Floats

Spearfishing Float Advice

You need floats when you are spearfishing.  These are made from plastic, foam or inflatable rubber.  The main uses for floats are:

- Safety – whenever you are diving underwater you must put up a float with a flag on the surface. This will warn other water users you are diving and can help to avoid any accidents.  It doesn’t matter if you are diving far away from popular spots. You never know when other water users such as boats, jet skis and windsurfers will be in the area.  Stay within 15 metres of your dive float and if you move dive spots take it with you.

- Hunting – when you are hunting larger prey you must never underestimate their strength or endurance.  Large fish will very rarely be killed instantly with a strike from a speargun.  Most of the time this will trigger a flight response and they will flee a high speed away from you. If you attach a float to your shaft this will provide drag that will slow the prey down and tire it out more quickly.  This will also help you to spot the prey once it slows down so that you can move in for the kill. Even relatively small fish could be able to pull you easily through the water so hanging on to the gun yourself is not really an option and could be dangerous.  You may need several floats when hunting powerful prey such as large pelagic fish and big predators.

- Orientation – a float line is also a good way to help you find your way under water.  The line will drop down from the float with a weight on the end.  You can attach your catch bag to this line to avoid having to carry it around with you. This will provide a good marker so that you and your group know where to meet up to return safely to the surface.

Choosing the Right Float

You will need to choose a float for your surface marker that is visible and easy to see.  Red, orange and yellow are good colours that are more easily visible in rough conditions.  Floats need to be a round or torpedo shape so that they are instantly recognisable to other water users.  Although you can use almost anything for a float (many people use footballs, plastic containers and mooring buoys) it is a good idea to choose a float designed for this specific purpose.

The float should also be strong enough to support a diver if they need a rest for a few moments.