Welcome to the Noob Spearo Podcast!
The Freedive Spearfishing podcast
Join Shrek as he interviews spearfishing experts, authorities and characters from around the world.
Improve your spearfishing and share in the stoke!
Find out more at noobspearo.com the spearfishing blog and podcast
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Noob Spearo Podcast listeners are saying;
"This podcast has improved my diving dramatically. I binged listened to all the old episodes over a few weeks and I'm completely caught up now. I take notes on my phone to further research anything the guests or the hosts (Turbo and Shrek) talk about or suggest to do. Over the last 4 months I've gone from a 5 meter pot shot diver to a 12 meter+ diver with over 1:30 dive times and good fish to show for it. All thanks to the information these guys have put out in this podcast. Keep up the great work!" - Kurty
"This is the first podcast I've ever listened to, and I am averaging about 4 episodes a day since that first listen. These guys are awesome and so are there guests! Best motivation to do training! Only problem is I'll run out of episodes soon and have to wait a whole week for a new one..." Pete
"The amount of tip, ideas and laughs I've had from Shrek and Turbo and it has all improved my spearfishing 10 fold. Essential for any spearo, and highly recommend it, you won't regret it! Always hanging for the next episode! Keep it up boys! And while your at it get their book 99 tips to get better at spearfishing! Yew!!!" - Yupz
"Have been listening to Turbo and Shrek for a while now and those weirdos make me come back every time for more.... even though I'm located in Southern California. I guess I'm stoked to hear how people catch their fish all over the world!! Keep it coming boys." - Sebastian
"Guys, honestly, This podcast has been amazing fuel since my surf buddy and I started spearing just over three months ago on the southern california coast. We're pretty much just shore divers right now, but we've been hitting calico bass, yellowtail tuna, and sheepshead by just jumping off the beaches. We're starting to meet some people with boats so we're stoked. My pre-dive tradition is getting amped off a noob spearo podcast before I hop into the water after work. Keep them coming because I just finished listening to the 17th episode and I felt a little post partum depression coming on. I've learned loads from your show and need to keep soaking up the wisdom. Thanks!" - DippnDotts
"I recently got into spearfishing and couldn't believe my luck when I found this podcast after a random search. Not only are Shrek and Turbo incredibly funny and easy to listen too - but the way they have formatted the show is really engaging, informative and interesting. Hearing from Pros and veterans is invaluable to a newb like me and the information from these podcasts alone has made a world of difference to my diving and hunting. So if you're like me and your absolutely loving the sport and simply can't get enough info on and about spearfishing this is the podcast for you! Well done guys, you're keeping me well and truly stoked! sterling job!!" - Stu in Southern California
"Been an avid podcast listener for nearly a decade and this is my first review. This podcast is laid back, informative and absolutely essential for the new spearo. Great list of domestic and international guests. The most dangerous time for a spearo is in those first few months and It's good to know there is a easily accessible resource that I can point my mates to when they are starting out. Cheers shrek and turbo!" - CoxyADF
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Jan 1, 2019
Interview with Tom Blandford
Great White Shark tales, White Sea Bass chasing and an epic Guadalupe day surrounded by huge fish. Sound like a fun listen?
These are just a few of the highlights of this interview with veteran spearo Tom Blandford. As mentioned in the intro, I purchased (and read) Tom's first book 'A Dented Badge' which has stories about his life serving in the LAPD during the 70's and 80's. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think its a nice compliment to this interview which focuses on his spearfishing life. Listen in:)
Full shownotes and pictures available at http://www.noobspearo.com/noob-spearo-podcast/tom-blandford/
A bit about Tom Blandford
"He's been diving forever -- he decided to go to a local junior college back in the 60s because that would allow him to dive more than some of his other options. He was a founding member of the LAPD dive unit. He's been a member of the Long Beach Neptunes since the early 80s (if not earlier). He made a bunch of trips to Baja in the 80s and 90s -- actually spent several months once living out of a tent and a van on one of those trips, diving every day. More recently, he's taken to cruising in the Sea of Cortez and has dived/spearfished in tons of different spots. Aside from all that, he's mentioned in Terry Maas's book in the story about the white shark incident in 1984 at Guadalupe Island -- that's the one where Harry Ingram was launched out of the water by a white shark. As luck would have it, my dad had a front row seat and helped get Harry out of the water. He also has his own white shark story from 1988 where he actually shot a white shark at point blank range! He's an old salt now (74 in November), but he still dives quite a bit." - Ron Blandford
Interview Time Stamps
4:00 Tom's beginnings. Shooting rocks and loving the spearfishing experieeince.
7:40 White Sea Bass hunting story
8:50 Early mentors Jack Prodonovich and Tom Murray
11:00 Long Beach Neptunes spearfishing club
14:00 One of Tom's best days spearfishing in the Sea of Cortez. Surrounded by Yellow Fin Tuna, a huge Wahoo, massive Amberjack, Grouper and just one of those special days on the water.
21:00 Tom's favorite two species to hunt is Yellowtail Kingfish and White Sea Bass. Tips for finding locations where Yellowtail are schooling and the technique he uses to shoot them when he's in the right place. Bait species that Yellowtail chase including Mullet and Mackerel.
27:50 Guadalupe Island and a very memorable Great White Shark incident. Big conversation about sharks.
48:00 Tom's history serving in the LAPD dive unit.
54:00 The funniest moment he has had out on the water. Watching a Yellowtail try and keep up with a school of Bluefin Tuna
56:50 The contents of his divebag
62:00 Spearo Q&A
- The single biggest lesson he has learned in his spearfishing is to respect the prey
- The best piece of advice he has been given is to stop hyperventilating
- Current challenges he faces
- His favorite people to go spearfishing with are people with good judgement
- "To hunt, respect the prey and enjoy eating it" is his main spearfishing motivation
To reach out to Tom email him at mvgracias45@gmail.com
Noob Spearo Partners + some spearfishing discounts
- Adreno Spearfishing – Buy your spearfishing equipment here. Use the code NOOBSPEARO save $20 on every purchase over $200 at checkout.
- Audible.com Get a free audiobook along with a 30 day trialhere. Listen to 99 Tips to Get Better at Spearfishing or James Nestors ‘Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and what the ocean tells us about ourselves’ free
- Spearing Magazine Subscribe to the best spearfishing magazine in the world. Email jeromy@spearingmagazine.com for a super deal for downunder spearos (Australia/New Zealand/South Africa)
- Penetrator Fins Use the code noobspearo to save $20 on the full Penetrator Spearfishing Fin Range here. Check out the latest in spearfishing fin technology
- How to Spearfish Video Series with Aquatic Rehab TV: use the code NOOBPEARO to save!
- Spearo Log available on Amazon here
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