Why Do We Spearfish? Basics Of Spearfishing Part 1
Why do people spearfish?
People start spearfishing for many reasons, some of the key reasons people start are; they can hunt for their own fresh seafood, there is an element of adventure and/or excitement, it is challenging, it increases your fitness, you can explore the ocean and the human connection or social aspect of the sport.
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Probably the first thing that comes to mind is food. We're talking about a long-term urge that is ingrained in our systems and that's hunting. We've been hunting for many thousands of years. And so for those who know this, you can't almost deny it. We like to think that we don't depend on the supermarkets to get our meat, to get out protein. This is an ability that we have. Those who become good at it that will enable us to survive. It satisfies something deep inside that we're hunters and that we can survive. Well, I think the next reason probably is adventure. You often wave the adventure flag in someone's face and they are off. Why is it adventures? Well, we're out there in the ocean. We're coming across sites that not many people see. We're not the only predators out there.
We take fish that are aggressive, that run hard. It's a very exciting sport and this is the adventure. We go through extremes of weather, strong winds, squalls, cold. Sometimes the water is cold. Sometimes the winds even colder. Why? It's a bit of an adventure for us. This is a very good thing for I think the human spirit, it's very good for us. Another reason that we do this is fitness. A lot of us aren't that keen on pounding the pavement or even swimming, following that black line back and forth up a pool. When you've got a purpose behind it, like putting food on the table and the spirit of adventure, it's very good for you physically to go out and spend hours in the water. So, fitness is a good reason, it certainly helps us to be fit.
Another reason, and this is probably something that attracts a lot of people, is the challenge. Quite often, you hear that, oh, especially from line fishermen, "That guy, look." We just go out there and we swim down and swim up to efficient shooters and this is as far away from the actual truth that we can get. A line fishermen, they go out there and they'll sit in their chair and they'll have their tinny and be wrapping on to friends. And that's all part of the game and it's no doubt, very enjoyable. But, we brave currents, we brave sharks, they get worried about the sharks taking the fish. We're down there, we're fending off sharks if we have to. We have to become good swimmers, it's a challenge to do so. Many people are diving quite deep to take their fish.
So the challenges are very important reason to look at. And finally, I'd like to mention that we have a human connection that's involved. Although, we seem to be alone out in the water, the fact is spearfishing is a team sport. You have a buddy, your buddy is responsible for you when you're underwater and you're responsible for him. You've got a boat and a boat crew. You've got to have a captain who knows how to be a captain. You've got to have safety procedures, they're not something you do all by yourself. There's a human connection here. And the friends you get spearfishing will often last a lifetime. And why is that? Because you're dealing with people with whom you trust your life and this brings close connection.
