Old School Spearfishing - Lots of Pictures

Megabite · 12/15/2008, 02:55 PM

Some historical spear fishing pictures. This is my dad back in the 50's. He was a competition diver represnting Cuba in the glory days before in turned to crap with Mr. Castro. Just thought I would share.

Megabite · 12/15/2008, 02:56 PM

Megabite · 12/15/2008, 02:56 PM

stevemc · 12/20/2008, 10:45 AM

I spearfish too, and grew up doing that because my dad also speared. He did it only in Florida in the 50s, and later all over, me too. He was in spearfishing tournaments before I was born also. What was your fathers name? I think I saw these pics on Spearboard or Spearfishingplanet a while ago.

Megabite · 12/20/2008, 12:40 PM

His name is Orlando Ortiz. His team's name was "Kontiki".

The pictures above are a few from his scrap book.

stevemc · 12/20/2008, 03:04 PM

Do you post on spearboard or spearfishingplanet? I have seen pics like these, recently. Looks like he was a hell of spearfisherman! Do you spearfish?

Megabite · 12/20/2008, 03:31 PM

I use to spear fish like crazy until I moved to Central Florida. I was born and raised in Miami and my parents have had a place in the upper keys since 1983 where they live now.

I have not posted on those forums but I'll check them out.

These guys (like your dad and mine) are the pioneers of the sport. When he first started diving, there weren't or didn't even have access to a mask built so you can squeeze your nose and decompress. He said that he and his friend use to put a clothe pin holding there nose closed so they can decompress and the first mask he ever saw with a nose piece was sometime in the 50's that was made in France. He's got so many cool cool stories.

Fin Mike · 12/20/2008, 09:59 PM

Sweet pictures. Imagine if we had the equipment of today, and the fish of those glory days. You have to go deep to shoot fish that big around here. SteveMC, do you have a group of people you shoot with in Sarasota? I have a buddy that moved down to Sarasota last year, and he is a well known Spearo. I wonder if you know him? He goes by the name of Gumshoe.

5iron · 12/21/2008, 10:42 PM

all I can say is wow

Capt_Cully · 01/07/2009, 11:00 AM

Those pics are the BALLS!

My Mother is Cuban. She left for good in the mid 50's for good. Hasn't been back since she was 18. Bums her out that she can't go back. My grandfather went back once in the early 60's to try to collect some pension $$$ from being in the army and they threw him in jail for 3 days. Needless to say, he never went back either.

I LOVE the nostalgic nature of the pics of those old Cubanos. Thanks for posting. I gotta show Moms!

Megabite · 02/11/2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Capt_Cully
Those pics are the BALLS!

My Mother is Cuban. She left for good in the mid 50's for good. Hasn't been back since she was 18. Bums her out that she can't go back. My grandfather went back once in the early 60's to try to collect some pension $$$ from being in the army and they threw him in jail for 3 days. Needless to say, he never went back either.

I LOVE the nostalgic nature of the pics of those old Cubanos. Thanks for posting. I gotta show Moms!

You got it man. Thanks for looking.

sunfishh · 02/14/2009, 08:02 PM

Great pics. Also its nice to see spearfishing getting some love. Often times it is the redheaded stepchild of scuba/ snorkeling.

scrombussquared · 02/16/2009, 05:56 PM

I've been spearfishing since I was a kid, 'bout 35 years now. I'm a purist, freediving with a Hawaiian sling or a pole spear. Man, wish there were still grouper like those in the pics. VERY few and far between. There's still big Jewfish- my bad- Goliath grouper, but they're off limits. The goliath grouper population has exploded in recent years due to the no take law. They're reducing the snapper population- a big goliath can easily eat a 10 pound snapper- I've seen it firsthand! Thanks for posting those pics.....maybe the new administration will turn over a new stone with Castro and we can travel there soon. I've got Cuban friends that keep telling me how nice it is there.

teamstuffit · 02/17/2009, 07:59 PM

neat shots

Tecdiverfl · 03/01/2009, 08:57 AM

Dam talk about the old days

Pactola72 · 07/25/2011, 01:24 PM

Awesome Photos! Sure brings back many fond memories of endless summers of surface sunburns and productive hunting!

tozzi · 07/25/2011, 01:40 PM

Wow sweet pics!

jascymcl · 07/25/2011, 11:44 PM

Love the sport,just dont practice it because I am allergic to fish(eating) and the ones I can have are in tanks.Awesome pic bro

route66 · 07/26/2011, 08:48 PM

Thanks for sharing

Megabite · 09/10/2011, 01:44 PM

Thanks all. I haven't been on here for a while but thanks for checking them out.

luxtralarge · 09/11/2011, 05:49 PM

great pictures.

Megabite · 10/21/2011, 06:28 PM

Thanks Lux. It was a very cool time.

yoggi58 · 10/25/2011, 12:48 PM

Those are awesome pictures. I love the one where the blurb talks about how they were hitting so many fish, his spear bent and he straighten it out under water and kept fishing. They must have some big lungs.

KeysKid · 11/02/2011, 08:40 PM

Awesome pictures man. I spearfish a lot down here in the Keys. I use spearboard under my same username.

Megabite · 11/04/2011, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeysKid

Awesome pictures man. I spearfish a lot down here in the Keys. I use spearboard under my same username.

Thanks man. Where do you live in the Keys? We have a place in Tavernier (MM 92.5) in Blue Waters.

12/15/2008, 02:55 PM	#1
Megabite Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 702	Old School Spearfishing - Lots of Pictures Some historical spear fishing pictures. This is my dad back in the 50's. He was a competition diver represnting Cuba in the glory days before in turned to crap with Mr. Castro. Just thought I would share.

12/20/2008, 09:59 PM	#8
Fin Mike Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: In a van down by the river Posts: 323	Sweet pictures. Imagine if we had the equipment of today, and the fish of those glory days. You have to go deep to shoot fish that big around here. SteveMC, do you have a group of people you shoot with in Sarasota? I have a buddy that moved down to Sarasota last year, and he is a well known Spearo. I wonder if you know him? He goes by the name of Gumshoe. __________________ In my tanks, I feed my grouper feeder fish... In the ocean I feed them 60 in of spring steel..... through the head!!! Current Tank Info: 120 reef

01/07/2009, 11:00 AM	#10
Capt_Cully Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 13,574	Those pics are the BALLS! My Mother is Cuban. She left for good in the mid 50's for good. Hasn't been back since she was 18. Bums her out that she can't go back. My grandfather went back once in the early 60's to try to collect some pension $$$ from being in the army and they threw him in jail for 3 days. Needless to say, he never went back either. I LOVE the nostalgic nature of the pics of those old Cubanos. Thanks for posting. I gotta show Moms! __________________ People say cars are a bad investment. Those people don't have reef tanks. Current Tank Info: 120, Radion Gen 2 Pro x 2

02/14/2009, 08:02 PM	#12
sunfishh Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Fullerton, Ca Posts: 1,875	Great pics. Also its nice to see spearfishing getting some love. Often times it is the redheaded stepchild of scuba/ snorkeling. __________________ It's nice to be important, but important to be nice

07/25/2011, 01:40 PM	#17
tozzi Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: JERSEY Posts: 825	Wow sweet pics! __________________ Your dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare a man whos the best with guns knives his bare hands A man whos been trained to ignore pain ignore weather eat things that would make a billy goat puke Current Tank Info: 215 sps

12/15/2008, 02:56 PM	#2
Megabite Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 702

12/20/2008, 10:45 AM	#4
stevemc Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Sarasota,Fl Posts: 980	I spearfish too, and grew up doing that because my dad also speared. He did it only in Florida in the 50s, and later all over, me too. He was in spearfishing tournaments before I was born also. What was your fathers name? I think I saw these pics on Spearboard or Spearfishingplanet a while ago.

12/20/2008, 12:40 PM	#5
Megabite Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 702	His name is Orlando Ortiz. His team's name was "Kontiki". The pictures above are a few from his scrap book.

12/20/2008, 03:04 PM	#6
stevemc Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Sarasota,Fl Posts: 980	Do you post on spearboard or spearfishingplanet? I have seen pics like these, recently. Looks like he was a hell of spearfisherman! Do you spearfish?

12/20/2008, 03:31 PM	#7
Megabite Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 702	I use to spear fish like crazy until I moved to Central Florida. I was born and raised in Miami and my parents have had a place in the upper keys since 1983 where they live now. I have not posted on those forums but I'll check them out. These guys (like your dad and mine) are the pioneers of the sport. When he first started diving, there weren't or didn't even have access to a mask built so you can squeeze your nose and decompress. He said that he and his friend use to put a clothe pin holding there nose closed so they can decompress and the first mask he ever saw with a nose piece was sometime in the 50's that was made in France. He's got so many cool cool stories.

12/21/2008, 10:42 PM	#9
5iron Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 25	all I can say is wow

02/16/2009, 05:56 PM	#13
scrombussquared Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Port Fierce, FL Posts: 177	I've been spearfishing since I was a kid, 'bout 35 years now. I'm a purist, freediving with a Hawaiian sling or a pole spear. Man, wish there were still grouper like those in the pics. VERY few and far between. There's still big Jewfish- my bad- Goliath grouper, but they're off limits. The goliath grouper population has exploded in recent years due to the no take law. They're reducing the snapper population- a big goliath can easily eat a 10 pound snapper- I've seen it firsthand! Thanks for posting those pics.....maybe the new administration will turn over a new stone with Castro and we can travel there soon. I've got Cuban friends that keep telling me how nice it is there.

02/17/2009, 07:59 PM	#14
teamstuffit Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: clearwater Posts: 24	neat shots

03/01/2009, 08:57 AM	#15
Tecdiverfl Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Delray Beach, FL Posts: 708	Dam talk about the old days

07/25/2011, 01:24 PM	#16
Pactola72 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Puget Sound Washington Posts: 1	Awesome Photos! Sure brings back many fond memories of endless summers of surface sunburns and productive hunting!

07/25/2011, 11:44 PM	#18
jascymcl Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 35	Love the sport,just dont practice it because I am allergic to fish(eating) and the ones I can have are in tanks.Awesome pic bro

07/26/2011, 08:48 PM	#19
route66 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Simi Valley, California Posts: 103	Thanks for sharing

09/10/2011, 01:44 PM	#20
Megabite Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 702	Thanks all. I haven't been on here for a while but thanks for checking them out. __________________ Orly ~O.R.C.A. Member~ -------------------------- A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. Current Tank Info: Former: 180AGA & 70W Rimless / Tunze PHs, 3-250 HQI 14K DT, 2- 150 20K HQI Radium ST/ 9 - PowerBrite LED's DT, BK Skimmer, ACIII, etc.

09/11/2011, 05:49 PM	#21
luxtralarge Moved On Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 65	great pictures.

10/21/2011, 06:28 PM	#22
Megabite Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 702	Thanks Lux. It was a very cool time. __________________ Orly ~O.R.C.A. Member~ -------------------------- A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. Current Tank Info: Former: 180AGA & 70W Rimless / Tunze PHs, 3-250 HQI 14K DT, 2- 150 20K HQI Radium ST/ 9 - PowerBrite LED's DT, BK Skimmer, ACIII, etc.

10/25/2011, 12:48 PM	#23
yoggi58 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: South Elgin, Illinois Posts: 101	Those are awesome pictures. I love the one where the blurb talks about how they were hitting so many fish, his spear bent and he straighten it out under water and kept fishing. They must have some big lungs.

11/02/2011, 08:40 PM	#24
KeysKid Nano Reefer Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Florida Keys Posts: 333	Awesome pictures man. I spearfish a lot down here in the Keys. I use spearboard under my same username. __________________ 14g Biocube. Check out my thread! Current Tank Info: 55g & 14g Biocube