The Ocean Does Not Care: Applying Freediving Safety Systems to Spearfishing
Prepared by: Rhys Clay
Introduction.
For many of us spearfishing feels more familiar than formal freediving. Many spearfishers (also known
as Spearos) grow up in the ocean, become comfortable in surf, current and reef environments, and
develop thousands of hours of water confidence before ever completing a freediving course (if ever).
That confidence is valuable to success in the water, but it can also hide the main risk: hypoxic
blackout which can occur silently, often close to the surface or immediately after surfacing.
This assignment is based on my PADI Freediving Instructor’s presentation “The Ocean Does Not
Care: Lessons Every Spearo Needs To Know”. The central argument is simple: spearfishing safety
improves when spearos adopt freediving-style systems rather than relying on toughness, ocean
experience or luck.
As this assignment will demonstrate, the greatest statistical threat to spearos is not the more visceral
risks we tend to fear, such as sharks or boat strikes, although those dangers do exist (Lippmann,
2025). Our main focus needs to be blackout prevention, supported by disciplined buddy procedures
and practical equipment choices that make a rescue possible when seconds matter.
Why Blackout is The Core Spearfishing Risk.
Hypoxic blackout occurs when oxygen available to the brain falls below the level required to maintain
consciousness. In breath-hold diving this can be made more dangerous by several factors: repeated
dives with poor recovery, exertion during descent or ascent (such as fighting a fish), cold, stress,
hyperventilation, long bottom times, or the distraction of hunting fish (McCafferty, 2016). The problem
for spearfishers is that the danger does not always announce itself. A diver may feel calm, controlled
and capable right up until the point where they lose motor control or consciousness.
Australian fatality research from 2000–2021 demonstrated that blackout is the number one risk for
spearos and should be treated as the primary safety concern in breath-hold diving (Lippmann, 2025).
The review identified 317 snorkelling and breath-hold diving deaths in Australia over this period,
including fatalities connected to spearfishing and freediving, and highlighted solo diving as a key
preventable risk factor (Lippmann, 2025). This reinforces the need to shift our focus away from less
common but more visceral threats, such as sharks, and towards blackout prevention, disciplined
buddy procedures and equipment choices that make rescue possible when seconds matter.
For spearos, blackout risk is amplified by the hunting mindset. A freediver training on a line usually
has a planned depth, a planned turn, a safety diver and a known dive time. A spearo may instead be
scanning country, following fish, fighting current, managing a gun, handling a floatline and making
decisions based on opportunity. This is why spearfishing should not be treated as “casual freediving”.
It is freediving with extra task loading.
Case Study: The 1770 Near Miss.
In my presentation I discussed a previous trip to 1770, QLD where our group was diving in
approximately 20-25 metres with good visibility. These depths were within the comfort zone of all of
the divers. The situation changed when the boat broke down and began drifting toward deeper water,
in the 30-35 metre range. The group continued diving while waiting for Marine Rescue, fatigue built
from longer dives, and one diver experienced a samba after a long dive. Another diver (Giacomo)
then dived without a floatline and was not clearly visible on the bottom.
Giacomo was not seen during ascent and was later spotted sinking from the boat. He was
successfully recovered by the remaining divers who initiated surface recovery in what became a very
close call.
This incident is useful because it does not rely on an extreme depth, an obvious beginner error or bad
conditions. The risk came from normal spearfishing decisions stacking up: comfortable divers, a
change in conditions, fatigue, slightly deeper water and no floatline. The lesson is that spearfishing
incidents often emerge from a chain of small compromises rather than one dramatic mistake.
Lessons From Freediving That Transfer To Spearfishing.
The first lesson is that every dive needs a watcher. In formal freediving, a safety diver does not simply
exist somewhere nearby; they know the diver’s plan, monitor the dive, meet the diver near the end of
the ascent when appropriate and observe the recovery breaths after surfacing. In spearfishing, two
people being in the same general area is not the same as buddy diving. If neither person is watching
the other from descent to recovery, both are effectively diving alone.
The second lesson is that surface intervals matter. The PADI Freediver Instructor Guide recommends
allowing ample time between dives so the body can release dissolved nitrogen, noting that for dives
shallower than 30 metres, surface time should be at least twice the dive time, while general recovery
time is recommended at a minimum of three times the breath-hold duration (PADI, 2021). For dives
deeper than 30 metres, PADI notes that a longer surface interval is recommended, calculated as
depth divided by five in metres, meaning a 30 metre dive should involve at least six to seven minutes
on the surface. This supports my presentation’s “3x breath-up time” rule and makes particular sense
for spearfishing, where exertion, current, repeated duck dives, fish handling and decision fatigue can
all increase fatigue and risk.
The third lesson is that visibility and tracking are safety tools. If a buddy cannot clearly see the diver, a
floatline becomes more than a hunting accessory; it becomes a location and rescue aid. The
presentation’s rule is practical: if you cannot clearly see the diver, a floatline is mandatory. Positioning
the float above the diver as they descend can reduce drag, help the safety diver maintain awareness,
and make the diver easier to locate.
Practical Protocol For Spearfishing Teams.
A safe spearfishing system should be simple enough to use in real conditions. Before entering the
water, the team should discuss depth, visibility, current, fatigue, personal comfort levels and any “red
flag” conditions. This conversation matters because comfort is not universal. One diver may want
close buddy coverage in 10 metres; another may only feel concern at 25 metres. The group should
plan to the most conservative person’s comfort level rather than the strongest diver’s ambition.
During the dive, the team should use a clear role system. The safety diver must be dedicated to
watching, not hunting. The should also know roughly where the diver is, how long the dive is expected
to take and what action to take if the diver is late, struggling or not visible.After each dive, the buddy should keep watching through the surface phase. Many spearfishing crew relax once the diver’s head is above water, but loss of motor control or blackout can occur at or near the surface.
Recovery breathing should be observed, and the diver should be given time to fully recover before
being distracted.
Floatlines, Lanyards and Rescue Design.
Freediving competitions use structured safety systems because the sport accepts that blackout is
possible even among skilled athletes. AIDA depth competition rules require safety lanyards for depth
performances, and competition setups include retrieval systems capable of bringing a line and diver
upward (AIDI International, 2018). A recreational spearfishing team does not need to copy a
competition platform, but the principle is valuable: if a diver becomes unconscious, the team must be
able to find and recover them quickly.
My presentation proposes a “Spearo Safety Lanyard”: clipping the floatline to the diver’s belt rather
than relying on the diver holding the speargun. The logic is strong. If a blackout occurs, the divers grip
may be lost, so a gun-connected line may no longer locate the diver. A belt-connected line increases
the chance that the diver remains connected to the floatline. However, this idea must be treated
carefully. Any body-connected system must avoid entanglement, accidental dragging, inability to ditch
weights, or creating a new hazard in current or reef.
The goal is not to add gear for the sake of gear. The goal is to solve a specific rescue problem: a
blacked-out spearo in low visibility or depth is hard to find. A visible, managed floatline can shorten
the time to locate and assist them.
Conclusion.
The ocean does not reward confidence by itself. Spearfishing safety depends on systems that work
when a diver is tired, distracted, deep, task-loaded or overconfident. The takeaway message is that
blackout is not only a beginner problem or a deep freediving problem. Intermediate spearos may be
especially vulnerable because they are capable of reaching riskier situations without formal freediving
safety habits/environments.
The practical answer is to bring freediving discipline into spearfishing culture: trained buddies, clear
roles, adequate surface intervals, floatline rules, conservative decision-making, and rescue-oriented equipment choices. These systems do not take away from spearfishing. They make it more
sustainable, more team-based and more enjoyable. Done properly, buddy diving can help a crew find
more fish, land more fish and come home together.
Practical Spearfishing Safety Checklist.
Area Action
Before the dive Agree max depth, visibility limits, current plan, fatigue signals and
whether floatlines are mandatory (if the diver can be clearly seen on
the bottom a floatline is optional).
Dive roles Use one-up/one-down. Rotate between Active Diver, Safety &
Recovery.
- Surface interval Minimum 2x dive time; consider 3-5x for deeper dives, hard swims,
- Cold, current or fatigue.
- Floatline rule If the diver cannot be clearly seen throughout the dive, use a floatline and keep it managed above or near the diver.
- Ascent watch Watch closely during the final ascent and for at least the first 30 seconds after surfacing.
- Assisted dive If a buddy is late, struggling, sinking, not visible, or looks unusual, act early rather than waiting.
- Reset triggers Change in depth, current, boat position, visibility, fatigue or confidence means stop and reassess.
- Gear concept A body-connected floatline/lanyard may help locate a diver, but only with testing and entanglement planning.
As part of the Master Freediving Padi course students are required to complete an assignment. If you are interested in a career in Freediving please click on link below.
https://www.thepressureproject.com.au/services/freediving-courses/
