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“RULES, RECORDS,
AND YOU”
©2005 BY: Larry Carter
President, International Underwater Spearfishing
Association.
The International Underwater Spearfishing Association
(IUSA) came into existence in 1950 for the purpose of
setting standards for World Record Spearfishing Awards
and establishing a system for maintaining those
records world-wide. Actually the model program first
came into play around 1947, for divers on the Pacific
Coast through the efforts of Ralph Davis and Jack
Prodanovich. These “fathers”of our sport, were joined
later by Jacque Yves Cousteau in France, and Luis Puyo
in Spain. Today, over fifty years later, Spearos world
wide, enjoy the prestige, pride, and sense of
accomplishment in holding a World Record title.
This program which is offered to Spearos across the
globe, is currently held in place by less than a dozen
volunteers who freely give their time to make this
records program work. We do this for the same reasons
our original founders did…to give something back to
the sport and our “Tribe” that we hold in such high
regard. It’s our desire to keep up with the changing
needs of the Spearos and at the same time insure a
fair and level playing field for all. You as an
applicant play the most important role in that process
and that’s the proper reporting of your fine catch.
I’m writing this article, and HSD is printing it, to
help you get us the complete information about your
catch. Rather than bore you with pages of “cold rules”
I’ll write this from the perspective of a day’s
diving.
Record Kit.
First of all if you’re going to participate in
Spearfishing and have the chance, if not the
intention, of getting a record fish, you should be
prepared. I have a “kit” as most of my buddies do,
that consists of an IUSA application, a copy of the
rules, and the current records (all obtained from the
IUSA web site). In addition, I have a good quality
spring scale that handles weights from one to one
hundred pounds. I also have a cloth measuring tape
(found in any fabric store) that is 96 inches in
length, and a “throwaway” camera WITH A FLASH that
costs less than $12, along with a couple of pens. All
this I keep in one of those insulated fabric lunch
boxes that keeps my camera from frying in the sun.
Cameras and photos.
If you’re really interested in taking a good photo,
review HSD’s “Special Photo Issue of 2004”. Joe Tobin
tells you everything you need to know. But here, I’ll
make it simple…don’t even consider taking a photo
without a flash anytime, anywhere. If you purchase a
throwaway camera, pay the extra dollar or two making
sure it has a FLASH and USE IT. The flash will enhance
the shot and help bring out important details in a
picture. I’m surprised to see that for less than $12
you can get a camera… “Kodak Plus Digital”… with a
flash, that gives you 27 prints plus a digital disc
for easy emails to friends and Sterling. You could
also get a Canon Sure-Shot digital that would please
Sterling very much, for $100.
Weighing the fish.
When you think you have a World Record fish what is
more important, eating the fish or getting the record?
For me, I can eat fish any day. Records come around
once in a lifetime. Get the fish properly weighed. If
you get in late one night and can’t get to a certified
scale, wrap the fish up in some papers and a plastic
trash bag and put it in a cooler or frig. Weigh it the
next day!! Will the stomach contents taint the fish? I
don’t know. Does it really matter? We are talking
about a World Record. How many times in your life does
that happen?
If you’re in a remote area weigh it on your QUALITY
spring scale. Take a photograph of the measurement and
then when you return to civilization “cross calibrate”
that weight with a certified scale. What does cross
calibrate mean??… If the fish weighed ten pounds on
your scale, load your scale up with weights until you
reach the ten-pound mark. Take those weights off your
scale and place them on the certified scale. Do the
weights still weigh ten pounds? Or do they weigh nine
or eleven pounds? Whatever they weigh, that’s the
weight of your fish. Remember it’s always best to have
a certified weight, but we do go places where this is
not possible and the IUSA makes provisions for that.
Be prepared to send your scale to the IUSA for
inspection if requested.
Lets Dive.
OK lets do a dive and examine some new changes to IUSA
catch rules. Lets assume we’re out on a boat. We jump
in, swim around, and shoot a whopping big fish! We
accomplished this with or without the benefit of chum.
There are no restrictions on the use of chum, other
than you must declare the use when making the
application. The fish takes off and we grab our floats
and go for a ride. Eventually he tires and its time to
“pull and clip”. This is assuming you have a
heavy-duty tuna clip attached to your float. If you
don’t have one, get one! We recommend you do this the
safest way possible making full use of your float. I’m
sure you’ve seen videos of guys kicking, pulling,
gasping for air and scratching for the surface. This
is crazy! I call it “dance and drown”. As they pull
the line up it coils all around them and they are in
great danger of a line wrap and death.
Before you start the process bring your float to you.
Take one hand and hold the float strap and pull the
float line with the other hand. As the float line
comes up, place it in the hand holding onto the float.
Periodically “clip” the line. In this manner if the
fish should sound and you do get “wrapped” there are
few fish that will be able to hold you and the float
down for any length of time or depth. If you chose you
might even lay on the float as many spearos do with
the Tuna boards and “pull and clip”. Be Safe. Use your
equipment to your full advantage. No fish is worth
your life.
You have the fish where you can see it, but he’s still
“hot” and your shot is poor. According to the latest
IUSA rules, you can leave your floats and swim back to
the boat and enter the boat for another gun. You MAY
NOT drive the boat back to your floats. You must
reenter the water where you exited (allowing for
drift) and free swim back to your floats. A little
different case…you shoot a fish, he gets away from
you, the waters rough or its getting dark and you
can’t see the floats. You can enter the boat for
“elevation” and spot the floats and jump back in and
free swim in their last seen direction. YOU MAY NOT
PURSUE THE FLOATS IN THE BOAT.
You can second-shoot the fish and “stone” him to bring
him up. You then swim him to the boat and either hand
him over to someone or tie a line around his tail or
slip your float line over the deck cleat, climb into
the boat, and drag him in. No Problems!!!.
Ok, we’re on a “live aboard”… perhaps the Coral Sea or
La Paz. When you weigh the fish AT SEA there are
additional IUSA requirements. You should take at least
two STILL PHOTOGRAPHS of the scale showing the hanging
fish and the hands of the scale (or digital readout)
indicating the weight. JUST AS IMPORTANT, you MUST
have a paragraph in your catch narrative describing
the condition of the seas and what affect IF ANY the
movement had on the scale. As an example… “The scale
fluctuated between ten and fifteen pounds with an
average resting place of thirteen pounds”. You must
ALSO have a SECOND PERSON write a short statement
describing the weight, sea activity, and affect on the
scale. Video Tapes of fish weighed at sea are no
longer required by the latest IUSA catch rules.
Measuring and photographs
No real mystery here… lay the fish on a flat surface
so you don’t distort the shape of the fish or the
measurements. Measure everything twice to be accurate.
Place your measuring tape (not a piece of string with
a knot) on the tip of his lower lip and along his body
to the fork of his tail and then on to the imaginary
line between the tips of the tail fin. TAKE A PHOTO of
each measurement.
Wrap the measuring tape around the biggest part of the
fish body or GIRTH of the fish, showing the
measurement clearly… TAKE A PHOTO!
Hang the fish from a scale and take PHOTOS of the
scale showing the weight of the fish and then the
overall fish and scale. The more photos the better.
Lastly take a PHOTO of your gun, tag line, and float.
No big deal really!! Finally, review the
document and make sure everything has been addressed
and include your fee. If you do these simple things
you'll be approved in days.
A few short days ago I had the honor of becoming the
President of the IUSA. I don’t take this position
lightly. It is my major goal to provide you with the
service and support you deserve. I can only do that
with your help. Review your documents, make sure
everything is there and we’ll respond quickly and
efficiently. We look forward to serving you and we
wish you many years of safe and successful diving.
Larry Carter
President
International Underwater Spearfishing Association.
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Contact Info:
IUSA
31169 Nassau Court
Temecula, CA 92591
Email:
General IUSA Questions:
Records Committee:
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