Speargun for a teenager?

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rumplesplitfins

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Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
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Location
South Florida
# of dives
500 - 999
My friend is asking me about getting a speargun for his teenager. The teen only has a handful of dives under his belt (less than 20 all together, and only a few in the ocean), and I suggested that he wait until the teen gets a few more dives and achieves buoyancy control, etc before putting a gun in his hands.

My friend seems to think it will help get the teen more into diving. I think it's just an unsafe idea. Any thoughts?
 
Hrmmm, I see both sides to this.

I'd go with the spear gun. Take him on a trip with some other spear-fisherman. Let them talk to the kid abut what he needs to do before using the gun but definitely give him a taste of it. Dad is on the right track here but the kid may not absorb what dad is saying - like I said take him on a trip. Consider it a small investment.

If he is a typical teen, diving/spearfishing will help keep him focused through the rough teen times.

Being a mom of an 18 & 20 yr old I think I know where dad may be coming from.

edited to add: If your friend doesn't know any good safe spear-fisherman, perhaps you do and can set something up? Nothing like mentoring a teen - the rewards are immense.
 
Disclaimer
I am not a spear fisherman, but have dived with them​


Well, this does seem to be a decision that requires much thought of the pros and cons.
Buoyancy control, dive experience, and focus are major factors. I'm sure the intent is not to give a spear gun to a teenage diver and let them loose with it, it is not the diving way.
It could be a way of peeking more interest in diving for the new spear gunner.
That said I would think, if the spear gun was loaded and handled by experienced tutors and much of the initial use was in a very safe, controlled environment in "practice" mode. Even, using a practice "tip" if available. The gun could be carried and loaded initially by the adult handler. Handed off to the new shooter when ready to do some practice buoyancy control. Shooting can come later, at non living targets. Also knowledge in fish identification, and fishing regulations would be of great help.
When I was a teenager (13 or so), I was given my first .22 caliber rifle, I had already been taught about safe gun handling, but was still on the road to being able to apply these rules under adult supervision. Never was it my parent’s intent, to give me such a dangerous weapon, and let me "hold the reins". One thing I did to learn more was to attend a hunter's safety program, where many "does, don'ts and why" were covered, this could also be helpful. The handling of firearms parallel the needs for safely handling a spear gun, maybe even moreso, being underwater and all. So would I recommend it? It is not my place, but I think that getting out the pros and cons might help someone make a more informed decision.
On a lighter note, because it is the season, "you'll shoot your eye out kid" :D
 
Bad idea. Get the scuba skills ingrained first and let the kid freedive with a gun and get the hunting skills sharpened up before you go combining two disparate evolutions.
 
Here's what I'd do. Get a spearo or two and take a trip to a local lake. Buck lake would be perfect. Get some milk jugs and tie them to some weights. A quick shot of air, and you've got some targets. This way, he'd get used to carrying the gun, loading and shooting in pool like conditions under the eye of someone experienced. No rushing, no adrenaline. This way, he'll get a chance to see if he really likes it, and what areas of his diving he needs to work on (and why).
 
When people ask me how to become a better underwater photographer I tell them the best thing they can do is become a better diver first. When you first start out diving bouyancy is the hardest skill to master. Eventually though it can become second nature.

I would not recommend putting a spear gun in the hands of a new diver. To me age is not the deciding factor. It's the skill level that concerns me.

Use the spear gun as an incentive for the kid. Tell them that as they improve their skills and become better in the water they can then try spear fishing. Giving the teen a goal to achieve can be a great motivator. For now, leave the gun safely at home.
 
I should add that I recommended to our friend that the teen not only get better at diving first, but that he should get out with a pole spear, and learn the basics of stalking fish and picking the right kind of fish to hunt before getting a gun.

I should also add that the age of the diver is not the issue really. I would recommend this approach to any newer diver who is interested in spearfishing. It seems more prudent to learn with a pole spear, and to be a better diver first...

I just think that anyone who plans on diving with a speargun shouldn't have to worry about the task loading that the gun will put onto their diving. New divers are new divers, and diving is enough of a task by itself. Adding any kind of task loading into the equation this early in the game seems like playing with fire.

I only post this at all, because hopefully my friend won't be so stubborn about this that they risk the life of their teenager to get him "into" diving.
 
This is funny, we actually had this topic of discussion last night with some other ScubaBoarders. Given the person whom we were talking about last night, knowing that the young man that being discussed then is atheletic, level headed more than thant he average kid, and looking for something to be 'his thing' the idea of introducing him to the possibility of spearfishing while diving is groovy. Reefguy and I both seemed to be on the same page with regards to the better of the ways to introduce him to the concept and extra task load as well as evaluate where he stands as a diver skills wise so he can recieve feedback as to what areas need work before it was pursued with more seriousness, should the interest be there. It was also mentioned that while he's working on those skills that freediving with the gun would be a GREAT way to both practice using the weapon and improve a skill that many divers are severely deficient.
 
This is funny, we actually had this topic of discussion last night with some other ScubaBoarders. Given the person whom we were talking about last night, knowing that the young man that being discussed then is atheletic, level headed more than thant he average kid, and looking for something to be 'his thing' the idea of introducing him to the possibility of spearfishing while diving is groovy. Reefguy and I both seemed to be on the same page with regards to the better of the ways to introduce him to the concept and extra task load as well as evaluate where he stands as a diver skills wise so he can recieve feedback as to what areas need work before it was pursued with more seriousness, should the interest be there. It was also mentioned that while he's working on those skills that freediving with the gun would be a GREAT way to both practice using the weapon and improve a skill that many divers are severely deficient.

I second the free diving, I just recently started scuba diving, but I've been free diving for close to 20 years and I think that would help greatly.
 
Ok. I have a question. In spearfishing, if the gun is already loaded, all the diver has to do is pull the trigger (at the right fish and size of course). With a pole spear doesn't the diver have to pull a band like a sling shot? And, wouldn't that take more effort as far as bouyancy control goes?
 

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