Spearfishing, How To Get Started Book Review

Who is this book for?

Spearfishing, How To Get Started is for aspiring spearo’s and people in their first 2 years of spearfishing. The Authors background is East Coast USA, predominantly the North however this doesn’t make the information irrelevant to spearo’s from elsewhere. I live in Australia and the information is helpful for Aussie divers in a diverse range of conditions.

Pro’s

• Highly relevant info for spearo’s in their early years.
• Easy to read and you’ll save time, energy and money by not learning everything the hard way.
• Information is mostly general and adapts well to different contexts.
• Authors personal stories with lessons learned are honest and helpful.
• Author is observant and communicates his thinking process in useful situations such as hunting scenario’s and finding new spots to explore.
• Practical advice for people with small budget’s (this is helpful for equipment and making the most of your local area).
• Authors enthusiasm for spearfishing is contagious and you come away wanting to go immediately!

Con’s

• Not enough pictures. These would prove helpful in several parts of the book however all the information is there.
• Conversational. This is both good and bad, its easy to read and you learn the ideas however it could benefit from some practical step by step/action oriented sections.
• Mostly general information. To learn more about specific spearfishing knowledge such as how to read and interpret weather forecasts, size limits and behaviour for specific species, and in-depth freediving techniques you will need to find it elsewhere.

Highlights

Some of the parts I liked best were;

1. Doug’s formula for spearfishing success: “Comfort = Less Stress = More Air = More Time = More Fish = More Fun”. Simple but true and helpful.
2. The cost breakdown of basic spearfishing equipment. While I didn’t agree with all of the Doug’s opinions on gear I really like the fact that he explains each item, what he recommends (on a budget) and then lays out a list complete with rough prices on what you should expect to pay. Bloody awesome!
3. The whole chapter on ‘where to go spearfishing’. With his pole fishing background, multiple conversations with experienced fisherman and his own observations and experiences, Doug lays out some really good insights about how to find likely spots to go spearfishing. Due to his conversational style Doug lets you tap into his hard learned experience and this is invaluable.

What others say

Spearo’s can be a tough bunch when they write reviews so it was pleasant to read a few good ones on Amazon.

N C Vinge writes

Straight forward and good basic knowledge to get you started, July 18, 2014

Spearfishing, How To Get Started – Overall Verdict

I like it! If I was starting out spearfishing all over again I would read this book. Doug’s writing style is conversational and you get a real sense of how an experienced spearo approaches situations. If you want an in depth guide to breath hold and related issues then buy Pelazzaris Manual of Freediving here. If you want to investigate more about spearfishing hunting techniques then check out Terry Maas’s ‘BlueWater Hunting and Freediving here but if you’re starting out spearfishing then buy ‘Spearfishing, How To Get Started’. Its the Authors first hand experience and it offers practical information that could save you learning everything the hard way during the first 2 years of your spearfishing journey.

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• Kindle Edition here
• Paperback Edition here

If you would like to know more about the Author Doug Peterson then listen into our interview with him here. The Noob Spearo Podcast is an online radio show where Turbo and I interview spearfishing experts, authorities and characters from around the world. Download them to your smartphone and listen on your daily commute for free!

Thanks for reading,

Shrek