Underwater Hunting?

I just sent the following letter to PADI, maybe someone here can also address it:

When I took my OW cousre, I looked over a list of specialties that I could get certified in as I continued my Diver Education, Underwater Hunting was included onit. I recently purchased the book for the Advanced Course and was very disappointed to not see a chapter on an Underwater Hunting. Furthermore, I am finding that several local instructors are reluctant to even take this specialty seriously. I can't even find a reference to it on the website!
I've studied the history of diving and know that many of the early pioneers (including the Cousteau, inventor of the Aqualung!) were participants in this sport.
Has PADI turned its back on hunters? Is there still an UWH specialty?
What's the deal?

_________

As a follow up here, does any other sanctioning body offer an Underwater Hunting course? I am interested in more than just picking up clams and lobsters.....

Thanks.

Follow up Question:

Anyone in the Middle TN area into Spearfishing?

Duca, half the fun of hunting was figuring it out! Use common sense and always think safety. Treat your spear gun with respect and be aware of ALL divers around you. Only take what you need for a meal and you should do just fine.

You will most likely find out two things; the big fish are big for a reason and its just as fun to take them with a video camera.

While that is an interesting and potentially valid suggestion DS, I don't think I'd give similar advice to someone who asked my about Deer or Turkey hunting.

While the respect for the gun is a worthwhile note, what about the habits and preferences of the game in question? Best times/locations/habitats?

To make the comparison more clear, if I gave your advice to a potential deer hunter, he might end up looking for whitetails in the middle of a desert at high noon. (Albeit with a responsible sense of how many deer he will shoot and his finger off the trigger!)

All I know about fish basically comes from "fishing"... Should I drive a boat around with my SCUBA gear on until the depth gauge shows me some blips and then jump in? Or maybe I should put out a chum slick? Anchor mesh bags of fish bits to the bottom and wait nearby for a big one to swim into range?

Whats fun to hunt? What's safe? Anyone actually hunt sharks? Can an angry grouper bite my ear off?

When are Octopi in season and who does the best job of mounting them?


I need some answers!

I believe that the U/W Hunter is still a PADI speciality. A bunch of people from my LDS went to Florida to get it. I was told that there are very few instructors certified to teach it.

Duca,
Have you checked with MTSS in the Cool Springs area? They may be able to help you out with the spearfising. I love to hunt the big ole bass that hang out in our local quarries.....only I "shoot" em with my underwater camrea *S*

~lildiver

I highly recommend reading "Blue Water Hunter" by Terry Maas or "Spearfishing and Underwater Hunting Handbook: Beginner Through Advanced" by B. Allen Patrick.
Now most hunters are free divers due to the added difficulty and increased silence in stalking, but I would bet you could still move in on some good critters.
Be very careful once you get something or if you are using chum, the roles can quickly become reversed.

Dave

I got started into scuba because of going after catfish in the Cooper River. For some reason the local people are very tight lipped about telling me the in and out of shooting these fish. But I'm learning. First is dont piddle around. Move fast to and shoot quick mainly because the vis is not that good and you spook them before you see them. Look in holes, small caves, hollow logs and log jams. Find a place that holds a cat one day more than likely they will be another later on. I was getting so discuraged that I thought about setting up some chum and laying in wait. But that would be boring. Good luck. We can only shoot none game fish here in SC. For fresh water that means Bowfin, Catfish, Gar, and Carp.

If you want to catch a fish you have to think like a fish. Or in Marine terms; be smooth, silent, and deadly. But I still prefer the Caddyshack version.

Duca, OK, lets keep it simple. I use to spear fish and got extremely good at it. Here is what I did in the beginning. First, I dove a lot and knew the area. I also watched the local fish and started seeing how they acted. Also, I started out with a pole spear and found it was faster then a spear gun! That is, I could hit fish and deal with them faster. Got more fish but smaller.

Just to enforce my point regarding habits, this is what I observed for a few of the fish I went after;

Calico Bass, if I followed them from behind and about 4' above them, they got nervous and dashed into the nearest hole. I quickly followed them and found them hiding usually far in the back of the hole. You typically needed a small dive light to see them. After hitting them, only if you had a clean shot, you have to work them out. They usually try to wedge them self between rocks so you can't pull them out. Take your time so you don't pull out the shaft. I found the paralyzing tips to be the fastest and most productive. After you extracted the fish from the hole, use a large close pin type clip going into the mouth and out the gill to secure it. Then pull out the spear. Debatable what you do next. Some say put them in a tire tube at the surface (float) others tie them to their weight belt (shark bait). I tired them to my weight belt due to the fact in California we don't have many sharks about. Would not do the same in tropical waters.

Sheepshead: If you try and swim up to a large sheepshead, they will swim away. You hardly get close to them. However, pick up a rock and bang away on another rock or bang on your scuba tank! They will come within shooting range.

Yellow Tail: Free swimming yellow tail will come in and usually take one look. You have to hit them at that time. However, I have worn white gloves before and wiggled my fingers, they came in to see what was going on. Bang! Oh, works with Dorado as well. Best method I found was to slowly drive a boat up to a free moving kelp patch in open water. Get up current and let the boat drop you off. Drift to the kelp. Yellows and other large fish like to hide under the kelp. After you hit the first fish, 3 to 4 others will follow the hit fish. I would surface and quickly call the boat over. When the boat arrived, I would hand them my spear gun and let them deal with the fish. They would quickly hand me my second gun and I would take another one. In blue water you have to be careful you don't lose depth control or get hit by a large shark.

Halibut: Swim about 4' off the bottom and look for the outline of the fish. When you find one carefully look him over to ensure he has size. Slowly get in front of him and shoot at a 45 degree angle just behind the eyes. This way if he has size (40 lbs or larger), he will be swimming against the shaft and take the fight out of him. Watch them, they bite! If you shoot them from behind, get ready for a ride. Sandy bottom near shore is preferred.

I could go on and on. Ok, how and when to get them? Watch the papers. See what the anglers are catching and where? If the bass are running or they are catching tuna, guess what's running! Get a local "Fish & Game" book and look at the seasons. Talk to local dive shops and see what they know. If you are in an unfamiliar area, find out as much about it before you go off hunting. You have to know the currents and tides.

Your weapon, I could write a novel about that. First thing I found, the wings are never large enough. Always find a tip that is sharp and has large wings.

Tired of writing - GOOD LUCK.