What is Tide to Table?
Tide to Table, also called "catch & cook" is a concept we strongly live by at
the Siquijor Freediving School.​
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We emphasize and teach the SERENE principle in spearfishing:
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Selective - we target only specific fish species (mostly pelagic)
Ethical - we kill fish ethically, similar to the Japanese "Ikejime" philosophy
Responsible - we prioritize safety first, for us and the coral reefs
Environment - we study our nature and conditions before going out for a catch
Nourishing - we don't simply kill anything, we target the most nutritious fish
Empathetic - we acknowledge we're taking a life of a living creature, respect it
If you cannot live by these principles, we don't want you out with us. We think before we pull the trigger, and sometimes we come back empty handed. That's how nature works!
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We DON'T spearfish in the shallow reef fish, which is why we train our students to dive beyond 20 meters (65 feet) to be able to spearfish.
We target pelagic fish like:
trevally, wahoo, tuna, mahi mahi, mackerel or amberjack.​
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Our courses are designed to get you there, but we ask everyone to have a
minimum Wave 2 certificate or equivalent.
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Spearfishing Course - Level I
1 Day - 250 $USD
Introduction to Spearfishing
What's included:
Boat, captain, coach and guide
Theory session on gear and equipment (c. 1 hour)
Theory on equalization and technique for spearfishing (c. 1 hour)
1 spearfishing dive session (2-3 hrs) on Siquijor Island
All freediving and spearfishing gear included
Professional guns, buoys, lines and gear
Maximum 4 & minimum 2 persons
Private rate available upon request
Location and times are weather dependent
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Schedule & Goals:
Total time: 4-5 hours
Goal of the Day: Learn basic skills, techniques, safety systems
& hang with speargun at 20 meters ;)
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Pre-requisistes:
Comfortable in an open water setting
Wave 2 Advanced Course or equivalent
Spearfishing Course - Level II
3 Day - 700 $USD
Intermediate Spearfishing Course
What's included:
Boat, captain, coach and guide
Two theory sessions on gear and equipment (c. 2 hours)
Two theory sessions on advanced equalization (c. 2 hours)
All freediving and spearfishing gear included
Professional guns, buoys, lines and gear
1 freediving depth session for spearfishing skills (1-2 hours)
2 spearfishing dive sessions (4-6 hrs) on Siquijor Island
Maximum 4 & minimum 2 persons
Private rate available upon request
Video analysis is included
Location and times are weather dependent
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Schedule & Goals:
Total time: 9-12 hours (over 3 days)
Goal of the Course: Advanced skills, use different guns, pole spear, hunting techniques, taking a shot
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Pre-requisistes:
Comfortable in an open water setting
Wave 2 Advanced Course or equivalent
Spearfishing Course - Level III
5 Day - 1125 $USD
Advanced & Offshore Spearfishing
What's included:
Boat, captain, gasoline and guide
Three theory sessions on gear and equipment (c. 3 hours)
Advanced theory for equalization techniques (c. 1.5 hours)
Stretching, lung expansion & statics training (c. 1.5 hours)
All freediving and spearfishing gear included
Professional guns, buoys, lines and gear
1 freediving depth session for spearfishing skills (1-2 hours)
2 spearfishing dive session (1-2 hrs) on Siquijor Island
1 offshore spearfishing session (4-6 hours)*
Learn Variable Weight (VWT) spearfishing
Master deep hangs and the "aspetto"
Spearfishing to 30 meters (100ft)
Videos and video analysis is included
Maximum 4 & minimum 2 persons
Private rate available upon request
*Location and times are weather dependent​​
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Schedule & Goals:
Total time: 12-16 hours (over 5 days)
Goal of the Course: Reel vs. breakaway systems, pelagic spearfishing, deeper hangs, strategy
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Pre-requisistes:
Comfortable in an open water setting
Wave 2 Advanced Course or equivalent
Our ethics on spearfishing
We never guarantee sightings or hunting
We only catch sustainable fisheries and species
We think before we pull the trigger
We respect the local marine flora and fauna
We respect local hunters, communities and fishermen
We take only what we need for the day
We teach the Tide To Table mentality
We gut, prep and cook our fish together
We share what we catch
