Interview with Derek Marshall Dunning
Today’s episode is with Derek Marshall Dunning, president of the South African Underwater Fishing Federation, founder of DMD Fins, freediving instructor, national judge, master freediver and absolute spearfishing nut in Cape Town, South Africa! He along with South African Freediving Federation president Matt Stow (referenced in the episode a few times), run NAUI Freediving Africa and offer a wide variety of freediving and spearfishing courses. Find out about spearfishing in Cape Town, how to hunt local fish like Cape Bream (known as Hotties to the locals) Mussel Cracker and Red Roman, some great ways to cook Yellowtail and some remedies for difficult equalization. You can buy a pair of fins from him as well and you can do one of his courses and if you’re in Cape Town come and join the Blue Spearos Spearfishing Club, they have a telegram group that is full of people who love spearfishing!
We hope you enjoy this episode, let us know what you think in the comments!
Important times:
- 00:12 Welcome back to the Noob Spearo Podcast!
- 06:55 Welcome Derek
- 07:42 How long have you been involved in spearfishing in South Africa?
- 08:38 Was freediving natural to you?
- 10:36 Getting back into the water
- 11:16 You have a sticky left ear, tell us about your equalizing history
- 12:38 What do you do to fix this?
- 13:45 Medicine or training your body to equalize better?
- 14:22 Cortisone
- 15:22 Snort salt water
- 15:32 Tell me about your courses
- 17:15 Weighting for new divers
- 20:01 TV interview about spearfishing
- 22:32 The value of teaching basic skills
- 23:24 What common problems do you find in your students?
- 24:47 “How do you hold your breath for longer?”
- 25:26 Diving with better divers and spearfishing clubs
- 26:48 Memorable fish in SA and how to hunt Mussel Cracker
- 28:59 Recipes
- 29:56 Yellowtail recipes
- 32:54 Merits of diving in the shallows
- 34:43 Competitions
- 35:36 Tell us about conditions in Cape Town
- 37:51 We travel for big fish
- 38:37 What is your approach to spearfishing?
- 39:40 Cape Bream – The Hottentot, good eating?
- 40:21 How do you find Cape Bream and Red Roman?
- 41:28 What is an experience that scared you?
- 43:39 We went through a series of Matt being a dick
- 44:52 You meet a lot of interesting people and make good friends
- 45:42 Veterans Vault: DMD Fins
- 47:43 Plastic fins vs composites vs carbon
- 51:17 I was a gearslut with a rolling tab at Rabitech
- 52:10 The value of pool training and being in a club
- 53:33 The value of doing a spearfishing course
- 54:09 The history of spearfishing clubs in Cape Town
- 55:45 Fuzzy takes new spearos out into the sea
- 56:14 Enter the competitions
- 58:15 What foot pockets have you settled on?
- 59:14 Woman in spearfishing in SA, Mariette De Jager and Talya Davidoff
- 01:01:32 Competitive freediving vs spearfishing – head space
- 01:03:57 What makes a good spearo, my fish nemesis
- 01:06:21 More funny stories
- 01:08:52 What’s in your dive bag?
- 01:10:21 What is Hydroglide?
- 01:12:10 Where can people buy your gear?
- 01:14:37 Spearo Q&A
- Best piece of advice you’ve been given for spearfishing
- If you could start over, what would you do differently?
- What’s something you do differently in your spearfishing?
- What does spearfishing mean to you?
- 01:16:46 “If there’s water, we dive” – Thank you Derek!
- 01:18:54 Sam Veasey’s voice message
Listen in and subscribe on iOS or Android https://link.chtbl.com/Download_This_Episode
Important Links
- Derek on Instagram
- DMD Fins Shopify
- DMD Fins on Instagram
- DMD on Facebook
- NAUI Africa’s website
- NAUI Freediving Africa on Facebook
- NAUI Freediving Africa on Instagram
- Sam Veasey’s video on dive knives
Noob Spearo Partners and Discount Codes
- Adreno Spearfishing – Buy your spearfishing equipment here. Use the code NOOBSPEARO save $20 on every purchase over $200 at checkout – Flat shipping rate, especially in AUS!
- Neptonics Spearfishing and Freediving – Use the code NOOB10 to save 10% off anything store-wide. Free Shipping on USA orders over $99
- KillShot Spearguns | Simple, Effective, Dependable Wooden Spearguns. Use the Code NOOB to save $30 on any speargun:)
- Penetrator Fins Use the code NOOBSPEARO to save $25 on the full Penetrator Spearfishing Fin Range here.
- Immersion Online freediving classes | 28-day Freediving Transformation (CODE: NOOB28 for 15% off) | Equalization Masterclass – Roadmap to Frenzel | Free Courses | Freediving Safety Course | How to Take a 25-30% Bigger Breath!
- How To Freedive | The 5 minute Freediver | Break the 10 Meter Barrier – Use the code NOOBSPEARO to save $
- Noob Spearo MAD GEAR | ‘Spearo Dad’ | ‘Girls with Gills’ | ‘Jobfish Tribute’
- Spearing Magazine Subscribe to the best spearfishing magazine in the world. International subscription available!
- Audible.com Get a free audiobook along with a 30-day trial here. Listen to 99 Tips to Get Better at Spearfishing
