G at Australian Seachange Newsletter - Southern Freedivers

the peak body for spearfishermen from all walks in Australia - it might be a way for us to
combine efforts to improve membership interest in our respective organisations into the future.
The 9th dawned, the day scheduled for the 1 day International between the host, South Africa,
The SAUFF team and Australia. So far we had been diving 6 hour competitions. Strong winds
had been forecast for the day - after an early briefing, during which the teams decided on a 4
hour competition, we launched at Rocky Bay and headed for a central meeting point off
Scottborough. We'd had plans to dive some distant locations, but due to a shorter format and
rough conditions, decided to dive a similar location to the one where Graham had sighted the
Great White 2 days earlier. This proved to be a good decision as the South African A team
wasted time getting to a distant location and did not give themselves enough time to spear
enough fish to win in the shorter duration competition. The SAUFF team were not fairing much
better. They had elected to dive the deep Scottborough area closer inshore, where we had
been in the Interprovincial competition 2 days earlier.
We dived 4 spots without moving too far and spent a lot of time in the water, bringing in quality
high point scoring fish at a steady rate most of the day, but did not land much during the last
hour of the competition. Rick left a reelgun in a cave after his spear was stuck and his reel
jammed - he cold not let out line and did not have the puff to cut the spearline. In hindsight we
should have visited a 5th spot an hour before the end - instead we stayed on the fish we had at
our 4th spot.
We had about 23 fish in the bag for the day and were not at all confident of our fortunes when
we beached. however it soon became apparent that the other teams had not done particularly
well either. I walked into the weigh in area confronted by a large Black Muscle Cracker speared
by SA captain, James Lawson-Smith - the most prized fish and envy of all the spearos who had
attended the 4 days of competition diving! A great fish worthy of recognition and for a
moment I had a feeling of being done yet again. Upon collecting my thoughts I noticed 3 crates
of fish and recognised ours as the middle one - also the fish looked heavier and more numerous
in that crate. A moment later I looked up and the story in the expressions was told - we had
won the day by an incredible stroke of fortune and some lucky decisions which went our way.
James's fish stole the show on the final day, but we were happy to take the honours for our
combined efforts, which included quality fish, amongst which were a Red Flush Cod, 2 large
Rubberlip, Santer, Englishman and Green Jobfish.
We can't say enough to thank our hosts, the Hibiscus Underwater Club, their Chairman who also
chairs the SAUFF, Brent Addison, his son Mark and the use of his facilities at Blue Wilderness in
Rocky Bay, the Shelly Beach Ski-boat Club for the use of their facilities, Gyula Plaganyi for the
use of his double cab ute, Ryan Hanson for the use of his boat, and so many others.
On behalf of the AUF and my fellow team members, Graham, Rick and Rob, I would like to
extend our sincere thanks for a great time in South Africa. We hope that in the not too distant
future, we can host a South African team on our shores.
We are also grateful to the AUF and its members for sponsoring us with $1000 towards our
expenses.
AUF Mission: Bring Sport, Conservation and Awareness to the Underwater World