Hi Dolphins, a wee sports report for the past couple of months. Relating some Competition and Social events and Club Championship results to date.
The National Spearfishing Championships were held around the Port Fairy area of Victoria, we had the one Dolphin participate in the Nationals and that was Evan Leeson.
Evan had done some serious training for the event, in particular diving around Tasmania, I heard looking for Crayfish and other succulent seafood that the cold waters of the Tasman are renowned for – he struck out on almost all accounts despite becoming intimate with the complete map of Tasmania, yet when he arrived to scout the area for the Nationals he found the Southern Rock lobster to be in abundance, and the odd 22kg Southern Bluefin Tuna. Evan fared ok in the event finishing outside the Top Ten and he is keen to return to another Nationals in the near future.
Paul Marsh graciously donated a 20 kg Mulloway to the NSW Research Angler Program . The fish was estimated to be 10 years old and was caught around the Central Coast at spot X in the middle of Winter. Well done Mudcrab!
Just a reminder about our club meeting next week on Tuesday the 17th. Should kick off from around 7:30 with a BBQ feast served by BBQ king Alex joined by our very own Smokey BBQ LEGEND Ali making a return star appearance serving up a game meat feast. The boys are donating plenty of meat for the night but if anyone has something they can donate please contact Alex to arrange it. Would be much appreciated!! And get your taste buds ready.
Once everyone has had their fill we’ve got another installment of a species specific presentation. This time were looking at the all popular king fish, and just in time. If your after a big kingi the next few months is the time to do it!
Evan will be discussing hunting kingfish locally and abroad, enzymes that affect the flesh (the mushy factor), shot placement, equipment, hunting techniques, safety, current records, regulations, recipes, when and where to find these fish. Feel free to bring in your gear to get checked and critiqued.
Let me begin by saying that boats are a fantastic thing to have in your spearfishing life. Like your girlfriend, boats have their pros, and cons too. There are a couple of old sayings I like to quote “the wife told me it was either the boat or her. Gee I am going to miss her cooking.” Or this one, my favourite. BOAT – Break out another thousand. IF you don’t mind constant maintenance, you have the room to store one, and importantly, you think can afford to keep both your wife and your mistress (…the boat) under the same roof, you might even decide you need new friends then go and visit your local boat dealer.
Sea Devil
The range of coastline you can travel by boat in a session far exceeds that of the rockhopper; if a spot you have chosen is fishless or dirty simply pull up anchor and move onto to another headland or reef; you can fish otherwise hard locations; my favourite is that fact that you are out on the ocean and enjoying the vast blue sea, you never know what suprises you will see out there on a given day. Whales, pods of dolphins, massive bait balls, awesome bird life, huge sharks, blokes floating around on an esky lid, sunfish, the list is endless. I enjoy being out on my boat and sharing experiences with my friends.
I am very happy that I just read that the diver is recovering and he is ok!
Unfortunately the articles does not give many information on the event. He was found unconscious in 12m depth (at the bottom). 99.99% this was a black out with no safety dive buddy.
Definition of safety diver/dive buddy: One who watches a diver throughout all of the divers dive, i.e. never looses sight/information on where the diver is. A guy that is fishing 5/10m away from another diver and does not pay attention during a dive, is a great mate, but not a safety diver.
From experience I have from freediving competitions it is most likely (probable) that what happened to him happened either at the surface or very close to the surface. Then the diver being unconscious descended (maybe too many weights, or he lost air and became negative in terms of buoyancy) . After that, somebody found him – we don’t know how much time passed until he was found.
It is unlikely that there was a dive buddy watching him throughout his dive and lost him during the dive. If this was the case the dive buddy / safety diver would find him immediately and would only need to keep his head out of the surface and he would start breathing again on his own.
Once the black out happens, the diver stays unconscious and does not breath for a very short period of time (about a minute?) After that as a reflex he starts having contractions that result – if underwater – water into the lungs from which point and on recovery becomes very difficult.
Now the majority of you guys have start having hi-tech diving equipment that allows you to stay longer and dive deeper into the water. I would please like to ask you to consider – at least for competitions – to have a dive buddy system. Otherwise I am afraid we may start having more often dive accidents – I hope we’ll never EVER see one ever again!!! – related to breathhold black outs. Diving in a competition without a safety diver is something like driving a racing car without a seat belt. And I am sure nobody wants to drive a racing car without a seat belt.
This month meeting is on Tuesday the 16th July and we will be having a XMAS in July Seafood feast. We’ll have a raffle on the night as well. List of prizes to come.
Anyone who bring a quality fish for the BBQ will get 3 free tickets. Fillets accepted, but I said quality fish. Fillets will be inspected by seniors to ascertain species. No Silver Drummer Fillets please…
Come along, bring your Santa hat and catch up on what’s going on around the scene.
Member Videos
There are a few new videos added to the Video section of the site. Thanks to Scuba Pete and Paul Marsh.
Australia vs South Africa 17 – 25 May 2013
As most of us know our own Derrick Cruz and Evan Leeson were part of the three man Australian team in South Africa. Derrick Cruz won the visiting international competitors trophy.
Taken in 1962 at Rottnest Island WA. Fred Nann is wearing his first wetsuit made by Torpedo and a brandishing a homemade gun by Bernie Harbour. The gun was used for over 15 years. Thanks to Fred’s daughter Vicki Nann for the photo
Fred was the original founding member for the Dolphins it’s first president and first Life member. He later moved to WA in his late 20’s, where he did a record freedive at the time recorded at 110ft, he was also charged with having a powerhead over there in the early 60’s.
When you are having a quite beer or coffee have a read of it, 11 pages of good times. Amazing how had core these boys all were in the 50’s and early 60’s. We got nothin’ on them really, we are spoilt.
Born in Sydney at St. George Hospital Kogarah on the 12/9/1935, one of four children of Frederick Robert and Dorothy La Vere Nann. Resided at Walter Street and then Darley Street Sans Souci until 1959.
Special thanks, picture provided by Fred’s daughter Vicki Nann.
The National Spearfishing Championships were held around the Port Fairy area of Victoria, we had the one Dolphin participate in the Nationals and that was Evan Leeson.
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