In her bold new memoir Against the Tide, Mtunzini-based diver and spearfishing pioneer Jean Napier Hattingh reflects on a life spent breaking records, pushing boundaries and carving a place for women in one of the world’s most extreme male-dominated sports.
Against the Tide follows Jean’s journey through decades in the water, from diving and global travel to record-breaking spearfishing achievements, capturing both the exhilaration and discipline of life beneath the surface.
What inspired you to write Against the Tide?
I started spearfishing as a woman in an all-men’s sport in 1986, many years before women’s records were established in South Africa and globally. Now that women’s records exist, I decided to write about my catches as benchmarks and inspiration for other women starting out in the sport.
What does the title mean to you?
The title reflects my struggle to establish myself and be taken seriously in a man’s world. It took years, but I was eventually fully accepted.
What first drew you to diving and spearfishing?
I was born with semi-dislocated hips and had year-long operations when I was seven. Up until then, I struggled to walk and fell often, but I felt free and safe in water. I excelled at swimming at school, started playing underwater hockey at university, and enrolled for a scuba course.
My scuba instructors were spearfishermen, and after my qualifying dives they took me spearfishing in False Bay in Cape Town. I was hooked immediately by the freedom of diving for hours without cumbersome tanks, and the added thrill of catching dinner at the same time.
What has been a defining moment in your time underwater?
My accident, where I was pinned underwater by my neck by a water-filled boat, was a defining moment in my diving career and my life. It took me a full year to recover completely, but against all odds, I did. I’ve always grabbed life with both hands and never turned down opportunities, whether I could afford them or not. After the accident, I became determined to pack as much into every day as possible.
What challenges did you face as a woman in this sport?
I knew physically I could not compete against men. I made up for this with wiliness and patience during hunting and landing fish.
In the beginning, I struggled to get onto boats to reach far reefs, as men didn’t take me seriously. In one of the most demanding sports in the world, requiring fitness and fearlessness, they thought I was a joke. I overcame this by entering every competition I could find where, according to the rules, I had to be given space on a boat. I slowly upped my game and soon began out-shooting many of the men, earning respect along the way.
How has the ocean shaped who you are?
Time in the ocean is a form of meditation and reflection. Spearfishing is largely an individual sport, so you are often alone in beautiful surroundings, facing danger while developing a deep respect for nature. The ocean has given me independence, fearlessness and an even greater zest for life than I had as a child.
Most spearfishermen today are environmentally aware, and if practiced responsibly, the sport has minimal impact on the ocean.
What advice would you give to women pursuing unconventional paths?
Follow your dreams. Take calculated chances where necessary. Make it happen.
Details: Against the Tide is available at www.exclusivebooks.co.za and www.takealot.com
