| Although I wouldn't even dare to guess at the | | | | particularly by free-diving, has exploded into a |
| statistics, spearfishing is the venue of choice for a | | | | major fishing venue as evidenced by the number |
| small yet highly dedicated portion of the fishing | | | | of specialized manufacturers of spearguns and |
| community. Here is an activity, while in my very | | | | assorted paraphernalia designed to enable the |
| distant past, has evolved from little more than an | | | | divers to be more effective in their pursuit of fish |
| ancient practice to a science. | | | | never before pursued by the free-diving |
| For many of us in the islands who've grown up | | | | submariners. |
| around the water, spearfishing started with our | | | | Tournaments all over the world are being held for |
| wading along the reefs at night while the tide was | | | | free-diving spearfishing enthusiasts and all |
| low, a lantern in one hand and a hand spear in the | | | | indications are that the sport is not anywhere |
| other. The image was the stuff that you'd expect | | | | close to leveling off in popularity. Free-divers are |
| to see on petroglyphs chronicling the means in | | | | now attaining depths in excess of 100 feet and a |
| which the ancient Hawaiians did some of their | | | | number of fatalities have occurred due to a |
| fishing and no doubt it's an indelible part of our | | | | phenomenon called shallow-water blackout in which |
| fondest childhood memories. | | | | the pressure combined with breath-holding causes |
| The transition from hand spears to diving with | | | | disorientation and black outs resulting in drowning. |
| "three-prongs", the local nickname for a | | | | The accuracy and increased range of today's |
| three-pronged spear with rubber at the end, was | | | | spearguns has opened up new hunting grounds |
| a natural progression for many of us was a | | | | for the modern spearfisherman making it not |
| natural progression as we "came of age" in our | | | | uncommon to see divers in pursuit of pelagic |
| ocean environment bringing home the "better" fish | | | | trophies like tuna, marlin, dolphin-fish, and wahoo. |
| now available to us as we extended our "hunting" | | | | Even fish in the over-100-pound category are |
| territory by diving. | | | | becoming increasingly common as these divers |
| For Hawaii's waters, with its numerous reefs and | | | | venture into the blue waters that in the past |
| coral formations, the three-prong spear was ideal | | | | would only be fished by anglers from boats. |
| when compared to the rifle-like arbalette | | | | Take a close look at spearfishing and you'll |
| spearguns that were getting more advanced each | | | | probably agree, here is a sport that over the last |
| year. Throughout these years, spearfishing with | | | | twenty years has evolved more than any other |
| scuba gear was somewhat popular but never as | | | | form of fishing. And talk to any of the enthusiasts |
| popular in Hawaii as simply donning a mask, fins, | | | | who stalk their trophies underwater and most will |
| and snorkel and venturing out with an old Clorox | | | | tell you there's no better way to take a fish than |
| bottle float tagging along as a fish stringer. | | | | with a breath of air and the opportunity to |
| In the last just-over-ten years, spearfishing, | | | | witness the "fight" from a true fish-eye view! |