Diver's open sea catch a rare feat

SURREAL MOMENT: Kerry Hewitt, of Napier, resurfaces after bagging a marlin while free diving in the Hokianga, Northland. PHOTO/SUPPLIED KERRY HEWITT

To spear a marlin while free diving in the open ocean, the planets need to align in your favour.

Napier man Kerry Hewitt joined the small and prestigious club of fishers last week, when he speared an 84kg fish 19km offshore in the Hokianga, Northland.

He was on a fishing trip with his father and friends when "the planets aligned" and he got his prize catch. "It's not a common thing to do, there's not many people in New Zealand who have done it. It was a lot of luck, putting a lot of effort in and having good equipment," Mr Hewitt said.

To pull off the feat, the men towed lures through the water and Mr Hewitt sat on the back of the boat with his gear, waiting for the opportune moment to jump into the sea.

"You jump straight in the water, the boat keeps going, you get down under the white water and you've got a couple of seconds to pull off a shot."

At a depth of about 4m, he encountered a marlin which had been chasing the lures and he pulled the trigger.

"The whole experience was very surreal, and something I never believed I would ever be able to do."

A member of local free diving club Freedom Divers, Mr Hewitt has been involved in the sport for four years, after 25 years of scuba diving.

He said his lucky hit was thanks to the expertise of fellow spear-fisher Ash Waldrom, who had speared a marlin on a different trip.

Also on deck were his father, Peter Hewitt, and Phil Waldrom - skipper of the vessel Sea Me Do.

The curator of exhibits at the National Aquarium of New Zealand, Mr Hewitt, who goes by the nickname "Fishbait", said there was plenty of his catch to go around. "Most of it's in the freezer - a lot of people are enjoying it."