Beginner Spearfishing Gear - What You Need To Get Started

Today we are talking about some of the basic pieces of gear you need to get started spearfishing.

You can read the blog below or watch our video on this topic here:

 All right, first off, we're going to start with the mask. Mask for me is probably the most important part of your kit. Without it, you're not going to be able to see what you're doing. It's going to leak, you'll be really uncomfortable out there.

So a few things when looking for a mask for spearfishing. Number one, you want to have a good seal. You can try it on in the shop, basically putting up to your face, breathing in, see if you get a seal.

Secondary to that, you'd probably want to go for a black skirted mask. This type of mask let’s less light in, fewer distractions, better for aiming, better for seeing fish under rocks, ledges, that sort of thing.

Thirdly, for spearfishing masks, you're probably looking at your low volume mask. So these will be good for diving a little bit deeper. If you're starting out, it's not the most important factor. The fit is the number one priority. The other thing with the mask is they're really prone to fogging up when they're new, so it's a good idea to get yourself some pre-cleaner and anti-fog with your first mask.

So along with the mask you'll need a snorkel. Most freediving snorkels are pretty straight forward. Most beginners with us a J style snorkel (or classic snorkel), so there's no purge valves, no splash guards. Just really basic nice and flexible snorkel. Make sure you get one with the silicone keeper because they're much more reliable and they won't fall off your mask. And always remember to dive WITHOUT your snorkel in your mouth, that's a big safety thing.

After that we need our fins. You can start with an entry level plastic freediving fin. You also don’t have to start with a full-length freediving fin so you can start a little bit shorter if you want. If you're unsure about the type of fin to get or how your leg muscles are going to go with it, opt for something softer. If you're going to be around tight spaces and rocks go for a slightly shorter fin.

All right, next from that you're going to need a knife. The primary purpose of the knife is for dispatching your kill humanely and quickly and secondary, it's a really good safety device as well. I like to go for something that mounts to a weight belt. I find the rubber straps can be slightly unreliable and it's one extra thing to put on when you're getting ready. For example, I’ve had the Adreno F.G. knife for a few years, it's definitely our most popular knife among all of our stores around Australia. It's very easy to get in and out and it mounts to your weight belt. Plus, if you drop it, yellow handle, very easy to spot.

Next we need to talk about weight belts, you're going to want a rubber one, especially if you're going to mount your knife to it. The nylon sort of seatbelt material belts, they will slide around. When you're duck diving, they're going to move up and down your waist, up to your chest, really annoying. The nylon belts are more designed for scuba divers. It’s good to go for a rubber weight belt with a Marseilles style buckle when you release it, it’s really good at falling off. So if you're in trouble and you pull on it, let go, it's going to quickly fall away to the bottom.

So along with your weight belt, you're going to want some weights. This is very dependent on the type of wetsuit you're wearing, your muscle mass, your lung capacity, a whole bunch of variables there. So I'd recommend, especially for beginners, always starting out with less, so less is best. Even if you just want to start with one. The big thing with the weights, when you add your wetsuit, it's full of little air bubbles, therefore very buoyant. The weights are there to counteract that and your lungs.

All right, then we're getting to the fun stuff. So you're going to need a spear gun. Well maybe not a spear gun. You can start with a hand spear or like what some people call a gidgee as well. A 110cm length speargun you can pretty much use anywhere in Australia. So 110cm is a great starting length. You want to look for something that's got a rail as a track generally and a good comfortable grip and solid mechanism.

To go with the speargun, if you go down that track rather than hand spear, you're going to need a float and a float line. You want to pick your float line length based on the depth that you're going to dive. So there's no point having a 30 meter float line if you're only diving five meters. It's just going to become a tangle like a hazard. If you're diving five meters, 10 meter float line's plenty.

A small hard float like the Adreno 7L Bullet Hard Foam Float. This is a really good one starting out because it won't puncture easy on the rocks. However, if you do find yourself walking a long way to dive, you may be better off looking at an inflatable one because it's a bit easier to carry with you.

Next we're going to look at the wetsuit neoprene products. The products are designed to keep you warm and protect you from cuts and scratches. I would recommend if your budget allows going straight for a two-piece wetsuit, much warmer, stretchier material. It’s similar to the mask, if you're comfortable in the water, you're diving is going to be much better.

You pair your wetsuit up with a pair of gloves and a pair of socks. Gloves will protect your hands from fish spikes, keep your hands warm. And the socks are going to protect your feet from blisters.

Now that's just the basics. Obviously we could go on all day about different bits and pieces you can use for spearfishing. And today we just wanted to cover the essentials to get you in the water. So I've just jumped through these pretty quick. If you want to find out any more info on any of these product categories, just feel free to check out our other blogs or YouTube videos. Or if you have any other questions about getting the right spearfishing gear get in contact with us via live chat, email or visit one of our stores our spearfishing experts will be happy to help out.