Spearfishing an exciting way to enjoy ocean’s bounty

Parviz Boostani, owner of Red Triangle Spearfishing began freediving with his dad when he was just a kid. The Petaluma native loves freediving and spearfishing and encourages others to experience the fun and bounty waiting just off the local coast.

Boostani’s dad taught him the basics of freediving and hunting abalone, often out at Sea Ranch. Within a few years he’d become an adept diver and became entrenched in the local freedive community. He took a freediving class, honing his freediving skills even more.

When he got the opportunity to go spearfishing, he took to it quickly and began signing up for spearfishing competitions. In 2015, he met Matt Lopez who had just opened a new shop, Red Triangle Spearfishing, and Lopez sponsored Boostani.

“What drew me to spearfishing is my love for the ocean, the possibilities of adventure, and the thrill of the hunt,” Boostani said. “I also love providing high-quality, fresh seafood to my friends and family.”

The Casa Grande graduate said that constant training and spearfishing brought him to where he is today. He and Lopez became great friends and soon after Boostani became a partner in the shop. Last year Boostani became the sole owner of Red Triangle Spearfishing.

Divers don’t use oxygen tanks when freediving. “To be very simple, you are holding your breath the whole time while diving,” Boostani said. “The goal is to try and lower your heart rate and move as efficiently as possible so that you burn the least amount of oxygen which allows you to achieve longer and deeper dives.”

Boostani said this is something that training and technique can help with. He encourages others to learn and practice freediving to master the sport.

“The type of spear we generally hunt with is a regular band gun that is powered by two or more big rubber bands,” Boostani said. “Some guns are shorter which we use locally for the reefs and holes because we are basically shooting our spears into rocks.”

He explained that there are also longer spearguns for open water where you can hunt bigger, pelagic fish like Tuna, Wahoo, Yellowtail etc. He suggested these for spearfishing in Southern California, Mexico, Hawaii, and Florida.

The local coast can also present challenges to the novice. Boostani stressed that it’s important to know what you’re doing and to take the necessary precautions.

“Our stretch of coast has great whites which is why I wear a shark-deterrent device called a Shark Shield,” Boostani said.

Visibility in the water is better in some areas than others. Boostani said that on an average day, you can expect around 10-15 feet of visibility. “However, on the best days, I’ve also experienced about 40-50 feet of visibility,” he said.

Although you cannot spearfish in the Petaluma River, you can practice freediving there. Boostani cautions divers that the river has very strong currents and poor visibility.

It’s a good idea to consider a freedive course if you’re new to the sport. Courses help beginners learn how to dive safely and understand the things that happen to your body when you dive. Boostani said classes can help people understand the risk of freediving and how to improve their freediving techniques.

Red Triangle doesn’t offer courses now but Boostani hopes to offer a freediving course very soon. Meanwhile, they’re happy to answer any questions and give out as much advice as possible to people who are interested.

“After COVID, we also hope to start a beginner spearfishing course at the shop to help others learn the basics of spearfishing and rigging equipment,” he said.

Before the pandemic hit, the shop was open five days a week. “We are now only open on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m,” Boostani said. “On those days, you will find either me or Ariel Merhav, who has been helping at the shop since the beginning of the summer.”

Business has come in waves. “We’ve had a couple of slow months but because of our growing customer base and loyal customers, we have been able to remain steady and keep our doors open,” Boostani said.

Boostani wants divers to be safe during the pandemic. He encourages divers to enter the water from the shore while practicing social distancing.

The pandemic has changed quite a bit about the way I do things, as it has for everyone,” Boostani said. “However, as we adapt and continue to try to figure things out, I do my best to get out spearfishing as much as possible for great exercise and some hydrotherapy.”

He enjoys spending time cooking up his delicious Sonoma Coast catch. “I have many different recipes that I love but something that you can never go wrong with is fish tacos,” he said. “I go back and forth between my beer batter fish taco recipe and grilled fish tacos.”

Much like the rest of Sonoma County, the ocean off our coast is filled with bounty. Boostani said, “If you find the right spots, you can find a bounty of fresh, high-grade food from scallops to octopus, dungeness crab, sea urchin, and more.”

It’s one more thing the pandemic can’t take away, freediving and our ocean bounty. For more information on future courses at Red Triangle Spearfishing, go to https://www.redtrianglespearfishing.com/.