EP 731 - Practice Spearfishing On Land (Here's How)

Tom Rowland shares deadly effective spearfishing training techniques you can practice on land—or in a swimming pool—with Captain Tony Young of Forever Young Charters in the Florida Keys. Tony reveals his simple Speedo board drill that helps spearfishermen dial in their accuracy and distance judgment between trips. Whether you're preparing for a Keys charter or a Bahamas pole spear adventure, this episode breaks down the exact practice methods that separate ethical, efficient hunters from those who show up unprepared. Tom draws parallels from bow hunting discipline to explain why practice matters as much in spearfishing as it does on land.

Why Bow Hunting Principles Apply to Spearfishing

Tom opens this How 2 Tuesday by drawing a direct line from his bow hunting experience to spearfishing preparation. In bow hunting, dialing in your gear, knowing exact distances, and practicing in every condition separates ethical hunters from those who wound animals. Tom explains that as a bow hunter, you want to execute that shot efficiently and quickly—and the same principle applies underwater. The problem? Most people think they can just show up and spearfish without the same disciplined practice. Tony Young agrees completely, explaining that his clients who practice between trips show dramatically better results when they get in the water. Tom's full bow hunting comparison starts at 0:00.

The Speedo Board Drill That Keeps You Sharp

Tony reveals the exact training setup he recommends for anyone with pool access. It's brilliantly simple: a Speedo board with an X taped on it, two drilled holes, monofilament line, and a weight to suspend it in the middle of your pool about two to three feet off the bottom. You practice your free dive technique, hang on the bottom for anywhere from thirty seconds to a minute and a half, then take your shots at the board. This drill helps close the gap between trips—whether you're hitting the Keys every couple months or preparing for an international spearfishing adventure. Tony even uses this exact drill in shallow water with charter clients during the first part of their day, and he says it really pays off. The complete pool training setup is explained starting at 1:15.

Spear Gun vs. Pole Spear: What Tony Uses in the Keys

When Tom asks about gear choice, Tony makes a clear distinction: in the Florida Keys, they primarily use spear guns for charters. The only time Tony switches to pole spears is when clients are preparing specifically for Bahamas trips, where regulations only allow pole spears or Hawaiian slings for free diving. In those cases, clients book a day with Forever Young Charters to go through all their gear, ensure everything's dialed in, and get solid on their shots before heading to the Bahamas. For Keys fishing, though, they typically target mutton snapper, mangrove snapper, and red grouper in 35 to 55 feet of water—and spear guns are the tool of choice. Tony explains that with free diving at those depths, hang time on the bottom is what matters most, and you have to get much closer to fish than you might expect. The gear selection discussion and target species breakdown starts at 2:45.

How to Judge Distance Without an Underwater Rangefinder

Tom brings up a critical point from his bow hunting experience: in archery, knowing your exact yardage is everything. So how do spearfishermen judge distance underwater where everything looks closer and bigger? Tony jokes that if anyone can invent an underwater rangefinder, that would be awesome—but until then, he has a clever teaching method. He takes the spear gun shaft with the line still attached and walks it out the full length of his 36-foot boat while clients hold the gun. This gives them a visual reference for how far their effective range actually extends. Then Tony shares his field technique: once you can see real detail on a fish—when you can pick out the teardrop marking on a dog snapper or the little blue marks on a mutton—that's when you know you're close enough for a shot. Mangrove snapper are curious and will come within three or four feet, while mutton snappers keep much more distance. Tony's distance judgment techniques and species behavior insights start at 4:20.

Final Thoughts from Tom

I really enjoyed this conversation with Tony because it reinforces something I've learned from bow hunting: practice matters. You can't just show up and expect to perform at your best. Whether you're shooting at an elk at 40 yards or a mutton snapper at 15 feet underwater, the principles are the same—know your gear, know your distances, and put in the reps.

What I love about Tony's Speedo board drill is how accessible it is. If you have a pool, you can do this. You can practice your breath holds, your positioning, your shot mechanics—all the things that matter when you're actually diving on fish. And Tony's point about judging distance by detail is something I'm going to remember next time I'm in the water.

If you're planning a spearfishing trip—whether it's the Keys, the Bahamas, or anywhere else—this episode is packed with practical training advice you can start using today. Tony's a great instructor and his operation, Forever Young Charters, is the real deal. Listen to the whole thing.