NSP:315 Making Fins Great Again (+ what happened to Sharkshield?)

Ed Martin KillShot Deep Apnea

NSP:315 KillShot, Deep Apnea & the Real Shark Shield Story | Ed Martin

Ed Martin has been living one of the most chaotic and compelling entrepreneurial stories in the spearfishing world — running a dive shop, building timber spearguns under the KillShot banner, acquiring legendary US fin brand Deep Apnea, and nearly bringing Shark Shield back to market before the whole thing fell over. He’s since walked away from the Florida Keys, bought an 80-acre former turtle farm near Ocala, and is now running two manufacturing companies out of buildings he’s literally wired himself. This episode is equal parts business therapy and fin-nerd masterclass — Ed breaks down why soft, medium, and hard is a rubbish way to select your fins, how deep apnea’s hand-layup process produces one of the lightest and most responsive blades on the market, and why chasing too many rabbits is the surest way to catch none. If you’ve ever thought about turning your passion for spearfishing into a business, or you just want to understand what’s actually going on inside your carbon fibre fins, crack a beer and hit play.

Ed Martin Spearfishing Gallery

DIY Timber Speargun. DIY woodie speargun. Ed Martin Killshot Spearguns with African Pompano
Ed Martin Florida Keys Spearfishing. Interview with Killshot Craftsman
DIY Timber Speargun. DIY woodie speargun. Ed Martin Killshot Spearguns how to make your own speargun
NSP:126 Ed Martin Florida Keys Spearfishing Guide withKillshot Craftsman
DIY Timber Speargun. DIY woodie speargun. Ed Martin Killshot Spearguns how to make your own speargun
DIY Wooden Speargun with Ed Martin from Killshot Spearguns

Important Timestamps

  • 00:00:41 — Shrek intro: Sentinel Ocean Systems now stocking the new Shark Shield Freedom 8 — if that’s why you’re here, head to sentineloceansystems.com before anything else.
  • 00:03:51 — Ed’s three previous NSP episodes (123, 126, 281), and the catch-up begins: expanding the Florida Keys dive shop, buying Deep Apnea, and getting tangled up in Shark Shield — all at the same time.
  • 00:07:40 — Why the dive shop had to go. Ed breaks down the brutal economics of juggling too many businesses at once — “the greatest way to fail is to try to do too much shit all at once.”
  • 00:13:43 — What happened to Depth Charge Charters: isolation risk, seasonal staffing nightmares in the Keys, and the call from the marina that never came.
  • 00:19:43 — Leaving the Florida Keys after 47 property inspections — and landing on an 80-acre former turtle farm with five ponds, a hot house, and spiders that’ll stop your heart.
  • 00:24:12 — The real Shark Shield story. Why the Freedom 8 never made it to market under Ed’s watch, the pre-order he’s glad he never took, and the path forward for people with broken units. Australian repair contact: Tim [CHECK: “Tim Ner Benner” — likely transcription error, flag for Shrek to confirm name/contact details].
  • 00:32:19 — Deep Apnea: how the company went from a South Florida sleeper to picking up new accounts including Neptonics. Ed walks through silk screening, the manufacturing workflow, and what it takes to build 600 pairs of fins a year with a tiny team.
  • 00:37:33 — Should you turn spearfishing into your business? Ed’s hard-won take: “If you want to become a millionaire in the dive business, start with two million.” What to do right, what kills you, and the rare joy of watching a zero-to-hero customer walk back through the door.
  • 00:44:23 — Actionable tip of the day: the flip flop chest loading pad hack. Ed demonstrates how to rig a full thong/flip flop with a dyneema loop and uni knots for an adjustable, depth-stable loading pad — and why neoprene pads are basically useless below 20m for scuba divers.
  • 00:48:37 — Business exit strategy advice. Set a concrete number before you start, stick to it, and don’t be the guy selling gear out of the back of his truck in the car park.
  • 00:52:43 — Deep Apnea vs the market: why the fins were originally designed for spearos by spearos, the case for tendon foot pockets over tendonless, and the moment Ed dives to meet his buddy who just shot at 60 feet — and why you should too.
  • 01:03:58 — Why “soft, medium, hard” is a useless scale and what actually matters: static deflection testing, the parabolic flex curve, and how to match fin stiffness to your body weight, dive frequency, and depth.
  • 01:09:00 — The lamination deep dive: where the carbon layers are stacked (closer to the foot pocket for torque, tapering toward the tip), and why Ed’s medium fins have 10 layers of carbon and 80 pieces to cut per batch.
  • 01:17:16 — Hand layup vs vacuum bagging: why Deep Apnea fins have a matte finish, how the press squeezes out excess resin, and why less resin means a lighter, more responsive blade.
  • 01:20:44 — Carbon fibre nerd-out: what 3K vs 12K actually means (3,000 vs 12,000 strands per tow), and why more K doesn’t automatically mean better.
  • 01:22:16 — What’s next: doubling customers already this year, CNC automation, a possible carbon fibre propeller for a half-drunk neighbour’s airboat, and the dream — destination spearfishing, elk hunting, and getting the businesses to a point where Ed can actually leave.
  • 01:31:05 — Where to buy: deepapnea.com and killshotspearguns.com — both rolling under the Deep Apnea platform. Use code NOOB10 for 10% off blades.
  • 01:35:13 — Outro: 1770 Retreat debrief teased as coming next episode — described as “arguably my favourite debrief” and one of the funniest episodes in the show’s history.

Links Mentioned, Partner Deals and Discounts + Froth

📱 YouTube: @noobspearo

🌊 Instagram: @noobspearo

🤿 Sail x Spear Charter Information and Booking

50 Patrons are powering the Noob Spearo Monthly – find out more HERE

3500+ frothers are subscribed to the Floater Email Newsletter – find out more HERE

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *