The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

19.4 kg. , 42.8 lbs.

Grouper, Orange Spotted Epinephelus coioides

Record Category: Men Speargun

Diver:		Nuno Manuel Dos Santos Dias
Date:		6/11/2015
Location:		MOZAMBIQUE

This was a special day...big expectations in all of us for we where going to check a wreck coordinate that nobody had dived before! We had found it on the last dive with strong current in a long drift not far from a usual diving spot but we where not able to check it due to visibility and current conditions on that day... After an hour´s trip on Zeus, me Vasco and Pedro gently glided in... The current was perfect, not too much, but with enough strength that allowed us to steady drift the bottom...the viz was not ideal in fact was far from that but the excitement was such that it didn't made much diference... Half water was full of trevallys, queens and spaniards...clashing noises of the shoals changing direction has they met us where now common... After about 45 minutes of reconnaissence we now knew that the wreck was divided in 3 sections with the cabin laying at 18 meters and some parts sitting in the bottom at 24. In these locations, here in the bay the presence of huge brindles is to be expected and this one was not different, 2 huge masses followed us around the bottom, not shy at all, looking really surprised...landing fish with these ladies around is a mission! Some fish where already on board, mainly spaniards, when Vasco called me because he had a mangrove snapper stuck inside the wreck and he wanted me to back him up. After a couple of dives next to Vasco has he work the snapper inside the ship I noticed a shadow coming in and out of a hull compartment...on the next dive after Vasco started he´s ascend I slowly drifted inside the hull, closing my eyes to get used to the darkness, and between the light that came trough various parts of the old deck I could see her...hoovering and looking at me...I gently turned my speargun and just before she darted I squeezed the trigger...after this all hell breaks loose...its the inside of a wreck, and she wants to run and tangle the line where she can and I hold as much has I can, locking the reel on the gun and using my belt reel to give little slack as I return to the surface...funny enough she got tired and made it out of the hull trough the same hole as me, so bringing her to the surface was not so difficult! I have caught other orange spotted groupers before but none this size so has we reached the club I ran for the scale...spot on! Putting this record together proved a real mission for the pen drive that had the pictures went missing...I nearly cried! Thanks to captain Nelson for the awesome skipping, my son Rafael for his patience on board, Pedro for making us all laugh with his underwater sprints, and a special thanks to Vasco for being down there with me for so many years... I would like to dedicate this record to Ingrid, Mr. Vasco´s daughter, that is in the hospital struggling with a serious tumor...may God be next to her and grant her a fast recovery, for all our prayers surely are!!!