Guide

Preparing your dive properly

The complete protocol of a spearfishing dive, from the surface to the return.

A good dive is won before you even go under. Here's the full sequence, step by step — it's as much about performance as it is about safety.

1. The surface breathe-up

Float relaxed on your buoy, face in the water, and breathe calmly from the belly for one to two minutes. Full inhales, and above all long, slow exhales: it's the exhale that brings your heart rate down.

2. The final breath

A single big comfortable inhale: belly first, then chest, up to about 90% of your capacity. Don't stuff yourself with air — you must stay loose and relaxed. "Packing" has no place in spearfishing: useless and risky.

3. The duck dive

Bend sharply at the waist, torso toward the bottom, then raise your legs straight up out of the water. Their weight drives you down effortlessly. One or two firm fin strokes to start the movement, then you glide.

A botched duck dive is energy wasted from the very first second — it's worth training.

4. The descent and equalization

• Equalize early and often (Frenzel), about once per meter, before feeling the pressure.
• If an ear blocks: slow down or go back up a little. Never force it.
• Around 8-12 m you become negatively buoyant: stop finning and let yourself sink, body relaxed, arms along your sides. It's free depth.

5. On the bottom

Settle in, still and relaxed, speargun ready. Every needless movement burns oxygen. Calm is your main resource — it's exactly what CO₂ tables develop.

6. The ascent

• Keep your head neutral, in line with your body — chin slightly tucked, gaze toward the bottom or straight ahead. Don't lift your head to look at the surface: extending the neck compresses the carotid arteries and reduces blood flow to the brain, which increases the risk of blackout at the very moment you're most exposed. It also breaks your hydrodynamic profile and costs you energy.
• Finning steady and relaxed, no jerks.
• Don't exhale during the ascent.
• Keep a real margin: you should surface with reserve, not on empty.
• If you need to check the surface (boat traffic), do it with a brief glance in the very last meters, turning your body rather than cranking your neck.

7. Surface recovery

Grab your buoy and don't take your mask off right away. Do 3 to 4 hook breaths: inhale, hold briefly while pushing slightly, then exhale. It re-oxygenates the brain quickly.

The first 15 seconds after surfacing are the most critical: your buddy must watch you during that time, not head off to dive.

8. The interval between two dives

Simple, robust rule: recover at least twice the duration of your dive, and more if you're tired or the water is cold. A one-minute descent therefore requires at least two minutes at the surface.

Cutting intervals short to "make the most" of the outing is a classic trap: fatigue builds up silently and the risk rises over the course of the day.