2014 World Spearfishing Championships

[415dvr]

Originally Posted by Kelsea

^^ You are precisely why so many people have stopped posting on SB. Idiotic and disrespectful. Painfully clueless.

And yet you're still here.
You're another reason why most all of us have gone to the other board and when you log on there you'll see a few more of us tools that think the same thing- going in with a few dozen other teams and shooting such desirable fish as opals and perch to prove you have huge balls and in the name of your country is passe. Go advertise your inability to consider another opinion over there too, we'll all be looking forward to your trolling for sympathy and free gear

["Yard-Sale Josh"]

We send guys who do this as a hobby vs guys who do this for a living. It is not hard to see why some have an advantage. They can also stay down longer and dive deeper.
I bet a few of the Hawaiian guys who commercial spear for a living would do alright, they don't have any money to leave Hawaii though lol.
If a few american dudes could spend a year or two killing as many fish as they could in all kinds of environments 365 a year they maybe could have a shot.

[2fishin2]

^^ like ^^

[newbiee1987]

When are we gonna have a championship here in the US??? I'm ready to win gold shooting opies and goats...

["Yard-Sale Josh"]

Originally Posted by newbiee1987

When are we gonna have a championship here in the US??? I'm ready to win gold shooting opies and goats...

Lol even if we had it in CA aside from a handful of guys that dive the comps all the time we we get crushed. Those same spaniards would come and scout for 4 months and Learn our fish.
As it sits right now they are just way better divers than us and there aren't many people who can put the hours in to close the gap because they don't do it for a living.

[phil herranen]

Originally Posted by "Yard-Sale Josh"

Lol even if we had it in CA aside from a handful of guys that dive the comps all the time we we get crushed. Those same spaniards would come and scout for 4 months and Learn our fish.
As it sits right now they are just way better divers than us and there aren't many people who can put the hours in to close the gap because they don't do it for a living.

It's a mindset ,here Most of the truly talented hunters want nothing to do with killing a bunch of fish they Normaly wouldn't touch just for a trophy . For the Europeans it's a job and a meal ticket , a whole differant game and it will never be that way here , we as a nation are far more conservation minded .

A good hunter will outproform a great diver every time

[Kelsea]

Originally Posted by U/C Spearo

You'll also find a lot of these teams consist of professional spearo's and are heavily funded by their governments. I know how hard our team worked raising funds to support their trip. Having arrived three weeks early to scout, hire a boat everyday and dive in an area that has been heavily fished out was going to make for a very tough competition. Congrats to Spain !! Congrats to Team USA for representing the USA in such a professional manner.

This.

[Kelsea]

Originally Posted by 415dvr

And yet you're still here.
You're another reason why most all of us have gone to the other board and when you log on there you'll see a few more of us tools that think the same thing

NOPE!!!

________

For the rest of the dive community who came here to support our guys and get the results, here is a great clip to give you a taste of the action in Peru.

Tough diving. So glad that our team was lead by Rene, the legend himself. Ive learned a lot from Rene over the years. Class act. Great diver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfg9OZsJFAE

And Alex w/ a beautiful Cabrilla!!!

[Marco]

Well, I also participate in a Spanish forum and two Spain team members also participate there.

I must say that they were complaining because they had very little support from their Government and no exposure by the media.

None of them spearfish for a living. In Spain is strictly prohibited to sell fish caught spearfishing.

They do scout the zones a year earlier during a couple weeks during the same season and make good contacts with the locals. But that's what your homework is supposed to be.

They have sponsors individually and as a team, but a lot of the teams do it too.

They of course are "more professional" than other teams, but are far away from a soccer or basket team.

Regarding the USA organizing championships, you held the last Panamericans in Florida, and if I'm not wrong, you won the first place individual. Venezuela got the first place as a team.

[Ramon]

U/C Spearo Spain does not fund, with minimal help your fishermen, other major sports publca receive more money, Spanish fishermen have to make a living fishing every day and to be among the top 5 in the championship National, to have a sponsor only that gives them equipment, do not give money only if they become representatives of the brand, what else is searching, fishing every day, no future worth working for retirement fishing, too much sacrifice for a sport outcast in my country because of environmentalists, commercial fishermen and diving schools.

Spain only prepared two weeks in Peru

All teams have the same chance of winning the more likely they are natives where the world is, what changes to win is the attitude of the fisherman and his good work.

SELECTING THE SPANISH FISHING UNDERWATER WORLD TRAVEL TO PERU
October 14, 2014 | This morning, members of the Spanish team led by Andreu Spearfishing Sureda Oscar Sagué, leave for Lima (Peru)
where the next 28 October to 2 November the CMAS World Championship.

President FEDAS Xavier Duran and the Technical Department Director José Antonio Olmedo Spearfishing accompanied to the airport in Barcelona
the bulk of the expedition, after a stopover in Madrid fly along with the rest of the team to the Peruvian capital.

Report Iberia has signed an agreement with the Spanish Federation of Underwater Activities, with that will benefit all selections
National Underwater, discounts on flights traveling to international tournaments. FEDAS

[2fishin2]

Originally Posted by phil herranen

A good hunter will outproform a great diver every time

Exactly what I am saying. The US is good with diving but with hunting, we are lacking skills and getting our butts kicked.

As far as money goes I wonder how much money a single person in this comp spend to compete?

[Ramon]

Originally Posted by phil herranen

It's a mindset ,here Most of the truly talented hunters want nothing to do with killing a bunch of fish they Normaly wouldn't touch just for a trophy . For the Europeans it's a job and a meal ticket

That is what you believe, that statement is not of logic or a fisherman like you, it seems impossible to say nonsense

[sacha58]

There are a lot of points to be discussed.... funding and time availability are important, but so are experience and consistency... Most of the top teams bring to the worlds athletes that have already competed many times at a very high, international level, chosing those more apt for the specific conditions of the hosting country from a large group of guys that are all highly qualified and bringing some less experienced athletes to allow a build up of knowledge. The US team is chosen using different criteria, so, usually, guys with no or very little international competitive experience are asked to compete. Funding is surely a problem, but there the US companies should help.....

[Birdman]

Good job to all those that competed , maybe one of the USA guys will chime in and let's us know what the biggest difference between there and here was.

[Kelsea]

Originally Posted by sacha58

There are a lot of points to be discussed.... funding and time availability are important, but so are experience and consistency... Most of the top teams bring to the worlds athletes that have already competed many times at a very high, international level, chosing those more apt for the specific conditions of the hosting country from a large group of guys that are all highly qualified and bringing some less experienced athletes to allow a build up of knowledge. The US team is chosen using different criteria, so, usually, guys with no or very little international competitive experience are asked to compete. Funding is surely a problem, but there the US companies should help.....

Very true. Our competitors qualify by a completely different process... and ***in general*** do not have as much international competition experience. It is a completely different scene in Europe...

As far as US companies helping our divers??

Since most US dive manufacturers feel the bite of this economy.... a diver now is lucky to get gear at wholesale cost even if you are "sponsored".

Our divers for Team USA funded their operation straight out of their OWN pockets. Tens of thousands of US Dollars sometimes... Thats why any help we can give to our guys, even if its just enough to put gas in a boat for one day of competition, makes a difference. US dive manufacturers do NOT fund our teams appreciably.

I just touched base w/ Rene, the team captain. He said diving was super gnarly the second day! Coming from a former Worlds competitor, and a seasoned Cencal/PCC diver... thats saying a lot!