esqeddy:
.....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?
First of all, I am not offended at you spearfishing or at you discussing it here. Your assumption that I am "offended" is incorrect, but two misquotes in a row is causing me to become just a bit concerned about your intentions.
Let's try not to read more into what I am saying than I am actually saying. Doing that and then misquoting what was actually said repeatedly begins to give the impression that you are trying to create conflict and disagreement where none actually exists.
To restate my self, I don't care if you spearfish, I just indicated that it is no longer something I choose to do and further commented that freediving/spearfishing takes a lot more skill than scuba/spearfishing.
I also think it is great if you post about it on scubaboard and it is a forum I would probably read on a regular basis. But you probably need to consider that the potential exists that spearfishing divers would be in the minority and may at times be at odds with photographers and the more liberal tree hugger types in general. Without proper care to respect everyone's point of view, things could potentially get a little contentious so it would require a fair degree of personal retraint and responsibility from all parties to pull it off sucessfully.
In a larger sense though, if the people posting about spearfishing here or who are opposed to spearfishing actually enjoy contention or starting an argument, then it is most likely going to end up being a very interesting forum to moderate.
Personally, it is not something I would pursue, particularly if I were still actively spearfishing. In my spearfishing hey-dey, I worked hard to keep a low profile and to maintain good relations with anglers and divers in the area who either never spearfished or who were opposed to spearfishing. Not all spearfishers ascribed to that idea however. Consequently and periodically some proud spearfisher would just have to get their picture in the paper with a huge fish they speared or worse a limit of huge fish. And each and every time it happened it created lots of misconceptions about spearfishing being less than sporting and targeting exceptionally large fish, breeding stock, etc. And despite the reality that catch rates by spearfishers and the pressure they exerted on fish populations in general were vastly lower than sport fishing, each and every time, the non-spearfishing majority would question the practice and threaten the rights of the minority.
Sometimes it is just a good idea for the minority to take care not to inflame the majority to ensure they are able to continue doing their thing. And even though I don't actively spearfish that is important to me as if the situation were right, and the mood struck me, I would like to at least still have the option to pick up the sport again.
