. Keep your body in an optimal hydrodynamic form to eliminate any additional drag. Any finning strokes must be
very gentle and subtle.

By gliding down, you can concentrate on quarry in the water column as well as not disturb potential prey on the bottom. When you drift down casually, fish do not scare quite as much and approach you much sooner. Because you have had a relaxed descent your bottom-time is improved which allows fish more time to come in. The glide seems to set a relaxed mood in a dive which promotes a relaxed and unthreaghtening demeanor.

Remember to fin gently to the surface and examine the water comlumn on the way up too.

5. What do you do on the bottom? Obviously look around for quarry. Do you start counting, look up at the surface, look at your dive computer or begin worrying about how deep you are? Ideally your mind should be empty. Practice making little silver balls and capture any thought inside one of these balls then let it go, drifting away out of your conscious thought. While you are on the bottom, take some time to look at the seabed. Concentrate on small interesting fish, urchins or other creatures. Taking time to stop and admire what is down there and realise how priviledged you are to be enjoying what you are seeing. Make a habit of only looking at your computer at the surface. Don't use your computer to scare yourself when you are deep underwater. Try to concentrate on something other than holding your breath when you are on the bottom. You will find your bottom-time improve quite remarkably.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A series of geostationary satellites relay information to your unit on the ground and with 3 satellites, can triangulate your position anywhere in the world. This is a combination of several satellite systems including the U.S. Dept of Defence, WAAS, EGNOS and MTSAT.

Anyone who performed military service would have been confronted with triangulation exercises in your Bush Phase of training. If you remember, the hypothesis accurately places a point with triangulation but in practice there is always some variance. This variance results in a small degree of natural inaccuracy. That means when you return to a point plotted on your GPS you could be approx 10m out(practically 10mX10m).

Having made the point on the small degree of variance, I am aware of at least one team at the last Nationals that just used GPS. They completely ignored their Sonar. Incidentally, the team did very well, placing high in the results. If you have confidence in your ability to use your GPS, your ability to position yourself with regard to your quarry improves dramatically.

Some ideas on improving your success rate using GPS:

1. Use more than one unit. Divers on the same boat often all have GPS. Compare the same point on each GPS.

2. Instead of recording a single point, record multiple points around an area of interest.

3. Make sure your unit is properly setup i.e. use the WGS84(World Geodetic System). Look at your units (knots vs km etc). What Mercator measurement are you using(dd mm ss,s vs dd mm,mmm)? Have you selected for true/magnetic north?

4. Select the screen to direction of travel not pointing North. This locks the boat icon pointing up and the screen turns around the icon.

5. If your unit can provide a grid, accept that selection. Also select 'record track'. A grid is useful for quickly determining the direction of drift. You can very quickly see how you are tracking in the Ocean. The grid with the track recorded allows you to reposition yourself on the same drift if it is productive or reposition the boat to exploit another drift.

6. Record your GPS co-ords in a book or make some other sort of printed copy. This is tedious but should something happen and you lose the points on your unit, you can quickly recover them.

7. Decide on a suitable size of zoom on your screen. Too high and you loose on accuracy, too low and it becomes impractical to use. This is largely dependent on the size of your GPS screen.

Any combination of modalities will improve your ability to position yourself at sea. Consider using GPS together with maritime charts(Bluechart is a good example). Also look at the beach and get an idea of the position in relation to beach structure(take a picture if necessary). The obvious adjunct to a GPS is Sonar.

SONAR/Fishfinder

The first point you must accept is that your Sonar screen does not represent an accurate picture of the Ocean floor. It is an historical track of a very narrow reading by the tansducer of the floor below. The transducer sends and receives sound waves which are then recorded on the screen. The sampling area is also quite small but gets bigger with depth. To exploit a wider beam, you would need to employ side-scan or side-imaging technology.

Using Sonar effectively:

1. Select a limited number of user friendly views. The more equipment connected the greater the number of views. Some units even have in screen displays for engine monitoring and cameras etc.

2. Investigate the range of settings especially sensitivity. Ideally the picture should allow you to distinguish between sand and rock/coral. Get a diver to tell you what is below, so that the picture you see correlates with what is below the boat.

3. Protect your transducer. I have mine mounted on an adjustable rod. It can be lowered into the Ocean and functions well even at speed but lifted out of the way for beaching or other operations which may put it in jeopardy.

4. When reading your Sonar always keep the swell height in mind and make allowances for it.

5. The output of the transducer will affect the quality of the picture. A 1kW will give greater penetration than a 600W transducer. Fortunately most diving is inside of 30m where a 600W transducer is more than adequate.

6. The frequency of the transducer is also relevant. The higher the frequency, the narrower the beam but the more detail you see. Ideally if your transducer has 2 frequency settings, use a view that includes both for comparison e.g. on your 50kHz screen you see a lump jutting out of a reef below, while the 200kHz shows the lump as separate from the reef. It is more likely that this is a large fish than a piece of reef.

7. Select a screen track speed which is suitable for the area and the speed at which you are drifting.

8. Do not use the fish icon. Rely on sonar returns to indicate the presence of fish.

9. Play with your Sonar. The more you practice with it, the more proficient you will become.

I have a limited number of views on my GPS/Sonar unit. A view which includes an 83kHz/200kHz picture together with the side-imaging picture and a view of a map showing GPS positions and grid also with a Sonar picture. I am able to switch quickly between the 2 views for ease of use.

I take the time to examine the settings on my Sonar and see how these apply to diving. Don't be afraid to change settings while at sea if it gives you the edge you need.

Spearfishing is all about confidence. Confidence comes with experience. Confidence is being comfortable with your environment and your ability. This recent trip served to bring home some important points that I have mentioned before and some that I recently learned and put into practice.

A desire to Spearfish well, is fine, but you have to be committed. Commitment means putting in the hours of training needed to maintain your fitness level. I spend many more hours in the gym and pool than I do in the Ocean. When I get into the Ocean I know that I am prepared and can take advantage of any opportunity.

To start with, you must have some idea of what is going on. That means GPS marks, relatively accurate descriptions of where reef is and a good idea of what the weather is going to do. In addition to this you really need a committed group of enthusiastic Spearo's to accompany you.

A good group on the boat, be it competing or fun, work together. Everyone puts in maximum effort. That means taking turns at the helm while others are in the water. The helmsman is always aware of where the divers are, protecting them from other boat traffic as well as staying downwind so the divers don't suck exhaust fumes. It means the divers in the water co-operating. Keeping a close eye on one another and helping one another with fish. No blind rushes by all divers at every gamefish but a co-ordinated group effort. Divers taking turns to pursue fish and backing one another up with securing shots.

The skipper has the dubious responsibility of 'finding fish and reef' and then putting the divers in a position to take advantage of the situation. He spends hours pouring over marine charts, looking at weather reports, collecting GPS marks and examining tools like Google Earth to find likely areas. Over time he can build a very good picture of what is likely to happen. His spearfishing/skipper network also contributes to his information, especially if he can get some current local knowledge. Don't be afraid to share information. If you win because you found a hotspot then you are lucky. If you win because your team outdived and outwitted the gamefish more effectively than other teams in the same area then kudos to you!

The skipper's other core responsibility is ensuring the seaworthiness of his boat. This is a thankless task and is made easier with the assistance of the team. He should have a thorough working knowledge of his electronics to effectively read the marine environment.

It is important that the dive team is fit and well rested. You cannot dive effectively with a hangover and little sleep. Divers contribute knowledge which is assimilated into the team's gameplan. Enthusiasm is infectious. An enthusiastic team encourages all members to do their best. The team's mindset should also be that winning is the only acceptable outcome. Everyone should pay attention to details. Gear should be properly maintained. Each diver has the reponsibility of ensuring his gear is in top notch condition and that he is proficient in its use. Little things can go wrong and do. Crimps break, wishbones snap, spears are lost. Take spares and plan for failure. Protect your health. Watch what you are eating and drinking. Build on your strengths and use them to take advantage of your quarry and other teams. Be aware of your weaknesses and always work at turning a weakness into a strength. A team that dives together often is more likely to be an efficient team in competition.

The team is responsible for creating a gameplan. STICK TO THE PLAN. Train the way you intend to compete. Always try to dive an area before a competition. Ideally, you want to expose the team to a range of conditions in the area. Preparation is paramount to preventing blind diving.

I find that when all these factors are taken into account, my diving improves because I am confident in my team and our ability.

Parting thought. Everyone makes mistakes and some are more obvious than others. We learn by our mistakes. Learn from yours, do not dwell on them and then move on.

Your chicken float is much more than a clever float to store your flasher on. The typical chicken float has 4 legs, 2 short legs on one side, with one long leg and a short leg at the other side. The long leg normally has a rubber stopper at its end. There is an elastic bungy between the two short legs.

The floats are brightly coloured and have a length (20-20m) of thick nylon wound between the legs longitudinally. You attach your lure or flasher to this nylon. To start with, I strongly suggest you keep it simple. A Halco GT Jig is the way to go.

The GT Jig looks like an oversized Bass Rattl-Trap. The lure does not have a diving lip. Instead, line is attached to the split ring slightly forward of the upper midpoint. The hooks are removed from the lure. It is the movement, sound and flash we are going to rely on to attract gamefish. There are several different colours available. Go with a colour that you have confidence in. I like the red-headed white bodied pattern, the green mackerel and the purple pattern. There is also a fire-tiger variant and a rainbow pattern that looks garish with just about all the colours of the rainbow arranged horizontally along its body but is irresistible to Ignobilis and Yellowfin Tuna. I think it is a good idea for a group of divers to have a selection of colours. Try to determine which one is working on a given day.

Attach the Jig of your choice to the nylon and use the bungy to secure the line so it does not unwind. When preparing a drift, undo the bungy and secure it on the stopper of the long leg from the outside of the float. Now unwind nylon and lower your Jig to a comfortable depth. You should be able to easily see your lure. I usually lower the lure to approx 1m before I lose sight of it at the edge of the viz below, you may elect to lower the lure to a comfortable diving depth instead. As long as you can clearly see your lure! Loosen the bungy from the long leg toward the outside of the lure (the principle is NEVER to pass the bungy completely over the top of long leg). Pass the bungy over the two short legs and secure it at the other end between the long and short legs. The nylon is now prevented fron unwinding any further as you work the lure below. Now you can pull, shake and in any way possible cause your lure to rattle and flash, hopefully attracting the attention of a gamefish.

We now come to a really neat trick, I recently learned. When you decide to move from one spot to the next, don't wind the nylon up longitudinally. Place the bungy on the long leg from its inside position. Wrap the nylon along the other axis of the float i.e. not secured between the legs. When wound up, release the bungy to the inside, bringing it all the way around to between the short legs. This secures the Jig and nylon for transport on the boat. When you get back into the water, the bungy is moved back to between the long and short legs. The lure can quickly be released to the predetermined depth with little effort. The bungy will continue to hold the nylon at the determined depth. This is an efficient means of using your chicken float productively. You are able to get teasing faster and you effectively spend more time fishing.

One other suggestion: load your speargun before you lower your lure. There can be few things more frustrating than seeing a big gamefish make repeated passes at a lure while you struggle to load your speargun. They usually disappear just as you make your dive.

The first GSUC Trial has come and gone and while successful, it was sad that so few divers participated. In any case, we found it a huge learning experience. Initially the idea was to have the trial on one day only and use the usual SAUFF rules but later we decided to follow the intended rules for the Sodwana Nationals and increase the trial to two full days.

Our party arrived in Sodwana on the 8th Tuesday an