Throwback Thursday; Spearfishing champs a big success

The Honda Marine 2018 National Spearfishing Championships held at Tryphena on Great Barrier Island for the first time was very successful.

Forty pairs of competing adults participated in the Open Event competitors from as far away as Portugal, Greece, Hawaii and all corners of New Zealand. Twenty eight women and juniors entered their event.
The event included a Seafood Cooking competition, swim fin races and a sand castle building competition: It was a fun packed week!
Base was the Sunset Lodge at Mulberry Grove, and Great Barrier turned on the best conditions we could have asked for: flat calm seas and in places very blue water.

We chose two areas that had never been dived for an Open previously, with varying terrain that meant the divers really had to think about their day’s swim.

The top two pairs of competitors really distanced themselves from the rest of the field in terms of catch showing just how good they are. There was a lot of thought put into the fish list this year with sustainable catches and the ability to make sure we could handle the fish coming in being the top considerations.
Conditions leading up to the event were up and down; the safety of small boats crossing to stay at the island was not taken lightly.

Regular weather updates were discussed and plans put in place for boats to travel together where possible.

Our sponsor, Honda Marine has been very good to us, getting alongside Spearfishing New Zealand to help make the event happen. After we had given the first day’s catch to the elderly and needy, Mulberry Grove School auctioned all the rest of it off. And on top of this, the school invited in campers from the event and put the dinner on.

It was a great partnership with the school taking away around $8000 from the event.
A big thank you to all involved for making it a brilliant week.