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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Sep 22, 2021
Interview with Daniel Semrad
Today's interview is with Daniel Semrad of the Oregon Freediving Company! He is a record holding spearfishing and freediving instructor that is also be an award winning teacher! He now runs the Oregon Freediving Company with his wife Talya who also holds spearfishing world records and is a competitive freediver representing South Africa! They train in some great conditions, we're talking about dirty and 6-10 degree water! Listen in as we chat about spearfishing in Oregon, running a freediving shop and teaching students, hunting techniques, exercises and dry training to benefit your diving and a whole lot more. Dan is an awesome guy and a great diver, let us know what you think of this episode!
Important times:
- 00:13 Intro
- 04:03 Hello and welcome Daniel Semrad! Tell us about the freediving/spearfishing community in Oregon
- 06:08 You're a freedive instructor, how did you get there?
- 07:47 You won the Excite Award from MIT for being an exciting teacher
- 10:30 Water conditions in Oregon
- 11:38 What suit do you wear in your 6-10 degree water?
- 13:23 You probably spend a lot of time in the pool with conditions like that. How do you run your courses?
- 15:14 Buddy protocols in dirty water, what are you teaching your students?
- 17:56 What role do static exercises play in spearfishing?
- 19:25 When you feel you need to speed up, slow down. How did this become a reality to you?
- 22:22 My Octopus Teacher - has that impacted the amount of your customers?
- 24:09 Talya Davidoff is your wife, she is an accomplished spearo (3x world records) and competitive freediver too
- 25:10 Tell us about your records
- 28:38 What does your spearfishing consist of these days?
- 30:08 Walk us through a great day spearfishing for you
- 32:22 Purple urchins, are they bad over there?
- 33:48 Are they good eating?
- 34:50 Fisheries management
- 37:16 Hunting in Oregon: what species and how do you hunt them?
- 39:42 What are the telltale signs of the species you look for? Type of rock, seaweed, coral or animals.
- 42:17 You are covering a lot of ground looking for fish
- 43:03 I don't like statics or aspetto spearfishing: hunting in Hawaii and Alaska
- 45:58 Gear: what do you use? You mentioned using a pole spear
- 47:19 Do you guys like smoking fish up there?
- 49:20 Scary stuff: have you had any close calls?
- 52:08 Spearfishing off a kayak: lessons learned from bad situations
- 55:22 What obstacles did you find in your spearfishing?
- 56:46 The delicate balance of doing freediving/spearfishing as a job, how do you balance it?
- 01:01:04 Understanding weather conditions and making predictions: how to predict visibility
- 01:03:45 Have you kept a dive log for spearfishing?
- 01:04:53 You have some back health issues? What do you do in the gym?
- 01:06:44 What cross training has been relevant for spearfishing and freediving?
- 01:08:30 Dry training can be hard to maintain, have you found the same?
- 01:09:22 Training resources for dry training
- 01:10:35 What yoga do you do?
- 01:11:34 Hate for spearfishing: what criticisms have you got for spearfishing and how do you respond?
- 01:13:39 Spearfishing on scuba vs freediving
- 01:14:44 Funny stuff
- 01:16:38 What's in your dive bag? Wetsuit, gloves, fins, dive computer, weights, speargun and pole spear, shooting line, buoys/floats and lines, etc.
- 01:24:08 Do you teach spearo etiquette?
- 01:25:19 Spearo Q&A
- Single best spearfishing tip: slow down!
- What does the spearfishing experience mean to you? Hit the reset button
- Who's been the most influential people in your community? My local community
- Where in the world would you like to go spearfishing? South Africa and Australia
- 01:27:30 Where can people find you and where is your shop?
- 01:29:23 Are you running courses again?
- 01:30:15 Outro and last notes that Daniel didn't mention
Listen in and subscribe on iOS or Android https://link.chtbl.com/Download_This_Episode
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- Old Man Blue | Wickedly tough and well thought out gear! Check out their Lobster Bag HERE
- Noob Spearo MAD GEAR | ‘Spearo Dad’ | ‘Girls with Gills’ | ‘Jobfish Tribute’
- Spearing Magazine Subscribe to the best spearfishing magazine in the world. International subscription available!
- Audible.com Get a free audiobook along with a 30-day trial here. Listen to 99 Tips to Get Better at Spearfishing