MEMBER PROFILE
Propelled by the powerfully smooth kick of fins, engulfed in a deep blue world, the sound of bubbles and the sharp crackle of the reef, the only sounds of life pulsang from the underwater c«, spearfisherman Ti s Mei-Zhi Salter is right where he feels most at home—a place that puts most people on edge. Calmly cruising through the depths, Salter keenly observes the move- ment of ocean life around him, taking cues from the paerns of sand movement below, the tempera re changes of depths, and the influx of current.
hen one of the world’s best loca ons to spearfish is your own back- yard, why not take advantage of the incredible opportunity to explore it? Generally, visibility is good year-round, the water is warm, and there’s a variety of fish to see—and catch. It’s no wonder why people have been diving Hawai‘i’s waters for generations. The thirty-year-old spearfisherman is in pursuit of nature’s oer- ing to him on this day, an eco-minded hobbyist, drawn to the experience of the process, from start-to-finish. Introduced to the popular island watersport by his grandfather, the late pioneering big-wave surfer and renowned oceanographer Ricky Grigg, some of Salter’s fondest childhood memories took shape from these times, these waters, this sport. “My grandfather, who was a member of Outrigger, taught me how to three prong as a kid, as well as basic diving skills. As I got older I kept coming back to spearfishing so I decided to take some freedive class- es and continue it into adulthood,” said Salter. Since then, the 17-year Outrigger Canoe Club member has attempted to live up to the legacy left to him by his grandfather. On top of being an acclaimed watermen, Grigg conducted extensive research on coral ecology as a professor of oceanog- raphy at the University of Hawai‘i. His passion for protecting the ocean and its marine life was passed down to Salter. Upon graduation from Roosevelt High School in Makiki, Salter ven- tured o to the East Coast of the continent where he attended Hobart and
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