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INTERNATIONAL UNDERWATER SPEARFISHING ASSOCIATION
Spearfishing World Record Rules
PREAMBLE
Since 1950, the International Underwater
Spearfishing Association (IUSA) has been the
custodian of the spearfishing World Records. The
growing technology in the sport of spearfishing,
and the increasing skill of divers today has
prompted the IUSA to expand its role in the diving
community through reorganization. In addition to
the certification and compilation of spearfishing
world records, the IUSA is actively striving to
promote ethical spearfishing practices, and is
becoming involved in scientific and educational
programs which not only benefit divers, but also
the world as a whole.
In its reorganization, the IUSA wishes to continue
to recognize the past achievements of spearfishing
world record holders. To implement the NEW IUSA,
and the formulation of new world record rules,
records established under the old rules will
remain, but will be designated as 20th century
records. New world record fish speared under the
revised rules will be designated as 21st century
records beginning January 1, 1997.
The following world record rules are based on the
philosophy of sportsmanship and excellence in
spearfishing. The spearing of a fish, whether
record size or not, requires extensive knowledge
of fish behavior to complete a successful stalk;
knowledge of spearfishing equipment, operation and
rigging to insure a well placed and effective
shot; and skill in the water to successfully hunt
and capture a large fish. Although the world
record rules have been formulated to insure that
the diver has captured the fish through fair
practices, it is impossible to predict whether a
particular fish was easy or difficult to spear and
subdue. Only the individual spearfisher can
properly evaluate the degree of difficulty in
establishing a world record. Although it is the
hope of the IUSA that all spearfishers will
attempt a world record catch, divers are cautioned
and reminded that Spearfishing is a recreational
sport and no risk to human life is worth any
record or any fish. Additionally the IUSA
encourages all Spearfishers to seek every means of
education as to how to successfully enjoy the
sport of spearfishing while remaining safe from
any and all injuries. It is the IUSA's strong
admonishment that no diver attempt any record
venture without proper preparation and education
and to abort and seek safety in a time of danger.
For the purpose of a world record, "spearfishing"
is defined as the capturing of a wild gamefish
through the use of a muscle powered spear gun,
while freediving. Only fish captured in accordance
with the IUSA rules will be considered for a world
record. In keeping with the philosophy of ethical
and sporting spearfishing practices, freedivers
must subdue their catch unassisted. Finally, to
insure that all individuals have the opportunity
for a spearfishing world record, the IUSA has
established world record categories of fish for
both men and women.
When received by the IUSA, each application will
be reviewed by the Records Committee, and approved
by the Board of Directors of the IUSA. IUSA Board
of Directors cannot vote on a record in which they
have a personal or commercial interest. Since the
IUSA supports all organizations with the same
goals toward spearfishing and freediving, the
submission of a catch for world record
consideration, or the granting of a record by the
IUSA, does not preclude or prohibit the applicant
from submitting the catch to other organizations
for like records.
A. CLASSES OF AWARDS
1. WORLD RECORDS:
Only those fish which are speared and landed
according to the IUSA's Spearfishing World Record
Rules may be considered for IUSA world record
status. All applicants must carefully follow the
requirements for filing claims. All materials
submitted become the property of IUSA.
2. MERITORIOUS AWARDS:
From time to time the IUSA will award a
meritorious award to an individual who makes an
exceptional catch of a listed or an unlisted
species. Examples: (1) an unusual fish; or (2) a
fish very close to an existing record considered
unlikely to be matched due to its extreme size; or
(3) a record-weight fish which but for one rule
infraction would otherwise become an official
world record.
B. DEFINITIONS
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1. |
FREEDIVING:
Freediving is defined as the sport of skin
diving by which the individual swims on the
surface or dives below the surface of the
water unencumbered and unaided by artificial
breathing devices (i.e., SCUBA, bailout
bottle, etc.). The diver is completely free
swimming and is not touching or holding on to
any boat or floating device which has on board
or is powered by motor or mechanical device. |
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2. |
UNASSISTED:
Unassisted is defined as subduing the catch
without the use of artificial breathing
devices, without the benefit of exiting the
water to retrieve or subdue the fish. The
diver must complete the task without the
assistance of another individual in subduing,
capturing or securing the catch (i.e., helping
to pull on the catch in any way, attaching the
tether to the catch, handing the diver a
loaded spear gun, touching or holding the
diver while fighting the fish, or any other
act which cause the fish to be subdued through
the efforts of two people). This does not
preclude the attendant diver from supplying
equipment (unloaded guns, additional floats,
additional tow line, or a stringer) given that
the original diver must attach and tend the
additional equipment and that the attendant
does not touch any portion of the original or
additional equipment until the catch is
subdued. |
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3. |
MUSCLE-POWERED
SPEARGUN: Any speargun that stores potential
energy provided from the spearfisher's muscles
only. The gun may only release that amount of
energy that the diver has provided to it from
their own muscles. Common temporary energy
storing devices for spearguns are: rubber
bands, springs, and sealed air chambers. |
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4. |
ARTIFICIAL
BREATHING DEVICE: Any device which delivers
air to the diver for breathing while under the
surface of the water. This includes, but is
not limited to, SCUBA, Hooka, "bailout"
bottles (extra air) or rebreathers. |
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5. |
SUBDUED FISH: Any
fish that is taken ashore, placed on, or
tethered to a boat with a line no more than 10
feet (3 meters) long, or on the belt stringer
of the spearing diver. |
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6. |
TETHER: A length
of rope or wire, not more than 3 meters long,
attached securely to a boat, which is used to
successfully and permanently subdue a fish by
looping the tail or by looping the tether
through the mouth and gill opening by the
spearing diver. |
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7. |
MUTILATED FISH: A
fish which is weakened by being previously
speared, or attacked by sharks, or injured by
propellers or by a commercial or recreational
fishing process (e.g., a recently caught and
tagged marlin). Any mutilation on the fish
must be shown in a photograph and fully
explained in a separate report accompanying
the record application. |
C. GENERAL RULES
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1. |
Divers must be
freediving when they spear and land their
catch. The use of artificial breathing devices
is not allowed at any time (e.g., to retrieve
the speared fish). |
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2. |
Divers may leave
the water to obtain additional equipment but
the diver must reenter the water where exited
(allowing for free boat movement) and continue
the pursuit free swimming. No pursuit of the
quarry by means of boat will be allowed. |
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3. |
If a diver looses
contact with his floats and can no longer see
them, he may reenter a non moving boat and
"spot" the floats. He must then reenter the
water where exited (allowing for free boat
movement) and free swim in the direction of
his floats and regain contact. Under no
condition may the diver utilize the boat to
recontact his floats. |
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4. |
Due to the
potentially dangerous aspect of using bait,
lures, or other teasing and attracting
devises, the IUSA does not encourage the
practice. However, it is allowed in all forms.
If bait or chum is used, the applicant must
declare the act on the basic application for
record, and during the narrative for recording
purposes. No detail of the chumming is
necessary. A simple statement "working a chum
line" will suffice. |
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5. |
Fish must be
free-swimming, unrestricted by nets, traps,
fishing lines or other devices. |
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6. |
Fish must not be
in an artificial environment such as penned-in
bays, or in close proximity to fish nets or
fish rearing pens. |
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7. |
The catch must
follow all laws and regulations governing the
species or the waters in which the fish was
caught. |
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8. |
Another diver may
provide a second or additional unloaded gun to
the spearfisher, provided they do not assist
the diver in any way to subdue their catch. |
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9. |
Fish mutilated by
anything other than the spearfishing equipment
of the applicant are not allowed. |
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10. |
The use of
artificial light sources for night
spearfishing is not allowed. |
D. GEAR
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1. |
Spearguns: The
gun must be charged with muscle power only; no
explosive or compressed power is allowed. |
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2. |
Terminal gear:
Trail line or reels are allowed. Floats of any
size are allowed, provided they are solely
propelled by the diver (i.e., no motors or any
other mechanical means). |
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3. |
Divers must pull
their fish to the surface while they remain in
the water. Once the fish is subdued and at the
surface it may be gaffed by someone in a
safety boat. Another diver or crew member may
pass unloaded guns to the diver, provided the
guns and associated gear follow the
regulations set forth above for the primary
gun and gear (D.1 and 2). |
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4. |
Powerheads:
Powerheads are prohibited. They may be carried
by the diver for defense, but they may not be
used to spear or subdue their catch. |
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5. |
Artificial
breathing apparatus: No artificial breathing
apparatus is allowed. |
E. ELIGIBLE FISH
All species of gamefish will be considered by the
IUSA Board provided they are at least 10 pounds
(4.5 kg) and are not on the list of IUSA
Ineligible Species. The Board retains the right to
reject species considered unworthy of recognition
and in such cases the application fee will be
returned. When in doubt the applicant is
encouraged to contact the IUSA for guidance before
submitting the application. In the case of
Fresh Water Fish the minimum weight is five (5)
pounds.
F. WEIGHTS NEEDED TO DEFEAT OR TIE EXISTING
RECORDS
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1. |
To replace a
record for a fish weighing less than 25 pounds
(11.33 kg), the replacement must weigh at
least 2 ounces (56.69 gm) more than the
existing record. |
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2. |
To replace a
record for a fish weighing 25 pounds (11.33
kg) or more, the replacement must weigh
one-half percent (0.5%) more than the previous
record. For example, for a 200 pound fish
(90.71 kg) to defeat a current record it must
weigh 1 pound (.45 kg) more than the existing
record. |
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3. |
Any catch which
matches the weight of an existing record or
exceeds the weight by less than the amount
required to defeat the record will be
considered a tie. Nothing weighing less than
the current record will be considered.
Fractions of an ounce, or their metric
equivalents, will not be considered. |
G. WEIGHING REQUIREMENTS
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1. |
The fish must be
weighed by an official weighmaster (if one is
available), or by an IUSA representative, or
by a recognized local person familiar with the
scale. Disinterested witnesses to the weight
should be used whenever possible. |
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2. |
The mouth may be
secured to prevent stomach contents from
falling out. If stomach contents should
accidentally fall out, they cannot be
replaced. |
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3. |
Fish must be
clean when weighed--no sand or dirt may be
clinging to them. |
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4. |
Fish may be
frozen before they are weighed. If still
frozen while being weighed, any adhering ice
must be removed. |
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5. |
The weight of the
sling or rope (if used to secure the fishor
close the mouth) must be subtracted from the
total weight. |
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6. |
At the time of
the weighing, the actual gear used by the
spearfisher to catch the fish must be
exhibited to the weighmaster and weight
witness. |
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7. |
Only weights
indicated by the gradations on the scale will
be accepted. Visual interpolation between
gradations is not allowed. Any weights that
fall between two gradations must be rounded to
the lower weight. |
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8. |
All record fish
should be weighed on scales that have been
checked for accuracy by government agencies or
other qualified and accredited organizations.
All scales must be regularly checked for
accuracy and must be current within 12 months,
or recertified within 2 weeks after the
weighing. |
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9. |
If there is no
certified scale available, then the scales
must be checked by weighing objects of
recognized and proven weight similar to the
weight of the fish. |
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10. |
In extremely
remote areas where no weighing scales are
available, it will be permissible for the
spearfisher to use their own scales provided
that they are properly certified for accuracy
by the appropriate government agency
immediately after returning from the
spearfishing trip. Official documentation of
calibration or recertification after the catch
must be included with the application. |
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11. |
The IUSA reserves
the right to have the scales recertified or
checked. |
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12. |
When a catch
cannot be weighed on land and must be weighed
at sea, two efforts must be met. The first and
most important is that the applicant and at
least one witness must submit a short
statement indicating the action of the sea vs.
the action of the scale. That is; describe the
high and low measurement indicated on the
scale by water movement (if any). If there is
no movement, that must be said as well.
Second; It would be helpful if a still photo
could be taken showing the minimum and maximum
weight registered. In some cases there will be
no difference. This act will be hampered by
the type and quality of camera but we request
an effort be made. No application will be
accepted without the requested statements. |
H. OTHER DOCUMENTATION
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1. |
To assist in the
verification of the weight, the length (fork
length and total length - see application
form) and girth of the fish must be measured
and recorded. A measuring tape made of a
material that does not stretch or shrink, even
when wet, must be used. Length shall be
measured with the tape stretched straight
above the fish (i.e., not conforming to the
body contours) and girth shall be measured
with the tape conforming tightly to the
thickest portion of the body. |
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2. |
Weights
calculated from length and/or girth shall not
be accepted, however, a meritorious award may
be made for a fish which exceeds both the
length and girth of the current record. |
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3. |
Catch weighing or
measurement must be witnessed and as much
documentation as possible should accompany the
application for the record. |
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4. |
In the case of
Big Eye Tuna a photograph of the liver should
be taken that clearly depicts the blood vessel
striations on the edge of the liver. In the
case of Mangrove or Grey Snapper a photo must
show the arrow like patch of teeth on the roof
of the mouth and a photo should be taken
showing the small teeth of the lower jaw. In
the case of Blue Marlin a photo must show the
pectoral fin collapsing or having freedom of
movement. |
I. APPLICATION
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1. |
Divers must
record the date, exact location, common name
and scientific name of their catch on an
official application. |
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2. |
Two identical
sets of photographs, preferably color, must
accompany the application, providing
sufficient detail for unequivocal species
determination. These photographs become the
property of the IUSA which may publish them as
it deems appropriate. If there is the
slightest doubt regarding the identification
of the fish based upon the photographs and
other data offered, the fish should be
examined by an ichthyologist or qualified
fishery biologist before the record is
submitted. If a scientist is not available,
the fish should be retained in a preserved or
frozen condition until a qualified authority
can verify the species, or until the applicant
is notified by IUSA. If no decision can be
made from the photographs, and the spearfisher
can provide no further proof of the
identification of the species, the record
claim will not be considered. |
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a. |
Photographs
showing the full length of the fish, the
diver with the fish, the speargun(s) used
to make the catch, and the scale used to
weigh the fish must accompany each
application. |
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b. |
In all cases,
photographs should be taken of the fish in
a hanging position and also lying on a
flat surface on its side. The fish should
be broadside to the camera and no part of
the fish should be obscured. The fins must
be fully extended and not obscured by
hands or equipment, and the jaw or bill
clearly shown. Avoid obscuring the keels
of tunas and other keeled species with a
tail rope. |
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c. |
When
photographing a fish lying on its side,
the surface beneath the fish should be
smooth and a ruler or marked tape placed
beside the fish if possible. |
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d. |
Photographs
from various angles are most helpful. |
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e. |
An additional
photograph of the fish on the scale with
the actual weight visible will help to
expedite the application. |
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f. |
In-the-water
photographs, while not required, are
requested if available. |
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3. |
Acceptance of the
application is, in part, dependent upon the
completeness of the description of the hunt
and capture. Include gun type, terminal gear,
depth at which the fish was speared, names of
other divers present, name of the diveboat,
use of chum, water visibility, sea state,
distance from shore, estimated bottom depth,
current conditions, time of day, and
associated fish (e.g., other members of a
school, bait fish, etc.). |
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4. |
Witnesses to the
catch: On all record claims, witnesses to the
catch are highly desirable. Unwitnessed
catches may be disallowed if questions arise
regarding their authenticity. It is important
that the witnesses can attest to the
spearfisher's compliance with IUSA rules. |
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5. |
Time limits of
claims: Complete application must be submitted
within 6 months of date of capture. |
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6. |
Incomplete
claims: If an incomplete claim is submitted,
it must be accompanied by an explanation of
why certain portions are incomplete. An
incomplete claim will be considered for a
record if the following conditions are met: |
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a. |
The
incomplete claim with explanations must be
received within the 6-month period. |
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b. |
Missing data
must be due to circumstances beyond the
control of the spearfisher making the
record claim. |
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c. |
All missing
data must be supplied within a period of
time considered to be reasonable in view
of the particular circumstances. |
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d. |
Final
decisions on incomplete claims will be
made by the Records Committee. |
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J. PREPARING THE APPLICATION FORM
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1. |
The Spearfisher
must submit a completed IUSA application form
along with all required documentation.
Applications can be
obtained on this website, or by contacting the
IUSA. |
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2. |
The application
must be prepared in English. |
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3. |
Applicant must
personally fill out and mail the form. |
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4. |
Extreme care
should be exercised in measuring the fish, as
the measurements are often important for
weight verification and scientific studies.
(See the measurement diagram on the record
application to be sure you have measured
correctly.) |
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5. |
The spearfisher
is responsible for ensuring that the necessary
signatures and correct addresses of the boat
captain, weighmaster, and witnesses are on the
application. Use of a boatman, guide, or
weighmaster as a witness is discouraged. |
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6. |
The application
fee is $25 for IUSA members, $35 for
non-members. |
K. REGULATIONS GOVERNING APPLICATIONS
The spirit of the IUSA is one of sportsmanship and
honor and the entire purpose of our organization
would be defeated if cheating were allowed.
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1. |
In some cases, an
IUSA officer or representative may be asked to
recheck information submitted on an
application. Such action should not be
regarded as doubt of the formal affidavit, but
rather as evidence of the extreme care with
which IUSA investigates and maintains its
records. |
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2. |
Deliberate
falsification of an application will
disqualify the record and any further
applications by the applicant, and any
existing records will be nullified. |
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3. |
Anyone who
knowingly collaborates, assists, or furthers
fraudalent applications will be disqualified
from any further applications, and any
existing records will be nullified. If this
person is an IUSA Director or representative,
they will be immediately removed from their
position with the IUSA and will not be
eligible for future consideration as a
Director or representative. |
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4. |
The concerned
parties, if they so request, may have an
opportunity to be heard by the Board of
Directors at their next meeting, by letter or
in person. |
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5. |
Protested
applications or disputed existing records will
be reviewed by the IUSA Board of Directors.
Its decisions will be final. All IUSA
decisions will be based upon the intent of the
regulations. |
INELIGIBLE SPECIES
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Bass, Giant (Black)Sea
/ Stereolepis gigas |
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Bonefish /
Albula vulpes |
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Grouper, Potato
(Potato Cod) / Epinephelus tukula
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Grouper, Giant /
Epinephelus lanceolatus |
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Jewfish /
Epinephelus itajara |
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Sunfish, Ocean /
Mola mola |
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Tarpon /
Megalops atlanticus |
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Totuava /
Totoaba macdonaldi |
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Wrasse, Maori /
Cheilinus undulatis |
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Any species of
shark or ray is specifically disallowed |
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Contact Info:
IUSA
31169 Nassau Court
Temecula, CA 92591
Email:
General IUSA Questions:
Records Committee:
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