Today’s episode is with Daniel Mann! If you do spearfishing and watch any YouTube and you don’t know who he is you are missing out! He runs one of the best spearfishing channels around, stocked full of great content and tips. He’s recently been really upping his chef game, as you’ve probably seen in his recent videos. A talented chef that is also an extremely talented spearo, we chat about reel guns – when to use them, why you would and wouldn’t want to use them, alternatives and tips and tricks with using them. We also chat about some of the amazing recipes he’s been cooking and his thoughts on the 99 Spearo Recipes cook book!
Do you use a float line or a reel on your speargun?
Daniel Mann scanning the bottom spearfishing
Important Times:
00:13 Intro
07:05 Welcome back Daniel!
08:27 Who are you, where do you stay and what are you doing with your time?
10:55 We got a message from a spearo that can’t use a float as it is too dangerous
12:20 Why I use a reel gun
14:25 Be prepared to lose your gun
18:43 Type of structure you dive on
20:10 90% of Noob Spearos need a float line
21:20 Diving alone and dive watches
23:35 Old school approach to safety when using reels
27:45 What do you need to look out for when diving with a reel?
29:30 A good boaty
32:10 Getting caught in the reef
40:05 Shrek, what do you use?
43:21 So you moved to the spearfishing capital of the world, London – the London International Spearfishing Club
48:25 The core appeal of spearfishing is the same wherever you go
54:25 Traveling and spearfishing – lessons learned
01:03:50 Smooth skin wetsuits
01:07:40 Cooking
01:09:30 Cooking failures
01:11:20 99 Spearo Recipes
Daniel Mann with Mullet – check out this vid where he catches and cooks them!
01:16:55 Tell us about your Salt Baked Sea Bass
01:20:07 You don’t know what you don’t know
01:23:15 YouTube algorithm and censorship
01:27:17 I’m going to Norway in March
01:31:04 Shows like Meat Eater show the reality of the hunting life, like your videos do
01:34:05 Using more of your catch
01:37:05 99 Spearo Recipes is going to be a game changer when it comes out
Today’s episode is with Spencer Allen from California. He is an all in spearo that has fully embraced the lifestyle and has been a big contributor to the 99 Spearo Recipes book. His cooking is even better than his spearfishing! After losing all his gear in a house fire, he stopped hunting and never really got back into it until he started kayak fishing. After being smashed attempting a big surf launch he almost gave it up again, but decided not to quit. He found some buddies to take him out again and ended up catching a 41 inch Halibut. He has been hooked ever since! Join us as we chat about spearfishing and cooking, the Channel Islands, finding buddies and ways to be a better spearo. Let us know what you think about this episode!
Important times:
00:13 Intro and 99 Spearo Recipes messages
05:25 Welcome Spencer! Tell us about yourself!
09:07 What is a yard sale and how do you launch in the surf?
Today’s episode is a special one! It features interviews done while out on the Adreno Capricorn Bunker Trip, a 1 week spearfishing charter on the Great Barrier Reef aboard the Eastern Voyager! Join some of the legends from Adreno like Wayne Judge and Taylor Slattery along with the familiar voice of Trevor Ketchion and some actual Noob Spearos as they discuss plans, expectations and goals for the trip. This is a great opportunity and one of the easiest spearfishing charters you can get – hot showers, great food and priceless advice and guidance from legendary spearos, we highly recommend doing this trip! Book your own trip here! As always, a massive thanks to Adreno for making this trip so memorable!
Photo Credit: Amy Stevens @beyond_amy
Photo Credit: Amy Stevens @beyond_amy
Photo Credit: Amy Stevens @beyond_amy
Important times:
00:13 Intro
02:56 PADI Level 1 Course
09:45 Welcome to the Eastern Voyager! Introducing Adreno legend Wayne Judge and Noob Spearos Ryan, Jack and Jordy
13:31 Wayne, what is the plan for this trip?
14:00 We are going spearfishing, not freediving
17:03 How is everyone feeling about the trip?
18:22 Great advice from Wayne
Photo Credit: Amy Stevens @beyond_amy
21:28 Hunting: find the fish’s weakness
23:20 We have some great conditions here
24:08 What goals do you have for this trip?
26:10 Frenzel or Valsalva?
32:55 Questions for Wayne: How do I prepare for that first dive?
34:17 How much weight should I use?
35:50 Sharks: When do we get out of the water?
40:58 How do you stop the urge to breathe?
44:24 How long should I be recovering for?
48:21 Diving with more experienced spearos
50:40 Part 2
51:53 Day 3: Taylor, How has it been so far?
52:54 Trevor is hitting his prime!
53:26 Fish of the trip?
55:03 Luke
56:44 Ryan shooting his first fish ever!
59:00 My first Blackspot Tuskfish and Spangled Emperors
01:01:52 How has the boat been? Good meals and hot showers are excellent
01:03:04 The Queen of Content: Amy!
01:07:57 Trevor Ketchion vs Daniel Mann: Most underrated fish
01:11:08 What struggles have you had?
01:13:00 What are your goals for the rest of the trip? Shoot a trout! How are you going to do it?
01:16:51 Being a good boaty
01:21:14 Trevor’s advice
01:23:20 Safe buddy diving
01:26:16 Taylor’s boaty advice
01:31:14 What goals do you all want to achieve on the last few days?
Today’s interview is with Brian Fern, aka @Unkolearnuhow from Hawaii! He has a genuine wealth of knowledge on gear and diving from his almost 40 years of spearfishing with a particular mindset towards sustainability and safety. In Hawaii, spearfishing is seen as more of a lifestyle than a sport – that shows in the way he speaks about spearfishing and guides others into it. He is a big advocate for buddy diving and gives us some actionable tips on how to dive safely and more effectively, how to handle Noob Spearos that don’t know much about safety and how to confront experienced spearos that have unsafe dive practices. He even has some advice on avoiding and treating ciguatera poisoning! Have a listen and let us know what you think! We need to get Brian back for a 2nd episode, we didn’t have time to get through everything we wanted to speak about!
Important times:
00:13 Intro
01:50 Spencer Allen on 99 Spearo Recipes
04:53 Hello and welcome Brian!
06:24 Spearfishing in Hawaii is more of a lifestyle than a sport
08:08 Hawaiians seem very connected to their environment, is this true or just the tourists view?
10:40 Invasive species
12:25 Ciguatera poisoning
13:34 What was your experience of that and how did you treat it?
16:11 Alcohol and coffee making the symptoms worse
17:11 When did you start spearfishing?
19:12 Pole spears
21:42 There’s no such thing as a shit fish, only a shit cook – do you agree?
22:17 Staple fish species
23:40 You have super clear water which presents it’s own challenges
25:40 How did you develop your freediving to be able to hunt those fish and be safe?
28:50 “I want to dive like Ryan Myers – how long will that take me to learn?”
33:10 Learning to be patient
36:15 Diving with better divers
38:37 What about diving with someone that doesn’t listen to good advice?
40:32 Learning through time and observation – how to not suck at spearfishing
41:30 Diving with bad buddies – have a game plan on the shore
42:54 How do you dive with people who can’t dive as deep as you can?
44:10 How do you confront experienced divers that have bad dive practices? The dangers of experience and ego
47:40 Wrapping up buddy diving – have a partner that’s at or just above your skill level
49:18 Struggling to do one up and one down? Dive with 1 gun!
51:51 Understanding variable conditions – what do spearos need to understand about reading conditions?
54:03 How do people find spearing mentors in Hawaii?
55:59 Spearfishing clubs
57:27 How do you confront people that have decided that they know enough?
58:16 Conditions: you need to learn from local divers – talk to life guards
01:00:03 Online weather resources
01:00:56 How do you know when you are too deep?
01:03:22 The right equipment for the right job
01:05:19 Financial barrier to entry – if you have the wrong gear, you are risking your life
01:08:21 Mannysub – what do you like about his gear? Premium gear that’s been well designed with great customer service
01:11:14 Rollerguns
01:14:57 Before hunting with a new gun – DO SOME TARGET PRACTICE – properly powering your gun
01:18:16 Pipe guns vs wood guns
01:20:00 Price is a big influence – rigging and using your speargun is a big thing to learn. Mannysub gives you instruction manuals with their spearguns
01:21:32 Mannysub roller conversion kit – Brian is the US and Hawaii rep
01:23:04 How do people reach out and find you and your gear? Rollerspearguns.com and unkolearnuhow.com
01:23:56 We are out of time – thanks for being on the show!
Today’s interview is with Lisa Ferrier Rafkin, a badass and frothing speara that holds 15 women’s world records! Join us as we chat about her journey in spearfishing, her struggles, memorable fish and some great tips for hunting pelagic fish species and staying safe! She is part of the Sea of Love Foundation where she teaches children to spearfish! She is clearly exceptionally talented at spearfishing and although she hasn’t been doing it for very long, she has a lot that you can learn from when it comes to technique, overcoming challenges and caring for your catch. The species on her list are things like Bluefin Tuna, Roosterfish and big yellow tail to name a few, if you are interested in hunting bigger game fish this is a great episode to listen to!
Important times:
00:13 Intro
05:12 Hello and welcome! Tell us about the Sea Of Love Foundation
06:19 You are softhearted in the day and a badass spearfisher at night! You have 15x women’s world records!
08:12 What draws you to the ocean?
08:57 Your work takes a toll on you, is spearfishing a type of therapy for you?
10:28 What’s your earliest spearfishing memory?
12:24 You started a new sport at a late age, how did you find the process of starting new?
14:21 Starting with very competent people can be intimidating
15:56 I got my first blue water gun in 2016 after a lot of diving
17:41 What is a “paddy”? If there’s a bird on it, it’s a good sign!
18:46 What size are we talking?
20:10 How do you approach a paddy?
21:23 Explain the hunting around a paddy
22:23 Undersized yellowtail “rats”
23:17 What does ethical spearfishing mean to you?
24:30 Your awareness of the ethics become nuanced as you develop in your spearfishing
28:05 What was it like learning to freedive at 52?
29:32 Duck dive technique is a huge thing
30:23 What’s the first hunt that stands out in your memory?
32:17 Have you had a problem with shot placement with bigger yellowtail?
33:45 Loading a speargun
35:31 Sometimes you need to struggle
37:44 Dealing with excitement when you find a great fish
39:42 The missed opportunities keep you coming back
40:27 Pulling fish in on your shooting line, it takes practice
42:14 Dorado/mahi mahi really test you and your team
43:14 As a novice hunting Bluefin Tuna, what advice do you have?
46:31 Watch where your line is!
47:08 Are you using a clutch setup? Yes!
48:53 Do Bluefin dive deep when they get scared?
52:42 What tough/scary situations have you had? Getting wrapped in line
54:56 Sharks!
59:05 Black Sea Bass
59:57 People wonder how we can love animals so much and still hunt and eat them
01:03:06 Equipment: Riffe speargun and wetsuit
01:04:23 I don’t use a low volume mask, my scuba mask just fits perfectly and I have problems with all the low volume makes I’ve used
01:07:00 Do you do any pool training?
01:08:10 Getting a little extra depth opens up bigger fish and the problem with comparison in spearfishing
01:10:06 Dive within your limits and shallow water blackouts
0:11:24 When I take people to hunt bigger fish I make sure they keep there surface to diving ratio good
01:14:37 Funny stuff!
01:16:53 Lessons learned for drift diving
01:17:41 Shooting a 56lb Roosterfish and almost losing all my gear
01:19:08 What do they taste like?
01:19:53 Bluefin tuna: caring and processing is different than for other fish
01:22:02 Dry aging fish
01:24:49 Treating fish well is an important thing
01:26:37 Spearo Q&A
Single best tip: using pink bands, seriously! It attracts fish!
Who’s been the most influential person in your spearfishing?
If you had to start spearfishing all over again, what would you do differently?
Describe what the spearfishing experience means to you.
01:30:30 Where can people find you on social media?
Today’s interview is with Daniel Semrad of the Oregon Freediving Company! He is a world record holding spearfishing and freediving instructor that is also be an award winning teacher! He now runs the Oregon Freediving Company with his wife Talya who also holds spearfishing world records and is a competitive freediver representing South Africa! They train in some great conditions, we’re talking about dirty and 6-10 degree water! Listen in as we chat about spearfishing in Oregon, running a freediving shop and teaching students, hunting techniques, exercises and dry training to benefit your diving and a whole lot more. Dan is an awesome guy and a great diver, let us know what you think of this episode!
Important times:
00:13 Intro
04:03 Hello and welcome Daniel Semrad! Tell us about the freediving/spearfishing community in Oregon
06:08 You’re a freedive instructor, how did you get there?
07:47 You won the Excite Award from MIT for being an exciting teacher
10:30 Water conditions in Oregon
11:38 What suit do you wear in your 6-10 degree water?
13:23 You probably spend a lot of time in the pool with conditions like that. How do you run your courses?
15:14 Buddy protocols in dirty water, what are you teaching your students?
17:56 What role do static exercises play in spearfishing?
19:25 When you feel you need to speed up, slow down. How did this become a reality to you?
22:22 My Octopus Teacher – has that impacted the amount of your customers?
24:09 Talya Davidoff is your wife, she is an accomplished spearo (3x world records) and competitive freediver too
25:10 Tell us about your records
28:38 What does your spearfishing consist of these days?
30:08 Walk us through a great day spearfishing for you
32:22 Purple urchins, are they bad over there?
33:48 Are they good eating?
34:50 Fisheries management
37:16 Hunting in Oregon: what species and how do you hunt them?
39:42 What are the telltale signs of the species you look for? Type of rock, seaweed, coral or animals.
42:17 You are covering a lot of ground looking for fish
43:03 I don’t like statics or aspetto spearfishing: hunting in Hawaii and Alaska
45:58 Gear: what do you use? You mentioned using a pole spear
47:19 Do you guys like smoking fish up there?
49:20 Scary stuff: have you had any close calls?
52:08 Spearfishing off a kayak: lessons learned from bad situations
55:22 What obstacles did you find in your spearfishing?
56:46 The delicate balance of doing freediving/spearfishing as a job, how do you balance it?
01:01:04 Understanding weather conditions and making predictions: how to predict visibility
01:03:45 Have you kept a dive log for spearfishing?
01:04:53 You have some back health issues? What do you do in the gym?
01:06:44 What cross training has been relevant for spearfishing and freediving?
01:08:30 Dry training can be hard to maintain, have you found the same?
01:09:22 Training resources for dry training
01:10:35 What yoga do you do?
01:11:34 Hate for spearfishing: what criticisms have you got for spearfishing and how do you respond?
01:13:39 Spearfishing on scuba vs freediving
01:14:44 Funny stuff
01:16:38 What’s in your dive bag? Wetsuit, gloves, fins, dive computer, weights, speargun and pole spear, shooting line, buoys/floats and lines, etc.
01:24:08 Do you teach spearo etiquette?
01:25:19 Spearo Q&A
Single best spearfishing tip: slow down!
What does the spearfishing experience mean to you? Hit the reset button
Who’s been the most influential people in your community? My local community
Where in the world would you like to go spearfishing? South Africa and Australia
01:27:30 Where can people find you and where is your shop?
01:29:23 Are you running courses again?
01:30:15 Outro and last notes that Daniel didn’t mention
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