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About
the IUSA
The International Underwater Spearfishing Association (IUSA)
was formed in 1950 to promote spearfishing and to assist
in scientific and spearfishing competitive efforts. As part
of this task, the IUSA became the certifying body and custodian
of the spearfishing world records. The IUSA has certified
over 60 records for a variety of fish from bluewater species
to smaller and less sought after fish. Through their forty-six
years of existence, the IUSA has seen diver's skill and
technology change from the Hawaiian slings of the Pinder
Brothers to the high-tech equipment and super-powered spearguns
of today's freedivers.
In
keeping with the need for change, and through the voluntary
efforts of divers and other individuals who wish to see
freediving and spearfishing reach it's highest possible
standards of excellence, the IUSA has recently undergone
changes to reflect the changes occurring in the freediving
community. Printed here, to help you gain an understanding
of the new IUSA and it's goals are the Mission Statement
and Purposes of the organization:
INTERNATIONAL
UNDERWATER SPEARFISHING ASSOCIATION MISSION AND PURPOSES
The
mission of the International Underwater Spearfishing Association
is to promote ethical, safe and sportsmanlike spearfishing
practices, to encourage and support a sense of environmental
responsibility among divers, to establish uniform regulations
for the compilation of world spearfishing records, to provide
basic spearfishing guidelines for use in other spearfishing
activities, and to participate in educational and scientific
programs.
Towards
these ends, the International Underwater Spearfishing Association
will:
(a)
Promote the highest ethical standards of sportsmanship for
spearfishing world wide;
(b)
Maintain on-going dialogue with spearfishers all over the
world, and consider the international community in its decision
making processes;
(c)
Work with the scientific community, fisheries management
organizations, fish and game departments world wide, together
with spearfishing clubs around the world, to increase our
knowledge of the environment, as well as to educate and
encourage environmental responsibility among divers and
the public;
(d)
Accept applications for new world records, carefully evaluate
each applicant fairly based upon uniform standards, and
award applicants who have proven beyond doubt that they
have followed these standards and indeed have achieved a
new world record;
(e)
Carefully maintain these spearfishing world records and
make them available to the public through the Internet,
dive publications, and other media;
(f)
Select the annual Underwater Spearfishing Athlete of the
Year.
To
fulfill the stated mission of the IUSA, the Board of Directors
has been increased to give a broader, fresher, more updated
view of the freediver's world. The current board members
are listed in the board page.
The
Board was selected to bring a much stronger representation
of today's freedivers and spearfishers. Patterned somewhat
after the International Game Fish Association, the IUSA
hopes to establish international representatives as well
as create a general membership to help further freediving
and spearfishing.
As
part of the reorganization, the Board of Directors had to
address the problem of establishing a new list of world
record species along with more current rules by which a
world record fish is to be taken. The IUSA is extremely
proud of the past efforts of divers which have resulted
in world records and is dedicated to protecting those records
already established. Due to the changing technology and
the subsequent changing of the rules, the IUSA has hopefully
constructed a system by which all future and past world
record holders will benefit.
The
old rules governing spearfishing world records ended at
midnight PST on December 31, 1996. Spearfishing world records
established under these rules are designated as 20th Century
records and will stand forever. The new spearfishing world
record rules took effect at 12:01 PST on January 1, 1997.
World records established under these new rules are designated
as 21st Century records and are the records which divers
can attempt to attain.. Also with the new rules is a list
of fish which are ineligible for consideration as world
records. If you would like a copy of the new IUSA Rulebook
please contact:
IUSA
31169 Nassau Court
Temecula, CA 92591
It
is hoped that the changes to the IUSA will motivate freedivers
to participate not only in a world record attempt, but also
in other programs developed by the IUSA. The IUSA and other
organizations, such as the International Bluewater Spearfishing
Records Committee (IBSRC) of the Underwater Society of America,
are all working toward a betterment of our sport. Hopefully,
freedivers will see the benefits of both organizations and
will assist the organizations in achieving their goals.
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