05-03-2007, 06:41 PM
Hi Adam, in my opinion you should go snorkelling without a gun first - practice stalking fish, see how close you can get. This will also give you a good idea about what species are common, and what to expect in different areas. My feeling is that doing a course on spearfishing would be a bit of a waste of time - but who knows. If you have already done a SCUBA course and are familiar with snorkelling and how it works, I reckon you're already half way there.
About the areas you mentioned - be careful around Black Rock - lots of boat traffic, and depending on where you go there is also a marine park which you need to stay out if (if you're spearing anyway, but there is some great snorkelling inside the park). For safety you should dive with a buoy which has a 'divers down' flag (blue/white) - you can also hang a bag off your buoy which you can put fish in if you spear any.
About the areas you mentioned - be careful around Black Rock - lots of boat traffic, and depending on where you go there is also a marine park which you need to stay out if (if you're spearing anyway, but there is some great snorkelling inside the park). For safety you should dive with a buoy which has a 'divers down' flag (blue/white) - you can also hang a bag off your buoy which you can put fish in if you spear any.