Earlier this year, we were delighted to welcome Mat Coombe, spearfisher, bbq enthusiast, campervan owner and general outdoor loving guy into the fold at Orbie as our second brand ambassador. We hope you enjoy getting to know Mat as much as we have…
Mat, welcome, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
So I’m Mat Coombe, a business owner, a dad and a spearfisher that grew up on the beaches of the south coast of Cornwall. I learned from a young age that feeding your family through hunting and fishing was in my blood. I’ve been very lucky to grow up and live where I do as it’s given me the opportunity to learn and grow as a spearo to where I am today with sponsorship and the ability to dive when I want and lots of opportunities to dive different places with some amazing people!
So we know there’s a big gnarly campervan in your life, and a boat, plenty of spearguns and plenty of grilling. What can you tell us about your spearfishing?
We started super young, like 6 years old. I had my first hand spear, my dad and uncle being involved in the early days of spearfishing made it a lot easier, my brother and I used to take their pole spears and hassle the local fish population. As the years went by equipment improved and so did our hunting techniques.
You really have been doing this all your life then. What about your fleet, both on and off shore, tell us about that campervan, and where does your boat come into things?
So it all started with a VW T4 and a trip around France spearfishing, I soon discovered I needed more room. One morning in roscoff I got talking to a German couple with a Luton conversion and the dream of building a camper large enough to drive to Norway to hunt halibut was born. After selling my house the funds were available to make the dream a reality and the big green war wagon was born!
The boat soon followed as it matched the camper and was the perfect size to tow behind the camper for trips local and abroad! I’m known for shore diving but the boat means I can put an Orbie onboard and keep the catch and beers cold all day!
Well that’s exactly what Orbie’s for!…And what about the BBQs?
Our family has always been a big BBQ family, my mum does a mean BBQ! I can remember large meals with everyone around at the farm growing up and it’s something I’m trying to teach my kids, we BBQ all year round if we can!
Now I’ll take my kids to the beach and we will cook up dinner while they have a run around.
So with all of the BBQing, camping trips, beaches and boats, how does Orbie fit into things?
As a family that always has fresh fish or meat around, having an Orbie in the car and on the boat feels like it should’ve always been.
The fact that we can keep ice frozen for days on end without worrying about slushy water ruining my catch is one less thing to think about after a long day diving, cleaning the boat etc!
What’s your favourite thing about spearfishing? We’re guessing it ties into sustainable food and outdoor cooking?
Sustainability is the main thing for me, providing for my family and other families around me and knowing exactly where every fish/animal came from is a great feeling.
There’s also a peacefulness with spearfishing that is unmatched out there. No one is responsible for my peace except me, as soon as you drop under the water there’s no stress or noise, it's just you and the hunt for your dinner!
What’s your favourite memory involving any or all of those things you love doing? (Feel free to share the whole story)
Watching the spearfishing rodeo competition grow.
4 years ago it started as an idea I had, and 30 guys in my garden having a cook up, a few beers and sharing stories. This year we welcomed over 100 people to an event that promoted sustainable spearfishing and was completely eco friendly.
I could talk for hours about this event as I’ve really put my heart into it and I hope that people who have attended can see the direction that we can push spearfishing over the next few years and for the next generation of spearfishers.
We absolutely want to hear more about it, but maybe we save that for next year and see if we can get involved. Can you describe your perfect day?
This is easy, an early morning dive in the sunshine to get some fresh bass, coming to shore and getting changed for a cook up on the beach with a group of friends and the kids and of course the Orbie with a few cold ciders in it as the sun goes down.
If you’re not in the sea, on the beach, or by the grill… where will we find you?
Spearfishing UK in St Austell, the shop is more than just a shop, they're family, always supported me and helped me get to where I am today.
During the summer I’ll pop in to weigh a fish or just for a quick chat and end up being there for hours talking to people, during the winter it’s a great place to hangout and keep the stoke fires up for winter especially as now they have a new shop that’s doubled in size sofas have been included!!
And if you can’t find me there and have any questions about spearfishing etc hit me up on instagram I’m always available to chat about guns etc!!!
Lastly, what does the future hold for you Mat? What exciting things are on the horizon?
There’s a few bits that we can’t discuss just yet but…
The Halibut run 2025 I’m very excited for, think gumball rally meets spearfishing, Camper vans and 7-10 days of hunting giant fish in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. What could be better? Oh having Orbie’s with us that makes it better!!
Another thing is a junior event I want to organise, I would like to see the spearfishing Groms getting the same sort of support that you see in the surfing community.
And of course seeing Orbie grow and seeing where we can go with it!
We love your commitment to getting new people involved in what you love. We can certainly see a few things we could get involved with too so we’re looking forward to that! Lastly, is there anything you would like to ask us?!
When are we getting drinkwear, need my coffee warm for after the dive and the dawn dives and of course for the camper!
Ah, good question… definitely keep your eyes peeled ahead of next summer, that’s all I’ll say for now!
