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HomeNewsArchivesSt. Thomas Spearfishing Tournament Set for Saturday

St. Thomas Spearfishing Tournament Set for Saturday

The First St. Thomas Spearfishing Tournament will be held rain or shine, event organizers said Friday evening during registration at Hull Bay Hideaway. The tournament will begin Saturday at 6:30 a.m. at Hull Bay beach, followed by a weigh-in at 1 p.m. and an awards ceremony at 5 p.m.

There were concerns about the weather, but organizers assured participants that the tournament will continue as planned unless conditions become unsafe. They noted that each team must have two divers to ensure that they are with someone at all times, and they can opt to have a captain who will follow divers closely.

Organizer and diver Thomas Wiebracht said they will likely do in-shore diving since the water may be murky from rain, but the more than 30 divers who are registered are experienced and are familiar with the fish they’re targeting.

“It’s just you and your partner underwater, so you watch each other’s backs. This is a good group of people doing this. It’s good fun,” said Wiebracht.

Divers paired with friends and family will target fish such as wahoo, pompano, barracuda and lionfish to win prizes in categories such as biggest fish or most fish. Prizes include spearfishing equipment like a new Mako Oceanic Enclosed Track Railgun, gifts such as a free See and Ski boat trip and even a cash prize for the team that catches the most lionfish.

There is a limit of one fish per species per person, excluding the invasive lionfish. Lionfish are killing reefs and eating anything in their paths since they have no natural predators in the Caribbean.

Another organizer, Bradly Bryan, said that they’re targeting fish that are indigenous to Hull Bay, although some are more difficult to see or harder to spear.

Anything goes, Wiebracht noted. There is no age limit and divers can dive anywhere they want except National Park zones and British Virgin Islands waters. Divers may get in or out of the water by shore, kayak or boat.

Registration is $40 per diver, $30 for captain with one team and $40 for captains with two or more teams. Divers cannot register the day of the event.

Event organizer Michelle Wiebracht said that the event took about two months to plan and came together quickly. Organizers were impressed with the turnout and hope the tournament will continue for years to come.

Thomas Wiebracht noted that there is a large diving community in the territory and he and his friends came up with the idea to bring free divers together.

“We thought it was going to be something small, but it blew up,” he said.

Several companies such as Sun Solutions and Mako Spearguns sponsored and assisted organizers by providing shirts, gifts and funds.

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