The Importance of Research and Networking
Written by NAUI Freedive Instructor Nicholas Ta
It’s 2013, I just moved to Monterey and I’m soaking in the coastline for the first time in my life, jammin’ to Daft Punk’s hot, new single “Get Lucky”. Suddenly, something breaks my attention. I slam on the brakes and roll down the window. I gaze upon two camouflaged figures emerging from the water with giant fish. The two divers celebrate with a crisp, deafening high five and a rumbling guffaw. Their wet dive gear glistens in the sun, blinding me with inspiration. What I am witnessing seems so bizarre—the idea that you can go into the water and get your own food… it’s incredible. I want to be a part of that… but, how do I get into this fish spearing sport? I’m a broke college kid with no gear, I’m new in town, and I don’t know how to swim.
Fast forward 7 years later... I’m still broke, but things are different! I have multiple sets of equipment. I am part of many dive communities in my state. I even moderate one of them! I can definitely swim now, and to top it off, I go spearfishing almost daily and can bring home fish anytime I want. That’s where I am now, but I was actually fully set up to spearfish within my first couple weeks. Yes, I was fortunate to have friends show me the way, but I still had to put in a lot of work on my end: reading literature, asking a lot of questions, researching given answers, connecting with the community, and so on. I understand others may not be fortunate enough to have friends to get them started; so I hope the tips we put in this blog help you make new friends in your journey into spearfishing.
FISHING LICENSE
The first thing to remember is, information is free. We are in the “age of information” with computers, 4G Network, and abundant social media. Our ability to contact others is strengthened ten fold. Now, with all these resources what should we search up first? Well, speaking of free information, let’s look up fishing licenses. You won’t get far unless you have one of these and getting a significant fine for fishing without a license is not good for you, or the reputation of spearfishing. You can purchase your CA fishing license HERE.
RESEARCH
Think about where you’ll be going for spearfishing. Is it in another county? Is it out of state? Take the time to look at their Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) website and read their literature. Maybe even spend a couple hours to visit a local DFW branch. The amount of global awareness you’ll gain is immeasurable. You’ll notice they give extensive information on
Literally anything you want to know about game fish where you’re visiting.
Emails and numbers you can contact if you have any inquiry about your next hunt
NETWORKING STRATEGIES
I understand not all of you reading this may be hunting in a California area. I posted CDFW’s webpages as an example to spark some ideas in case you are visiting elsewhere. So, we have a website with all this information, how do we progress forward? Well, take a look at the species in the area you are going to hunt, then go look at the record holders for those species. Those record holders are usually regulars who have been fishing for a long time. They either are part of the diving community or have a lot of fundamental information to share. Reach out to them via social media; say, “hi” and introduce yourself. Instead of asking, “yo where the big fish at?” Ask questions like, “do you dive with a club or community?” or “how did you get started?”. Let them know you’re a beginner seeking advice on how to get started. When I did that, without fail I was introduced to their community, forums, and meet n greet events. Because you did your reading, you can ask more specific questions to prompt inspired responses from a community. In turn, regulars will see you did your reading and will be able to help you better. A supplemental choice would be to look up or visit a dive shop in the area you are going to hunt in. Shop’s are a hub for community interaction, education, and equipment. I’ll be talking more about this in the next entry.