Spearfishing is a popular and well established sport worldwide. It attracts large numbers of enthusiasts, the majority of whom are happy to fish for the pleasure of catching their next meal, but there is also the opportunity to fish competitively at local and national level and for the lucky few, the privilege of representing their Country in European and World Championships.

British waters can provide some of the best Spearfishing in the world, once the hunter has mastered the basic techniques and the problems posed by our cold water, strong tides, rough seas and limited underwater visibility. In fact the spearfisherman who is successful in British waters can confidently expect to be able to cope with the conditions found anywhere else in the world ! Having said that, there are many areas of our coastline that provide good visibility and safe snorkelling for the beginner. Interest in Spearfishing has risen in the last few years especially in the competitive field. To date this interest has been mainly confined to the South and South West of England, although there are many other areas that provide equally good fishing.

How to get started? It's easy. By far the safest way of course is to join a club and benefit from the know-how of experienced spearfishermen. A list of useful addresses can be found on the contacts page on the BSA website www.underwaterfishing.co.uk

Spearfishing is carried out with only a snorkel and not with the assistance of underwater breathing apparatus and so it is essential that safe snorkelling is mastered first. It is not intended that this guide should cover all aspects of learning to snorkel as there are a number of excellent publications covering this topic.

Having learnt to snorkel and to hold your breath for a minimum of 30 seconds underwater, you should be able to proceed to basic Spearfishing techniques.

One of the fascinations of this sport is that you will never know everything that there is to know about it! It is hoped that this Guide to Spearfishing will at least smooth the way to early success and that you will go on to enjoy the challenge of the sport for many years to come.