0 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,000 Welcome to Reese's Crayfish Castle Rhys: A high pitch, wary Shrek: welcome, got a high quality nobe, Spiro, where the ambient noise is either a chainsaw, a really annoying mosquito, or someone vacuuming with a turbo power vacuum. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: Uh, I'm at Reese Clay's house. Reese's been, um, in the Australian spear fishing scene and quite, uh, visible for a while. Shrek: His channel, you might have seen it's Nova's Adventures, were actually in Reese's house on the Sunshine Coast out on his balcony. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: had a bunch of chats this morning, Reese, but awesome to hang out with you as usual. Rhys: thank you. And, uh, welcome to the crayfish castle. Although I'm fraud. Rhys: I haven't got a crayfish for about six months now. But Shrek: What crayfish castle? Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Is it like, uh, there's another house that may or may not have been called. I know Rhys: what, yeah, Shrek: the Macker manner. Rhys: Oh, I didn't know about that, Shrek: but Rhys: yeah, Spearfishing Culture and Ethics Shrek: someone said that, in the spearfishing circles. back in the day, I think it was a thing where guys sold some of their catch and financed their houses. Rhys: I see. Right? Yeah. Shrek: And so the idea of 1 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:08,000 this house, the macro manner, was that it had been financed by slaying fish. the culture's moved away from that. It's definitely frowned on these days, not to mention the fact that it's highly illegal. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: So it's the crayfish cave, but not in that sense of the word. Rhys: No, no. Shrek: In some ways they're like, would that be the dream Rhys: to be a professional spear? Shrek: Yeah. Yeah. Rhys: it's a good question. I've thought about it. Probably not. I love my, my work what I do now, so. Shrek: Nice having hobbies and hobbies Rhys: and jobs. And jobs. Yeah, exactly. Rhys: And, and in a way with this, and we'll get into it in the podcast with the, what I'm doing coming onto the spearfishing courses, it is a way of sort of indulging into that spear phishing becoming a bit of work kind of thing. Shrek: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Rhys: I'm not sure if I'd want to do it full time. Shrek: I'm still not sure I wanna do it full time. Shrek: the thing with NO'S bureau is there's enough different things you're not doing the same thing over and over. Yeah. 'cause you don't wanna kill the joy for it. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Because it's such a frothy Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Awesome thing to do in life. But if it became like repeat Rhys: a bit of a grind. Shrek: Yeah. Shrek: It's like, 2 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:08,000 nah, not for me. Reese's YouTube Journey Shrek: Alright, so Reese's uh, YouTube channel, Nova's Adventures, I'm going to ask him about where the name come from. Reese also comes out and teaches on, beginner spear fishing retreats and starting to become part of charters and all the rest of it as well. Shrek: it's pretty fun to have you join in on that. You've definitely got like the no ego vibe, Reese, Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: you been enjoying that? Rhys: I've been loving it. So this year was the first year that I got involved and I've really enjoyed, we've got a great comradery in our group with, a few of the other assistants and instructors. Rhys: So it's been a really cool thing to be a part of and something to grow into and. Yeah. Shrek: When you look around the personalities on your average beginner retreat, we're a different bunch of human beings. Eh? Like everyone's really different from each other, Rhys: We almost need a little bit of a, a book that we give to people, A map of inside jokes that we have amongst each other. Shrek: Yeah. Yeah. I'm just weary, like becoming too cliquey. 'cause we've got that many inside jokes now. Yeah. Sam. 3 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:08,000 Sam, you, Sam. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. Well, we better not flesh that one out too much. Yeah. Um, you've had to go at making equipment Reese, and you've been teaching spearfishing informally for a long time. Shrek: You've also been a patron of the Noob Spirit podcast for a few years. Rhys: Yes. Shrek: I've been grateful for that. The Rhys: only thing I am a patron of Shrek: really. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: What made you sign up as a patron? Rhys: Well, I just got so much value out of the podcast, you know, Shrek: actionable value. Rhys: Yes. I was, I it, it's actually so funny you mentioned that. Rhys: people teasing you about the actionable thing is so funny because the only other person I know that uses that word is like a real high flying, marketing bro type person. And I just thought it was so like, not like your personality, that word. It is a great word though. But Shrek: yeah, I think I stole it off. Shrek: Tim Ferris. Rhys: Yeah, Shrek: That's it. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: You know, I think he calls his show, which is awesome. competence porn. His mate named it. everything he does is like tackling the mindsets and habits and behaviors of high performers in all different spheres 4 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:08,000 and then boiling it down into actionable advice. Shrek: I think we try to do the same with the spearfishing. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: do you still find the podcast actionable with where you are at in your phase of spearfishing now? Rhys: Ooh, that's a good question. Look, if I'm honest the episodes I get a lot out of are the ones, you know, recently you had Bryson. Yep. Rhys: On the podcast. Um, I definitely think, I listen to all of them and love all of them, but I definitely think that some of the more advanced divers, that's where I'm sort of like taking notes and stuff like that. So I would love to see more future episodes. Shrek: high caliber type divers. Shrek: Yeah, Rhys: yeah, Shrek: All good feedback. Anyway, but anyway, enough about the podcast and stuff. What about you? So Novas humorous name. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: Where did it come from? Rhys: Well, so firstly, that's kind of like a thing that everyone says, right? If the vis is bad, they just say no vz, right? Rhys: Yeah. So, but I can't actually claim credit for, coming up with the name. it was actually the name of our boat, our registered name. 5 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:08,000 So I had a friend and we were talking about boat names and he said, oh, just call it no. And I was like, oh, why is that? Because that's what we dive in all the time and yeah, it just sort of stuck. Shrek: Um, Diving Adventures and Challenges Shrek: what's the worst visit you've dived in and persevered with? Rhys: I remember one time me and my brother came across some barramundi locally here, down in southeast Queensland, and I dunno if I'd have the balls to do it anymore. Rhys: It was like actual brown middle water. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: And I reckon the vis was, it's sub one meter, you know? Yeah. Like you can't have your hand out stretched. You have to have everything back Shrek: Scary hunting like that. Shrek: also you worry about shooting your mate, one down. So big time. Yeah. And it's hard to even see people on the surface in that poor visibility. We were pretty lucky, we're on a piece of structure where it was sort of like, it had a natural system of you'd do your dive and then come up and the other person would be sort of waiting on the top of the structure. Rhys: So you'd sort of be able to cycle through and you have no chance of. shooting each other underwater. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: this next year I'm hoping to do a few more barramundi trips. It's hard to even find people that wanna 6 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:08,000 do it. Mm-hmm. Because it's like, Hey, take time off work. Rhys: No, we're not going to the reef. Mm. We're gonna swim around in rivers that may or may not have crocodiles. Shrek: What makes Novas scary? Rhys: Oh, Shrek: so for most people, because like I've gone diver of guys that are, gun divers, right? Yeah. 30 meter plus divers. Yep. And then you're in the mud and they're just flat chat diving 10 meters. Shrek: Yeah. And you can see they're anxious. Rhys: Yeah. It's just the fear of the unknown. And I think, and I think sharks is, is the biggest thing. If you could guarantee there was no sharks, I think the visibility wouldn't be as big of a problem, Shrek: mm-hmm. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Those shitty Sunshine Coast days where you've got like five meter viz and it doesn't seem like there's any fish, just sharks. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: They're extremely discouraging. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: if you have three drops, let's say you're in 40, 50 feet of water. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: And you drop down, you've got let's just say 15 feet of bz, right? Rhys: Yep. So five meters roughly. Shrek: Yeah. Sorry, I'm talking American here. Yeah. uh, but we, we speak that as well. Rhys: Yeah. I think feet makes a lot of sense sometimes because it makes the numbers sound way better 7 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:08,000 at 20 meters. Doesn't I was Shrek: diving 50 feet sounds way better than I I was diving 15 meters. Meters. Yeah. Yeah. But anyway, so like, you know, you're in that 50 foot diving range. You, you know, you drop down 15 feet of v if you get buzzed three dives in a row by, by whalers or bull sharks. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: And not even like hectic stuff, but you just see them, it's like, Rhys: it's pretty off-putting, isn't Shrek: it? Yeah. It just like, it's sets you everything back and you, you, I don't, I don't know. Me personally, my breath hold starts getting worse and worse. I can just tell that, that even if I'm not like fully conscious of becoming anxious, I am becoming anxious. Shrek: Do you have that? Rhys: Uh, look. Okay. This is a really good thing 'cause me and Erie were just in a situation recently, we're diving, this pinnacle sort of comes out of about 20 up to like 14 meters. Yeah. It's a good pinnacle. And it was dirty. It was like three meter vis, but if you land on top of that pinnacle, it's a pretty easy dive. Rhys: Like it's 10 seconds, 15 seconds, you're on the 8 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:08,000 bottom. It's heaps of surgeon, fish and stuff. And Erie was sort of talking about how do you deal with the fact that there could be sharks here? I said, if you're gonna get in the water, you just have to accept it's a possibility. Shrek: Either get in or you don't get in.come to terms with it. Rhys: And I think a lot of the times I am just ignorant too. Shrek: yeah. Rhys: Yeah. I actually, on that dive, I shot a fish, it went into a cave and it, I've swam across, pulled it outta the cave. I turned around and there was a shark coming towards me, a bronzy. Rhys: And he had this look in his eyes that was like, we, I think we were both just like, what are you doing here? Like, he just looked, so when he saw me, he was just like, shivers. And I, and I went shivers. And we both done like a 180 and then, and I got a cramp actually at that moment. I'd never had it diving. Rhys: Mm-hmm. And I had to swim up with one, one Shrek: foot. Yeah. I've done it numerous times. That's why like act white's so on point, like that's why natural partners with the podcast. 'cause at some point cramps the thing. So 9 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:08,000 the V was that bad though. You, you spoke the shark. Rhys: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Rhys: Yeah. I could see though, you know, it's amazing the information can be conveyed in that microsecond. I could see that the shark was not aggressive. He was surprised. He came in on the vibration and he was thinking, what's this? And he got a as much of a fright out of it as me. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: I have to admit I was swimming up just thinking, when is this shark gonna come back outta the Merck? Rhys: But he didn't. So, Shrek: Nova's adventures aptly named as we've just sort of talked about. Yeah. I would describe your channel as self-deprecating, fishy, and funny. That'd probably be, my wrap out. Yeah. And I actually, I've enjoyed, I watched one of your recent vids, and I'm not giving you a shine on, but I feel like you've come a long way in terms of the quality of the story you're putting together with your videos. Shrek: And, um. It does make a, a difference, like, you know, shooting good fish and you do shoot some great fish and have some amazing adventures and that, that does help you tell a good story when 10 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:08,000 you've got that to lean on. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: Whereas if you have like relatively quiet days, hard to make a good video. Rhys: Yeah. And I've always wanted to put it together, a video about those quiet days, but I find on those days I quite often just put the camera down subconsciously. And then on the good days I'm quite often doing the pieces to camera, which really make the videos a lot better. But I've dropped back to just doing one video a month and I think that's why the quality's improved a lot. Rhys: I've got a whole month to put time into it and not just rush it and get it out. Shrek: Nice. anytime you're making content too, there's always that like, and the podcast has been guilty of this too. It is. Like there's a pressure you put on yourself Shrek: one, one of the things I go for is consistency with the podcast. It was, you know, like once every two weeks. Then I went up to a weekly schedule for a while. Yep. Like just keeping up with everything in life and the kids and work and you know, the quality does start to suffer. You're just banging stuff out. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: And, um, people do sense that it like, I would make less, but good stuff than more and be rewarded by the algorithm. I feel 11 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:08,000 like you've got the same vibe. Rhys: Yeah. I'm not really, like with my channel, I'm not motivated. I don't wanna make it my job. It's not something I'm doing for money or anything like that. Rhys: So I can do it because I enjoy doing it. Uh, so I am lucky in that respect. Like, I can understand why people would be under the pump and would want to get stuff out there, Shrek: Do you find having that monthly drop though keeps you on track? Rhys: Well what I sort of do is I just say this is the date and no matter where this project's at, it's going out on that date. Shrek: Oh, nice. Yes. Rhys: And so like, 'cause ultimately I think everyone would want more time to just polish and polish and polish. At some point you have to have that hard line in the sand, otherwise you'll get nothing out there. Shrek: Mm-hmm. We might come back to Novas 'cause like I've even noticed that your color grading's got better and everything like that. Shrek: So it might be, I Rhys: try not to color grade too much. I do like to people to see what it actually looks like, but sometimes I will. Shrek: Yeah, Shrek: yeah, We'll come back, we'll circle back to YouTube. I want to keep going with some funnies. Um, Boat Mishaps and Lessons Learned Shrek: we could probably start boat mishaps, Um, which, which Rhys: one? Shrek: Well, we could 12 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:08,000 talk about the one where we went out. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: that was probably. sometimes, like, this is funny and the crap stories, pile up so much, you almost forget 'em. you want to, can you tell the, tale of that Rhys: day? Yeah. So to set the scene, Isaac and I live in an area where everyone's sort of roughly an hour apart. Rhys: our common area is that Brisbane sort of area. There's a lot of good diving off there, so I'll, a lot of people here will come down and dive there So it's a bit of a meeting point. So we organized to go out, together. It was actually gonna be our first day diving together. Shrek: Hmm. Rhys: Formally we've bumped into each other heaps, but Shrek: And, uh, I'd organized, I can't remember why my boat was outta the water. I think it's when I had a bad gearbox. So we took out Frankie's boat. And that's probably, you know mm-hmm. Rhys: Taking out a friend's boat's, always a bit risky. It does depend on the person. Some people are meticulous. taking out their boat is never gonna be a problem. Frankie's not one of those people. You know, paint Shrek: the picture of Frankie though. 'cause Frankie's a doctor. Rhys: 13 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:08,000 Yeah. Shrek: an organized fellow Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: he's an intelligent and motivated guy. Rhys: Capable, Shrek: yeah. Rhys: Yeah. He's a very interesting person. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: I love him to death. Like, like I sort of look at him a bit like a brother. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: yeah, so he's had this boat for a couple of years and basically, the way he looks at it is he won't fix something until it's broken. Rhys: he's Definitely not a preventative maintenance guy. Rhys: that's right. Shrek: He's a, he's a breakdown and get towed in by the Coast Guard. Rhys: Fix Shrek: it kind of guy. Shrek: Yeah, Rhys: definitely. Shrek: so we've headed out. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: I don't think the forecast was that bad. I thought the forecast was reasonably good for that day, but the reality was not that case. Shrek: 10 to 15, wasn't it? Rhys: The swell was big too. We went out to some of the reefs off, off Brisbane, some of your offshore reefs and, uh, the swell was pretty big. Rhys: it was our first time diving with Josh President, central Coast Sea Lion. Poor bugger gets out there and he is so seasick. Remember we had to drop him off on the beach. Shrek: Yeah. I remember. Yeah. Yep. Rhys: That's 14 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:08,000 the first time I've ever had to drop someone off from them being that seasick. And he's that like frothing, that he's just like, I'll be keen, just gimme a few hours on dry land. Rhys: Yeah. We drop him off, we head out to Reef Vis was great. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: Vis was really good. And I put you and Mattias Shrek: mad from becoming a bow hunter. Rhys: Yep, Shrek: yep. Rhys: Really nice guy. put you guys in for a drift, I start to get an alarm on the engine and I don't like that. Hey, like, I'm a bit concerned about that. Rhys: So luckily, if this was me 10 years ago, we, nah, don't worry about it could have been a very different story, but luckily when that alarm went off, I just shot over and picked you guys up straight away. 'cause I was like, I dunno, this might just fix itself, but I, I think we need to all get on the Shrek: boat. Shrek: Went in a limp mode, eh, Rhys: it went into limp mode. Yep. And it was just lots of alarms. It was an eTech. that's half your problem there, really. But, um, so to set the scene, I pick you guys up. We are the only 15 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:08,000 boat out. You can't see any of the boats. There's squalls coming through. Big rolling swell and we limped the boat back to the headland to pick up Josh. Rhys: And we sort of made the call just don't turn the boat off. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: we pulled in a bit out of the wind I think at that point we did we think we were gonna get towed in at that point or did we? Shrek: Maybe. But then, then it come good. Rhys: I think we always were gonna get towed though. 'cause I think we talked about limping back 'cause it's roughly 30 kilometers back and we do limp mode's like five knots. Rhys: So Shrek: I felt like it got up, started getting up on the plane again. Back onto Rhys: the plane. Yeah. Maybe it did. Hey, Shrek: when we got back to a spot then, um, outta the Rhys: weather Shrek: and then you were like, we, we can get in another dive. It's on the way in anyway. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: jumped in to kind of do a recon dive. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: And you turned the engine off? Shrek: Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: I dropped down and it was sick. Like it was going off. There was a really good fish, just a bit too far away. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: 16 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:08,000 So I came up, started to move back over the spot where this fish was gonna be for another drop. I look up just at the right moment to see someone let off a flare. Shrek: 'cause you were turned the motor off and was drifting away at a rapid rate of knot. Yeah. Rhys: And we'd thrown the anchor out and we were starting to panic a little bit. His eyes actually just getting, he's a small.in the ocean, just getting smaller and smaller. And it was raining too. I've never done it before, but we pulled a flare, first flare that we pull and it just didn't work. Rhys: Shrek: right. Rhys: Yeah, Shrek: Cool. Rhys: Shrek: man. Rhys: We put off another flare and this big game boat came through. Shrek: Mm. With a big fly bridge on it. Rhys: Yeah. And, and we were flaring them to get them in. They were real cool. They'd come up from the Gold Coast. Shrek: Oh. 'cause the radio didn't work in the boat. Rhys: Yeah. The radio didn't work. But yeah. So we had no communication. Shrek: So they're gonna tow us around to the other side of the island. Rhys: We're on, and that's out of the weather at least. And from Shrek: I swam back to the boat. Rhys: Yep. You swam back to the boat. So they go to tow us and first problem is where do we attach the tow 17 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:08,000 rope? Shrek: Mm. Rhys: the boat had a cleat on the front of it. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: I thought, let's attach it there. But that was not a good idea. Rhys: Did it rip it out? Rhys: It ripped it out instantly. And what happened was there was two cleats, and what it did is it pulled the first one out the first one was what we were tied onto. It ripped off, got stuck on the second cleat, and it was just held on by friction. So if you had have just gone along and flicked it with your finger Shrek: Yeah, Rhys: we would've lost the tow you know? Shrek: Mm. Rhys: they towed us around the corner and we eventually attached it. Yeah, Rhys: Towed us around the corner. We anchored the boat up and me and Josh went in to phone the marine rescue. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: you and Maddie went for a dive because why not? Like, I mean, Shrek: you know. Yeah. We were like, oh, I could be here for a few hours. Rhys: Yeah, exactly. Shrek: So Maddie and I jumped in for a dive and it was a drift dive. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: We waited till you got back from town, got hold of marine rescue. Rhys: yep. Shrek: We jumped in, started doing the drift, Rhys: I think the deal was, I was like, when 18 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:08,000 we see the boat run back. Shrek: Yeah. We drifted like, I don't know, six or 700 meters and I think I picked up a couple of fish too. Couple Rhys: tusk. Shrek: Yeah. So we headed in then the boat pulled up on you guys and we were still like hundreds of years away. Yeah. I remember Rhys: seeing you run on the beach Shrek: with your Rhys: fish and Yeah. Shrek: So hard on the knees running on sand with a white belt and fish. Shrek: Yeah. They picked us up. Rhys: Yeah. And then it turned out Frankie didn't have a Coast Guard membership, so we, uh, no membership had to pay the bill. Shrek: So we had to pay the, was it 500? They charged us, Rhys: it was 150 each. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: So that's more Shrek: 600. Rhys: Yeah. For Shrek: four of us. Rhys: now that I know a bit more, I realize it was a little cheeky of them because Frankie, Shrek: they can write an off as a training. Rhys: No. And also Frankie did have a membership. Of a different Coast Guard or something like that. And they were trying to say, 'cause in Australia we got VMR and we also have Coast Guard and they're two different entities. Shrek: Not anymore Rhys: Not anymore, but at that time. But, 'cause I only have a Coast Guard membership. Rhys: Mm-hmm. But it covers both. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: it was a 19 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:08,000 bit opportunistic. They kind of took advantage of us a bit. Shrek: All good. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: It was an expensive day out to shoot a few fish, but yeah, it was fun. Uh, I just expected this boat to be schmick. Shrek: 'cause I was like, ah, he's a doctor. Like he'll be an organized guy. True. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: he was a garage as guy, which is all good. Shrek: yeah. When you're going that far out to sea, I really love a working radio. Yeah. Flares and Good neck. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: And a boat and good repair. Rhys: I actually have a handheld radio I take out now. Rhys: Oh yeah. Because those marine radios are pretty unreliable. I can't tell you how many people I've been out with they've gone to do a radio check and they've gone, I just bought this a month ago and it doesn't work. Shrek: the radio checks into Coast Guard or VMR, like, you know, so where do we start? Shrek: when you do a boat license and they say, phone in, like, or radio in, phone in. Yeah. Uh, and then you say, look, four of us heading out, you know, off Morton Island or whatever. We're on board, re number, vessel length, whatever, we're going out here, we're expected to return before, 20 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:08,000 let's just, and you always push the time back. Shrek: That way you've gotta give yourself a margin. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: when you come back and you just radio in that way, likeif for whatever reason you break down, you get lost. They kind of know that you were out there and they've see someone. Yeah. Rhys: Yeah. You can use an app. I use the app now too. Shrek: Okay. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: so many spirits don't even radio. And radio check in, check out. Rhys: Yeah. The reason for that is that they are really particular about you knowing the protocols of radioing in. Okay. And they, some people have been like, really shamed by not doing it properly. 'cause you know, you gotta say the name like three times or something like that. Rhys: People have had real negative experiences. Oh, really? Yeah. So Shrek: just decades being OCD about the process. Rhys: Well, the thing is like. With those VMR kind of places, it would attract a certain type of person, you know, I mean Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: They're great people. it's an awesome service, but Shrek: detail oriented. Rhys: Yes. Shrek: Yeah. Like people. Rhys: Yeah. And if you get the wrong person, wrong time. Shrek: Yeah. I'm hearing you. I'm hearing you. Okay. That makes a 21 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:08,000 bit of sense. Rhys: you know, Mike that, uh, what's Outback Mike? Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: He had a bit where he actually got in trouble for not using the radio correctly once or something like that, or, and it really discouraged him from doing it. Shrek: That's such a bad idea. 'cause it's like one of our only safety things that we do. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Apart from having flares in an ERB and Rhys: Yep. Shrek: You know, but anyway, boat mishaps. So I guess takeaways from that.Well the portable radio which you Rhys: bought. Yeah. Portable radio. I think also a big takeaway is if you're gonna take someone else's boat out, go, what's your Coast Guard? Rhys: If you're in Australia? 'cause you get towed in for free. If you're a Coast Guard member, just ask them what their Coast Guard status is and then, 'cause I think Frankie actually did have one. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: And maybe it lapsed or something. I dunno. But just find that out in advance. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: Because if they're like, oh I don't have any, just go. Rhys: Okay, sweet. Well it's only a hundred bucks. Shrek: Yeah, right. Rhys: Just be like everyone chip in and it's just so worth it. Shrek: Yeah. A hundred percent better than Rhys: that. And, and it, you really need to 22 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:08,000 know the details. I think you need like a membership number and whose name it's under. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: Because when shit goes wrong, you're not generally in a comfortable situation. Rhys: Yeah. Okay. Alright. Rhys: I got, I got towed in off that island about a year later and I was so prepared for it. Shrek: Yeah. Okay. Rhys: That's a good story actually. Shrek: And the Coast Guard will probably know you by name by. Rhys: Uh, yeah. Yeah. that was a real funny day. Rhys: We, we shot out off to Morton Island, mint conditions, got about three quarters of the way to a reef called Flinder's Reef. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: the engine broke down. everyone's like looking at me like, can you fix it? I try and fix it and I'm like, I think this thing is stalled. It's either the gearbox is stalled or the engine stalled, and either way we're not gonna be able to fix that. Rhys: And then we're sitting there chatting and I'm like, oh, we're sort of drifting the right way. why don't we just sort of steer the boat to where we want to go? And we sort of used the current, the current was going west to east. We sort of kicked south. We're about two Ks off the 23 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:08,000 headland, and we sort of just directed the boat to the headland. Rhys: It didn't take that long. It only took about. 30 minutes. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: We took shifts, jumping in the water, towing the boat and so we, we swam the boat to an area that we could dive 'cause I knew it would be hours before we get rescued. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: dropped the anchor and had an awesome dive. Yes. We ended up getting a rescue full of some really good fish. Rhys: Got some craze and stuff like that and Shrek: Nice. Rhys: Yeah, it was really good. And then we got towed in and it was a much better experience that time 'cause the weather was a lot better. I had all the membership sorted 'cause it was my boat and so the Coast Guard was sweet. Like they were real good. Rhys: It was a real long trip though,it was like covering two different coast guards so they had to do a handover, when we got pulled back in, the guy's like, how much for fuel for the day? And I was like, well, we didn't use much at all. Rhys: It was almost like a free day out because they, they told us back. Shrek: so good. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: I still would've charged everyone 200 bucks. 24 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:08,000 What, what ended up being wrong with the engine? Rhys: Uh, it was the gearbox, so it's pretty easy. Rhys: Just changed, just got another gearbox. Shrek: How, what, how, how easy. Rhys: the real problem happened because I had this old gearbox and it had a crack in it, and I took it to get welded, and the people that welded it the first time were really good, but it cracked again a few years later. And I took it to someone else. Rhys: They'd gone, they'd retired that person. when it got welded again, they didn't do a very good job. And it broke the seals. And it ended up getting water in and corroding the gearbox internally. and I thought it was real expensive to buy a new gearbox, but for a small engine like mine, I managed to get one sort of bit of a cash deal, and I got a new gearbox for only $500, so. Shrek: Oh, sweet. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: And just an mechanic Rhys: bolt. No, I didn't. DIY because you take 'em off when you service them, just a couple of bolts and Shrek: Oh, sweet. That's Rhys: it. Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. Right. Um, how much of a boat mechanic are you now versus uh, I mean, you showed me that viral video 25 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:08,000 earlier. Shrek: you explain this, you're like half a boat mechanic now. Rhys: Yeah, well I think with my engine that I've got, we bought it pretty cheaply. I was pretty lucky. My mate, Levi's super mechanically knowledgeable and he sourced the engine for us and we got it for two grand. if you that down to the amount of trips, it's probably like $2 a trip or something like that, you know? Rhys: Yeah. It's so good. basically, 'cause it's an older engine, everything that could go wrong with it has gone wrong. And I'm on a pretty tight budget. you know, I've got a family so I can't really. Put a lot of our money towards my activities. So nearly everything I have to do myself. So I've just learned through YouTube videos, talking to people. Rhys: Yeah.I think someone said that I have about the skill of a first year mechanic apprentice. Shrek: Yeah. Nice, nice. That's pretty good. And um, full garage. Full garage. Yeah. we've talked about mishaps, but you've obviously had some successes too. Tell me about this trailer boat dog tooth. Rhys: Yeah. So, Shrek: which, which, which maybe start with the 26 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:08,000 fact that it could potentially be a record, Rhys: Yeah, I guess I'm putting that out there. we're not gonna include Christmas Island and stuff like that, where,the doggies are there. Yeah. Like any boat can get a doggy. But my boat's only 4.2 meters. It's only what, 15 foot boat? Yeah. In America, they'd call it a punt, Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: And last year we landed a doggy on it. It's about a 10 kilo doggy. So, Shrek: so Reese has got a theory that this is the, smallest boat to land a dog tooth in continental Australia. That's not a tender off a mothership. if you wanna dispute that, go to noob spirit.com/reese, RHYS. Today's show notes are gonna be there. Shrek: I'll link up Reese's YouTube channel and in the comments, if you would care to dispute this. 'cause you've caught a dog tooth off a smaller boat. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: I would love to hear about it, but yeah. Anyway, sorry. Re I interrupted your story. Rhys: No, that's all right. So, the conditions were right. Rhys: We went offshore blue water diving. It was about this time of the year actually. And for whatever reason, it's just 27 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:08,000 one of those days where the forecast wasn't that good and the conditions were a lot better. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: So we're basically the only boat out there. And I'd been out there a fair few times, marked up a few really good pinnacles. Rhys: First pinnacle that we dived on, the boys were, I think it was like second or third dive. And I just hear 'em screaming and I look over and I'm like, is that a bloody dog tooth? And like, we do get them here. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: But only really little ones. This is the first sort of like, like if you speared that on a charter, you'd be like, that's a decent fish. Shrek: Yeah. Nice. Rhys: So yeah, it's all there was to it. He basically nearly stoned. It came in. What, Shrek: how big did it go? Rhys: It was about 10 kilos. We didn't, we didn't like officially weigh it Shrek: or anything. Yeah. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Simi that thing out. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. Right. So put the boys in on this drift. What? Just flasher and Rhys: Yeah. Just the classic Shrek: Yeah. Shrek: Sort Rhys: of stuff. Yeah. Shrek: And, uh, any stones of 10 kilo dog tooth on a 4.2 meter trailer boat. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: That's so 28 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:08,000 sick. Rhys: it ended up being one of the best blue water days that we had. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: just having it to ourselves and it's really good. Shrek: Yeah. Nice. blue water stuff, like guys starting to play around blue water. Shrek: what was the major difference for you starting to play doing that stuff? Rhys: Yeah. I've started to do a fair bit of it recently.it's a very different mindset from reef fish hunting with your blue water. You gotta make sure you got your ingredients first. Rhys: You have to have current, the bait and the structure if they're there. Pelagic fish will turn up. You need to be patient, don't I? I, it's a classic thing, you know, people do one drift, oh, there's heaps of bait, but there's nothing here. Let's go somewhere else. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: That's the case with reef fish. But your pelagic fish, I actually learned this when I was in Fiji. I was over in Fiji a few years ago, dove with this local guy and he was like, okay, we're gonna sit on this pinnacle and we're just gonna wait a mackerel come through. And I was just like, this is so boring. Rhys: Like, my brother just sat in the boat the whole time and he was right. Every 30 minutes they'd come through. Shrek: Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. 29 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:08,000 So they'd cut a pattern. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Or cut a lap. Yeah. Right. that's paying attention to their range of motion, I guess. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: And the way they feed, given whatever's affecting current, whether it's tide or prevailing sort of current, like we've got EAC here. Rhys: Yeah. I think with the pelagic fish, they like to stick in that deep water out off the edges of stuff and we are not typically sort of in that area. we like to have a piece of structure we can sort of anchor ourselves on, not necessarily rope anchor, but just visually see it. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Rhys: And so they, I think they just sort of like do these big circles and then occasionally they just cut through and I think that's their high risk activity that they'll sort of undertake Ah, Shrek: they feed up in the shallower stuff. Rhys: Yeah. Because that's, that's where the predators and stuff would be, I guess, Shrek: yeah. Right. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Interesting. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. That's pretty cool too.I haven't thought a lot about it and that it, it's interesting the contrast between reef fish, a lot of spearfishing is about opportunity cost. Shrek: You know, if it's just not happening, why stick around? Rhys: Mm-hmm. Which is very 30 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:08,000 true. Shrek: Yeah. But with pelagics, you're saying different school of thought. Rhys: Yeah.I've seen it a lot. Like last year we were diving for Wahoo. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: Well, I say diving for Wahoo, they're very opportunistic.hopefully we get one, you know? Rhys: But, and all the conditions, it was all right. There was the current, the blue water, the bait. Shrek: Temp. Rhys: You don't need a super high temp for Wahoo. I've seen them in like 21 degrees. they do come into that cold water, and it was just like, we're just gonna sit here and just hang out. Rhys: And through the course of that, we probably spent about six hours on that spot. I probably saw 10. Wahoo. Yeah. Shrek: Righto. Rhys: Only got one. But, and that was, that was pretty awesome. That was a team, like, we were stoked. I actually, what we do quite often when we blue water dive is we have one person with the float and the cannon gun and everyone else just has their real guns. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: And sometimes we'll have a gun that doesn't have a reel and it's just, for a second shot and just means that you can't dive, you can't bomb like second, you know, steal someone's fish or anything like that. But I had the second 31 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:08,000 shotgun didn't have a reel and I was just swimming back to the boat and this wahoo just came straight in at me. Rhys: And I was like, do I shoot it without a reel? And I, I decided not to. Shrek: Oh, I, I would definitely wouldn't. Shrek: recipe for disaster. Shrek: Oh man. That, that first run, like you have to stone Rhys: it, like pull it outta your hand before you'd even know what happened. Shrek: Yeah, exactly. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Even like shooting them with a real gun is like, I don't know. Rhys: It's pretty, Shrek: I've only shot one still. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: So, Rhys: yeah. Well, like, I had only shot one or two up until last year, and we had a great run. We just had such a good run of 'em. Uh, well you got your one in the Shrek: similar time, Rhys: the, the run of Wahoo. Yeah. Yeah. It was bloody awesome. Shrek: Yeah. I haven't repeated that yet. Shrek: And I haven't actually, Rhys: well, I haven't seen one Shrek: since. Nah, no. It's like there's that time of year and you just Right time, right place. Yeah. I have tried to replicate it based on water clarity water temp and knowing the spots to go. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: I haven't had any success, but Yeah. Yeah, yeah. No, I, 32 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:08,000 man, they are such a cool fish. Shrek: I do have a story about Wahoo. I made a of mine on the Gold Coast. He's one of the best Spiros I know, but he's just one of those people that like he's got his way of doing things. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: He doesn't wanna learn or get any better, but he's a freak, like an absolute freak. Rhys: And they're down and off diving down tweed ways, sort of famous blue water spot. He hops out of the boat. I think the idea was someone was gonna hand him his float line hops out, there's a big 20 kilo log of a wahoo right next to the boat and he, um, swam over. He didn't have his reel and he just went, I gotta get the stone shot. Rhys: And just rolled it over. Shrek: Oh yeah Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: That's sick. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Far out Rhys: And he is not the sort of guy that can afford to just get another gun willy-nilly. Yeah. So it was a big risk, you know, Shrek: far out. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Risking it for the biscuit. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Talking pelagic species. Your first Spanish was pretty memorable. Rhys: Yeah, that's probably the fish that stands out the most. This was back in the day 33 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:08,000 my mate Levi had a tinny. It was a, oh no, this was on my boat actually, this was one of the first times on my, Shrek: because you had a Clark Abalone. Rhys: Yes. Shrek: that boat. Rhys: yeah, that boat. Yeah. This is one of the first times we took the boat out, just magic days. This was back in El Nino. So here on the east coast of Australia, El Nino is characterized by low rainfall, calm weather, LA Nya, which we've been in for like five, six years. Rhys: Lots of rainfall. You know the vi Shrek: for the fishery too, Rhys: though? It is, yeah. It is been very fishy lately, but I just remember it was just one of those magic days where we had at least 20 meter vis everywhere it was just beautiful like. Pulled up to a spot we hadn't been to before. Rhys: Hopped in with my brother, it was probably the clearest spot of the day, diving down to the bottom, chasing some emperor species, not really having any luck. And as I'm swimming up, I look and this Spanish mackerel just swims over the top of me. I hadn't even seen one in the water up until that point. Shrek: And I was like, holy 34 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:08,000 moly, this is your chance. Don't blow it. And this thing is like, I think when you come from below up Spanish mackerel don't seem as threatened. I would agree. Rhys: I guess they're expecting predators to always be from the top down. yeah, basically got up to its level and it was so close to me. Rhys: I had to pull the gun back shot. It just blasted through the middle of it and then it, it took off like it went crazy as they do. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: Spanish mackerel in Australia, in America, you guys call it king mackerel. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: But here, they're like our premier inshore game fish it's gone crazy. I'm screaming second shot. Rhys: I remember back in that day, or back in those days, every shot was second shot. Shrek: A hundred percent big. Like memorable. Rhys: Yeah, yeah, Shrek: yeah. Phish and stuff. I Rhys: mean, I think looking back it was probably only like a meter, but at that point that was a big fish. So Yeah, of course. Yeah. Rhys: That was sick. That was a great way to end the day. Shrek: Yeah. they're a SCU ERs, uh, SCU bro. Family. Yeah. I think the 35 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:08,000 Florida. kingfish Rhys: slightly different. Shrek: They are different. Yeah. Yeah. And then they definitely don't rate them. I love Spanish. Rhys: I do wonder if it's just a cultural thing. Like someone said they're not good eating and then they said, 'cause it's like that with Kingfish here, right? Shrek: Mm. Rhys: Because over in there, what we call kingfish, this is super confusing, but Shrek: Yeah. We call like they're yellow, Californian yellow tail Rhys: tail is what we call kingfish. They are slightly different species. Rhys: Yeah, But I know there they're like a top prized eating fish. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: here people don't regard 'em that way, but I've eaten them. Rhys: they're great. Shrek: Yeah. Our yellow yellowtail kingfish are sirola Leland lowland. Yeah. And is it like sirola? Something slight different, but they're, yeah. They're an amberjack species. but it's weird a like opinions about fish, but king's like, as we call 'em like a yellow tail, Shrek: Wicked raw. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: there's, there is a, a little bit of versatility in how you can cook and prepare 'em, but, I'll take a Spanish every day over a yellow towel, for eating 36 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:08,000 quality. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: Love them both. But you use them differently, eh? Rhys: I've had, like shall fried kingfish. Yeah. And I thought it was really good. Shrek: Can be. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. So it's gotta be done, right? I reckon. Rhys: Yeah. and also we have the parasite here, which is a, a bit of a problem, isn't it? Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: I Shrek: Seasonal, like mushy ies. Rhys: So just to explain, we have a, a parasite here in this part of the world where. For whatever reason, it seems to only affect Kingfish. Shrek: Oh, no. Sambos as well. Rhys: Okay. Yep. We don't really get them too much though. Shrek: Yeah. I had an AJ with it a while ago. That whole family, that Ola, um, amberjack family, I think. Rhys: And what it does is it, it makes the meat go like putty? Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: When it's cooked. Shrek: Oh, just gelatinous. It Rhys: doesn't sound that bad, but it's really bad. Shrek: Oh yeah. It's awful. Shrek: Yeah. And so because of that, it's a bit of apprehension but again, if you even got a mushy king, and I dunno if it's good or bad, but if you chill it back and cut it up as sashimi, even if it's mushy, it's beautiful. Shrek: You don't even notice. Rhys: Yeah. So my 37 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:08,000 understanding is the parasite is totally harmless to humans. Shrek: Yeah. Righto. Rhys: And so what I do is we just eat our kingfish raw. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: it's a lot of sashimi. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: we generally take one between us. Shrek: Yeah. But like ceviche, there's a bunch of different ways you can do raw. Shrek: Rhys: yeah. Yeah, Shrek: I like there's that Japanese, I don't have never actually done it myself, but my mate Ecker, I've done it with him. it's that like just the edge of it is sead. it's still raw and then you sesame seed it. Yeah. Um, that's beautiful. I don't even know what that technique's called. Shrek: Yeah. Have you played around with that? Rhys: Speaking of Eckhart, actually, he came up here for a dive and I think he speared a king or someone speared a king on that day. Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: no, I haven't done that Japanese. I'm not really that advanced with my cooking. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: I do a lot of different techniques, but I'm definitely the sort of person that if something takes more than about 15 minutes, I'm not that interested. Rhys: Yeah. I've got a family of five, you know, it's, Shrek: mm-hmm. Recipes and Cooking Shrek: Have you played around with much of 99 recipes? Rhys: Yeah. I love it. Yeah. Shrek: How many, how many recipes out of it have you paid with? Uh, 38 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:08,000 Rhys: probably about 20. Shrek: Oh really? Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: I would definitely not say you weren't advanced. Like Rhys: Oh, well, yeah. The easier one. Shrek: Spiro advanced. Yeah. Not chef advanced. Rhys: Uh, yeah. Like I, I can cook fish in all different ways, but it's the time thing, Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: It's a big thing for Shrek: me. That's the beauty of that book though. It's designed to be, again, Rhys: pretty easy actionable. Yeah. It's, 'cause like I got the Josh NY book as well. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: So good. But I haven't even done one of 'em 'cause it's just too much. Nah. Shrek: But the, the, the biggest thing about the Josh Nylon book is the principles. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Because that opening chapter or the two chapters on the treatment of fish, he talks about how, you go into a butcher to buy beef Rhys: mm-hmm. Shrek: You don't buy mints and cook it the same as a steak. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: You don't buy a tenderloin. And cook it like a blade steak. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: with fish it's like everyone Oh yeah. I'm having fish like. What fish. Mm-hmm. You know, everyone just thinks, oh, you just pan fried, shallow fried. Or maybe if you're really sophisticated, you oven 39 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:08,000 bake it or whatever. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: if you cook fish in the wrong way, given you know, it's oiliness characteristics, how soft firm or fishy it is, all of these things, you know, play such a difference in it. And I, I just like how his book takes that paradigm of think how we think about fish and expands on it. Shrek: that was revolutionary for me. He's a huge influence behind that nine, nine spirit recipe Rhys: making me hungry, thinking about Shrek: it. Well, we can eat for sure. You've cooked, ha did you contribute a recipe? Rhys: I didn't, nah, there was, there's nothing that I have that's like. I guess I've learned from other people. Rhys: There's nothing that I've really like innovated on or anything like that. Yeah. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: probably the only dish that I'm sort of renowned for is we call it cca. in other parts of world, it's called naus, called, other things, but it's basically like fish cooked in, a lime and with coconut oil, but like you already had that with Shrek VI egg covered, you know, Shrek: so, oh, we didn't, there's no coconut, milk in it. Rhys: Exploring the ADA Style and Ceviche Shrek: it's the ADA Island style Rhys: way. Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. I love that too. I love a 40 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:08,000 good Ada, especially when it's nailed so good. And I find that way of doing a ceviche too. It keeps longer, whereas a straight lime citrus type one, you've got a life, a shelf life on it. Shrek: Like only good in the fridge for maybe 12 hours, I reckon. Rhys: Yeah, Shrek: because the lime just keeps curing it and keeps curing it. So Rhys: yeah, in Fiji, like we just pretty much lived on that. They call it Kon in Fiji Shrek: Right. Rhys: We pretty much just lived on that. Shrek: Yeah. we're gonna talk about exploring wonky holes and exploring ground in a bit more detail in a moment, I'm hoping. Yep. Um, Worst Gear Decisions in Spearfishing Shrek: what is the worst gear decision that you've ever made? Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: What's something where you maybe tried to save money or cut a corner, in your spearing gear? Shrek: Can you think of something? Rhys: that's a good question. I look, I've been pretty lucky, so my brother-in-law gave me my first spear gun. it was cheap one, but it got the job done. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: It was a Picasso ASA guy. Shrek: I think they were pretty good though, weren't they? They Rhys: were like 41 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:08,000 75 bucks though. Shrek: Are they still are that Rhys: Oh, well they were at the time. Rhys: Yeah. But it probably still only like a hundred dollars.Yeah. Shrek: Righto. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: but yeah, you are sort of rolling the dice,on that cheap gear. a mate of mine has bought. Rhys: Cheap shafts and had 'em instantly break, like first fish that he shoots and stuff like that, Shrek: man. that's not a mistake I make anymore. I do not buy cheap shafts. make sure I buy. Right. Rob Rhys: Island? Yeah. Sorry. We won't, we won't go into brands, but, Shrek: oh, you can't go wrong with Rob Allen shafts. Shrek: You might as well tell everyone, like they, if I'm buying a shaft for one of my, particularly like my, uh, pipe guns, I'm not cutting corners. I'm just buying it. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: I, I would like to see a bulk pack though. I would buy five at a time if I saved a bit of money. Well, Rhys: the only problem is they do rust, If the bulk pack you'd wanna separate out, you sort Shrek: Definitely. Rhys: Yeah. They're great. Those shafts. I can't bend them. I can't break 'em.I end up buying another one 'cause it just gets old You know, I can't be bothered tuning the flopper and Shrek: Well, they get harder to tune. It's like they, yeah. That pin deteriorates me. 42 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:08,000 They've been mushroomed that many times. Shrek: I think they just don't like you anymore. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: And there's that many parrot and tuske scales that have got caught in it. Yeah. It's just, yeah. Don't, they might be awesome. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that friction too, of the flopper on that part of the shaft wears that protective coating out too. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: you've got a bit of cor corrosion as well. Shrek: It's just like they do have a shelf life. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: you can shoot hundreds of fish with one of those before you have to replace it. Rhys: Yeah, that's right. 'cause I've tried other brands and I've tried stainless shafts. stainless shafts aren't really suitable for Australia. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: Like I, I've got a stainless shaft, I shot a tus fish that wasn't that big. Like it was probably about four kilos. And it bent, bent it first Shrek: seven mil. Rhys: Yeah, Shrek: there's a difference in quality over there. A lot of the stainless that they used too. Shrek: I bought a euro, stainless shaft a while ago that this guy swore by. He told me about how crap Rob Allen shafts were compared to them. I bought it, it was like 140 bucks for a shaft, had a trendy nose cone on it, and it's highly 43 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:08,000 tuned flopper. Rhys: Mm. Shrek: Uh, used it two dives, second dive shot a cod, and then another cod. Shrek: grabbed it and just bent this thing and, and two, and I was like, there's $140. Guess what? I'm going back to Rob. Balance. Rhys: Yeah. Yeah. They might not, uh, look as shiny, but they'd get the job done, don't they? Mm, yeah. Shrek: A hundred percent. Rhys: Mm. Shrek: it would be good if Rob Allen just sponsored the podcast. Shrek: I think I talk about the stuff that much. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: But, uh, Rhys: I'm a big fan myself too. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: I'd also use this opportunity to give a shout out to a former guest, Chris Coates. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: I basically just watched, he's got some really good YouTube videos. Mm-hmm. my setup hasn't changed for a long time. Rhys: I've got basically his setup, the one 10 roller. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: Seven mil shaft. Easy Shrek: as I've got that same Rhys: Mm, Shrek: yeah. Been a single roller. I actually got the CDR, 1100. Rhys: I would love to try his double roller. Hey, Shrek: I've got that as well. After I did the episode with him, I'm like, I'm just gonna buy one Rhys: because I got a blue 44 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:08,000 water gun. Rhys: It's a 1.3 meter roller. Yeah. And I just used it the other day. And I have to use a Lotus Assist. And I don't really like Lotus Assist. Shrek: I don't have to use a roller as, a Lotus Assist with a one. It's a one 20. Double roller, 7.5 mil band. I don't have to use it at all. It's actually easier to load than some of my other guns. Rhys: Yeah. Well that's the thing. The double roller, you can use a, a smaller diameter band. I'd potentially changemy big blue water gun to 14 mil bands. Double roller. Shrek: I'll just leave your mind next time you go. I should Rhys: try Shrek: it. Yeah, you're welcome to borrow Rhys: it. Shrek: There's some peculiarities with it, but I like the way Chris has the hooks for the pretension when you load on. Shrek: I don't know if you've seen the setup he uses. Rhys: Yeah, I have seen that. Shrek: There's a couple of little innovative ways he's done it. It's a nice gun to use. Well balanced Rhys: in his videos. He teaches you to make the loops. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: I do those, they work well. Shrek: I'm gonna be, kind of surprising. Shrek: I have started using the new adrenal carbon monoblock. Spear gun hasn't hit the 45 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:08,000 shelf yet. Rhys: Mm. Shrek: And I've gotta tell you, I've put that spear gun up against just about everything. Rhys: Mm. Shrek: I was surprisingly delighted by it. The balance of it, is amazing. Single roller. I put a 16 mil, single roller on it. Shrek: With a, a Manny subhead. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: And I'm gonna say I like it, man. I really like it. Rhys: I'll have to have a go next call. So Shrek: Yeah. I think this might be my go-to gun for regular spirit. Yeah. But it's one 20 for whatever reason, I like a one 20 over a one 10 over a 100. Rhys: I've got a 1 0 5 Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: That I use for my regular. But like here on the coast, we do actually get a lot of really good viss. Mm-hmm. Like Sunny Coast is sort of renowned as not having very good vis compared to the other parts of the area. But we do often have 20 meter vis. A lot of our fish, like you're stringing the fish. Rhys: Like they, they're real close Shrek: So you don't need the longer gun? Rhys: Nah, nah. I found, 'cause I do a lot of cave hunting, a lot of like, Ado, like ambushes Shrek: dynamic Rhys: ambush stuff. Yeah. So, yeah, I don't need 46 00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:08,000 that range really? Shrek: We never call it I gudo like you do you talk about Australians of like apero and igu and they look at you like you're trying to be trendy. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: And you're kind of a bit of a wanker, but it's just for whatever reason we're resistant to big, unnecessary words. So it's pretty funny. Um, funniest camera rolling moment you've had in the Novas channel. Rhys: I reckon a few years ago I don't know how it happened, but we managed to capture when the controls fell off the boat. Rhys: the thing that puts you forward in reverse. Yeah. It just fell off and we somehow were filming I panned across to my mate Kiki's face the look on his face was not happy. And we were, we were actually out off Cape Morton that day, andnearly a hundred Ks offshore sort of things. Rhys: And you have Yeah. But we managed to, get it working with some straps. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: Strap it in and, Shrek: mm, Rhys: there's no problem. Shrek: while we're talking about this, you've sounded like an absolute ninja in terms of how many breakdowns you've had. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Building a Budget-Friendly Boat Shrek: building a 47 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:08,000 boat on a budget. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: As you mentioned before, family life, pressures of life, allocating extra finance to a big trendy boat was not for you. Shrek: Mm-hmm. You managed to get it done on a budget. walk us through your thought process and how you got it done. Rhys: Yeah. So I did a lot of research about what. Boat types are gonna be the best on a budget. around here most people have larger fiberglass boats. They're pretty expensive. Like to buy in, you're sort of looking at 10 grand, you're gonna put another, at least 10, maybe 20 into rebuilding it. Rhys: I don't have the budget for that. I'm sub five grand budget type person. So I sort of naturally gravitated towards your rib style boats. 'cause they do have a better ride for the size of boat. But ribs are somewhat risky because you know, you have to replace the tubes and you can pop 'em. Rhys: my mate, Joe was really the one who kind of, he, he had a Mac boat, a larger Mac boat. They're a New Zealand company. Might be the Shrek: So plastic pontoon? Rhys: Yeah, Plastic 48 00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:08,000 pontoon boat. Yeah. And so they're really quite interesting. In Australia, our plastic boat industry is dominated by. What's it? Rhys: Poly poly craft. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: I don't really rate 'em that much. Hey, after going out on a few of them, but these Mack boats seem the real deal. Like it's amazing. They aren't more popular than they are. Mm. Uh, this boat, there's videos of it full of water. They've filled the boat completely with water. Rhys: Doesn't sink. They've chopped it in half with a chainsaw. neither half sunk. They dropped it off a crane. didn't sink. Shrek: And they ride. Nice. Rhys: Yeah. I mean like it's not, at the end of the day, it's not a hundred thousand dollars boat ride, but it is pretty good. Yeah. And most people have commented that it's a good ride. Rhys: Yeah. Right. And purchase price, like Rhys: you can get one brand new for about 10, $12,000. I got mine secondhand. Shrek: You can get a brand new Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Mac boat for 10, 12 grand. Rhys: Yeah. I think even on a trailer at that price too. Yeah. Obviously you're not gonna get a motor electronics sort sort of stuff. Shrek: All right. So what'd you pay for yours? 49 00:49:00,000 --> 00:49:08,000 Rhys: I got mine for 2,500 on a trailer with a motor, but I sold the motor, I sold the trailer. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: bought it from a salvage yard. Shrek: Okay. Rhys: So they had been contracted, it had sunk, I'm guessing, in Morton Bay. Well, the boat it was attached to, it sunk and the Mac boat didn't sink, but it was like a, a boy. Rhys: It sort of got pulled half underwater. Shrek: Were they using it for the punt or the, the tender off the back Rhys: of Shrek: a Rhys: that's what it was. Yeah. Yeah. Shrek: Right. Rhys: Yep. yeah, once I sold that stuff, you know, I was only outta pocket about 1500. I already had my own motor. So it was a pretty cheap sort of projects. Shrek: Rhys: So I had my 50 horsepower on my aluminum boat, Shrek: two banger? Rhys: No, four stroke. Shrek: Okay. Rhys: I don't think I would go to a two stroke again. Hey, the fuel efficiency on a four stroke, even an old engine, it's awesome. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: Yeah. Okay. And then lack of smell and all that sort of stuff. Shrek: Yeah. And fuel tanks. Like is it on floor and that Rhys: or, yeah, so I built my own fuel storage area, got a piece of cardboard, shaped it and cut it out. Then 50 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:08,000 used that as a template onto a piece of supply, carpeted it. And I built a box, that stores two 30 liter tanks. Shrek: Why'd you build the box outta aluminum? Rhys: No, I built it out ply and cut it. Wow. But what I'll probably do eventually is I'll just get a plastic welder to weld, like cut the shape out and weld it in plastic. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: It works good now the box, but it, it is, um, Shrek: just glassed and ply. Rhys: yeah. Yeah. That's what it is now. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: But it's bolted in, so the bolts eventually kind of rattle loose even with those nylock nuts, Shrek: Okay. Rhys: I think a welded thing will be much better. Shrek: And you put the motor on yourself Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: how do you know about the leg length? Rhys: Uh, that's a good question. Shrek: And ' Rhys: cause it already had a 50 horse stroke. Okay. A horsepower motor on it, so it's just straight swap. Rhys: Right. You could see the holes where it had gone in. Shrek: Okay. Rhys: so it was easy as Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: Same leg length. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: So on these smaller engines, they pretty much all come in what's called a long leg or something like that. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: it's pretty easy. Shrek: Okay. Rhys: Well I think we did actually adjust the 51 00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:08,000 height of it. Rhys: I think we found the ride was not so good, so we, I think we might have raised it a bit, Shrek: putting in forward controls. Yeah. And, is it hydraulic or Rhys: No, I just got mechanical steering. Yeah. Okay. I might eventually get hydraulic steering. It is a lot smoother and, but you're looking at like $1,500. Rhys: Okay. Versus I think with the helm. And the steering wheel and everything. It's only like 500 bucks for mechanical steering. So, Shrek: okay, so did you run all your lines down one side of the hull or Rhys: so, uh, you'll love the, like we're really geeking out on boat stuff here. Rhys: Yeah. But um, I'm a bit of a boat geek. The Mac boats have a built-in Your froth is so much. They've got a channel built in into the middle of the boat for routing cables. Shrek: Oh wow. Rhys: And it's got these little like hatches and you can just open up and Shrek: for inspecting and Yeah. Yeah. Right. Rhys: Yeah, it's good. Eh, those Kiwis Shrek: man. Shrek: That's so clever. I'm gonna have to talk to someone from that, boating company I think. 52 00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:08,000 Rhys: Yeah, definitely. Shrek: So, you know, theoretically, how, what do they go to lengthwise? These boats? I Rhys: think six and a half meters. Shrek: Oh, far out? Yeah. And what, what would you need to power that decently? Rhys: The six and a half meter one? Rhys: Yeah, that'd be like 150 horsepower. Shrek: Oh yeah. Rhys: Pretty heavy. The plastic boats. Shrek: Yeah. Okay. What's the dead rise at the back? Like is there much of an angle or is pretty Rhys: flat? It's really on the bigger boats. It's really good. Shrek: Yeah, right. Rhys: Proper, like deep V hulls. Shrek: So the problem with boats that aren't, designed for long, they're more line fishing based. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: And a lot of those pontoon boats, they flat at the back. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: So they slap when they come down and they just don't ride good. Rhys: So it really interesting with Mack Boat, the boat I have now is basically intended as a dive boat. Shrek: Okay. Rhys: So that they've, they have made the ride pretty good. Shrek: Okay. Rhys: It's still a small boat, but it does ride pretty good. It doesn't have the deepest V but it's a small boat. Shrek: Do you know what the damage is for like let's just say a five meter, Rhys: I think it'd be around like $20,000. It's still pretty cheap. That's a brand new Shrek: one? Shrek: Mm-hmm. And 53 00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:08,000 like lifespan versus like a glass or, or Rhys: Well, this is a really good question. I feel like I'm a,yeah, maybe I should talk about a sales person. No, I've done a lot of research on it. Yeah. And like my mate Joe did as well. And, you know, we here in Australia and I, dunno if it's the same in the US but we have plastic, bins. Rhys: I've probably had for 30 years. Yeah. Here. they, yeah. They are not breaking down. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: How thick are the walls on the Rhys: palm terms? Pretty, it's pretty thick. Hey. Yeah. I don't know exactly off the top of my head, but I think it's like 10 mil. Shrek: Do you know the type of plastic they use? I know we're getting real geeky Rhys: here. Rhys: Yes. I do know. I can't quote it off the top of my head, but it is a UV stable plastic Shrek: PET or? Rhys: Yes, I think so. Shrek: Okay. Yeah. Righto. Interesting. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: And the world that's starting to, you know, plastic's definitely out of vogue in terms of material because of microplastics in our bloodstream Rhys: and Well, they, you can recycle these boats apparently. Shrek: Yeah. Righto. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. Right. And it's just another 54 00:54:00,000 --> 00:54:08,000 petroleum based product. Yeah. That's another reason why it's out of vogue. It's the fossil fuel crowd. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: Very interesting. Very intriguing though, Reese. 'cause I mean, theoretically you could have a fully recycled boat made outta recycled material. Shrek: And low cost. Rhys: Low cost. And there's some neat stuff they do, like the way they build the boat, I think they use an outer skin and inner skin and they sandwich it between foam and the foam gives it the strength when they're casting it. Okay. I don't know a lot about like plastic manufacture, but the foam is built into the product? Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: A lot of boats. You'll have to add foam to it later. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: If you want to get a commercial standard, if you wanna operate it commercially, these boats basically have that built in. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: So if you want to make it a commercial boat down the track, that part's already done. And the safety too. Shrek: A big shout out for Mac boats. Shrek: Yeah. Like you are on the sunny coast. A lot of your diving off here, despite the fact that you go Miles shore in it, like a lot of your diving is fairly 55 00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:08,000 local. Yeah. So it's perfect for that. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Where does the 4.2 come unstuck in terms of distance and conditions? Rhys: Well, I don't think there is really a limit with me. Rhys: Uh, yeah. Or your longer trips. Definitely. Like last year we did a reef trip with our club. So when we say reef here, we mean Southern Barrier Reef Shrek: 120 K out. Rhys: Nah, I think, Shrek: nah, nah, sorry. Nah. Um, 80 what? 80 at the Rhys: start? Yeah, about 80, Ks. We break it up, we like to dive some spots that are in between. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: So we break the trip up, we done a day out and there was a lot bigger boats and they got out to the reef only about 30 minutes before us, so. Okay. It still all right. And it was sheer conditions too. Shrek: Well Rhys: 15 to 20 from the north and a pretty decent swell. Shrek: Yeah. Right. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: And you got out there in a little 4.2. Shrek: It was Rhys: rough though. It Shrek: be two hour trip. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: and that sort of slot. Rhys: Yeah. Yeah. Maybe, probably more. Really? 'cause I think it was about an hour and a half to our first reef that we got to, which is like three quarters of the way out. 56 00:56:00,000 --> 00:56:08,000 Yeah. Yeah. Weed out though after that. Shrek: That shows It's pretty capable though. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: Yeah. And that was four people too. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: Like I I Shrek: four people. Rhys: Yeah. I wouldn't normally do it with four people. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: but you know, it was just like, we're gonna send it. Shrek: What's the boat ideally good for three. Rhys: Three is perfect. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: I've been going out a lot with two. It's not super well balanced with two, Shrek: three weight distribution. Shrek: How do you do it? Rhys: Yeah, with three, it's just like one in the middle, one on either side, and we hang onto the console. Shrek: Okay. And so you center a console? Shrek: Yeah. Center console. So your weights sort of forward a little bit. Yeah. your fuel is that sort of sitting through the guts. Rhys: The fuel is up front. Shrek: And what's your carrying capacity? Rhys: I got 60 liters so I can do a reef trip on the 60. I mean, it's cut, it's cutting fine, but yeah. Shrek: It's so good though. Rhys: It is good. Yeah. Shrek: 60 liter people will hear about that and they're just frothing like, you know, the, they're big boats. As nice as they are. You're like, you, it's Rhys: two, Shrek: 300 Rhys: liters. Shrek: Yeah. Yeah. and you're using it like, so you're talking five, $600 for a day out. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: It 57 00:57:00,000 --> 00:57:08,000 might carry six people, but I mean, how do you, how many do you wanna dive with anyway? Rhys: that's right. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Very cool man. I like it. Let's go on to the next one. Essential Survival Kit for Beginner Spearos Shrek: Survival kit. if you had to build a survivor kit for a beginner spiro Rhys: Mm. Shrek: you're only allowed to spend minimal amount of money Rhys: Yep. Shrek: you're putting it on your 4.2 mac boat to go to the reef for a weekend trip. Yep. What's going in there? Rhys: the most important thing is the mask. That's really the only thing that they can't cut corners on. I'd probably tell them to go into whatever local dive store they have around here. Rhys: It's the dive cave and I'd get a mask that fits really well. Everything else I've got spare stuff that I would give them to be honest, but if they were gonna source it. And that's the thing too, if you're going out with people, just ask if they've got spare stuff as well. They don't need a float line 'cause we usually just use one between us anyways. Rhys: So they don't need to bring that along. But if they needed to buy one, you can get by with just a piece of rope, 58 00:58:00,000 --> 00:58:08,000 Shrek: telecom, rope. Rhys: Yeah. Or Joe used to use the wake boarding rope. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: That's pretty good too. Actually Shrek: floats, doesn't it? Rhys: floats. it doesn't tangle too much. So something like that, in terms of the float, you can go to a retailer, get a cheap float for maybe $50 with a flag. Rhys: You don't need anything advanced, Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: We got people in our club shooting Marlins, which is a little 10 liter float or whatever they are, you know, like, it's not, super critical. Shrek: It's more visibility for boats. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Spear guns. We were talking about this earlier. If you can try and get something. Rhys: A good quality one secondhand that's gonna save you a lot of money. Can be hard to source them. If you've got a club. That's a good way. Just go, Hey guys, I'm looking to get a secondhand gun. Like if someone said that to me right now, I've basically got a gun that I can, Shrek: a lot of spirits are like that. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: we've talked about some ideas around the space just to help people ease their way into it. Rhys: for your fins, that's probably another secondhand thing. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: You wanna make sure your pockets fit well. So if you can try a few different 59 00:59:00,000 --> 00:59:08,000 ones on, just make sure they fit well. otherwise you, you, your plastic fins are pretty good too. Rhys: Yeah. For cheap price. what's the real popular ones? The Boche Shrek: razor? Rhys: cheap. Shrek: Marris razors like, if you want, you can upgrade your plastics to, you know, DIRs or Penetrators or something like that. Yeah. Rhys: you wouldn't be doing that when you're starting there. Shrek: Nah. You don't need to. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: The plastics are good enough. Rhys: And, uh, in terms of gloves. I still love the maxi cuts. I'm hoping to get, this is a maxi cut if you're interested. I'm keen. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: they're so good if you're diving warmer water. Definitely. Shrek: Yeah. So they're not air pre, they're just a cut proof. Shrek: Yeah. Um, relatively, Rhys: I use, I still use it down in Victoria though. Shrek: Yeah. My hands aren't super soft like that. I, like, I prefer functionality over warmth. Rhys: Yeah. That's what I found down in Vic too. So I had the Kev of gloves and I couldn't use my fingers, so. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: Yeah. It's like, I don't mind if my hands get cold. Rhys: I'd rather have that feeling. Shrek: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It depends, eh, it depends what your 60 01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:08,000 level of comfortability is. in terms of emergency equipment in your boat, you're doing a reef trip and you're a little 4.2. What's going on there? Rhys: I now have a handheld radio, as we talked about earlier Shrek: range. What's the range on that? Rhys: It's pretty good. I think it's about five kilometers, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it's rare you're. more than five kilometers from a boat. If you imagine if you're driving to a reef, someone's pretty much always doing that trip as well. Shrek: So it's just sort of beyond line of sight. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: Okay. Rhys: Uh, obviously you try and have your own radio, but as we talked about, they're a bit unreliable. in Australia we have mandatory safety gear, so you'd have all that. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: You've got your flares, you've got your V sheet. Shrek: life jackets. Of course. Rhys: Life jackets. Rhys: Shrek: We always wear. Rhys: I'd really highly recommend a whistle. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: I think they're a really good idea. if you get separated and it can happen, the current can pull your way just to have that, thing actually a mate of mine, nearly like left this earth and it, the only thing that saved him was he had a whistle. Shrek: Yeah. Right. Rhys: He was out of 61 01:01:00,000 --> 01:01:08,000 northwest wa ion islands drifting. it was him and one other guy. 'cause in those remote areas, you know, it's like pretty hard to find one other person to go spear fishing with. He's drifted. He shot a big mackerel. It's pulled him away from the boat. He sees the guy in the boat going like this. Rhys: And for the people who aren't, can't see, that's the person looking around, frantically trying to see him, couldn't see anything. And then he saw the guy start driving in the opposite direction. Shrek: Oh Rhys: And it's 'cause he had a whistle on his belt he was able to make that noise and get picked up Shrek: far out. Shrek: That'd be scary. Rhys: I think those,little tubes are a good idea too. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Shrek: they're not that good. the safety sausage we're talking about. the inflatables, unfortunately, like there is a, like a limit to how good they are. Unless you've got those ones that sand like two meters tall. Rhys: right. Shrek: from old man blue cells, the, inflatable ones now. Rhys: Mm-hmm. Shrek: I would like to see a thinner material, one that. Holds a higher volume and, and just is a bit more mass. Yeah. 'cause it's funny how fast 62 01:02:00,000 --> 01:02:08,000 stuff disappears. Yeah. In the open ocean, particularly with, you know, white capping conditions. Shrek: even if it's bright colored, But yeah, definitely useful, but only sort of like, I don't know, a few hundred meters. Rhys: Mm. Shrek: Uh, which is still huge. And then Rhys: you're within sort of whistle range at that range then, aren't you? Shrek: Yeah. Well you can put it on your spear gun and hold it up and you get even a bit more visibility out of it. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Yeah, they're not but a perfect solution, but they're far better than having nothing, that's for sure. Rhys: Ultimately with safety, you know, it's a bit of a trope, but your dive buddy is your biggest safety equipment, isn't it really? Yeah. Even just from a blackout perspective, even just from, you want to be two people in the water's a lot safer than Shrek: one. Shrek: Mm-hmm. And um, first take kit, you just have like Rhys: Yeah, I've got two of them. So I have one in the boat. And I have one in my dive bag as well. I got mine from Aldi. They seem pretty good. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: Yeah, I, I think also those tac me ones are really good too. Rhys: Yeah. I do also buy Tocas and put them in with it as well. Shrek: You supplement them sort of thing with, 63 01:03:00,000 --> 01:03:08,000 with a few add-ons. I think that's a smart way to do it. You can buy a good general first aid kit that's fairly tough. Rhys: Yep. Shrek: Like the Aldi ones when they have their sales are fine and then you buy, combat action tourniquets off, Amazon or Tech Me. Shrek: Australia's a good one. Yeah, yeah. But definitely like.you're gonna be stoked. You've got it when you need it. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: And if you don't have it, you're gonna feel like a piece of shit. Rhys: And we've, we've, uh, mine's been raided a few times now. Yeah. From, macro bites. Shrek: Yeah. Oh yeah. Really? Rhys: Yeah. I've done it myself too. Rhys: Like you just, sometimes you just Shrek: fingers Rhys: Yeah. You put your hand in its mouth and your finger slides right up to its mouth and then you brain it and it just slices through the top of your finger and Shrek: yeah. And mac teeth is so sharp. So sharp. Yeah. Yeah. No, great point. Alright, cool. Memorable Underwater Experiences and Final Thoughts Shrek: strangest thing that you've seen underwater that wasn't a fish. Rhys: Strangest thing that I've seen underwater. Rhys: I mean, everyone's sort of had that experience where you, you look over and you see someone. Going to the toilet. Yeah. While you are underwater. I've seen that while I'm 64 01:04:00,000 --> 01:04:08,000 diving. Looked up and seen, seen it squeezing out. Shrek: Uh, Rhys: that's probably the strangest thing. Shrek: I didn't know you were gonna go with the poo story today, but I should have expected it. Rhys: I don't have too many. Hey. Like everyone's so desensitized on my boat. It's such a, Shrek: yeah, just a, it is just a freeing experience. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: I was gonna make another Zootopia joke, but Rhys: that might be, that's a bit of an inside joke, isn't Shrek: it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I like this question. if someone gave you a blank check to film the Ultimate Nova's Adventure episode, Rhys: that's a good question. Shrek: location, fish disaster potential, everything in between. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: What would that look like? Rhys: Oh, Shrek: and we're talking to Shrek: Maxi cuts And, and, and Mac boats might wanna sponsor this. Yeah, Rhys: so I, I really like spearfishing videos that aren't too grandiose. Rhys: I actually like 'em when they're more relatable. a lot of the spearfishing, like YouTube channels, I found that older stuff a lot more interesting. Like when they get 65 01:05:00,000 --> 01:05:08,000 higher budget it's just becomes really unrelatable and it's like, oh, that I'll never be able to do that. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: So it'd probably be somewhere in the South Pacific, you know, with some of my mates, with my brother of course. Rhys: And yeah, it wouldn't be a super high budget thing. But yeah, there's a few, there's a lot of places on my list that I really want to go to. I, I really want to go to Lord how island, it's, , it's mostly green. Well, it's all green zone, but you are allowed to take craze there. I just think that'd be, it's the island itself. Rhys: It's southern most, tropical reef system. Yeah, Shrek: right. Rhys: Yeah. It'd be really cool. Yeah. Shrek: Okay, cool. Rhys: a crayfish video over there would be bloody awesome. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: Uh, Norfolk Island as well. History and everything like that. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: Shrek: Gotta get, Jamie back on the podcast at some point. He Yeah. Started off there. Shrek: Yes. And then ended up over in, um, Vanuatu. Rhys: He's actually got videos on his YouTube channel of him Spearing Norfolk from like 10 years ago. They're really Shrek: deeply immersed, eh? Is his youTube channel? Rhys: I think it's just NF Islander. Shrek: It was too, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Rhys: and 66 01:06:00,000 --> 01:06:08,000 it's really interesting over there. Rhys: They most common reef fish is Red Throat Emperor. Rhys: Shrek: Wow. I Rhys: wouldn't think that a, but Shrek: I like a Red Throat. Rhys: Yeah. We love our, we love our Red throat stuff. Shrek: Fun to hunt, fun to eat. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Just great, awesome fish. They don't grow that big, but they're just fun. They're just Rhys: probably my all time favorite fish. Shrek: Real, Rhys: yeah. Oh, there's so many. We're so lucky here. Yeah, like it's just crazy. Like every fish you're like, yeah, we got that here. You know, every hard fish, Shrek: buffalo emperor, like I want one. Rhys: They're awesome. But they're pretty rare, aren't they? Yeah. We got some in Samoa. Yeah. They're reasonably common there. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: Um, man, they're hard. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: So hard. I didn't get one. But Shrek: behavior wise, what are they like? Rhys: Well, they're just like every other challenging reef fish, you know? I, over there they've got a lot of good challenging reef fish to hunt. A lot of coronation trout there. They're an awesome fish. Shrek: Coronation. Trout tastes less like success. Rhys: Yeah, definitely. Shrek: So how do they actually taste that? I've never eaten one. Rhys: Oh. Just like a trout, you know? Really? I don't think they're any 67 01:07:00,000 --> 01:07:08,000 spec. Yeah. Shrek: I thought they were different because they're a different family, aren't they? Rhys: No, they're still, Shrek: I thought they were like a lot tougher and Rhys: Mm. Rhys: I'm not, you know, I don't eat a lot of coronation trout, so. Yeah. Shrek: Right. Rhys: Just to set the scene, coronation trout are probably the prettiest coral trout we have. Shrek: mm-hmm. Rhys: Probably gotta be one of the prettiest fish in the world. Shrek: Are they a coral trout? Rhys: Yeah, they're definitely coral trout. Rhys: Yeah. Or they're, I know they look the same like cod trout sort of family. Yeah. But they're just so smart. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: The only fish I think that tops them in terms of intelligence is snapper. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: They're the only fish. Maybe Shrek: they can be dumb too, though. Rhys: They can be dumb. Yeah. And everyone I've speared was probably on that spectrum. Rhys: Um, Shrek: cool. What, what haven't I asked you about that I should have? Rhys: I could talk about my first boat that I got. 'cause that was quite momentous. Mm. Yeah. So, at the time. Uh, it was when I, I'd only had one kid, so I had a lot of spare time me and my mate were going for a short dive. Rhys: He is actually my, my first sort of 68 01:08:00,000 --> 01:08:08,000 mentor Rowan. Real cool guy. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: We went for a short dive and we started finding all this like fishing paraphernalia, you know, we started finding like fishing rods, started finding keys, started finding all this stuff. As we're swimming out, I'm like, this is weird. I came back in The Keys had the person's number on it. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: So I gave him a call. I'm like, I found a bunch of your stuff. Hey, like, I found like rods, I found like beers and stuff like that. and he was like, yeah mate, there's a whole boat there as well if you want it. And I was like, oh, what do you mean? He is like, well, yeah, it's sunk, and like, like you can have it. Rhys: And I was like, okay, cool. And so the next day we went out on Levi's boat and went to find it. We hatched a bit of a plan that evening. It's real funny 'cause Levi, he's like 10 years younger than me, but he's just so like. Switched on with hands on sort of stuff. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: Righto. He's just directing us. So he is like, okay, go to Bunnings. Rhys: Buy like 50 carabiners, a whole bunch of rope. And he actually used to work at the collar 69 01:09:00,000 --> 01:09:08,000 place, you know those boat collars? Yeah. He used to fit those collars. So he had a whole bunch of foam, met him down at the boat ramp. We spent ages looking for this boat. Hey, like the guy told us where he thought it was. Rhys: We probably spent about three or four hours looking for it, just driving back and forth, getting towed, trying to find this boat, couldn't find it. And I said to my brother, let's go have a look for some craze. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: Started swimming into like a bit shallower water and we just, it's just this big shiny thing on the bottom. Rhys: And we looked at each other, we're like, oh, this is it. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: And then we gotta figure out how to lift a boat that's upside down. So after, you know, we'd done the thing that everyone does where you go and like drive it and stuff like that. Yeah. You know, while it's underwater. What we worked out was we had one person wait on the bottom. Rhys: Yeah. and another person would be up top, they'd push the foam under the water and then the second person would swim at the foam the rest of the way. 'cause it, like anything, it's sort of hard to break the surface then it gets easier. Shrek: Yeah. Yep. Rhys: Person on the bottom would then clip it onto the carabiner. Rhys: 70 01:10:00,000 --> 01:10:08,000 On the boat we clipped about 50 pieces of foam that are sort of like, 300 by 300 and then the boat just lifted off the bottom. Shrek: Oh, so to the surface. Yeah, because people drive it off the bottom as well. That's another way, isn't it? Rhys: Yeah. But this was upside down, so I just dunno if it'll work. Rhys: And so we got it up on the surface, it's floating upside down. And then what we did was we towed it and as it was getting towed, me and my brother were holding onto the boat. We dropped back, grabbed the boat, and put our weight on one side and it just sort of like flipped it over. Yeah. Shrek: Righto. Rhys: And then it's just like bailing the water out and Shrek: so Good. Rhys: Yeah. That was how I got my first boat. Shrek: And that's the Clark abalone Rhys: that was, yeah. Shrek: And, uh, what do you have to do when you recover a sunk boat to get it seaworthy again. Do you? Rhys: Well, 'cause I had the guy who owned it, he just signed it over to me. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: So it it was like buying a boat basically. Shrek: So what you just pressure wash it down and then Rhys: Yeah. Pressure washed it and then you gotta replace basically everything. Shrek: Okay. And do you I Rhys: actually sold on the 71 01:11:00,000 --> 01:11:08,000 old motor. I scrap like put it in the tip. I sold the trim tilt 'cause it was still working. Yeah. That's crazy. Eh. Shrek: So good. And then just picked up a second air motor. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: What's your advice of buying second Air Motors? Rhys: Well just be prepared for a lot of things to go wrong. That's my advice. You know? Shrek: Well people sell motors 'cause they're what, old too many hours? Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Or they're a dud. Rhys: Yeah. Rhys: How do you make sure you're just buying one that's old Yeah. Well, what I would do is you obviously wanna see it running. Rhys: you want it to run smoothly. I think also you you wanna pull the cowling off, which is like the cover of the motor. Mm-hmm. You wanna just check that there's no salt buildups or anything that indicates that anything's leaking or anything. It should look real clean inside. Shrek: Check the sacrificial odes. Rhys: Yeah. I mean, like, they're gonna be corroded. It's, that's, yeah. Like, that's just general where, um, that's Shrek: supposed to Yeah. Rhys: one thing you can do is pull the spark plugs out, and just shine your torch light in and just, you'll get an idea of what the 72 01:12:00,000 --> 01:12:08,000 inside of the engine looks like. Rhys: if that's all like carbon, just looks terrible, then might indicate a more serious problem with the motor. Okay. You could also pay a professional to look at it. Shrek: Compression testing Rhys: and Yeah. You can do compression test. I would definitely recommend, 'cause one of those compression meters are like a hundred bucks or whatever. Shrek: Oh really? Rhys: They're not expensive and they're pretty easy, like YouTube, how to use a compression meter on an outboard and it's just, it just plugs into the, where the spark plug comes out. Shrek: Yep, yep. Rhys: I don't think the numbers matter so much. They just have to be all pretty similar. Shrek: Alright, cool. Rhys: That's what I would do. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: They're pretty bulletproof outboards, I think also the brand that you buy. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: It's a big thing. So you, here in Australia, your Japanese motors are pretty invincible. Shrek: Yeah. Right. Rhys: I think that it goes Yamaha number one. Suzuki. Suzuki. Yeah. I, I've had it in my Honda for 10 years. Rhys: I, I rate 'em. But Shrek: Evan rude. Rhys: Oh, that'd be right down the bottom there. Yeah. Shrek: And mer. Rhys: 73 01:13:00,000 --> 01:13:08,000 They're getting a reputation has been a lot better. Personally. I just, the Japanese just seem to be the way to go. Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. And parts and like fixing stuff, like is there a lot of YouTube support for Output Hates Rhys: of YouTube videos? Rhys: Yeah. Yeah. Especially if you get a newer motor. Like a Yamahas so many videos on Yamahas. Mm. And the cool thing with outboards is that they're sort of designed in a way that they're all pretty similar, even though the engine sizes are smaller, it's all pretty much the same methodology all the way up from like small motor to a big motor. Shrek: Mm. Rhys: Doesn't really change Shrek: the, um, outboard shops seem to be such a mixed bag in terms of quality of service you get and stuff like that. Yeah. Like I've heard so many horror stories, Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Like, Rhys: you know, I know one of my parts online Shrek: For people that are like, Throwing down $23,000 on a new outboard fitted. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: That's such a substantial chunk of change. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: You really want a decent install and a level of reliability outta that thing. 'cause it's 74 01:14:00,000 --> 01:14:08,000 just such a big outlay and I've seen people get, burned and disappointed by it. Mm-hmm. Any advice there? Rhys: I don't own a new outboard and probably never will, but if I did I would just go, like, in our club you just say like, get a consensus from where everyone's buying and who they like and stuff like that. Shrek: Yep, yep, Yeah. You just like, I don't know, I'm, I'm that guy. 'cause like, I'm not super mechanically savvy and neither do I have the time to be like a hardcore DIY guy. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: So I just like getting stuff done once. Happy to sort of pay Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: But just want it done. Right. Rhys: You might be better off with a really new secondhand motor though. Rhys: Because brand new motors. they're really expensive. When you first get 'em, you have to do a maintenance schedule, otherwise it voids the warranty. Shrek: Yep. Rhys: And it's like every a hundred hours or something like that. Yeah. Which is basically like every 30th trip or maybe less. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Shrek: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. awesome. Reese, we've, I've had a. Rad chat. I knew we were going. It's been years in the making 75 01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:08,000 and, uh, no doubt you'll be back on again. Uh, I did want to give you a plug, um, Nova's Adventures on YouTube. Check him out on, Instagram as well. Yeah. Uh, Reese is always doing, cool things and he's such a relatable guy. Shrek: as you've probably learned during this interview, a lot of value to Reese, and particularly for people that are just DIY, low budget people,it, it might sound like a backhanded compliment, but it's not. It's just practical intelligence that, it, it almost makes spearfishing more accessible for the everyday person. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: So thanks for sharing so much of that info today. I was also gonna say to people, Reese is really fun to learn from. He's really fun to hang out with. he is on like 80% of the beginner retreats and he's only gonna get more involved if you're interested in hanging out with him doing stuff, spearfishing courses.com au. Shrek: Anything else, Reese. Rhys: Uh, I think I would just say I'd echo what Simon said. relaxation is so important for spearfishing and it did take me a long time to get it as well. It's part of like, I think that's sort of like the founding principle of free diving is 76 01:16:00,000 --> 01:16:08,000 relaxing. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: and I'd also say just enjoy it. Rhys: Don't, don't rush it. Just enjoy your spearfishing journey. I wish I had filmed a lot more when I started out. Shrek: Mm-hmm. Rhys: I had this thing where I was like, no, I'm not gonna film till I start spearing decent fish. Shrek: Yeah. Rhys: I really wish I filmed 'cause there was a lot of funny, fun stuff that happened at the start. Rhys: And Shrek: I like that. Enjoy the journey too, man. Like because you're relatable. Like if you make spearfishing videos and you're a beginner, as long as it's funny and you're real and you're sort of teaching what you are learning as you go, it's still like such a cool thing to do. Rhys: Yeah. Shrek: Yeah. Cool. come check out Novas adventures. give this man a like and a subscribe. But thanks for listening to the podcast. If you wanted to find anything that we talked about, go to no spirit.com/reese, which will be RHYS. I should probably have made it Novas as well, Shrek: N-O-V-I-Z. Yeah. Nova Spearfishing Adventures. Check 'em out. Alright guys, thanks for listening. Shrek: Hey guys. Welcome to the New Spirit podcast. My name's 77 01:17:00,000 --> 01:17:08,000 Shrek. You're about to get into an interview with an absolute spearing legend. It's my mate, Reese Clay. Nova's Adventures is his YouTube channel. Really cool guy. He comes and helps on the Noob Spearo, retreats and charters. He's getting his instructors, but he's been aging for a long time. Shrek: Really clever guy. Really thoughtful. I just enjoy his company and his way of looking at the world. I hope you enjoy, his interview today. Before we get there, I did have two quickies to read out. Mark recently become a patron. I said, thanks for becoming a patron. He says, no worries at all, mate. Shrek: It's not much. However, I hope it helps somewhat. I've just finished listening to all the episodes from episode one up until the latest one, episode 304. Um, he lives in the Port Stevens area. People like that. Putting fuel in the Newbury Airport. It goes a long, long way. If you're interested in doing it, go to patreon.com/noobspearo. Also one final shout out before we get into today's episode with Reese Clay. This one's been long waited, by the way. I hope you're looking forward to it. We talk all sorts of stuff, including, the joys of running a Spearfish 78 01:18:00,000 --> 01:18:08,000 YouTube channel. Nick, five stars, he says, for sale and spear 2025. Shrek: Seriously, an experience of a lifetime. We had an unreal time getting after some great fish. Met fellow froths from all over Australia and New Zealand. Shrek Eckhart, Tim, and Ryan are all incredible instructors who really knocked it outta the park. If you're keen on an adventure and to make dive buddies for life, this is a trip for you. Shrek: See you next year yield. If you're interested in doing that, go to spearfish courses.com au. Head up into the charters menu. Nick's actually going. He's bringing his partner Silva. Again, they were absolute legends last year. You might've heard them on last week's episode of the Newbury Podcast. People like that absolutely make trips like this possible. Shrek: just Super high vibes. Hey, let's get into today's episode, talking about legends. It's Reese Clay. Let's go Novas Adventures. Shrek: Hey guys, hope you enjoyed today's episode. Reese is a good mate, and, his YouTube channel, Nova's Adventures, highly recommend. Recently he shared a clip on social media. He's eating, the liver of a fish it's absolutely crazy. You gotta go 79 01:19:00,000 --> 01:19:08,000 check it out In Nova Adventures on his social media, he's eating a raw fish liver, and what he says it tastes like is really unusual. Shrek: Check him out. Really cool dude. And, uh, always helpful. Always, keen to connect. If you're a noob. Reese is a great guy to ask questions of. He's in the Noob Spearo community on Facebook as well. As mentioned at the start. Patron Legends are absolutely putting fuel on the Noob Spearo outboard on a monthly basis. Shrek: Go to patreon.com/noobspearo If you're keen. Also, go to spearfishing courses.com au. If you wanna join Nick and a bunch of like-minded legends on the sale and Spear Charters this year, it'd be great to have a few. Noob, Spearo legends on there as usual. Check that out. Spearfishing courses.com au. Shrek: Guys, another cracking episode. Next week we're off to discuss tactical breathing with, ex paramedic, firefighter, underwater photographer and a good mate of mine too. Cindy, down on the Gold Coast. Come back for that episode. It's gonna be awesome to have you with you. 2026, we've got a bunch of legends lined up. Shrek: I dunno if you've heard also about our group coaching calls. Go to spearfishing courses.com. You 80 01:20:00,000 --> 01:20:08,000 head up into the menu online, check that out. You might be interested in being part of one of these live calls with a legend like 70. , Submitting your questions and, getting some help, um, improving 'cause. Shrek: Um, you don't have to do this alone. Doesn't matter where you live in the world. Getting some online coaching and some help might be just the thing you need. Check that out. Spearfishing courses.com au. That's it for me. I'll see you next week for Cindy. All right.​