Hey there, spearos. This is The Stone Shot, your weekly dose of spear content (and maybe some fishing, but we try to keep it below the water line)

If you’re new around here, every first Thursday of the month I send out the DIVER email. What’s that, you ask? Let me break it down for you:

The D.I.V.E.R. Email

Deal • Interesting • Video • Environment • Record

Deal

Woah, a new section? Yep! I’m always looking to add value to The Stone Shot community. So from now on, the D in DIVER stands for “Deal”.

For now, I’m scouring the internet for the best spearfishing deals for you. In the future, I’ll work directly with brands to bring exclusive offers just for our community!

$30 Off MAKO Spear Backpack

Link to the deal!

This ones for all you adventurous spearos. Not only does this pack hold all your gear, but it has an insulated pocket that acts as a cooler bag for your fish.

Interesting

Best Underwater Camera For Spearfishing

You’re subscribed to this newsletter, which probably means you’re on social media. And if you are, you’ve definitely seen the slew of spearfishing videos that have taken over your feeds in the last 10 years.

Some good. Some not so good. So that leads to an interesting question:

What is the best compact underwater camera for filming spearfishing?

The Options

You could argue there are endless options, but most spearos who film their dives will probably have one of two options: GoPro or DJI Osmo.

Now, as someone who’s used GoPro since 2010, I’ll try to be as objective as possible by looking at specs and example footage from each brand’s newest model.

Here’s what I’ve found:

Depth

• DJI - 59ft caseless and 196ft with the case

• GoPro - 33ft caseless and 196ft with case

DJI has the slight edge here. It’s nice not to have to worry about a case, so if you’re mostly diving under 60 feet, you might want to consider DJI.

Half a point to DJI.

Battery Life

• DJI - 160 minutes

• GoPro - 155 minutes

This one’s a wash.

Connection Points

This is where DJI really takes the lead. The DJI Osmo Action 4 (their newest model) has a magnetic connection system that clicks in and out. Anyone who’s ever used GoPro knows this is intriguing. The GoPro screws aren’t a big deal, but they teeter on the edge of annoying. It’s one of those things you don’t realize until you see something like DJI’s quick release.

Point for DJI.

Low Light

A camera’s sensor captures light and converts it into an electrical signal, creating the image you see. When filming in low light, say 50 feet underwater or in a cave at that depth, the sensor is important. The larger the sensor, the better the camera performs in low light.

Again, this is where DJI increases its lead. The DJI sensor is 1/1.3 while the GoPro is 1/1.9.

Point for DJI.

Color Accuracy

This one's interesting. I’ve watched many side-by-side comparisons, and the GoPro’s color accuracy is much better above water. The DJI tends to have blacker blacks, which sometimes makes the shot look a little too contrasty.

But once you’re below the surface, the DJI far exceeds the GoPro. The GoPro tends to get a greenish hue (see above).

Wash? I guess point DJI if you’re strictly using this for spearfishing.

Post Production

If you plan on putting in the time to edit your footage, GoPro might be the better option. In all the comparisons I’ve watched, GoPro always looks better once edited. They both have 10-bit color, so I’m not 100% sure what it is, but it’s obvious when you’re looking at it.

Point GoPro.

Conclusion

Looking at all these categories, it might seem obvious to choose DJI. But personally, I’ve been using GoPro for over a decade and probably won’t switch…yet. There are a couple of reasons:

First, it’s a close enough call that it’s not worth investing the time and money to switch.

Second, GoPro is the more established brand. It’s similar to how I’d choose an F150 or Tundra over a Jeep Gladiator if I were buying a truck. I prefer a company that has been around and learned from its mistakes in product design. But maybe that’s just me.

At the end of the day, it’s a toss-up. If you’re buying your first underwater action camera, you should probably go DJI. If you already use GoPro and don’t have any issues with it, don’t switch.

Video

Not sure how the Bronzies didn’t get this one! Aerial video of sharks looking for an easy meal.

Environment

Carbonwave

Have you ever been walking on the beach and noticed piles and piles of brown seaweed at the waterline? Well, that’s called Sargassum. This seaweed once grew in an isolated part of the Atlantic Ocean, but it is now blooming out of control and overwhelming tropical and temperate beach ecosystems everywhere.

When it decomposes, it releases methane into the atmosphere.

It blocks sea turtle babies from reaching the ocean.

It leeches heavy metals into the groundwater.

And it hurts tourism.

So today we’re featuring a company, Carbonwave, that is trying to turn this negative into a positive.

How They Do It

1. Carbonwave collects Sargassum onshore or nearshore to avoid harming ocean wildlife in the process.

2. They then bring the seaweed back to their processing facility, where they remove plastics, rinse it, and control for the quality of the seaweed itself. Then, they refine the cleaned Sargassum into components that can be stored and used in biomaterial products.

3. Finally, they launch products made from these materials.

Their Products

So far, they’ve launched two products: Sarga Agriscience and SeaBalance.

Sarga Agriscience takes the goodness from Sargassum and turns it into a fertilizer, which means no more cellulose filler!

SeaBalance cconverts Sargassum into an emulsifier (a substance that helps combine liquids of different thicknesses) for cosmetic formulators.

Carbonwave is a Puerto Rico-based company that was one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies of 2024.” I’ll keep tabs and update you all on any new products or news from them!

Record

Red Emperor

Weight: 41 lbs / 18.6 kg

Spearo: Hal Press

Location: Australia

Date Speared: 11/7/2014

Story:

I hope you enjoyed this months DIVER email!

PS - We’re searching for great spearfishing stories. Any stories of your own that you'd be willing to tell? Respond to this email and we’ll send over a short questionnaire!

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