What is wrong with this situation? (Or for brevity, what's right?)

[Seaweed Doc]

On vacation in Kihei, Maui. My family doesn't dive, so most days we hit a different beach and snorkel/skin dive.

Yesterday we were at Keawakapu Beach Park and I saw something that had me just about apoplectic. For those not familiar with it, this is a popular beach park where a mix of boogie boarders, snorkelers, and little kids just playing in the water hang out. My observations were at between about 9 and 10:30 am.

Three young gentlemen, perhaps aged 10 to 16 were sometimes together, sometimes apart (youngest typically left alone). The two older ones had full face mask snorkels, the youngest a standard mask/snorkel combination. No fins on anybody, but they did have heavy cotton gardening gloves on. Presumably in case they speared a fish with their pole spears. Yup, they were spearfishin'.

I did have a chat with them briefly and they said it was their first time out. I asked (in the water, snorkeling with my son near them) if they wanted some advice. They said sure. Then I unloaded on what was wrong with this situation.

I don't blame them. I blame whoever got them this gear combination and thought it was a good idea.

Here's my breakdown of what's wrong:

1. No fins. That means no ability to drive down deep enough or move far enough to get what they're after.
2. Full face masks, which will be as far as I know nearly impossible to dive more than a couple feet deep in. (I'll admit my prejudice against them: The designs I've seen I wouldn't put my kids in. They day before I'd helped an older woman deal with a flooded FFM snorkel unit, and today I saw two teen girls likely put off snorkeling for life because they struggled dealing with the same issue.)
3. Thinking they're going to spear something in a crowded beach area. (Did I mention they never really got away from all the other folks in the water.) (I went easy on them, and suggested another spot where they'd be away from crowds and likely see fish that would actually be worth spearing and eating.)

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest they were not giving any thought beyond "try not to hit a person" to where the spear would go when they missed the fish. Or for that matter, if they hit it. I tried not to think about bleeding fish in the water around a bunch of people. It's not a very sharky time of year, but the vis wasn't great.....

I had the crazy idea at the time they were ethical and were going for a food fish. It wasn't until I got home that it occurred to me they might just try and spear anything that moved.

Then today I saw multiple people out with FFM snorkel kits and no fins. They looked like rental units to my wife, which makes me wonder why nobody is advising these people at the time of rental?

So I'm grumpy. (But what's new? I just hope back home those darn kinds are staying off the lawn.)

 

[happy-diver]

Have a good holiday, if you ever decide to pull your head out

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Have a good holiday, if you ever decide to pull your head out

I'm on Maui. It's always good....

 

[sea_ledford]

Most important question... locals or tourists?

I once saw a few local kids (8-12 years old probably) spearfishing in Lahania harbor (right off the fuel dock no less) using some clearly homemade spears. I think they had a mask or two between the 5 of them, no fins in sight. Thus far they had shot a trumpet fish, a couple seargent majors, and one or two others I don't remember.

Only thing I sad to them was, "So, how does Trumpetfish taste?"

One of the responded with, "Don't know, haven't eaten it yet!"

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Most important question... locals or tourists?

I once saw a few local kids (8-12 years old probably) spearfishing in Lahania harbor (right off the fuel dock no less) using some clearly homemade spears. I think they had a mask or two between the 5 of them, no fins in sight. Thus far they had shot a trumpet fish, a couple seargent majors, and one or two others I don't remember.

Only thing I sad to them was, "So, how does Trumpetfish taste?"

One of the responded with, "Don't know, haven't eaten it yet!"

Obviously tourists. Told me they were staying a a local condo. Everything about it said a responsible adult bought them some new toys for the vacation but gave them no input nor attempted to get them input on how to use them or what an appropriate target was. (I'm reading a lot into it, but there was zero demonstrated skill or competence involved.)

Were your local kids using FFM, or standard masks? I love the "yet" part of the statement: Sounds like they'd actually eat it! (And sergeant majors are invasive here. Hawaiian sergeants are, as I understand, the native.) I'm pretty sure the three I saw (keep in mind, 2 in FFM so can't dive down) wouldn't have hit their targets, and frankly wouldn't have known what was edible. (Trumpetfish and sergeant majors are, as I understand. Not sure I'd want to eat either. Then again, I never thought I'd eat a surgeonfish until I was served one in Bali, spine still present.)

Spearfishing off the gas dock is pretty funny: I think it's a safer site to do it, in terms of other humans in the water, but I'm not sure I'd want my kids doing it or eat what they hauled up.....

And I should add I was on best behavior when talking to them. No yelling, and asked first if they wanted input. Then I gave them my honest input.

 

[NeilA.]

OP, You are acting Seattle. Relax, no policing, let others live.

 

[Knockneed Man]

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Ok! I'll let it go.....

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Ok! I'll let it go.....

 

[AfterDark]