Spearfishing has been practiced for thousands of years and has shared origins in every corner of the globe. The modern spearfisher has many faces: from the indigenous Bajau of the Philippines, who use home-fashioned equipment and highly evolved physiology to dive to impressive depths, to the typical Monterey Bay freediver who dons a 7mm neoprene wetsuit, kicks aerospace-grade carbon fiber fins, and carries an assortment of technological marvels while hunting the chilly bay waters. No matter the person or the equipment they use, however, the goal remains the same—to enter into the aquatic environment, dive beneath the surface while holding your breath, and capture food with the aid of a pointy stick. That seems easy enough, right? 

In reality, however, practicing spearfishing well and safely requires a diver to develop a breadth of skills from multiple disciplines. The modern spearfisher is part freediver, part hunter, part ecologist, and part chef. We begin by cultivating a deep connection with the environment we will be hunting in and knowledge of its inhabitants, then add to that an understanding of ourselves and the unique physiology we share with other marine mammals, which allows us to dive to incredible depths while holding our breath. Once we understand our bodies and our environment, we begin to add equipment—the gear that will protect us and aid us in our hunt. Then, once we are fully prepared to plunge beneath the surface, we need to learn the strategies and tactics that make a skilled, successful hunter. Of course, provided we emerge victorious, there is still the matter of honoring our catch by preparing it in a way that is both sustainable and delicious. These are the skills we value in our community, and those that we hope to impart to you in this series of articles.