A mother-to-be has impressed girls, fishing hobbyists and others after she polespeared a possible world report fish whereas freediving at eight months pregnant.
Julie Augustine, 40, of Destin, Florida, nailed a 37.6-pound black drum together with her nine-foot Bermudian slip tip polespear on Oct. 1, 2022 — and now the catch is pending world report certification from the Worldwide Underwater Spearfishing Affiliation.
“I have been approached by a number of people who acknowledge me,” Augustine advised Fox Information Digital in a cellphone interview, “and they’ll come up and share how inspiring my story has been to them and the way it’s motivated them to get off the sofa and do one thing that they would not have usually accomplished after studying what I used to be capable of do whereas pregnant.”
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“It’s some of the stunning, particular issues to return out of this,” she mentioned.
Augustine, a doctor assistant and Air Drive veteran, started freediving after she took a free diver security course in 2020 and earned her certification.
Julie Augustine (proper) took her black drum catch to the Destin Fishing Rodeo in Florida for weighing on Oct. 1, 2022. Right here, she holds the 37.6-pound fish and her nine-foot polespear whereas posing with Miss Destin 2022 (left).
(Julie Augustine)
She mentioned she ultimately discovered about polespear fishing from locals who spoke extremely of the game.
She did not have probably the most outdoorsy background rising up, however Augustine mentioned she was open to polespearing as a result of she was on the lookout for a watersport to assist keep energetic throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she mentioned.
Augustine estimates that over the course of two years, she’s accomplished 4 or 5 dozen free dives.
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Throughout her being pregnant, she reduce on her dives as a precaution towards sharks.
“Through the hotter months, like in August, it will get fairly sharky,” Augustine mentioned. “The bull sharks like to be round the place individuals are fishing.”
Julie Augustine caught her potential world report black drum in Destin, Florida, whereas freediving with a polespear.
(Julie Augustine)
She mentioned that the black drum she caught on Oct. 1 was the primary time she’d been again within the water since her fifth month of being pregnant.
Augustine mentioned she’s grateful to have discovered how one can free dive and polespear from specialists who confused the significance of security, together with correct breath maintain and management, diving strategies, gear familiarization and problem-solving.
“I am simply so very lucky to dwell in top-of-the-line locations on the planet, actually, to free dive and spearfish,” Augustine mentioned.
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When she goes on polespear fishing journeys, Augustine wears a wetsuit, a weight belt, a set of fins, a masks and a snorkel. The gear she makes use of consists of her polespear, knife and belt reel.
Polespearing is without doubt one of the “extra primitive” and “not as maneuverable” spearfishing strategies, Augustine famous, when in comparison with spear weapons.
Julie Augustine, 40, opted for an underwater maternity shoot together with her polespear earlier than she caught her potential world report black drum.
(John Oja with Johnny Ocean Pictures)
“[Polespears are] precisely what you think about [them] to be. You’ve bands which might be launched with a set off pole,” Augustine mentioned.
“On the polespear I take advantage of, you mainly simply have the three parts, which is the spear tip, the shaft after which the band on the again,” she continued.
“The way in which you load it, you attain again, seize the band with one hand, and then you definitely simply pull up as far onto the shaft of the spear as you may, and all of the ‘join vitality’ is saved inside that band inside your arm.”
Augustine advises all spearfishers to dive with a buddy or crew who may be looking out for sea wildlife or different hazards.
“You need to get loads nearer to what you are looking to attempt to get shot,” she added.
Catching fish with a polespear can entice sharks, which is why Augustine advises all spearfishers to dive with a buddy or crew who may be looking out for sea wildlife or different hazards.
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Individuals who can dive 80 and 90 toes on a single breath maintain are likely to have entry to extra fish, in response to Augustine.
Figuring out fish in accordance with native legal guidelines and environmental pointers is one other problem that occurs underwater, she famous.
Julie Augustine’s polespear fishing gear features a wetsuit, weight belt, set of fins, masks and snorkel, polespear, knife and belt reel.
(John Oja with Johnny Ocean Pictures)
“You simply need to be very, very well-versed within the guidelines,” Augustine mentioned.
“Some fish can look very comparable, and a few sorts are solely accessible for looking throughout a specific time of 12 months throughout a specific season.”
Although polespearing could require multitasking, Augustine mentioned she views the sport as a type of self-care.
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“If you truly spear the fish, in fact, there’s that adrenaline spike there. However, so far as freediving goes, you must be in an nearly meditative state the place you are slowing down your respiration, and also you’re slowing down your coronary heart fee,” Augustine mentioned.
“Probably the greatest issues that you are able to do in being pregnant is to de-stress and stay calm.”
Augustine mentioned she’s completely satisfied she’s been capable of keep a peaceful atmosphere for her first child, and she or he’s listened to her physique and obstetrician.
Julie Augustine’s potential world report black drum was caught on Oct. 1, 2022. She was eight months pregnant on the time. “I am simply so very lucky to dwell in top-of-the-line locations on the planet, actually, to free dive and Spearfish,” she advised Fox Information Digital.
(Julie Augustine)
“I am very blessed to have this very wholesome being pregnant up thus far,” she mentioned — including that she hopes “it continues as such. I select to not pay attention [to] or give attention to any negativity.”
She’d be open to polespearing with her son sooner or later, she mentioned, when he’s sufficiently old and has an curiosity within the sport, however she’d additionally help some other exercise he needs to pursue.
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Augustine mentioned she hopes girls who learn her story notice they don’t have to surrender a possibility or expertise as a result of age or being pregnant.
The present world report for a black drum caught by a girl through sling or polespear is 36.3 kilos, in response to the Worldwide Underwater Spearfishing Affiliation’s present report database.
Black drums are a saltwater fish that may be present in Gulf and Atlantic state waters, in response to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee.
(Julie Augustine)
Augustine mentioned she lately submitted her paperwork for world report consideration.
“You need to have completely different photos, completely different testimony and completely different witnesses,” Augustine defined.
“You place collectively a bundle and then you definitely submit it on-line. As soon as it is submitted, it is voted on by their board. In the event that they want any clarifying data, they’re going to be again in contact with me,” she added.
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“I am unsure how lengthy that course of takes,” she mentioned. “It is of their fingers now.”
Fox Information Digital reached out to the Worldwide Underwater Spearfishing Affiliation for remark.
