Aussie Spearo Community

SAFE diving is GOOD diving!

Spearfishing, like any sport, comes with certain risks and hazards. Most of these can avoided simply by having good knowledge of how to dive safely and being educated on how to interpret things like the weather & ocean conditions. The first and most important rule of thumb:

NEVER DIVE ALONE.

It's just not worth it. Get yourself a dive buddy and look out for each other in the water.

One of the greatest risks in spearfishing is not, as the newspapers would make you believe, being eaten by a shark.

The greatest risk for spearo's is Shallow Water Blackout, this is when a diver blacks out in the water, usually when returning to the surface after a dive.

A SAFE DIVER IS AN EDUCATED DIVER. HERE ARE SOME GREAT RESOURCES DESIGNED

TO KEEP YOU SAFE IN THE WATER

AussieSpearo.com recommends all Aussies Spearo's watch this first video 'Don't Put Your Life on the Line'

Here from some of the best spearo's & freediving experts on how to be safe in the water

Then check our tops tips put together just for you!

Dive Safety

Download the 2 page

SPEAR SAFE brochure

1. Always dive with a buddy

and keep a close eye on each other. If your buddy is struggling, drop everything & help them immediately. As well as removing the divers gun, remove both yours & their weight belts as well. This enables you to remain positively buoyant without exhausting yourself

2. Know your limits

and don't push them!

Don't ever feel pressured to dive in conditions or to depths your are not comfortable or capable in. As this video shows, it can go wrong very quickly & very easily. If you plan to dive deep, learn how, do some training with Freediving instructors & dive safe.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SHALLOW WATER BLACKOUT

HERE

3. Be a buddy

and keep a close eye on your mates. Shallow Water Blackout can happen to anyone. Get trained in CPR and know where the closest medical help is at. If you are on a boat, have a good first aide kit and radio for help in an emergency. If you are rock hoping, have an emergency plan and make sure your buddy knows what it is. You can never be too safe.

4. Get educated

and get to know the in's and out's of your sport.

Think about it - would you want you buddy to be completely ignorant of what to do if you blacked out in the water? There is nothing more dangerous than being unaware or uneducated when it comes to diver safety. Be informed, be aware.

This video from Spear Safe Australia covers most of

what you need to know.

Make sure your dive buddies have watched this stuff too!!

EVERY DIVER SHOULD HAVE A FLOAT & FLAG

Click the image to buy

direct from Amazon.com

4. Know your location

Make sure you know what is unique to your location. As this video shows, if you are diving in the tropics of say, North Queensland, there are different things to be aware of. In your local dive spots there may be rips, undertows, currents, boats, surfers, anglers and more.

5. More on Blackouts

We can't over emphasise this enough. Be aware and be educated when it comes to knowing the signs, symptoms and "what to do" in the case of shallow water blackouts.

Matt Ludbrooke with a Red Emporer

7. Get Trained

If you are serious about shooting some amazing fish, diving deep and nailing some good breathe hold times, please make sure you get some training so that you can not only enjoy doing these things - but keep enjoying them.

Click on the PDF's to download some great advice, tips and articles to help you improve your diving.

6. Have the right gear

and know how to use it properly.

This picture to left is supplied by 'Spear Safe Australia' and it points out the normal kind of gear you should have in order to dive safely and catch shoot great fish!

On average, a spearo will need the following:

Mask

Snorkle

Wetsuit

Weight Belt

Dive Knife

Gloves

Socks

Fins

Spear Gun

Rig Line

Float & Flag

Whistle & Mirror attached to float

To read the full article on these pieces of equipment or for more information from Spear Safe Australia, click HERE.

One of the best ways to learn to dive safe and how to use your dive gear correctly is to join your local spearfishing club. Find a club HERE.

Increase your breathe hold

Learn to handle a critical incident

Diving alone

Guide to spearfishing in NSW

8. PLEASE Be smart

Never load your gun out of the water. Never point your gun, loaded or not, at another person. If you are looking for crays and want to drop your gun, unload it first. Never hand a loaded gun to someone on a boat.

Read THIS article on 'SPEARSAFE' about speargun safety.

Tips for safe spearfishing - NSW Govt

Aussiespearo.com cannot be held responsible for any injury, accident or complication you may experience while spearfishing. This information is provided free for you knowledge & education. Please, be smart.