~Purists"~

[coral cowgirl]

Not being a spearfisher myself, I'm wondering....

it's been implied in our area that "real" spearfishers are free-divers...any thoughts on that?

[ratown]

A friend of mine will only spearfish freediving and another guy I know spearfishes commercially on scuba gear. You can't help but think that you have quite the advantage over the fish with scuba and when you kill a big fish holding your breath, it feels much more gratifying. But the guy I know who commercially fishes with scuba gear goes down 200' where it is impossible to free dive. Interesting thread. I am interested in what some more advanced spearfishermen/women have to say.

[DOWNDEEP73]

Everyone has their own opinions!
I do not believe that statement is true at all.
Some people think that just because that's the way they do things....then it must be the only right way.
Tell them to come to the murky waters and free-dive where I hunt. They can do it sure....but how long before they get caught up on a snag from a submerged tree, or even better someone's trot line.

[MSilvia]

My thought is that I'm not particularly interested in what some people imply "real" spearfishermen do.

However, in my experience, open circuit scuba broadcasts your presence to fish and makes it harder to approach them.

As I see it, scuba gives you a spearfishing advantage over freedivers in the same sense that a running ATV gives you a deer hunting advantage over someone on foot. Yeah, you can get there easier, but there won't be as much to shoot at as there would be if you quietly blended in with the scenery.

Spearfishing on a rebreather might be a different story.

[ratown]

Originally Posted by MSilvia

My thought is that I'm not particularly interested in what some people imply "real" spearfishermen do.

However, in my experience, open circuit scuba broadcasts your presence to fish and makes it harder to approach them.

It gives you a spearfishing advantage over freedivers in the same sense that an ATV gives you a deer hunting advantage over someone on foot. Yeah, you can get there easier, but there won't be as much to shoot at.

True, a lot of free divers go down in full camo, making themselves close to invisible to the fish... unless the camo wetsuits are a marketing ploy? I won't ever wear one. But analyze this: Does it take more training to be able to hold your breath for long periods of time and spear a fish than scuba diving and spearing a fish?

[ratown]

...and this is assuming you are in free divable depths. There are certain depths you just cannot free dive and therefore that makes spearfishing on scuba the only way.

[MSilvia]

Originally Posted by ratown

Does it take more training to be able to hold your breath for long periods of time and spear a fish than scuba diving and spearing a fish?

I don't know about training, but it certainly takes a lot more conditioning. I won't argue that freedivers are generally in excellent condition and work hard for it.

I fail to see what that has to do with it though. It no more makes the case that freediving is the only "real" way to spearfish than that freediving is the only "real" way to dive. It's a way, and a good way, but not the only way.

If I go for a dive and come back with a fish that I speared, the fish isn't any less "real" if I took it on scuba.

[ratown]

I guess I interpreted that statement differently. I saw it as man-talk for freedive spearing is cooler and harder than scuba spearfishing.

[MSilvia]

Originally Posted by ratown

I saw it as man-talk for freedive spearing is cooler and harder than scuba spearfishing.

In that case, spear guns are for dandies. REAL underwater hunters use a knife.

[ratown]

Or bare hands like Manny Puig!