Best countries to visit to spearfish?

[Clayton713]

I am going to be studying abroad in Hong Kong from September to December and I am thinking about visiting at least a few of the following countries for the purpose of spearfishing:

India
Sri Lanka
Malaysia
Vietnam
Cambodia
Thailand
Laos
Burma
Singapore
Bali (I know this isn't a country)
Japan
Phillippines


If you have spearfished in any of these places I would really appreciate any information you could give me about your experience.

Thanks for the help.

[Erik Sun]

Nice Clayton I'll be flying to HK in October/November I'll take you out for some good dim sum..weren't there some problems getting a speargun through Hong Kong?

[Scott Diego]

I lived in HK for a month during College... Cool spot.

If I had my choice of those and lots of money I would focus on Indonesia (Bali)... I don't mean to be a debbie-downer but the more 3rd world a country is the more likely they have severely depleted their 'low-hanging fruit' dive areas... If you want to get off the grid, you might find some great spearing, but doing so will likely be a severe test of one's 'hardcore travel attitude'.

I wish you the best in your journey...

[Namor]

I havent been there personally, but a buddy of mine who is a waterman and has lived and traveled all over the Pacific and Asia (he is a pilot and I think I have a post card from every country on your list) told me that the best diving he ever saw was in Malaysia.

I was asking him where the bes diving he ever saw was and he described the pristine reefs massed with fishes, drift diving with huge rays and schools of car sized leatherback turtles, schools of pelagic fishes in the channels between the islands, and other worldly invertebrates. And this was coming from a guy who at the time was living on Palau.

So yeah Im green with envy, but check out Malaysia.

Jeremy

[charlie-in-thai]

I've speared in Indo and Sri Lanka.. and I've lived in Thailand 5 years. Email or PM me if you need any specific info.
Cheers,
Charlie

[Paul de Clercq]

Any questions on Contacts, just pm me

India : search the forums, I have seen some good reports.
Sri Lanka : no idea
Malaysia: guns not allowed
Vietnam : vis horrible got to go 60km offshore
Cambodia: same as vietnam
Thailand: Ask Charlie, but very overfished, not many critters left
Laos: good for opium, but has no Ocean
Burma Not sure on the rule wrt spearing, but it will be fantastic
Singapore: speargun = jail/big fine, unless you are passing through and you don't collect your luggage, then no probs
Bali (I know this isn't a country), bali has some poor spearfishing, more plastic bags than fish, the islands to the east have good spearfishing
I went to Seram Island and the banda islands. If you can dive 20-30m welcome to heaven
Japan: okinawa apparently is good
Phillippines: very over fished around certain isalnds, but ask Wolfgang Daffert. Camigiun has ok spearing, palawan must be good, but north palawan is a reserve. Malapasqua has been bommed to shit, not even a guppy left

[charlie-in-thai]

Good report and advice, Paul. Hope all's well in the 'big smoke' for ya.

Strange the OP hasn't come back?!