Philosophical Debate about Taking Young Divers Spearfishing

[AfterDark]

---------- Post added April 26th, 2012 at 06:17 PM ----------



That IS a joke, right?

Did you laugh? Was that the only hogfish left? Did it have some special feature(s) that you missed before it got shot? Sunrise Sunset, undeniable. Life eats Life to Live undeniable. We live on a diverse planet. There's room for everybody and plenty of hog fish and fish in general.

 

[fjpatrum]

I think the child in the video has been given a tremendous gift--that sense of competency, that he can do something and do it well. This was something my own son learned from diving--and UW photography--at an early age. And I have dived with my son--alone--when he was about that age, although obviously we weren't spearfishing.

However, your comment makes me a bit uncomfortable because it smacks of hubris--and you know, when you exhibit hubris, the gods just want to smack you down. Seriously, it seems a lot of responsibility to put on the slender shoulders of a boy who hasn't even reached puberty yet. He's not your equal--not physically, not intellectually, and not emotionally--and to expect him to be, to demand that he be, is, IMHO, unwise--even if you did train him yourself. What, does he always do everything just the way you've told him, because, if true, he would be the most unusual 13-year old boy that ever lived. In a few years that can and will all change--quite dramatically; one day he'll beat you at arm-wrestling and then he'll remind you of where you left the keys, etc. etc. Sunrise, sunset, and all that.

Really, it "can and will all change"? I disagree. I would daresay DD is teaching his son quite the opposite of what you suggest... rather than teaching him to blindly follow what his dad says, DD seems to be teaching him to think and act for himself, responsibly. That generally doesn't change, no matter what age it's taught.

As for expecting a child to be an "equal" to an adult, children are far more capable than our society seems to think. Sure, they're still learning and they haven't reached physical maturity yet at 13, so what. You don't have to be equal to an adult while diving, you have to be equal to the task at hand. I think DD's son has demonstrated quite well that he is in fact equal to the task at hand.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I think the child in the video has been given a tremendous gift--that sense of competency, that he can do something and do it well. This was something my own son learned from diving--and UW photography--at an early age. And I have dived with my son--alone--when he was about that age, although obviously we weren't spearfishing.

However, your comment makes me a bit uncomfortable because it smacks of hubris--and you know, when you exhibit hubris, the gods just want to smack you down. Seriously, it seems a lot of responsibility to put on the slender shoulders of a boy who hasn't even reached puberty yet. He's not your equal--not physically, not intellectually, and not emotionally--and to expect him to be, to demand that he be, is, IMHO, unwise--even if you did train him yourself. What, does he always do everything just the way you've told him, because, if true, he would be the most unusual 13-year old boy that ever lived. In a few years that can and will all change--quite dramatically; one day he'll beat you at arm-wrestling and then he'll remind you of where you left the keys, etc. etc. Sunrise, sunset, and all that.

---------- Post added April 26th, 2012 at 06:17 PM ----------



That IS a joke, right?

Where do you see that I am demanding that the kid be capable of performing at a level that is comparable to myself? Seriously where? I weigh more than twice what he does and have been diving frequently (more or less every week) for about 3 times as long as he has been alive.

He performed well in that situation, probably better than myself, considering.

I do NOT allow him to dive in deep water (his depth limit is 90 right now) and generally we keep it to one dive per day and I tend to not exceed the NDL for air with him (when we use nitrox).

 

[stevensamler]

Harvest what you need , leave no footprint , and leave plenty for others. To each his own, mind your own business....

 

[aj555]

I used to go spearfishing when I was 15 with my dad. I've used Hawaiian sling, free shaft, and lineshaft. I had experience diving, and was taught well. I was also taught the differences between fish, what to shoot and what not to shoot. As long as the kid is trained well there should be no problems. Many people will still complain, but there are many "experienced" divers who get more complacent than beginners and make mistakes.