The South Island Spearfishing Champs

The Nelson Underwater Club hosted the South Island Spearfishing Championships over Waitangi Weekend at the Chetwode Islands out of the Pelorus Sounds on a beautiful and hot day, with 55 divers from throughout the country entering, ranging from Joshua Davis, only 12 years old through to the more experienced 56year old competitor and included five fathers and sons entering, four of them as teams. The weather was great and the visibility up there depending on whether you talked to a North or South Islander.

The competition area proved challenging for the competitors and it was a close run challenge. It was great to see so many of the Nelson boys do so well, I'm not sure who gets the hard luck story for the day, however Dave and Tai must come close when they both forgot their fins and were plagued with breakages.

Tim Barnett suffered from a massive tooth ache which curtailed his diving and meant that Allan Drake had a lot of work to do, I'm sure Tim will remedy this very soon. Well done to Craig Finnie and Pete Barnett for winning the Queen Charlotte
Trophy and coming second overall. Some old trophies were also resurrected for the Photography side of the Competition and were hotly contested. Final results were evenly spread and Beuchat, DiveCentral, Ocean Hunter and www.spearfishing.co.nz gratefully supplying an excellent range of spot prizes and Sponsorship for the event without the support of these business's the event couldn't go ahead so a huge thank you for your generosity and we encourage anyone reading this to support these business as recognition of their support for us. Likewise, thank you to all the boat owners, the wives and partners who did a wonderful job of the catering of the BBQ after match function, cleaned up and generally made things work, Johnny for acting as the weigh master ( a stressful job) and Jarrod who helped out as a buddy for one of our lonely friends from the deep dark south as well as the organizing committee and the competitors
who took part.

We have the honour of hosting the South Island Champs again next year so we will look
forward to a bigger and better event, a big ask considering the results from this year.

 

Big thanks to support from:

Ocean Hunter in Auckland

Dive Central in Richmond

Wettie www.spearfishing.co.nz

 

SPEARFISHING RESULTS

Orbell Trophy,
South Island Open Champonship, Josh Craig, Dunedin, Brad Olsen, Nelson
Sterling Sports Trophy,
Most Points, Josh Craig, Dunedin, Brad Olsen, Nelson
Halcione Sheild,
Best overall Team, Josh Craig, Dunedin, Brad Olsen, Nelson
Queen Charlotte Trophy,
South Island Championship, Peter Barnett & Craig Finnie, Nelson
Wilkens Medallion,
South Island Womens Champion, Tracey Richardson
Open Junior Trophy,
Jackson Shields, Auckland
South Island Junior Champion,
Geoff Laing, Nelson
Highest Individual Points,
Allan Drake, Nelson
Biggest Fish,
Allan Drake, Nelson
Veteran Trophy,
Rex Brichnell & Quentin Stephens, Invercargill
Greenbone Trophy,
Kelvin Milne, Dunedin
Meritorious Fish,
Jackson Shields, Auckland

 

PHOTOGRAPHY RESULTS

Southern Charter & Marine Trophy,
Best Buddy Photograph, Glenn Richardson, Nelson Underwater Club
Tyrone Tap Trophy,
Best Underwater Fish Study, Eric Simmons, Nelson Underwater Club
Tyrone Bearing,
Best Underwater Close up Photograph, Anne Neumann, Nelson Underwater Club
Randle Trophy,
Most identifiable Fish Species Photographed during the event, Eric Simmons, Nelson
Underwater Club