After my last post John Roach asked is we could show the Hawaiian sling. That's me straddling the gunnel, eyeballing the breakers in the distance before slipping over the side. In my right hand is the sling, already loaded and showing the stainless steel shaft w/barbed tip. The handle and tubing loop are at bottom half of the spear. Those waves are crashing against Man 'O War Cay's outermost coral reef, nearly two miles offshore. Just beyond the reef the ocean bottom drops off sharply, sinking to abysmal depth. Once past the breakers its a long way to the next spit of dry land, the Canary Islands off the African coast.
Bahamian law prohibits the use of mechanized spears and scuba gear. Only free diving - mask, fins, snorkel - is allowed. And the choice of spears is limited to slings and pole spears. As I mentioned to John in a previous comment, the sling takes some getting used to, and, depending on your quarry, there's a certain degree of stealth involved. Lobsters, found in cracks, crevices, fissures on the bottom and hidden in the coral, are easier to approach than fish. I used to tell my son-in-law, Jeff, that when hunting lobsters you can pretty much swim right up on them and get off a shot or two before they retreat. Fish on the other hand are warier and react much quicker, particularly dog snappers and black grouper. My advice to Jeff when hunting fish with the sling was "act like a tourist," swim slowly, pretend you're not interested and then take your shot. It's worked well so far.
That looks so cool, they look
That looks so cool, they look like the same kind of slings they use on SURVIVOR.
Thanks, Now I know what they
Thanks,
Now I know what they look like.
Jim, You always have cool
Jim,
You always have cool stories & pics. It's great learning from your experiences.
I can understand why they
I can understand why they don't allow mechanical spears, but do you have any idea why they don't allow scuba gear?
John, you're welcome. I find
John, you're welcome. I find the marine environment fascinating, particularly the coral reefs. The larger oceanic predators make their home to seaward in the deep water beyond the breakers, yet there is nothing preventing them from entering the shallower water inside the reef. The water depth inside the reef varies from 12 to 25 feet within a mile of shore. As you get closer to the outermost reef the water can be anywhere from 35 to fifty feet. Outside the reef the ocean floor drops away quickly and the water changes from turquoise to cobalt blue.
In case you're interested there is some good spearfishing/Hawaiian sling footage available on You Tube.
Tim and Mardell, thank you
Tim and Mardell, thank you both. While we're on the topic, I'd like to share a personal experience. A few years back a group of us were in a boat much closer to the outer reef, not far from where the above picture was taken. We were making ready to enter the water when something large just beyond the reef shot out of the water. It took my brain a second to register just what it was I was looking at. On its ascent I saw a dark gray back - as it reached the apex of its jump I saw water cascading off a huge body. Then, as it came crashing down into the sea I saw the white underbelly. I had just seen an airborne manta ray. That remains one of my favorite outdoor moments. ps. 139: 9&10
Wow Jim, reading that story
Wow Jim, reading that story of yours all i could think of is.... Its a good thing your not Steve Irwin :)
Tim, you may find this
Tim, you may find this surprising. Unlike stingrays, eagle rays, skates, etc., the manta doesn't have a stinging barb in its tail. And unlike the other members of the ray family, which dig in the sand for burrowed fish and mollusks, the manta swims through the water with its mouth open filtering plankton. I've had them pass below the boat on a couple occasions. They are absolutely huge and graceful swimmers.
I do miss watching Steve Irwin!
John, only now did I see your
John, only now did I see your question - I apologize. It would be pure speculation on my part to guess why scuba gear isn't allowed when spearfishing Bahamian waters. Yet the first thing that comes to mind is conservation.
Yours is a good question. I'll make some inquiries and hopefully post the results.
That's a good shot of my
That's a good shot of my all-time favorite piece of sporting equipment! It's primitive, but with practice, it's efficient. For me there's no greater thrill than wielding a Hawaiin sling while stalking the coral reefs of the open ocean with my father-in-law. I only hope that the reefs can be spared from the oil spill. It sure would be nice to make a return visit someday soon.
Hi Jimmy, According the the
Hi Jimmy, According the the bi-laws of the Bahamian waters, the rule has always been 'no-scuba' for spear fishing, free diving only. Their take on it is trying to keep their waters pristine and always a wonderful colorful display of marine life and figuring that a free-diver has to be awfully good to render their quarry. It is also felt that people use scuba for spear fishing anyway only to lie about how they attained their quarry. New rules were established in 2007 but the scuba rule has always been in effect. I'm praying that this oil mishap doesn't take its toll on these beautiful waters and reefs. I can remember the waters off the eastern coast of Fl. years ago and coming out of them with gobs of a tar like substance on me not realizing it was due to a small oil leak way back then. I cannot fathom the damage that has been done with this recent fiasco. (P S our first sling was brite yellow. I see you're using a much more efficient sling.)
John Roach, I have an answer
John Roach, I have an answer to your question from June 21.
Remember Reg Sweeting, the fellow in the pics dealing with the conch? His sister e-mailed my wife this morning saying scuba was banned for spearfishing purposes because they were afraid it would take a heavy toll on the marine wildlife. Barb's response was accurate, yet one needs to know that Abaco and its surrounding cays are quite laid back, nothing like Freeport or Nassau. Free diving/spearfishing is a large part of their tourism trade.
Hi Barb! Thanks for
Hi Barb!
Thanks for the input. Wasn't all that long ago you, me and Claudia were diving near East Sambo Key, dodging jelly fish!
Jim, Thanks
Jim,
Thanks
Yuck Jim, Now those jelly
Yuck Jim, Now those jelly fish are something I would like to forget. Don't remember when I swam so fast to get out of the water. There were streams of them. Speaking of experiences, the eclipse we saw---Did you see the Double Moon experience about 10 days ago. Thought I was seeing double. Mesmerizing is the best way I can describe it. Had to call everyone out to view it. Oh What a Wonderful World!!!!Love ya bro, Barb
Barb, I do remember
Barb,
I do remember the eclipse. We were anchored off Cape Romano and the moon turned the color of a garnet. The next morning we set sail for Key West and that evening went to Jimmy Buffet's place. Margaritaville?
Speaking of Key West, we never made it to the Dry Tortugas. Mike P. says the waters there are still pristine. I can only guess what effect the the oil spill will have.