Equipment for underwater hunting

January 25, 2022

Youth? Beginner? Moved on? Here is our guide to which equipment may suit you, as well as links to interesting and useful articles on underwater hunting.

Youth

Hunting for fish is a nice hobby for youngsters. Here, a sling or a slightly shorter harpoon will be well suited, a diving knife can also be used as a fishing tool. NB: Persons under the age of 16 should only use harpoons under the supervision of adults and after proper training and assessment by a guardian. If you want to read more about legislation for the purchase and use of harpoons, you can read this article .

Sling

A sling is a simple tool that is given power by tensioning the elastic, holding it in place with the thumb and then releasing it when you have aimed your prey. It is easy to operate and the length can be adjusted according to the fish you want to catch. The range of a sling is the distance from the back of the sling to the thumb when the elastic is tensioned. See our range here.

Harpoon

A string harpoon is charged by uncoiling one or two string harpoons and hooking them to the back of the arrow. Here you choose the length based on your own body size and strength, or based on which types of fish you are looking for. We recommend starting with a relatively short harpoon, lengths of 40-60 cm work exclusively for bottom fish, if you want to hunt cod, lyre etc. 75 is a good length. Youngsters who are grown may consider a 90 harpoon.

Open or closed harpoon head?

Harpoons are available with both closed and open harpoon heads. The fact that the harpoon head is closed means that there is a small hoop at the very front of the tube through which the arrow is inserted when threading the harpoon. If the head is open, the arrow is held in place by placing the harpoon line over the arrow when threading the harpoon. A popular entry-level model with a closed harpoon head is the SALVIMAR WILD PRO . A bestseller among the entry models with an open harpoon head is the F RIVANNSLIV® PREDATOR .

See the entire range of harpoons here .

Knife

A knife can be used for bluing fish, opening scallops, hunting bottom fish and for safety reasons. For the most part, you get a long way with the smallest models, a bestseller here is FRIVANNSLIV® RAZOR. If the knife is also to be a catching tool, you have to upgrade to longer models, e.g. FREEWATER LIFE® / MAC SNEAKY BLADE TORPEDO .

Hunting knives have a pointed tip and a blade with a serrated and a smooth side. A blade length of around 11 cm is good if you want to hunt with it, but for bluing etc you get a long way with the smaller knives. The blade should not be too thick or wide, and it should have a handle that provides a good grip with thick gloves.

See the entire knife range here .

Beginner

Both slings, harpoons and knives are good hunting tools. For freediving it may be worthwhile not to go for the shortest harpoons or slings, but if you dive we recommend shorter harpoons and slings. This is because longer harpoons and slings can get in the way of full diving equipment.

If you choose a 90 harpoon, this can be used for most things , shorter harpoons work great for bottom fish. Only with a length of 75cm is it sufficient to catch swimming fish if you get close enough. For free divers we recommend 90 cm, for air divers 75 cm. This is of course not a conclusion.

Sling

As mentioned earlier in the article, a sling is a simple tool that is given power by tensioning the elastic, holding it in place with the thumb and then releasing it when you have aimed your prey. It is easy to operate and the length can be adjusted according to the fish you want to catch. The range of a sling is the distance from the back of the sling to the thumb when the elastic is tensioned. A popular model is JBL's two-part sling of 172cm . See a video with a presentation of slings under "youth" further up in this article.

See the entire sling range here .

Harpoon

A string harpoon is charged by uncoiling one or two string harpoons and hooking them to the back of the arrow. Here you choose the length based on your own body size and strength, or based on which types of fish you are looking for. We recommend on a general basis to buy a 90-harpoon, because these can be used for "everything". Then you have a good enough range to catch swimming fish at a distance of a couple of meters (the exception is when you are going for large halibut etc.) Beginners should choose "regular" string harpoons (not roller harpoons or compressed air harpoons), this is because they are easy to operate and usually easy to get spare parts for. FRIVANNSLIV® PREDATOR is a popular entry-level model, if you want to put a little more money into the harpoon, we recommend e.g. OUTDOOR LIFE® SENIOR .

Most harpoon tubes are made of aluminium, and it is only when you get to the more expensive models that they are made of other materials such as carbon and wood. The purpose of these materials is to get stiffer tubes, which is useful when the harpoons become longer and they are subjected to greater stress during tensioning.

See video on how to operate the harpoon under "youth" further up in this article.

See the entire range of harpoons here .

Move on

Here we present the equipment for you who want to upgrade to the best, or gear up for catching big fish such as e.g. halibut.

Harpoon

When you have hunted for a while and the charging technique is in place, you can safely switch to the more powerful models. The old harpoon can be fine as a backup or for days with poor visibility, then a long harpoon can be a disadvantage. 90 is a length we consider to be all-round, but when you are now renewing your equipment, 105 is a length many choose, and you can also choose harpoon tubes in carbon or wood, since longer harpoons are exposed to a greater load when tensioned.

Who chooses the longest harpoons?

Depending on who you ask, you will be able to get different opinions about what is best to hunt with. If you are tall, it may be easier to rig up a long harpoon compared to people who are smaller, and there is no doubt that the power and range of the harpoon increases with length. But an important factor is technique, and thus one does not have to be above average height or strength to cock the longest harpoon. The longer the harpoon, the more resistance it has in the water, and on days with poor visibility, a shorter harpoon is more appropriate. A very popular harpoon model is FRIVANNSLIV® TACTICAL CARBON PREMIUM. If you want a nice wooden harpoon , the JBL Euro Woody is a classic .

Roller harpoons

For those who are interested in a technical set-up with good power, flexible shots and less recoil, this is a good option. With a bit of practice, they are also easier to charge than regular string harpoons. The special thing about these is that the elastics are pulled over on the opposite side of the harpoon, i.e. the elastics remain on both sides of the harpoon tube, and thus the movement in the harpoon tube is reduced when shot. An example of a good roller harpoon is the SALVIMAR TOMAHAWK .

See the entire range of harpoons here .

Sling

Sling is an easy-to-handle and flexible hunting tool. Depending on the range, you can catch many types of fish, and it is excellent for night diving for cod. The range of a sling is the distance from the back of the sling to where the elastic is tensioned. One of the "luxury editions" is the JBL SHAKA 7' CARBON , a long sling in superb quality. This may well be a bit too long for traditional diving.

See the entire sling range here .

Other equipment

Buoy or raft

If you already freedive, you probably have a freediver buoy. You don't need more than that when you're hunting, because the most important thing is a proper line rig (see below). But if you are looking for the most rugged equipment, a diving raft is preferable. Here you can store some equipment, and it has an attachment device for a harpoon or sling. It can also be used to rest on while swimming longer distances. The best seller is FRIVANNSLIV® SPEARFISHER , whileFRIVANNSLIV® FREEDIVING BUOY WITH REFLECTIVE AND LARGE FLAG is a good choice if you want a really solid and visible freediving buoy. If you are freediving for the first time, you can go a long way with cheaper alternatives, e.g. FRIVANNSLIV® FREEDIVING BUOY BASIC .

Fishing line rig

The best line setup that connects you and the buoy/raft together is a freediving line rig with catch and freediving line , belt hook and end piece for harpoon . This is a smart setup that also secures the harpoon and the catch. In the video below, you can see how the line rig is used.

Catch net

Sink shells and seaweed, take a drinking bottle with you, a fishing net is versatile and nice to have with you. You can have this hanging under the buoy.

Useful articles about underwater hunting

Discover underwater hunting

In recent years, more and more people have discovered the joy of freediving and underwater hunting in Norway. For many, it is a welcome break from everyday life that offers intense nature experiences. And what could be better than combining this with short-traveled delicacies that you harvest yourself from the sea.

read more

How to load and thread a harpoon

read more

Hunting technique

It is different where you look for the various fish, but common to all underwater hunting is that you should get as close as possible for a good shot that ensures the catch, and avoid damaging shots.

read more

Legislation on underwater hunting, use of harpoons and compressed air harpoons

In this article, we give you an overview of which species are allowed to hunt underwater with a harpoon, as well as general laws for the use and storage of harpoons in Norway.

read more