4th Open International Spearfishing Team Competition
The 4th Open International Spearfishing Team Competition has taken place in Playa San Juan, Guía de Isora, Tenerife from November, 22 to 25, 2018.
The event has been organized by the Canarian Federation of Underwater Activities, with the collaboration of the Insular Federation of Tenerife of Underwater activities.
The 4th Open International Spearfishing Team Competition has been Open and for teams, and has lasteed six hours, with the competition area being between the Barranco de Erques and Punta del Camisón (Zone T-9).
Pathos team with Giacomo de Mola, Oscar Lopes Martin and Samuel Tomas Ramon has participated obtaining an amazing second position. We have had a chat with Giacomo on the competition and spearfishing in Tenerife.
Interview to Giacomo de Mola
ApneaPassion. 4th Open International Spearfishing Team Competition in Tenerife; is it your first participation? Why did you decide to participate and how do you choose the competitions?
Giacomo De Mola. Personally it is the first participation, Samuel had already participated at least once, I believe. We decided to participate because it is a competition that closes the year at the beginning of Winter, in a place with a fantastic climate.
It’s a bit like coming back again to Summer with 5mm wetsuits and sun at 25 degrees, plus we were invited as a PATHOS team by the Spanish Federation FEDAS, after the victory of the Palma Masters Open in January 2018, we could not refuse. We talked with Samu and Oscar a couple of weeks before and in a moment we already had tickets to the Canary Islands! My criterion in choosing the competitions to participate in is based upon several factors, one above all, the ones where I enjoy the most, and where I know that I will meet friends from all over Europe, where there is no controversy, but there is a festive atmosphere; I do not worry too much if I know or not the race field or if it is congenial or not, the beauty is to be there and live the experience, even with those few days of preparation, then if all goes well it even better. The important thing is that it is a well-organized race and that there are high level athletes.
AP. How much and why does it count to participate competitions like the 4th Open International Spearishing Team Competition for you and Pathos?
GdeM. I believe that the competitive part of high level events is important in a company like ours that produces very specific equipment for this sport, and it is important to be always present in important appointments to give strength to the brand, but obviously it also gives me great personal satisfaction.
Technically in competitions of this level we realize how to improve the equipment. Last but not least, it allows me to travel and visit our distributors and shops, establishing relationships that go beyond work.
AP. How was the preparation and what type of sea floor/fish are found in Tenerife?
Gdem. The preparation of the 4th Open International Spearishing Team Competition was 2 full days, one day dedicated to deep areas between 28 and 44 meters and one day in shallow water in the foam. The sea floor of the competition area is clear lava rock, much of which is “false” and smooth. But when there is a cracked area, the fish are not lacking. Deep we found great breams, triggerfish, a species of black croaker, while in shallow water parrot fish, mullet and salp. In the blue you can catch wahoo and carangidae, but it is a risky fishing, you can waste a lot of time for nothing, so we opted for the safest fish with great attention to the tide, strong currents as well as waves.
AP. Which fishing techniques are used most, what conditions did you find as a Pathos team and what equipment did you use?
Gdem. The techniques used are deep-nook fishing, the ambush and the lower and middle-bottom aspect, at the right tide moments. We used 85 and 75 Sniper and Saragos rifles for most prey.
AP. Excellent second place. What were the right choices and what was missing for the first place? Which was the most beautiful/most satisfactory prey you captured as a Pathos team and how the fishing action took place?
Gdem. In preparation we had seen a lot of fish in deep places, with huge pharahons breams, parrot fish, and triggerfish, but in the competition the first part was rather weak with few preys, it seemed that the fish seen just the day before were disappeared and only some breams were above weight limit.
With the very high level of the local (Canary) teams and the Spanish national team, we thought we could not make it for the podium, we had some sea breams and 3 triggerfish, and some parrots to weigh, then halfway there was a breakthrough at the right time of the tide when we found the mullets in shallow water that made us make a big jump ahead. They were fish of over 2 kg, and certainly the greatest satisfaction for the team was that moment when we closed the 5 mullets, with the largest of 2400gr, and then we closed the seabreams. Honor to the winners who have done a wonderful fishing, taking both fish of different species that a prey of great size, a species of greenhouse fish of 9kg, leaving all teams far behind. Honestly, I’m very happy with our race taking into account the preparation made.
