Diving and spearfishing in South Africa, von Piet van Rooyen

Diving and spearfishing in South Africa, by Piet van Rooyen. Randomhouse Struik-Travel and Heritage. Cape Town, South Africa 2012; ISBN 9781431701018 / ISBN 978-1-4317-0101-8

Piet van Rooyen has undoubtedly written the most comprehensive “Guide to Spearfishing in South Africa” that is available. The book is nothing short of a reference book that deals with everything spearfishing related.

Piet van Rooyen  

During my spearfishing career of more than 25 years, I have dived in various places and met a great number of divers, who taught me much. This book contains all of these experiences, tips and pieces of advice, mine and those of others, in the hope that they will aid you and provide valuable short cuts in your own progress towards better diving. There may be differences of opinion, of course. No one experiences the underwater environment in the same way and preferences differ, but such variances will only enhance the value of this book and lead to animated discussions around a braai fire, bar counter or elsewhere. Lastly, although spearfishing was once seen as a man's sport, more and more women have become interested in it and are excelling at the sport. My use of the words 'spearfisher' and 'spearo' denotes this changing demographic and it is all of my readers that I wish good visibility, calm seas and a loaded stringer of fish.

The book focuses on the following elements:

• divers as a subspecies of the sporting fraternity, and a discussion of well-known South African divers past and present
• the equipment needed, including the different types of wetsuits, spearguns, goggles and diving fins, with a dedicated section covering specialised equipment for tuna hunting
• the physiology of freediving, including an understanding of the body and a section on how to improve breath-holding
• correct spearfishing techniques, with sections on using bottom-time best, deep-diving techniques and specialised techniques for tuna hunting
• the importance of being fit, including specific fitness regimes for spearfishing
• peculiarities of diving from a boat, boat handling and advice on choosing the right boat
• 22 of the most popular fish species
• a comprehensive section on sharks, featuring information on shark attacks in South African waters, dangerous species, shark bites and first aid, and accounts of a few close shaves
• the best diving areas in South Africa, and a 'Further Afield' section that includes other southern African countries
• the dangers of diving, including the dreaded shallow-water blackout, hypothermia, boating accidents, waves and breakers, and bites and stings
• regulations and protective measures, with information on protected areas, permits, species-specific regulations applicable to recreational fishing, prohibited species, species lists, sizes and bag limits
• a final section on the procedures for claiming spearfishing records and a list of the South African Underwater Fishing Federation spearfishing records.

This is an excerpt: Diving and spearfishing in South Africa, von  Piet van Rooyen.

Title: Diving and spearfishing in South Africa
Author: Piet van Rooyen
Publisher: Randomhouse Struik
Imprint: Travel and Heritage
Cape Town, South Africa 2012
ISBN 9781431701018 / ISBN 978-1-4317-0101-8
Softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 160 pages, numerous photos, images and maps