Simon Trippe Australian Spearfishing Academy Instructor

Simon Trippe is a passionate and active Sydney Spearo, Australian Spearfishing Academy Instructor and advocate for spearfishing all over Australia. San Souci Sydney is his home club and he has been a regular columnist in Spearfishing Downunder Magazine. Join us as Simon tells us about spearfishing with crocodiles up in North Queensland, nude beaches, building a great spearfishing club culture and how to avoid being a dickhead when you get started spearfishing.

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A smiling Simon Trippe with a fine 5kg Australian Snapper taken Spearfishing in NSW

Interview Times Quick-Guide

5:00 San Souci, what we have learned and what we do now to build a strong healthy Spearfishing club.
8:00 Taking noobs out, some helpful points
10:00 Hangover and a croc, going out with your Dad as a buddy is not always a safe dive!
13:00 Simons memorable fish story – first Dogtooth Tuna
19:00 Trippes Tips, Simons fast 5 advice for guys starting out
23:00 Seasickness and some advice about minimizing effects
25:00 Shallow Water Blackout the reality – healthy, intelligent young men drowning. Practical takeaways on how to avoid it.

Simon Trippe’s Fast Five Facts For Noobs | Advice for People Starting Spearfishing

Simon: Mate, alright, I’ll start with this, I’ve jotted a few things down.

1. I think first and foremost, find yourself a good retailer and someone that’s going to sell you a speargun and a wetsuit, someone that actually uses a speargun and a wetsuit. I don’t know, I think build a good relationship with those people. Face to face contact is fantastic. I can’t recommend it highly enough. We’re lucky enough in Sydney we’ve got two or three guys who are fantastic for it. Um I think then, that good retailer should be selling you good gear. You need to have some good gear. If you buy wisely now, it’s going to save you a lot of money in the future.
2. So don’t buy a hundred dollar pop gun when in six months time, from watching YouTube tutorials on how to spearfish, or coming to do courses, you’ll want a 1.3 Rob Allen or 1.1 Rob Allen, whatever. Sorry for naming brands, but that seems to be the generic. But yeah whatever horses for courses in your area. You realize shit I’ve just spent $500 on a gun that’s just too big for me, a 1.4 won’t work. Or jeez, this 90cm cray basher I bought, I want to go shoot Spanish now, I need a 1.4. So get good gear and take the retailer’s advice.
3. And then I’ve said here again, take advice again, find a club or get on Facebook and find blokes. There’s plenty of forums out there. Get out there, make mates with them. Don’t be a goose, don’t be a dickhead, kind of a know-it-all. I can’t stand people that come and want to learn but they’re telling me how to spearfish. I kind of have an idea, I still am learning, but you’ve come here to ask me questions. How about you let me tell you a couple of answers. Take advice, take it on board and try it out.
4. And the other thing is, do a course. If you can afford it, if you can do it, if you’ve got the time, do a course. Freediving course, spearfishing course, someone who’s knowledgeable, who’s accredited. Not just a fly-by-nighter. Someone that has an idea on spearfishing and just learn your breathing, which is great. I think that it’s important, just learn your breathing.
5. And as my father told me when I used to ring him up, and say Dad how could you ever dive off the front of North Head, that’s a long way. And he used to say a five-letter word: relax. Relax. It took me fifteen years to understand what that word meant. Relax. And that’s just the key thing. That’s probably my best advice: relax.

Links Mentioned

• Check out this Guide to Getting Started Spearfishing Video that is mentioned in the interview
• Full Interview Transcription Here
• Simon Trippe Second Interview
• Rick Trippe Spearfishing Interview
• Spearfishing Clubs Directory
• Simon Trippe Australian Spearfishing Academy link here

Simon and good mate Andrew with a couple of very large Jewfish – Simons went over 25kg

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