Tony Young | Safely Beginning Spearfishing | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 722

Tony Young joins Tom Rowland on Episode 722 of the Tom Rowland Podcast to discuss safely beginning spearfishing. This How 2 Tuesday episode tackles one of the most important and overlooked aspects of entering the sport: how to do it without getting hurt, making critical mistakes, or putting yourself in dangerous situations. Tony and Tom cover everything from choosing your first equipment to understanding water conditions, managing breath hold, and knowing when to call it quits. If you've been curious about spearfishing but don't know where to start, or if you're already in the water but want to sharpen your safety protocols, this conversation delivers practical, actionable guidance from two experienced watermen who've learned these lessons the hard way.

The Mental Game Before You Ever Touch a Speargun

Before Tony and Tom even discuss equipment or technique, they dive into something most beginners overlook: the mental preparation required to be safe in the water. Tony explains that your relationship with the ocean needs to be built on respect, not bravado, and that understanding your own limitations is the first real skill you need to develop. He discusses how many people rush into spearfishing because it looks exciting, but they haven't spent enough time simply being comfortable underwater without the pressure of hunting. Tom shares his own experiences with learning to read his body's signals and knowing when conditions are beyond his skill level. The conversation reveals why the best spearfishermen aren't necessarily the ones who can dive the deepest or hold their breath the longest — they're the ones who consistently make good decisions. Tony's philosophy on mental preparation and building water confidence starts early in the episode.

Essential Equipment for Your First Dives

When it comes to gear, Tony takes a practical approach that prioritizes safety over flash. He walks through what a beginner actually needs versus what the industry tries to sell you, starting with the most critical piece of equipment that has nothing to do with shooting fish. Tony and Tom discuss float systems, dive flags, weight belts, fins, masks, and spearguns, but they emphasize that buying the most expensive gear won't make you safe — understanding how to use it properly will. There's a particularly interesting discussion about choosing your first speargun, where Tony explains why bigger isn't better and how the wrong gun can actually put you in more danger. Tom adds insights about how different environments require different setups, and why what works in Florida might not work in California or Hawaii. The detailed equipment breakdown and Tony's specific recommendations start at a key point in the conversation.

Understanding Water Conditions and When to Stay Out

One of the most valuable sections of this conversation focuses on reading water conditions and making the critical decision to not dive. Tony shares experiences where he's called off dives that looked fine from shore but revealed themselves to be dangerous once he was in the water. He and Tom discuss current, visibility, surge, surface chop, and how these factors compound to create risk. There's an honest discussion about ego and how it gets people hurt — the feeling that you drove all this way or your buddies are already in the water, so you should go too. Tony explains the specific signs he looks for before entering the water and the conditions that are absolute no-gos for him, even after years of experience. Tom adds perspective on how conditions that might be fine for an experienced diver can be deadly for a beginner, and why you need to be ruthlessly honest about your skill level. The water conditions discussion and Tony's specific red flags come up later in the episode.

Breath Hold, Shallow Water Blackout, and Managing Risk

Tony and Tom tackle one of the most serious topics in spearfishing: shallow water blackout and the physiological realities of breath hold diving. Tony explains what actually happens in your body when you hold your breath and dive, why the ascent is the most dangerous part of every dive, and how experienced divers have died doing things that seemed routine. The conversation covers hyperventilation (and why you shouldn't do it), the urge to breathe versus actual oxygen levels, and how to practice breath hold safely. There's a sobering discussion about the statistics around solo diving and blackout, and why having a competent buddy isn't just recommended — it's essential. Tom shares his approach to building breath hold capacity gradually and knowing when to surface, even if the fish is right there. Tony emphasizes that no fish is worth your life, and the best spearfishermen are the ones who surface early and live to dive another day. The critical breath hold and blackout discussion happens during a pivotal moment in the conversation.

Final Thoughts from Tom

This conversation with Tony Young is one of those episodes that I believe needs to be required listening for anyone thinking about getting into spearfishing. Too many people see the Instagram posts and YouTube videos of guys shooting huge fish in crystal clear water, and they think that's what spearfishing is. They don't see the years of building water skills, the dives where nothing happens, the days when you drive to the beach and never get in, and most importantly, the constant risk management that's happening in the minds of experienced divers.

What I appreciate about Tony's approach is that he doesn't sugarcoat the dangers or try to make spearfishing sound more accessible than it really is. This is an activity where people die every year — experienced people, not just beginners. And most of those deaths are preventable with proper training, the right mindset, and the discipline to make conservative decisions even when it's disappointing.

If you're curious about spearfishing, if you're planning your first dives, or if you're already in the water but recognize you might have skipped some foundational steps, listen to this whole episode. Take notes. Share it with your dive buddies. The information Tony shares here could literally save your life or the life of someone you care about. This one's worth your time.