It's a high-adrenaline hobby with its fair share of risks, but even those who've witnessed shark attacks are still spearfishing.
On reefs home to bull sharks, deadly stingers and the odd saltwater crocodile, spearfishers duck dive to the ocean floor with seemingly no fear."I just fell in love with the sport," the 22-year-old says.
Armed with a harpoon gun, waterproof camera and an empty ice box, Mr Schmidt regularly makes trips to the Great Barrier Reef, broadcasting the highlights to his more than 150,000 social media followers."It is so unique and what you can capture down there is so incredible – from whales to manta rays, turtles, sea snakes, there is so much life you get to experience," he says.
"All the normal rules, regulations, size and possession limits for recreational fishing also apply to spearfishers," a spokesperson says. "Getting to meet all these people is just a really great thing and being out on the water with my friends today is a memory for life," Mr Schmidt says.
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