FreeDive and Spear

walked in, walked around, left, never helped… confused, but not by the other Unilocal reviews about this place, should have read them and saved myself a drive…

Don’t go here, they are extremely unhelpful. For being a spear fishing and freedive store they sure don’t know anything about their equipment. Will never shop here again.

This was our second visit to this store. We (my 15 yr old free diving/​spearfishing son) were welcomed with cold stares each time. Male and female store owners — looked at us as if we were in the wrong place each time. First time — it took awhile but we did get the woman to help us and be friendly. She ended up giving us a discount and a free t-​shirt after spending $ 300ish dollars. This time we were seeking advice on an old spear gun and the proper bands to purchase for small prey. We were welcomed with a smirk then told our gun was too old and they would not sell us their bands. (No chit chat, no recommendations or up-​sell). When we asked to see a new gun in a $ 150 price range he said he had one. But didn’t move to show it to us until we asked after an awkward period if silence. When my son asked if the man thought this would be good for Halibut his response was «I could shoot a halibut with this». That’s all. No other words were said and we left. My son was so angry and disappointed! He was looking for these «professionals» to give him some advice, have a conversation, maybe give him some ideas on a new gun. There are not many shops who specialize in this sport. But we will NEVER go back here!

the owner is a sad case. i literally told him im trying to get back into the sport and have been shopping around online but prefer to get it in person. since i told him i dont have money for lessons ($ 350) and that i was looking online. he then basically doesnt help me at all look at a gun. even tho i wanted to buy a gun then and there. whats the problem? ! i cant look online? he says maybe you can come another day and basically asks me to leave. i drove all the way from knotts berry farm… says to me i know guys like u look around want to check out stuff and dont buy. kinda like dont be a menace, no wait exactly like that. apparently he thinks his s*** doesnt stink. you are not the only technician or spearfisher in the world my friend. arrogance and condecending energy towards anyone who is pennywise. basically shop online to leisurepro or spearamerica. the one good thing is they are incredibly stocked. if you can get past the owners know it all nonhumble attitude then get ur things. terrible terrible attitude. i guess my money isnt and wasnt good enough. and thinks he speaks good english, but chooses what he wants to hear. don’t come here very rude and like many other patrons who Unilocaled before me said is very condescending. look but dont touch, how am i going to assess an item without holding it. i guess if i dont buy your lessons from you, you can’t even mildly educate me in the product your selling, when you are supposedly an expert. yeah… wouldnt recommend anyone who speaks english to go to this shop. you will leave with a bitter taste like i did.

I went in for a replacement spear shaft for a gun that I have. Harry was quite condescending and told me that I didn’t know what I was doing, and that I had no business buying what I was looking for. Tried to sell me a completely different gun, and when I said that I just want gun that I have to work (a gun that I’ve been using for over a year and I like very much), he asked me if there would be anything else (in that *please leave* tone) and turned his back on me. Watched him take care of another customer is a completely different manner. Left me feeling like a total schmuck and completely baffled. Maybe he decides he likes you ($$$) or maybe he insults you and kicks you out, I recommend not going in at all and instead going to Sturgill Spearfishing or SpearAmerica. Location is inconvenient on top of it all…

Worst owner ever! Harry is rude and cocky. For newer divers he offer little except his arrogance. Go anywhere but here for help.

I’ve been to Freedive and Spear several times and on each occasion I leave in a bad mood. At this point, I only consider going if I’m in a pinch, which inevitably happens when something breaks, gets lost, etc. It’s really the only show in town for a good selection of freediving and spearfishing stuff, and it’s obvious that they know that.
The owner Harry is condescending (treats me like an idiot when I ask a question), impatient (literally walked away from me mid-​conversation because I didn’t understand what he was trying to explain, actually said «oh, you finally made a choice» when I bought something), and has no tolerance for customers who want to save some money or want to use equipment for more than one very specific use. If I told him I was going to use a mask for both SCUBA and freediving, he’d probably have a seizure and kick me out! He also goes so far as to ask me if I’m going to buy something before he will answer my questions. Who does that?
If you can get past Harry’s personality, or you know exactly what you want, that still leaves the fact that all of his stuff is grossly overpriced. At this point, convenience is really the one and only virtue to this shop. I highly recommend finding an alternative to shopping at Freedive and Spear… At all costs!

I was confused as to how to rate FreeDive & Spear, but I ended up with two stars = «Meh. I’ve experienced better» as per Unilocal.
Here is why…
Harry is super knowledgable and they have a good selection of geer and everything else you need to get out and spear.
The other side is that I feel like they nickel and dime me for every little thing… and I hate that feeling. I’m not rich and I’m not poor… but dang… $ 10 to make a mono loop (when a kit with 100 yds and 12 crimps costs $ 15 dollars?)… $ 25 to install a reel (when all you have to do is drill 2 holes?) I understand you’re in Hermosa and rent is expensive, but cut us some slack here buddy. Prices are decent, I would say it has a little «Hermosa» cushion on it, but like I said… nickel and dime so it ends up being expensive.
For those reasons, I have to give the buisness 2 stars. It’s not bad, product selection is good, and it’s great if you aren’t worried about money… but if you’re a regular Joe like me, you might be better off going to another spearshop (who will help you out and do installs /​rigs for free or for a minimal, voluntary tip) or going online and looking for the same thing and doing it yourself.

Super helpful, knowledgeable and not pushy. The guy working there answered all my questions, ran through what the options were and listened to what I was looking for and what was in my price range. Nice selection too.

Harry help you spear seabass. Bigguns too.

I was looking to spearfish for a year and couldn’t find anyone to do it with so found this shop. Harry (owner) takes this sport seriously and comes of as a serious dude but once you get to know him, he’s a great friend to have and gives you invaluable advice. His wife is amazingly sweet and helpful in the shop as well. I have tried going off with other guys from shore after learning from him and prefer going on his boat because he is way more knowledgeable and you don’t waste your time going to the wrong spots and he keeps helping me out every time I go. I’m happy with the equipment I bought and I wouldn’t recommend going cheap when dealing with the ocean because comfort is everything when you’re trying to focus on everything else down there.

All Bullshit Aside. Great shop. Great owner. There is NO other place in the area w such a great selection of freediving/​spearfishing equipment or such a knowledgeable and dedicated owner as FREEDIVE N SPEAR. Period. Support your local dive shop and drop some cash in there on some sweet new gear!

Harry has a diverse amount of equipment.
His prices are higher than anyone else.
God forbid you have to return something. I spend over 1000 and he lost my respect over a faulty snorkel, worth 55 at his store, 45 elsewhere…
Sorry Harry, but arrogance does not make you better. Doing the right thing does!

This is a great shop, I found Harry extremely knowledgeable about spearfishing. He was patient with all of my questions and gave me a hands on demonstration on how to use various equipment that I was not familiar with. All in all, he probably spent in excess of 90 minutes just answering my questions, explaining the benefits and drawbacks of different gear.
I couldn’t recommend this place anymore. If you are new to spearfishing or just have questions about various products, head to Free Dive and Spear — you will not be disappointed.

Great place! Harry the owner spent over an hour going through different wetsuits with me and teaching me how to don it. Harry put up with all my questions and also tweaked my gun for me. I look forward to a lasting relationship and I will purchase more needed gear for my new sport.
Thanks Harry
Ron… The ankle guy

I have had experience with this store three times and let me be the first to tell you that if you arent planning on buying anything the owner does NOT want you there. Here is how my experiences here went:
1^st visit: Lady (assuming it was the store owner’s wife) helped my friend and I out about questions that we had about our options with purchasing our first speargun. My friend and I were just shopping around to compare prices to see where we should spend our well earned money. In the end the experience was enjoyable and I was actually planning on buying a couple of things from here on my next visit. There was another spearfisher in the shop also helping us and he seemed like a regular so I figured they just have a really good relationship with their customers
2^nd visit: I actually did not come along on this visit, but my brother and Dad just came from ET Surf and wanted to check out the store. They told me that the owner was litterally behind them the entire time watching there every move. The shop is really small and having the owner hovering around really added to the «you’re not welcome here» vibe. With my dad already being a well experienced spearfisher himself, asked the owner a simple question about the spearguns he was selling and the owner could not answer it confidently.
What blows my mind is that the same question was answered by a Sports Chalet associate a few days earlier. I know that the Sports Chalet associate wasn’t BSing me because I had already done my research before.
There words of experience to fellow Unilocalers: «You are not welcome here»
3^rd visit: Hearing the previous story from my family really shocked me because I had a really good experience my first visit. So just this week my friend (different one from 1^st visit) and I came to look for this thing called an «Expand-​A-​Lung». For anyone interested google it for more details! Basically it helps increase breath hold times for freedivers. My friend is in the military and was telling me how some guys use it to train to increase their run times and overall performance. So we were going to purchase one for each of us. The owner, was unwelcoming without hesitation said «we dont sell that kind of stuff here» and after we tried to explain what it was he replied with «you would have to go to a SCUBA shop for that». Really dude?! Why would a
SCUBA diver have more of a reason to increase their breath hold time more than a free diver???
Summarizing Rant:
Anywayss i will not be coming back anytime soon. I would highly recommend going to your nearest Sport Chalet for better service. I honestly hope the owner reads this. If you truly want more customers welcome everbody to your shop and help them out. Who knows? They might get their friends into spearfishing and guess whos shop they will be taking them to? To me Freedive and Spear is a place for experienced spearfishers only. Most things there are really overpriced as well. I could get the same things for A LOT less at many other places.
Leaving on a good note. I that they have a really good selection of things that you need. Which is why I gave them 2 stars instead of 1. I would say to stop by and give the place a chance. Maybe I’m too ugly or something for good service at his shop. Good luck to everyone else!

Harry is the man… he does biz with respect… one on one… making sure everyone gets treated with patience and dignity whether you buy a lobster guage or a new spear gun… he always takes the time to sell u something well suited for your undersea adventures… he is also a master at setting up and repair… I’ve never left his shop in a redundant attempt… often I get it done in less money than I expected… so I can easily afford something new every trip… he sent in my omer shaft and got me a new one rigged free of charge… due to a warranty issue with the manufacturer… he has awesome service… and always willing to answer your questions… just give him some time if he’s with someone… when it comes to your turn… u won’t be let down-​Henry lim

I went to Harry’s shop when I first started in the sport. He’s location is convenient and stocks a good amount of gear. My first impression of him as I walked around the shop is that he’s not a humble person. I had a lot of questions but the answers had an arrogant tone and a ‘what? don’t you know?’ attitude.
Since I was under a budget, he didn’t seem to like that. So after I asked if he had a cheaper dive sock, he said ‘this one is cheaper, can you handle that?’. I don’t own a shop nor had retail experience, but I know that’s not how you talk to customers. A couple of weeks later the sock broke, which he claimed it was the best. I was pretty careful about wearing them but he didn’t seem to care.
Later on, I regretfully bought a pair of fins with his advise, which turned out to be too soft. My friend, who bought the same fins, complained and the response he got was ‘ohh you must have outgrown them because your so good now’. Really?
I’ve witnessed guys who have bought all their gear at once from his shop, dropping 1,400+. I certainly see a different attitude (including smiles) when he encounters people with deep pockets. Which I understand; money talks. But is that the impression you want to give you customers? I think not.
I know he also takes people out to dive on his boat. What I’ve heard is that he’ll tell you to scout the edge of the kelp for White Sean Bass, while he goes for the middle of the kelp bed.
Because of my experience with him and my friends experience with him, I’ve since boycotted this shop. Sucks because other stores don’t have the selection he has but I’ve managed without him.
My recommendation is to go to him for knowledge, which by the way is extensive, but take your business to Dive n Surf or buy it online.

Harry and his wife are both great !! met them at the Long beach Scuba Show. Selection is good, prices are even better, and even more importantly Customer Service is great !! My wife’s sister lives just a mile or 2 away, so it’s awesome to have a cool store with good people that care of you, if you need any gear, even at the last minute.
~Christopher

Freediving & Spearfishing! The selection is pretty good and even better is having Harry walk you through your options. He is very knowledgeable and willing to take his time to explain everything and check for proper fitments. He offers lessons too! Obviously for freediving and spearfishing but also for scuba! They have frequent sales, and even when they dont — the pricing is reasonable…
Definitely recommend for all your needs — from buying all the gear to getting in on the charters they have for beginners to advanced divers/​fishers and lessons!