SAFETY
Spearfishing is a breath-hold sport, and the ocean is unforgiving of shortcuts. Below is the general, widely-taught safety knowledge every spearo should carry, followed by the official fisheries and maritime authorities we have on file per country. Read it, then go get proper training before you push your limits.
These principles apply everywhere and are not specific to any country. The first three are not optional — they are the difference between a normal dive and a fatal one.
The thing that gets experienced divers
The most common cause of spearfishing fatalities. On the way up, falling pressure can drop your blood-oxygen below the level needed to stay conscious — often with little or no warning. Never push a breath-hold to the limit, and never dive alone.
One up, one down
Dive in pairs and take turns: one diver goes down while the other actively watches from the surface, ready to assist. Keep watching for at least 30 seconds after they surface — blackout often happens at or just after the surface.
Non-negotiable
A blackout is survivable only if someone is there to lift your airway clear of the water within seconds. No fish is worth it.
Be ready to come up fast
Weight yourself so you are buoyant at the surface and float up from about 10 m. Wear a quick-release buckle facing outward, and practice ditching the belt so it is automatic in an emergency.
They cannot see a head in the water
Always fly a dive flag or tow a surface marker buoy (SMB), stay close to it, and assume boats cannot see you. Surface with one arm up and your speargun unloaded and pointed down.
Know it before you get in
Save the local emergency number and the coast guard / maritime rescue contact before you dive. The official fisheries and maritime authorities below are for regulatory questions — look up emergency numbers for your exact location separately.
Don't trick your body
Over-breathing before a dive lowers your CO₂ and removes the urge to breathe — without adding oxygen. That delayed warning is exactly what causes blackout. Breathe up calmly and gently.
Train for what you do
Build depth and bottom time slowly and only with proper instruction. Dive within your certification and current fitness, not your ego or your best day.
The ocean sets the terms
Check swell, current, visibility and tide before and during the dive. Equalize early and often; never force it. If you cannot equalize, abort the descent.
Set yourself up to succeed
Fatigue, dehydration, alcohol and cold all raise your blackout risk. Rest, hydrate, stay warm, and tell someone on shore your plan and expected return time.
These are the official fisheries and maritime authorities we have on file from each country's regulations — drawn straight from that country's record, not edited or invented. They are the right people to confirm licensing, seasons and local rules.
These are not emergency services. In an emergency, call your local emergency number or the coast guard for where you are — look those up locally before you dive.
Showing 221 of 221 countries with official contacts on file
The guidance on this page is general best practice compiled for information only. It is not, and does not replace, certified freediving or spearfishing instruction, and it is not medical or legal advice. Conditions, equipment and your own fitness vary — when in doubt, don't dive. The official contacts come directly from each country's dataset and are for regulatory questions, not emergencies.