THE COFFS Harbour Bluewater Freedivers Club recently held their awards night for their 2023 season at the Woolgoolga C.ex club.

Glenn George took out Open Champion for the third year in a row.

The awards night included a mix of season highlights, including Vice President Tom Sandstrom taking out Best of the Best and club member Jonathan Cassell taking out Fish of the Year.

Coffs Harbour Bluewater Freedivers Club Vice President Tom Sandstrom gave a recap of the club’s great night and season.

“We had a great night with over 60 people attending,” he said.

“The club is going really well and this year’s results all point to a number of key qualities divers need to be successful as a spearfisher.

“Credit goes to Glenn George who is the Open Champ again for the third year in a row and it shows Glenn’s impressive record comes down to broad skills gained with plenty of time in the water.

“The Fish of the Year goes to club member Jonathan Cassell, who shot the biggest Green Jobfish ever caught in NSW waters.

“While being in the right place at the right time matters, Jonathan still had to land a very powerful fish and he also took out the most meritorious category as well.

“It was also fantastic for me to be awarded the Best of the Best category, which is an accumulation of all the best fish caught throughout the year.

“I work hard in the water and it’s a great outcome.”

The Coffs Harbour Bluewater Freedivers Club has been running since 1994, with many spearfishers now passing their skills onto the next generation.

Sandstrom said the club was going from strength to strength at the moment.

“The Club has been going really well lately with quite a few new members but what we’re finding now is the kids from some of the original members are outcompeting the seniors,” he said.

“Beau George, who is Glenn’s son, won most meritorious at the 2023 Bluewater Classic for shooting a Cobia right next to a Bull Shark and was fifteen at the time.

“We’re pretty blessed to be spearfishers on the Coffs Coast with some of the best diving in NSW.

“But we also aim to create a community for people to enjoy and we actively take steps to look after the ocean whilst staying connected to a food source.

“The club regularly discusses issues related to ocean health and as spearo’s we see the impacts of a warming ocean with QLD reef species increasingly common around here.

“Without fish there ain’t no fishing so we definitely support a sustainable fishery as a club so we can continue to catch and eat seafood ethically into the foreseeable future.”

The Coffs Harbour Bluewater Classic is happening again this year on 16-17 March, and more information including registration can be found online at www.chbfreedivers.com/bluewater-classic

Coffs Harbour Bluewater Freedivers Club holds club meetings on the third Wednesday of each month in Woolgoolga, where members discuss club issues, upcoming events, club competitions, community involvement, and organise away trips.

Club competitions are held the first Sunday of each month.

The club has an active membership with weekly training, monthly social competitions, and one of the most popular freediving annual events – the Coffs Harbour Bluewater Classic.

By Aiden BURGESS