spearo's....

[fishTASTEgood]

Hi I'm new to this site and i was just wondering why there isn't a spearfishing forum on this site. I think that spearing is a fun and exciting part of SCUBA diving. I mean this is probably the most dedicated site to SCUBA diving and there isn't even a spearfishing forum on this whole site. Just wondering. :06:

thanx
cv

 

[tmcgill]

i have to admit iv'e wondered the exact same thing on more than one occasion?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I used to spearfish extensively, but that was when fish, particularly large fish, were more numerous. At some point I realized fish were more fun to look at than to shoot.

The other issue with scuba and spearfishing is one of ethics. Spearfishing while freediving is sporting and pits your skills against the fish giving the fish an even chance. Spearfishing on scuba is in my opinion is just, pardon the pun, like shooting fish in a barrel as relatively little skill is required and consequently there is little satisfaction in it for me.

Now, don't take this wrong. Spearfishing on scuba may not be what I would call sporting but it has not caused the sharp decline in fish populations. That has a lot more to due with overfishing by hook and line anglers as well as commerical fisherman. It is a much larger issue of poor management of a resource, not one of scuba equipped spearfisherman being overly successful. But given the current state of affairs, with a limited number of fish and even more limited numbers of large fish I would prefer to look at them than to shoot them.

So I guess I don't miss a spearfishing forum on Scuba board. And you can always go to http://www.spearboard.com/forum/ if you want to talk spearfishing.

 

[esqeddy]

I used to spearfish extensively, but that was when fish, particularly large fish, were more numerous. At some point I realized fish were more fun to look at than to shoot.

The other issue with scuba and spearfishing is one of ethics. Spearfishing while freediving is sporting and pits your skills against the fish giving the fish an even chance. Spearfishing on scuba is in my opinion is just, pardon the pun, like shooting fish in a barrel as relatively little skill is required and consequently there is little satisfaction in it for me.

Now, don't take this wrong. Spearfishing on scuba may not be what I would call sporting but it has not caused the sharp decline in fish populations. That has a lot more to due with overfishing by hook and line anglers as well as commerical fisherman. It is a much larger issue of poor management of a resource, not one of scuba equipped spearfisherman being overly successful. But given the current state of affairs, with a limited number of fish and even more limited numbers of large fish I would prefer to look at them than to shoot them.

So I guess I don't miss a spearfishing forum on Scuba board. And you can always go to http://www.spearboard.com/forum/ if you want to talk spearfishing.

I'm glad that you find conservation to be an over riding factor in your decision not to spearfish. That leaves more fish for me! Also, I find your logic contradictary: If there are so few large fish, then it should be relatively hard to find and spear them. You indicate that spearfishing requires little skill. I strongly disagree. Spearfishing requires a higher degree of physical fitness, quick reactions, diving at 80 - 120 plus feet, fish identification and size judgment and game law knowledge, and is very rewarding at the dinner table.

I agree with your assesment that the decline in fish populations is due to factors other than spear fishing. Afterall, spearfishing pulls a drop in the bucket of the overall fish catch.

However, in so much as this board caters to SCUBA diving generally, I find it very discriminatory and in bad taste to single out and exclude a certain group of divers because you don't care for what I happen to find the most exilerating sport within SCUBA diving.

If this board can't or won't allow the spearfishers here to participate and congregate and be proud of our sport, then I'm certain I, and others like me will follow your suggestion and go else where.

 

[augk]

I would also like to see if other divers out there have information to share on this topic.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I'm glad that you find conservation to be an over riding factor in your decision not to spearfish. That leaves more fish for me! Also, I find your logic contradictary: If there are so few large fish, then it should be relatively hard to find and spear them.

Conservation is not the over riding factor. As I indicated other forms of (over) fishing have a much more profound effect on fish size and numbers. The big reason is simply that when I spot a fish on one dive, I would prefer to let him live to be around for me to look at on future dives. The part of this is that somewhere along the way I just got tired of killing things as it just lost its appeal. I rarely spearfish but I also no longer hunt anything else either. If you feel differently, have at it.

You indicate that spearfishing requires little skill. I strongly disagree. Spearfishing requires a higher degree of physical fitness, quick reactions, diving at 80 - 120 plus feet, fish identification and size judgment and game law knowledge, and is very rewarding at the dinner table.

That's a bit of a misquote. Spearfishing while freediving requires a great deal of skill while comparatively speaking scuba requires almost none. I know very few scuba divers anymore who started freediving before scuba diving, even fewer who can routinely and repeatedly freedive to 50-60' and fewer still who can stay down long enough to spear anything. In contrast a lot of divers can manage to spear a fish while on scuba gear without spending large amounts of time training or honing their skills.

Comparing spearfishing on scuba with spearfishing while freediving is like comparing hunting with a rifle to hunting with a bow. In both cases the skill sets required for the latter are vastly greater than for the former. They are not even in the same league.

So if you really want to try a challenge while spearfishing, leave the tank on the boat. You will get fewer fish but will find getting a fish to be far more rewarding.

 

[esqeddy]

Conservation is not the over riding factor. As I indicated other forms of (over) fishing have a much more profound effect on fish size and numbers. The big reason is simply that when I spot a fish on one dive, I would prefer to let him live to be around for me to look at on future dives. The part of this is that somewhere along the way I just got tired of killing things as it just lost its appeal. I rarely spearfish but I also no longer hunt anything else either. If you feel differently, have at it.

Sure enough, many people lose their desire to hunt. I have not. But I have a strict code of "If it dies, it fries." As for finding the same fish on future dives, I am far from being a fish behavioral expert, but in my limited experience most game fish (excluding some groupers) tend to migrate with changing water temperatures and do not take up permanent residence on wrecks or reef locations.

That's a bit of a misquote. Spearfishing while freediving requires a great deal of skill while comparatively speaking scuba requires almost none. I know very few scuba divers anymore who started freediving before scuba diving, even fewer who can routinely and repeatedly freedive to 50-60' and fewer still who can stay down long enough to spear anything. In contrast a lot of divers can manage to spear a fish while on scuba gear without spending large amounts of time training or honing their skills.

Comparing spearfishing on scuba with spearfishing while freediving is like comparing hunting with a rifle to hunting with a bow. In both cases the skill sets required for the latter are vastly greater than for the former. They are not even in the same league.

So if you really want to try a challenge while spearfishing, leave the tank on the boat. You will get fewer fish but will find getting a fish to be far more rewarding.

Sure enough, free diving is far more physically demanding than scuba diving. In fact, I have no desire to even attempt such a stunt at 50' - 60'. That is another sport all together. I personally believe that it would be irresponsible for me to attempt to free diving and spearfishing. First, there is an increased likelihood that I would not recover the fish I was shooting. This is taboo in my hunting ethic. Second, I would be placing my life at unnecessary risk. This is taboo in my family ethic. This is especially true since the spearfishing off the coast of Georgia is in about 80' or more of water.

Interestingly, I do bow hunt for deer. It does not place my life in jepordy, though there is an increased likelihood of wounding and not retreiving a deer which you have shot. I attempt to minimize this possibility by limiting the range of my shots, shoting at stationary targets, and lots of practice.

What is most interesting to me is that there a far greater array of techniques and styles for spearfishing than there are hunting deer. Likewise, there is a full range of specialize gear that is used, tried, and refined by various spearfishermen. We spearfishing divers would love to share that information with each other. Why are you so offended by the idea of us doing this here?

 

[jbd]

i have to admit iv'e wondered the exact same thing on more than one occasion?

This question has come up from time to time since scubaboard came into existence. I think(and I may be incorrect) that the owners of the site decided not to have a section here since there was already the site provided in the link that DA Aquamaster provided. I've only been to that site once since I'm not a spearfisher but IIRC it works about the same as this site. Enjoy.

 

[wrongkey]

This question has come up from time to time since scubaboard came into existence. I think(and I may be incorrect) that the owners of the site decided not to have a section here since there was already the site provided in the link that DA Aquamaster provided. I've only been to that site once since I'm not a spearfisher but IIRC it works about the same as this site. Enjoy.

If that's the stated reason, it's a bunch of hypocritical nonsense. Look at all of the other forums. It is granulated so that every conceivable subject -- except spearfishing -- is covered, including off topic stuff that doesn't even have anything to do with diving. I for one would like for somebody with authority to speak for the board to step up to the plate and explain why spearfishing is excluded.

 

[MSilvia]

I think(and I may be incorrect) that the owners of the site decided not to have a section here since there was already the site provided in the link that DA Aquamaster provided.

Yeah... and BC selection, underwater photography, and vacation tips are covered on other sites too, but I doubt there's been much discussion about eliminating the related forums on SB because of it.

For what it's worth, Scuba Stop has a spearfishing forum, complete with a recipe section.