Sandra Osorio Arca is a Spanish spearfisherwoman and competitor, member of the club Pérez Sub and athlete of Mares Pure Passion. She has participated in the World Championship, and she is part of a female competition in full growth and increasingly demanding, which combines the competitive spirit with the enjoyment of the sea, constant learning and the value of companionship in and out of the water.
Valentina Prokic: When and how did your passion for spearfishing begin?
Sandra Osorio Arca: I discovered spearfishing through a friend. He took me to try it a couple of times and, although at first I didn’t even know how to breathe through the tube, I liked it. In fact, the first time I went in I almost drowned; I had no idea and, with my nerves, I ended up getting out in a bad way because of the rocks. But finally, in 2019 I was encouraged to go alone and little by little I gained confidence, and spearfishing became my sport and my moment of disconnection. Then, after several failed attempts to find someone to go with, I convinced a friend to come with me and little by little I met more people who did spearfishing, to go to championships and everything became much more fun. It was not only the moment of disconnection, but also the post-fishing moments , recounting the exploits of the outing, the failed shots, the miraculous ones, the caves we had seen… and learning and discovering new things every day.
Spearfishing techniques and common species
VP: What are your favorite spearfishing techniques and what fish do you like to catch?
Sandra Osorio Arca: In general, I usually fish along the shore and in shallow waters, since in Galicia you don’t have to go down many meters to get a good catch. I really like ambush; I think it’s perhaps the technique I’m best at. It’s very entertaining and the truth is that it usually gives me good results. Although I always end up looking at the holes I find while I’m down, in case there’s something hidden. And for the last few months I’ve been trying to improve my depth and, above all, my waiting, since it’s perhaps the technique I’m worst at, but little by little we’re making progress. I don’t have any favorite piece; maybe right now I would say the sea bass, to say one, because believe it or not this year I’m learning to fish them. But in general I like to catch any fish of good size and I always get excited when it is one that I have never caught before or one that breaks a personal weight record.
Women’s competition: motivation, team and evolution
VP: When did you start competing and why do you like to compete?
Sandra Osorio Arca: I started competing in 2019, encouraged by the girl from a well-known spearfishing store in Vigo, who recommended me to go there to meet people who did the same sport as me, since at that time I was going alone. I was expecting to meet some other girls and, when I got there, I was a bit disappointed to see that I was the only one. I didn’t have much idea of how the championships worked, nor did I know the area, and since I wasn’t motivated by the fact that I had no competition, I took a pinto and went out. The truth is that, although the veterans and U-23s who competed in the same area as me were quite nice, I did not feel very integrated and it was not until 2021, two years later, when I returned to compete. That time, although I was still the only girl again, I got in touch with my current club, the Perez Suband its people, and I felt much more integrated. They were the ones who guided me to compete and supported me during these years. It was the good atmosphere of that competition that encouraged me.
In addition, little by little I was convincing other girls to compete with me and finally we managed to make a pineapple and that the championships became an event where we could share our passion between laughter and anecdotes. And that motivates a lot, because in the end we understand each other very well.
VP: What are your next plans in terms of competitions?
Sandra Osorio Arca: I think that women’s competition is growing and that every year it gets harder and harder, not only because of the time you have to invest, but also because every year the girls are increasing our level, our knowledge and our experience. So, of course, I am looking forward to continue competing, to be part of this growth and, above all, to improve myself and get better every day. I would like to be able to do well this year in the regional competitions and in the national competition, so that I have the opportunity to go toAleppo and represent Spain again. Spain. And if everything goes well and the national team calls me again this year, I would love to bring some victory, although it is not easy.
The World Championship: experience and learning
VP: You competed in Brazil at the World Championship (WC), can you share your impressions of the results and conditions?
Sandra Osorio Arca: Yes, the truth is that this year I had no pretensions of going to the World Cup and for me it was asurprise and a pride that they counted on me. At Brazil the fishing areas were quite wide, between 0 and 20 meters of maximum depth, but unfortunately the fish were concentrated on the coast, which greatly reduced the useful fishing area.
In addition, the conditions were changing until the day of the competition, when the water became turbid, brown, without letting the light pass to the bottom and with a lot of waves and swell. Fishing in the middle of 80 people in those conditions became almost a feat.
The truth is that I was fortunate to have a great fisherman as assistant and boatman, Ayoze Monzónwho helped me to prepare for the championship, to better understand the movement of the fish and how I should fish. In addition, my Spanish teammates shared opinions every night after seeing the area and we acted as a real team.
Even so, the competition was very hard for me and the first day I was not able to find any valid fish. However, on the second day, with an hour to go, I managed to catch a single paper roosterfish weighing more than one kilo, which made me be among the top 10 in the world, out of 22 girls.
For me it was a great catch, because I caught it in an area of brown water, where you could hardly recognize shadows, waiting at a depth of five meters. I know that if I had caught a fish on the first day it would have changed my final position a lot, but the truth is that I am very proud because I tried until the end and, besides, it has been a great learning experience for me.
Spearfishing equipment and equipment for cold waters
VP: You are a Mares athlete, what Mares products do you particularly like? What would you recommend for the winter?
Sandra Osorio Arca: Yo realmente empecé con Omer, hasta que hace un par de años dejó de tener esponsorizados. Y cuál es mi sorpresa que ahora, en el tercer año con Mares, absorben el grupo Aqualung, con lo que vuelvo un poco a los inicios y me quedo con lo mejor de dos grandes marcas fusionadas en una. So I already warn that there are some good things coming with all that is the Head group.
Right now I would highlight the fins X-Wing C-Evo fins from Mares. They are incredible, with a super comfortable foot pocket that adapts perfectly to the foot and blades that give you incredible propulsion. I am also delighted with the flashlight EOS Pro, which gives super good light and is also very comfortable and easy to charge, since the battery itself has a built-in charging slot.
Another thing I would highlight, although it seems silly, are the snorkles Element F. They are made of a material that floats, so it is almost impossible to lose them. For winter I would always recommend the Polygon wetsuit. I live in Galicia and here the waters are cold, and I go super comfortable and warm with my blue Polygon suit; the truth is that I have no complaints.
The most special catch in her career as a spearfisherwoman
VP: What has been your most special and emotional capture and can you tell us a few words about it?
Sandra Osorio Arca: I was in Cadiz, I had come in from land with a partner and I was seeing a lot of fish that I had never seen before: scorpion fish, verrugatos… It was then when, on a descent to about eight meters deep, I found myself in a cave with a good sized fish that was looking at me and hiding behind a rock.
I kept looking at it for a while and the fish repeated the action over and over again. Thinking it might be a grouper, I shot it as soon as it came in range again. So unlucky that I didn’t catch it and got the speargun stuck down. In fact, I had no reel in the gun and the water was cloudy, and I almost lost it.
Then I called my partner to help me and he explained to me that the best way to get a grouper out is always to finish it off, because it is too strong, even if it is not very big. Between the two of us we managed to get it out and, once it was out, that’s when I really saw that it was a grouper.
I spent the rest of the day without taking my eyes off the buoy. For me I think it will always be my most special catch. It’s not that it was big, because it weighed about four kilos, but it was the first time I fished outside my land and also the first time I saw one. In fact, I shot it because I saw that it was a big fish, but I was not sure if it was a grouper or not. It was a good day of fishing and, for me, above all, very instructive.
