New Head for Bluewater Hunter

Jethro Acosta’s love of the ocean was sparked at 5 years old when his family moved from Mendocino to Maui. “If there were no waves, my family would explore the reefs surrounding Maui with a three-prong and sometimes come back with a meal,” said Acosta of how he learned to spear hunt species like uhu (parrotfish) and menpachi (soldierfish) and grab lobsters in deeper waters. 

At age 16, he was working as a tide pool guide when his family moved to his mom’s hometown of Santa Barbara. “At first, this transition was traumatic, but we soon found out that the Pacific Ocean delivered plenty of surf to this coast too,” he said. “And the waters were even more alive with fish.”

While attending SBCC, he ran the dive shop called Underwater Sports before leaving for landlocked Madrid, Spain, to get a degree in international business. “Gills dry, I moved back to Santa Barbara never to leave,” said Acosta, whose career weaved into insurance and other fields. Years later, he learned that the legendary spearfishing shop Bluewater Hunter, which is located at the Harbor, was for sale, and he bought the shop in October 2019. He tells us more about the shop and his plans below.