What do your spearfishing courses cover and how are they structured?

Courses are structured for learning at your own pace in a fun, safe, and supportive environment. Whether you prefer a training-intensive session or wish to dive straight into hunting, we can customise the experience. You’ll learn safe freediving techniques, how to manage your oxygen, hunt on the ocean floor, and even prepare your catch for a meal. Our approach prioritises hands-on water training over lengthy classroom sessions, ensuring a memorable and educational experience under professional guidance. Our courses focus on: Safety: Ensuring you can spearfish safely, both during the course and in your future endeavors. Freediving: Fundamental skills such as safe weighting, breathing techniques, equalization, duck dive technique, finning form, apnea tables for breath-hold improvement, blackout risk management, rescue techniques, and dealing with cramps. Spearfishing Techniques: Gear utilisation, speargun accuracy, understanding target species’ behavior, navigating underwater terrain, various hunting approaches, safe hole and cave hunting, advanced techniques for current hunting, float line management, lobster and crab hunting, fish dispatching, and ocean awareness.

2-Day Spearfishing Course in Cornwall

Dive into spearfishing with our comprehensive Two-Day Course in Falmouth, Cornwall, designed for those looking to deepen their understanding and skill set in the sport. This immersive course aims not just to introduce you to spearfishing but to elevate your abilities, covering advanced techniques and freediving skills to enhance your underwater hunting prowess.

Key Details

Price: £525 per person
Duration: 2 days
Gear Hire: Included at no extra charge

What to Expect

Expect a detailed exploration of spearfishing over two days, focusing on safety, advanced hunting techniques, and expert freediving coaching to significantly advance your skills. Day one begins with equipment familiarisation and freediving basics at a dive centre, moving to open sea practice for shallow water stalking. Day two challenges you with deeper dives and ambush hunting techniques, all aimed at making you a proficient and safe underwater hunter.

Course Breakdown

Pre-Course E-Learning

A comprehensive booklet covering the core aspects of spearfishing, including safety, equipment use, and species identification, will be sent to participants. This ensures everyone begins the course with a foundational understanding, ready to dive deeper into practical and advanced spearfishing techniques.

Day One: Foundations and Shallow Water Techniques

Morning Session at Dive Centre:

Equipment FamiliarisationIntroduction to the essential spearfishing gear, ensuring comfort and fit.
Freediving Basics: Covering safe freediving practices including breathing techniques, equalisation, and avoiding hyperventilation.
Static Breath Holding: Practicing both dry and in-water static breath holds to enhance comfort and confidence underwater.
Weighting and Buoyancy: Adjusting weighting to achieve neutral buoyancy, crucial for effective spearfishing at depths of 5-10 meters.
Speargun Handling: Learning the basics of handling and targeting with a speargun in controlled conditions.

Afternoon Session in Open Sea:

Safety and Species ID Recap: Ensuring all divers are up to speed with the essential safety practices and can identify target species.
Shallow Water Stalking: Techniques for approaching fish stealthily in shallow waters, focusing on bass, mullet, garfish, and mackerel.
Underwater Target Practice: Implementing speargun handling skills in a real-world setting with underwater targets.
Dive Buddying: Pairing up for a brief hunting session to apply learned techniques.

Day Two: Advanced Freediving and Hunting Techniques

Review and Safety Briefing:
- A quick recap of the previous day's learning focusing on equipment and safety.
- Advanced safety and rescue techniques tailored for deeper dives.
Advanced Freediving Skills:
- Deeper Dives - Techniques and safety measures for diving to depths of 5-10 meters (and up to 15 meters for more advanced divers, if deemed safe by the instructor).
- Breath-hold Diving - Focusing on effective duck dives, glide, and bottom time maximisation.
Advanced Spearfishing Techniques:
- Ambush Hunting - Learning to use kelp and bottom terrain for ambush hunting, waiting silently for fish.
- Stalking at Depth - Strategies for approaching fish at deeper levels without detection.
- Target Practice at Depth - Applying shooting skills in deeper water to ensure precision and safety.
- Lobster and Crab Hunting - Introduction to techniques for locating and safely capturing lobsters and crabs, if time permits.
Practical Hunting Application:
- Divers will split into pairs to buddy up and apply all the skills acquired over the two days to effectively hunt fish.
- Emphasis on implementing advanced freediving techniques for spearfishing at greater depths and practicing ambush and stalking strategies.

Equipment and Logistics

All necessary spearfishing gear is provided, though participants are welcome to bring personal equipment if preferred. Participants should bring food, a towel, and money for parking. Facilities such as a café and toilets are conveniently located nearby.

This two-day course is meticulously designed to transition beginners to proficient spearfishers, covering a broad spectrum of skills from foundational freediving techniques to advanced hunting strategies, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience.

Location

The course is set in the picturesque waters of Falmouth, Cornwall, offering a mix of pool and sea environments for a varied learning experience. Nearby facilities ensure convenience and comfort throughout the course.

Prerequisites

Participants will receive a study booklet before the course to cover essential topics like freediving safety, speargun usage, and species identification, ensuring a unified starting level for all attendees.

Why Choose Us

Our Two-Day Spearfishing Course stands out for its in-depth curriculum, blending expert instruction with hands-on practice in both pool and open sea settings. Partnering with seasoned professionals, we ensure a safe, informative, and engaging learning experience. Small group sizes guarantee personalized attention, fostering skill development and confidence in the water. With gear hire included and post-course purchasing discounts, we equip you for continued growth in spearfishing.

Embark on a spearfishing adventure that goes beyond the basics. Join us to refine your skills, embrace sustainable practices, and unlock the full potential of this exhilarating sport.

Comprehensive gear hire
Expert freediving tuition with AIDA Master Instructor Oli Cacioppo
In-depth coverage of spearfishing safety, techniques, and equipment use
Hands-on hunting practice in varied water conditions
10% gear purchase voucher

Food and drinks
Towel and parking money
Personal gear (optional, as all necessary equipment is provided)

Spearfishing is the most selective form of fishing, producing virtually zero bycatch. Unlike other methods that often result in unintended species being caught and discarded, spearfishing allows you to target only the fish you intend to eat. Our courses emphasize sustainable practices, teaching you to identify and hunt only the correct species and sizes, contributing to responsible food sourcing.

Courses are structured for learning at your own pace in a fun, safe, and supportive environment. Whether you prefer a training-intensive session or wish to dive straight into hunting, we can customise the experience. You’ll learn safe freediving techniques, how to manage your oxygen, hunt on the ocean floor, and even prepare your catch for a meal. Our approach prioritises hands-on water training over lengthy classroom sessions, ensuring a memorable and educational experience under professional guidance.

Our courses focus on:

Safety: Ensuring you can spearfish safely, both during the course and in your future endeavors.
Freediving: Fundamental skills such as safe weighting, breathing techniques, equalization, duck dive technique, finning form, apnea tables for breath-hold improvement, blackout risk management, rescue techniques, and dealing with cramps.
Spearfishing Techniques: Gear utilisation, speargun accuracy, understanding target species’ behavior, navigating underwater terrain, various hunting approaches, safe hole and cave hunting, advanced techniques for current hunting, float line management, lobster and crab hunting, fish dispatching, and ocean awareness.

By blending instinctive hunting skills with modern knowledge and techniques, the course is designed to make you an effective underwater hunter. You’ll learn everything from freediving basics to advanced spearfishing strategies, including gear usage, species behavior, and environmental awareness, all aimed at maximising your hunting success and sustainability practices.

Spearfishing is a rewarding sport that appeals to those interested in sustainable fishing, underwater exploration, and the challenge of hunting. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, our course is designed to enhance your skills and knowledge, ensuring a safe and successful spearfishing adventure.

Our courses attract a diverse group including weekend warriors seeking adventure, surfers looking for calm day activities, anglers desiring a more fruitful catch, and novices eager to learn spearfishing safely. The sport welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and fitness levels, emphasising energy conservation and breath-holding techniques suitable for everyone.

While spearfishing can be pursued year-round, the warmer months from late April to late September offer the most pleasant conditions for beginners, with the highest fish activity. However, we provide courses throughout the year, adapting to the UK’s diverse conditions to ensure a rewarding experience regardless of the season.

Yes, all necessary gear is provided at no extra cost. As UK distributors for leading spearfishing brands, we equip our students with top-tier equipment, including spearguns, knives, apnea wetsuits, freedive fins, and masks, ensuring a premium experience for every participant.

Our courses are designed to equip you for spearfishing in the UK’s variable conditions, teaching you to adapt and thrive regardless of the season. From navigating limited visibility to hunting during colder months, you’ll learn to leverage experience and knowledge to secure catches year-round, truly embodying the spirit of a proficient spearo.

Absolutely! We value our students and offer kit deals and discounts post-course to support your continued spearfishing journey. Our goal is to ensure you’re well-equipped and confident to safely enjoy spearfishing, fostering a lifelong passion for the sport.

At the core of our community is a passion for spearfishing, paired with a commitment to high-quality education in a warm and friendly atmosphere. We specialise in spearfishing courses, delivered by some of the UK's most experienced spearos, designed to cater to both beginners and seasoned divers. Our approach combines expert knowledge with a welcoming environment, ensuring every participant feels part of our spearfishing family. Our focus is on providing comprehensive training that covers essential skills and safety, alongside the selection of top-tier gear suited for every level of experience. These courses are the heart of our mission, aimed at empowering you with confidence and competence in the water. We're proud to offer a vast repository of knowledge, fostering a community where learning and passion for spearfishing thrive. Our courses are thoughtfully designed to make the most of your time, ensuring a rewarding and enriching experience. Join us to deepen your spearfishing skills, immerse in a supportive community, and experience the best the underwater world has to offer, all within a friendly and expert-led setting.