By Captain Charlie Slattery:
It started as just an idea for a family vacation, and it turned into a new passion for the sport of spearfishing and freediving, as well as a new relationship with some great friends.
Being a professional guide organizing and hosting worldwide spearfishing adventures, I’ve had the luxury of meeting some incredible people, but this trip was special. It started with a phone call from a Texas number and a man on the line interested in the sport. He had been following some fishing and spearing social media pages, and I struck his interest after he noticed I live in Treasure Island, Fla. It was one of those small-world scenarios. He had previously done a fishing charter with a friend of mine.
The man on the phone, Mike Fry, said he liked my style based on what he saw on my social media pages. I always strongly stress the importance of freedive safety, while on the other hand pushing the wild side to send everyone home with a new adrenaline rush that will leave them starving for more.
Mike had nothing, not even a clue. He was open for anything as long as it got him a big fish. We started with weeks of emails and texts, getting him set up with the best gear on the market for him and his son Tanner. They needed everything: wetsuits, fins, masks, snorkels, weights and belts, gloves, freedive watches, float lines, buoys and spearguns. We started at Maverick America, my favorite one-stop shop for the best gear available.
Luca, the shop manager, took care of Mike with five-star service. Then it was time for his gun. Mike wanted something versatile, something he could use to hunt the blue water as well as oil rigs and reefs. I hooked him up with a local gun builder and friend Travis Emory, of Flatline Custom Spearguns. Using only salvaged repurposed wood, Travis makes some of the most beautiful guns out there. Every gun holds a small piece of history with that salvaged wood, and Travis’ craft gives it the ability to live on and make more history.
Mike was set. It was time for his family’s adventure. Mike, Tabby, Tanner and Shelby Fry, a small-town family from Texas, flew to Costa Rica to spearfish. Upon arrival in San Jose, I awaited them with my van driver. Joining them on the trip were Megan Romine, a realtor looking to get away, and a surprise friend of hers, Anthony Colettii. Both were not so fresh as the Fry family, but they were definitely beginners. We packed up all the luggage, and the journey began to Nosara, a village renowned for sportfishing on northern Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast.
There was much to see on the way. The scenery is breathtaking with coastline, waterfalls, river bridges, with hundred of giant crocs underneath, and endless mountains. There was plenty of time to talk in the van and over a nice waterfront lunch. When we made it to the resort, we settled in with a few mixed drinks, and we were already like a small family.
The next day was a relaxing training day in the pool. Blackout safety training is more important than anything in freedive spearfishing. After hours in the pool with the divers, we were all very confident and feeling safe about our dive partners who would be in the water to protect us in the event of a blackout.
After few freedive tips consisting of breath-ups, dive techniques and gear safety, we were ready to spear some fish. Much to my surprise with a group of newbies, the first day was madness. The entire group was diving like pros. Mike, Megan, and Anthony made drops of nearly 90 feet to shoot some monster snappers! I could not believe it; I was so stoked. Even Tanner, diving with only one fin because of a broken ankle, was able to dive 60 feet. I was so proud of everyone. Megan let nothing stop her; she had never before been able to dive deeper than 30 feet. Geared up with her brand new C4 carbon fiber fins and a C4 carbon fiber speargun, she did it, making it all the way to the bottom into an unbelievably big school of pargo. She got her big fish. Breaching the surface with a huge smile, she said, “That’s what fishin’ is all about.” Anthony and Mike made it look easy, dive after dive filling the fish box.
Needless to say, the spearfishing adventure was a success. Every night we shared our fresh catch with the family back at the lodge, inviting my local longtime friends over every night, the Brandon Richardson family. Not one piece of the fish went to waste.
Catering to the non-divers on the trip, and giving our bodies a rest, we ziplined the longest line in the entire world, took surf lessons, and were dragged through all the local shops with the ladies. Parting from this group was hard, but I knew it wasn’t over. We were all lifelong friends now, and that’s what it’s all about—making memories, meeting new people and enjoying an incredible life experience. It’s all about a good time!
Spearing a trophy fish is always a bonus.
