Spearfishing in NSW: what gear you need, what the rules are, and where to start
Walk into Frog Dive at Gladesville on a Saturday and you'll usually find someone working out their first spear gun setup at the counter. The questions are almost always the same. What size gun? How thick a wetsuit? Do I need a licence? And where am I allowed to go?
Frog Dive has run out of Gladesville since 1985 as a dive shop, PADI training centre, and one of the few Sydney retailers with its own spearfishing workshop. We sell the gear, run the workshop, and have these conversations every weekend. The article below covers what we tell new spearos: the NSW rules in plain English, the gear that suits Sydney conditions without overspending, and where to learn properly before heading out alone.
NSW spearfishing rules at a glance
Spearfishing is legal across most of NSW saltwater, but it sits inside a strict set of rules around licensing, gear, location, and target species. Adults pay a recreational fishing fee, certain locations are closed, certain species cannot be taken, and breath-hold is the only legal method when using a speargun. Each one matters, and the consequences for getting it wrong can be significant. The headline rules every NSW spearo needs to know are below.
- Recreational fishing fee. Anyone aged 18 or over who spearfishes in NSW must pay the NSW recreational fishing fee. Buy through Service NSW or an authorised agent. Fees range from $7 for three days to $85 for three years. Carry the receipt; a digital copy in the My Service NSW app is fine.
- No SCUBA, no hookah, no compressed air with a speargun. Spearfishing in NSW is a free-diving sport. You hold your breath. Mixing a speargun with SCUBA, hookah, or any other compressed air supply is prohibited under the Fisheries Management (General) Regulation 2019.
- Bag and size limits apply. The same recreational bag and size limits that apply to line fishing apply to spearfishing. A maximum daily bag of 20 fish covers anything not specifically listed. Check the current limits on the NSW DPIRD FishSmart app before each trip, because the limits change.
- Closures are common. All freshwater is closed to spearfishing. Many estuaries, coastal lagoons, tidal entrances, and most NSW ocean beaches are closed (you can spear within the last 20m at each end of an ocean beach). Aquatic reserves and sanctuary zones inside marine parks are closed. Check the DPIRD spearfishing closures list before any new site.
- Protected species. You cannot take an Eastern Blue Groper, the NSW state fish, which appears in blue, brown, or red colour phases depending on age and sex. Spearfishing for blue groper has been prohibited in NSW since 1969. You also cannot use a light with a speargun, or use powerheads or explosive devices.
- Distance and signalling. Stay at least 50m from swimmers, snorkellers, scuba divers, and other fishers. Use an Alpha dive flag on a tow float. Never carry a loaded speargun through a crowded area, and keep the spear tip covered on land.
The authority on all of this is NSW DPIRD (formerly NSW DPI), the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. The two documents to bookmark are the DPIRD Recreational Spearfishing Guide (currently the January 2024 edition) and the FishSmart app, which holds bag and size limits and a real-time map of spearfishing closures. The legal framework sits in the Fisheries Management Act 1994 and the Fisheries Management (General) Regulation 2019. Penalties for breaches change, so we don't quote specific dollar figures here. If you're unsure about any rule before a dive, ask at the shop or check the source.
The spearfishing gear you need to start
An entry-level set of spearfishing gear suitable for Sydney conditions covers nine items. The table below gives the beginner option for each, a realistic price range, and the reason it's on the list. Piece-by-piece, a starter setup lands around $1,000 to $1,400. Buying a complete starter package brings the total down.
| Item | Beginner option | Price band (AUD) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speargun | 1000 size railgun (1m / 100cm barrel) | $300 to $500 | Right length for Sydney shore reef. Easy to load and aim. |
| Mask and snorkel | Low-volume mask, simple J-snorkel | $80 to $150 | Easier equalisation on duck dives. Less drag on the surface. |
| Fins | Long-blade open-heel freediving fins with neoprene boots | $150 to $300 | Efficient finning. Boots protect the foot on rocky shore entries. |
| Wetsuit | 5mm two-piece open-cell | $250 to $500 | Warmth for Sydney winter water. Two-piece doubles up the chest panel. |
| Weight belt and weights | Rubber belt, lead weights | $80 to $150 | Rubber holds position on a wetsuit better than webbing. |
| Float and flag | Inflatable torpedo float with Alpha flag | $80 to $150 | Required signalling. Place to clip the catch and a marker for boats. |
| Float line | 15 to 25m line | $40 to $80 | Lets you drop the gun and surface without losing it if a fish runs. |
| Knife | Small dive knife in calf or arm sheath | $30 to $80 | Dispatching catch and freeing tangled line. |
| Gloves | Closed-cell or fabric gloves | $30 to $60 | Grip while loading and handling fish. |
Frog Dive's Ocean Hunter SGS Beginners Complete Spearfishing Package bundles the speargun, wetsuit, fins, mask and snorkel, and float together at one price. It's the lowest-friction way for a new spearo to get the kit ready on day one. Specifying speargun size and wetsuit thickness in store keeps the kit appropriate to the diver and the conditions, rather than just whatever's in the standard box.
Speargun length and type
A 1000 (1m, or 100cm barrel) speargun is the right starter for Sydney shore diving. Anything past 1100 is harder to load and clumsy in shallow reef and surge. A 750 to 900 fits tighter rocky terrain better. Frog Dive stocks Ocean Hunter (the SGS sits in the entry-level value bracket), Rob Allen (the Scorpia, Sparid EVO, and Samburu Carbon are all good step-up guns), and Salvimar in store, with access to brands beyond standard stock through the Spearfishing Australia partnership for special orders.
Two mechanisms matter for a first gun. Railguns use rubber bands to fire the spear; they're easier to load, accurate, and the right starting point for most beginners. Roller guns deliver more power per length but the loading system is more complex and not where most divers should start. Pneumatic spearguns are compressed-gas powered and best left until the diver has more experience.
Mask, snorkel, and fins
A low-volume mask has less internal air to clear on a duck dive, which makes equalising easier. A dark or camo skirt blocks more reflected light off the diver's face when stalking fish; clear skirts work but stand out more underwater. A simple J-snorkel without a purge valve is what most experienced spearos use, because purge valves add clutter and a failure point.
Long-blade freediving fins move more water per kick. Open-heel fins worn with neoprene boots are the Sydney pick because the same combination handles rocky shore entries (sites like Bare Island and Long Reef) without tearing the foot pocket. Full-foot fins feel marginally more efficient but they're rough on bare feet at sharp shoreline entries.
Wetsuit
A two-piece open-cell wetsuit in 5mm matches Sydney conditions year-round. Sydney winter sea temperatures sit between 14 and 17°C, summer climbs to 22 to 25°C. A 3mm is too thin for winter unless the dive is brief; a 7mm is overkill for most of the year. The two-piece design (a long-john bottom and a hooded jacket) doubles up the chest panel for extra warmth, which is why a 5mm two-piece feels noticeably warmer than a 5mm steamer.
Open-cell neoprene seals against bare skin and runs warmer than nylon-lined neoprene of the same thickness. The trade-off is that you need soapy water or a wetsuit lube to slide into it. Once it's on, it works. For divers weighing up whether wetsuit or drysuit is the right call, our Drysuits vs Wetsuits guide has the longer answer.
Weight belt, float, flag, and knife
A rubber weight belt holds position on a wetsuit better than webbing, which slides as the suit compresses with depth. Start with roughly 10% of body weight in lead for a 5mm two-piece, then adjust until you sit slightly positively buoyant at 10m. Never weight yourself to sink at the surface. A spearo who blacks out needs to float, not drop.
A torpedo-shaped inflatable float carries the Alpha flag (required signalling whenever a diver is in the water), gives boats a clear visual marker, and doubles as somewhere to clip your catch instead of stringing fish to your body. A 15 to 25m float line tethers the speargun to the float so a running fish doesn't take the gun with it. A small dive knife mounted on the calf or arm dispatches the catch and frees tangled line. Closed-cell or fabric gloves give grip while loading.
Spearfishing in Sydney: water, visibility, and finding legal sites
Sydney is a productive spearfishing region, but it has specific water conditions and a complex map of closures that catch out divers used to other states. Two factors matter most: water clarity, which is driven by swell direction, and the legal status of any given site, which is set by NSW DPIRD and the relevant marine park.
Visibility is best on flat conditions or a northerly swell, and worst after southerly groundswell. Sites along the northern beaches and near Bare Island clean up first when the swell drops. Spearfishing depends on visibility, so checking the swell forecast and a webcam the morning of the dive saves wasted trips. Winter and early spring often deliver the cleanest water of the year, paired with the coldest conditions and the strongest argument for that 5mm two-piece.
The harder part is finding sites that are legal. Many of Sydney's most popular SCUBA sites are spearfishing closures: aquatic reserves, sanctuary zones in marine parks, certain bays and entrances, and most ocean beaches. A site that's fine for line fishing can still be closed to spearfishing. Naming specific spots in an article is the wrong call here, because closures change and turning up at a closed site exposes the diver to a fine. The right process is to cross-reference the NSW DPIRD spearfishing closures list and the FishSmart app's marine park layer before going somewhere new, then ask experienced spearos who already dive that area. The Frog Dive shop floor at Gladesville is one place to do that. The Spearfishing Workshop is another.
Sharks come up in conversation more than they show up in the water. Sydney shore divers have dived alongside grey nurse sharks (which are protected and not aggressive toward divers) and wobbegongs for decades without incident. Bull sharks and white sharks are uncommon in close shore conditions but present. The sensible practice is to clip the catch to the float rather than the body, and to exit the water if a shark shows real interest in the catch.
Where to learn to spearfish in Sydney
A spearfishing course before going alone is the single biggest reduction in risk a new spearo can get. Three things matter that no amount of gear shopping covers: breath-hold safety and the warning signs of shallow water blackout, NSW regulations applied in practice rather than just on paper, and handling a loaded speargun in the water without putting yourself or anyone else at risk.
Frog Dive's Spearfishing Workshop runs across a weekend (two days) at our Gladesville facility. The format covers breath-hold and equalisation work, duck dive technique, streamlining and finning under load, and in-water practice at a Sydney site, all run by instructors who spearfish themselves. The workshop is open to beginners and to experienced spearos who want to refine their technique. Whatever course you take, buddy diving is the non-negotiable safety rule. One up, one down: never two divers underwater at the same time. The buddy on the surface watches the diver below and is in position to assist if a blackout happens.
A note on Frog Dive's free guided weekend dives: those are SCUBA dives, not spearfishing. The two are separate sports with separate skill sets. If you want to spearfish, the workshop is the route in.
Spearfishing in NSW: frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to spearfish in NSW?
Yes. Anyone aged 18 or over who spearfishes in NSW must pay the NSW recreational fishing fee through Service NSW or an authorised agent. Spearfishing is treated the same as line fishing for licensing. Some exemptions apply, including DVA Gold Card holders with specific endorsements and Aboriginal cultural fishing. Carry the receipt; a digital copy in the My Service NSW app is acceptable. Fees range from $7 for three days to $85 for three years.
What's the minimum spearfishing gear to start?
A 1000-size railgun, a low-volume mask, long-blade fins with boots, a 5mm two-piece open-cell wetsuit, a rubber weight belt with lead, a torpedo float with Alpha flag, a 15 to 25m float line, and a small dive knife. Realistic budget piece-by-piece sits around $1,000 to $1,400 for Sydney conditions. The Ocean Hunter SGS Beginners Complete Spearfishing Package brings the total down by bundling the major items.
Can I use a speargun with my SCUBA gear?
No. NSW law prohibits spearfishing while using SCUBA, hookah, or any compressed air supply. Spearfishing in NSW is a free-diving sport, governed by the Fisheries Management (General) Regulation 2019. The narrow exception is that SCUBA can be used to take scallops and sea urchins by hand (not with a speargun); for any fish, breath-hold is the only legal method.
Where can I spearfish near Sydney?
Check the closures first. Large parts of the Sydney coast are closed to spearfishing: all aquatic reserves, marine park sanctuary zones, many entrances and lagoons, and most ocean beaches (the last 20m at each end of an ocean beach is open). The right process is to cross-reference the NSW DPIRD spearfishing closures list and the FishSmart app's marine park layer for any new site, then ask local spearos who already dive that area. The Frog Dive Spearfishing Workshop is the cleanest way to get oriented.
Getting started: course or gear first?
Most readers decide between two paths. If you've never free-dived before, the workshop-first path makes more sense than the gear-first path: you get to handle a range of spear gun sizes during the course, feel which length suits your build, and walk into the gear shop afterwards with a clearer idea of what fits. If you've snorkelled or free-dived a fair amount and know what you're doing in the water, gear-first is fine, but the workshop is still where you'll learn breath-hold safety properly.
Whichever path you take, the next move is the same. Drop into the Frog Dive shop at Gladesville and one of our instructors will walk you through the gear at the counter (the Ocean Hunter SGS Beginners Complete Spearfishing Package is a sensible one-shot option for first-timers). Call (02) 9958 5699 with questions. Email dive@frogdive.com.au. Or book the Spearfishing Workshop online to lock in a weekend.
