So Kenni and I have recently got into spearfishing, and honestly, we love it. Imagine snorkeling for hours, but by the end of the day, you get to have some of the freshest fish you’ve ever had for dinner… That’s spearfishing. Living in Fort Lauderdale, we find ourselves sometimes neglecting the fact that literally live in a paradise– people literally vacation here! Spearfishing has brought us basic to the basics of appreciation and mindfulness for this wonderful place.
How do we do it? I’m so glad you asked. Kenni and I don’t have a boat… Well unless you count our 2 kayaks. Anyways, something really cool about FTL is that we are a short swim away from some of the most amazing reefs in the world. Obviously having a background in swimming definitely makes getting there easy, but if you’re a strong enough swimmer to feel comfortable swimming in the ocean then swimming out to the reefs won’t be a HUGE task for you. Kenni and I have a paddleboard that we attach all of our sh** to (cooler, dive flag, paddle–which we recently decided we didn’t need). But when we went out this morning we realized we forget like 6 things. So here’s a quick easy checklist to help you and honestly– us, because I promise we’ll probs use it more than you! haha
- Cooler
- Ice in the cooler
- Speargun / Hawaiian Sling (Pretty important! I use this Hawaiian sling and after using 3 different ones you’ll have to pay me to switch)
- Paddle Board (Ours is okay, but I can’t recommend it)
- The fin to the paddleboard (Which is detachable, has been replaced once, and is lost now)
- Knife (To finish off the fish if you don’t make an awesome shot your first time)
- Snorkel, Goggles, & Fins (Fins are recommended, but optional for a shallow 25 ft reef freedive)
- Towel(s)
- Swimming stuff (suit, a wetsuit if you’re a wimp like Kenni, and a hair tye if you’ve got the hair for it)
- OPTIONAL: Chum (not recommended if you’re fishing from a small craft like a paddleboard or kayak because, well, sharks)
- OPTIONAL: Paddle
- OPTIONAL: GoPro/ Underwater Camera (I have the HERO 10 and without a case is waterproof up to 30 ft)
There you have it! Quick and easy, now go catch a fish!
Updates
So Kenni said this post wasn’t helpful enough for people to actually go spearfishing… She said I was missing some links, not giving enough info, so without further ado here’s how to spearfish in Florida.
Florida Regulations
So there are some places you can go, and some you can’t. For instance, freshwater is a no-no, state parks are a no-no, and you can not just go and spear anything! All the recreational regulations for the ocean are right here. They’ve got some really helpful charts that I have been meaning to print and laminate so I can refer to them when I’m out on the water. The thing that sucks about spearfishing is you can’t exactly catch a fish and release it… Well you can, it’s just not very ethical.
Make sure you also grab a saltwater fishing license before you go. The fines out here are pretty crazy.
Best Spots To Go Spearfishing?
Our favorite spot is about 300 yards south of Commercial Pier. Here the reef is REALLY active and pretty. Kenni doesn’t like killing pretty things, but she has a really good time because she loves snorkeling. From what I’ve seen this is the best shore freediving you can do in the area. Make sure you go past the swim buoy before you shoot anything (regulations), and you’ll have to go about 200 yards past the swim buoy in order to really see what I’m talking about.
Pics
