This video is really incredible – whether you spearfish, or prefer to stay in the boat. Steel Rocket (Yes, this is his real name!) free-dove over 90-feet, then shot around several goliath grouper, and connected with a 60-pound black grouper.
At just 19 years old, Steel can hold his breath (static) for about four minutes, and can free dive at depths of close to 120-feet.
With a name like Steel Rocket, you could say he was destined to spear-fish aka sling steel! On this trip, Steel was free-diving off of the Dry Tortugas in 94-feet of water. He noticed several Goliath Grouper in the area, but something else was with them. It ended up weighing 53-pounds after it was gutted, and proved to be Steel’s biggest free-diving grouper (He’s shot a 70-pounder while scuba-diving).
“After the first few dives I noticed something hanging around the goliaths that didn’t fit with them. After I prepped up to make my descent down to the goliaths I saw the fish – the 60-pound black grouper. I slowly fell towards it , once the goliaths that were in front of the black saw me, they took off, scaring the black, so I had to quickly take the shot, which ended up hitting the fish behind the gills and proved to be a holding shot.”
His father is a commercial spearfisherman, and he used to dive with legends of the sport like Manny Puig and Mark Rackley on multiple day Dry Tortugas trips. His grandmother owns one of the oldest diveshops in the keys, and his late grandfather dove and spearfished as well. He even made diving utilities like hookah rigs. His mother spearfishes as well, and can freedive around 80-feet. We think it’s safe to say that Steel will be spearfishing for many more years to come!
