We have met the athletes today, just the day before start of Italian Championship of Spearfishing. Tense faces and definately negative comments on sea conditions, where strong current from the South, cold water and low visibility during preparaton days have made all very complicated and fish has been almost absent.

Our very expert spearo, today instructor in his spearfishing stages, who has participated and won in International and naional championships, gives us his view on a Championship that this year will let only 15 (compared to last year 20) athletes stay in first category. Good work by FIPSAS to obtain closure of sea in the area of competition fields to permit spearos to move around and also fish along the coast if needed.

“Tomorrow the Italian Champ 2018 will be disputed in Sant’Antioco. Field of competition will be really tough due to many environmental factors. The areas of competiton fields are hit by strong currents, that move from hour to hour fish from one zone to another, from one depth to another. Currents have the upwelling characteristics, meaning the carry micro-organisms that start the limentary chain. These come though from big depths where temperatures are very low. Very thick wetsuits, up to 9 mm, will be needed to ba able to use the technicue of the “duck” when the spearo is pulled by the dinghy with a tleast 50m of line). In this period weather has not stabilizedand for such reason I think much will depend on the specific day, but in general the season makes fish move a lot. It is difficult to find holes with stable fish and even more places where such fish can be found again another day.  Rocks are much present in the sea floor, but the ones with the right holes for fish are actually not so common. I believe the species that will make the difference are the croaker, present also in very big sizes in areas of rocks, sand and weeds, or in small oasis of deep and isolated rocks.  The other two species that will make the difference are seabreams and wrasses, the first big in size but always moving from one spot to another.  If I had to indicate a kind of potential winner, I would say a very expert one, able of researching ish with advanced tchnological instrumnets, and that will be able to evaluate the difficulty in going deep down with strong current, dealing with deep dives in variable weight but with great precision. The depth at which one could still find important unexplored areas with fish go from – 30 to -45/50 meters. In these “jolly” areas, that I presume exist in this very beautiful but difficult sea, many different specie are concntrated togther with brown groupers, that cannot be caught (even though I do not compehend the real reason). Not many fish but of good weight will give victory and best results. Different number of species also will give points and make the difference. Another important aspect that will determine success is the matching of spearo and his mate on the boat. In such view teams of great strength are De Mola-Roccaforte, Losito-Cascione, Riolo-Grosso, Puretti-Sena, Loi-Cardia and De Silvestri-Corrias. Corrias is, I am told, not much specialized in deep dives, but to the contrary this could be a strong point in such competition. Having an amazing champion on the boat like Bruno, in addition, is the maximum help on a strategic and tactical point. Technical solution will so be two: abyss and oasis with low current, or fishing with signals and “razzolo” at lower depths in case of bad weather and strong current. In the mouth of the current athletes! And let the strongest be the winner!

 

Gabriele Delbene

Gabriele Delbene, year ’66, born inLa Spezia, Liguria, Italy, is a great Spearfishing Champion, who has reached important results in International competitions. Gabriele has also a degree in Osteopathy and Physical Education and inventor of the “global ascent manouvre”.

Main spearfishing titles

World and European Teams Vice.Champion

Winner of 5 International trophies

World Record Abyssal Spearfishing (- 62,4 meters)

Stage by Gabriele Delbene

Gabriele today organized extremely intersting, useful and deep spearfishing stages, that he describes this way: “Spearfishing, as any other human activity, can be taught. The experience of a spearfishing stage needs great effort, buti s also strongly educational. Stage is organized with maximum 4 people and for such reason it is thought to define and solve individual technical issues. Important focuses are aimed to working on the breathing of the spearo, who has different needs compared to the freediver, to optimize performance still maintaning the hoghest elvel of safety. All work is focused on spearfishing, si entrance tests, spearfishing actions of the student, commented video during the technical point in the evening in front of a wide tv screen, lessons applied to the episodes and encounters of the day, all are part of the experience that strongly and quickly improves statistics of sighting of fish, and so consequent catches.

Contacts:

email: gabriele.delbene@libero.it

mobile: +39 3339598374