Tracks spoke to Healey as he was preparing to chase down another purple blob somewhere in the Pacific Ocean…
Tell me about the best fish you caught all winter?
Hard to say. It’s been a good year for Wahoo I shot a bunch of those. I was stoked on a 10lb Mu (Big Eye Emperor) that I had shot. It’s a very challenging fish to spear and they taste amazing. That was on a deep dive, and the fish was only half a pound off the world record for spearfishing.
Run me through your underwater arsenal?
I run all Riffe gear. Digi-Tek camo wetsuit, Nekton mask, Usually a 120cm Riffe Euro rear handle gun with reel, long blade fins, weight belt and knife.
Shark encounters, tell me your relationship/thoughts?
I think sharks interest me because they have so much variety in the way of personalities (at least the more intelligent species). The presence of a large shark in the water is something that’s hard to describe. You’re immediately aware that they are a perfect representation of power and efficiency in design. Usually I feel like I can relate to them, mostly because we have the same motivations while we’re in the water. Either looking for food or acting out of curiosity.
What has been your wave of the winter?
Definitely a wave I caught during a Jaws paddle session. It was the best wave I’ve winged into out there yet.
Surfing Jaws on your backhand?
DAUNTING. Trying to get a heel edge bottom turn off while skipping across 4ft chop on a 10’0” at 45mph isn’t the easiest. It’s like bombing through a mogul run on a snowboard. On my backhand, it’s almost impossible to get a realistic sense of where that lip is going to end up landing. With the lip being so far above me, and only being able to size it up out of the corner of my right eye, I have almost no depth perception. The only way for me to surf it, is to make up my mind about what line I’m taking before I even turn to paddle for the wave. Sticking to the game plan takes some nerve. I just pray to God that I don’t cop a surprise avalanche to the neck. The big ones are moving so fast, that the only way to make them (from a respectable take-off spot) is to be on rail, covering ground the whole time. Gotta ride the lightning.
Describe going left at Waimea?
It’s a very jumpy, unpredictable slab. Definitely not pleasant getting caught inside over there.
Facing fear?
Everyone has it. Whether you allow it to be healthy or harmful is up to you. Unwarranted fear is a disease of the body, mind and soul. The only cure is sacking up and facing it.
How to prepare for chasing a swell?
First I call my usual comrades to see who is down to go. Then the logistics start. Making sure we get flights, create a water safety plan and get equipment from point A to point B is the hardest part.
Conservation, what can we do?
Get more involved on local levels. Be less greedy. Take the ego out of it. Learn from native cultures that have been successful in the past and create hybrid models. I believe that getting more people IN the water, CAN be better. The more people that develop a love for Spearfishing and Fishing, the more people you have that will be passionate about the sea and it’s life. They in turn will want the next generations to be able to experience that. The key is that people who are looked up to in these areas set good examples. I see it happen around the world, laws are passed to limit or snuff out recreational/subsistence fishing, while commercial fishing still happens at breakneck speed. That removes thousands of kids down the road that would have had a vested interest in their local marine environment. I’m by no means against regulated commercial fishing, as long as it’s done in a balanced and responsible way. I just think that the Western approach to fisheries and environmental management have failed. It’s too polarized. On one side you have environmental extremist that have the audacity to go to places that they have never put their head in the water, and tell people that they are no longer able to go there because of some bunk statistic they cooked up. Then the other side you get the majority of commercial fishing lobbyists that will always push for more take and profits. These two extremes have the most money to influence law making. The answer is in the middle, which means it takes more people getting involved. More people acting out of experience rather than what they just heard.
Heaviest experience in the ocean?
Hard to say. There’s been heavy-good and heavy-bad. The worst is body recoveries of friends.
What does it feel like to paddle into a monster at Pipeline while negotiating the lineup heirachy?
It can be a bit chaotic with the crowd. There’s a lot of guys that are capable surfers that want bombs. I don’t really have to worry about heirarchy. I’m born and raised there and have been paying dues out there since I was a kid. I know which waves are mine.
Best experience diving this winter?
Had an insane half day on my boat diving with my friend Kimi Werner. The water visibility was as good as it gets and there were fish everywhere. We ended up shooting three Wahoo and two Mu before 11am.
How do you get mentally prepared?
I take a moment before paddling into the lineup to make friends with the water. I immerse my face to take the initial shock away, and kick in the mammalian dive reflex. I say my prayer. I think of how grateful I am to be there and be a part of that experience.
What physical challenges do you have to face free diving versus big wave surfing?
The physical challenges are similar in that, both require you to maintain focus and budget your oxygen wisely. The hardest part of both is keeping your mind in control of your body, and not vise versa. Keep the control in the wheel house if you know what I mean. You have to essentially rewire how your nerves communicate with your brain. To not loose control of your heart and muscles when that shot of adrenaline goes through you. Easier said than done. It’s a life work.
Cover of a free diving magazine or surfing magazine? What’s more special?
To me, the shot is more important than the kind of magazine. It means more to me if the photo is one I’m proud of. Something that you can look back on ten years later, and it still has impact.
What can’t you live without?
Freedom.
What does the term ‘Waterman’ mean to you?
To me, “Waterman” is the marine version of the “Renaissance Man” concept. A person who is can adapt, survive and thrive in any ocean. Hot or cold. Rough or calm. Someone who knows what’s happening above and below the water, and how the two worlds relate to each other. Someone who is always open to learning new things to better themselves in the water.
What’s next for Healey?
A lot! I have a handful of projects that I’m working on this year that are really exciting. It’s a little bit early to talk about, but most of it has to do with bringing the experiences I have in the ocean to people in different forms. Always chasing big swells and fish too.
Is the rats tail going to go?
Just hacked it! It was becoming too high maintenance.
