Elizabeth Young, age 16, of St. Augustine, Fla., for her question:
WHAT EQUIPMENT IS USED FOR SPEARFISHING?
Spearfishing is the sport of hunting fish underwater with a spear or a gun that shoots a spear. In addition to a gun, a spearfisherman needs a face mask and a breathing tube called a snorkel.
A number of different kinds of hunting devices can be used. Some fishermen use a rubber powered spear gun and others use a pneumatic spear gun. Many hunters use a pole spear while others use an interesting device called a Hawaiian sling.
Most spearfishing is employed to catch fish for food. Spearfishermen hunt in oceans, rivers and lakes in many parts of the world.
Pole spears, the simplest spearfishing equipment, are fiberglass, metal or wooden rods that measure up to 10 feet in length. They have one or more sharp metal points at one end. The spearfisherman jabs the spear into the fish or shoots it forward by means of an attached elastic loop.
Rubber powered spear guns are the most widely used devices for spearfishing. A steel spar from two to six feet long rests on top of the barrel of the gun. The spear is held in place by a catch connected to the trigger. The front end of the gun has one or more rubber loops attached to it.
The hunter stretches the loops back and hooks them into notches in the spear. When the hunter pulls the trigger, the spear is released and the loops propel it forward with great force.
Other types of spear guns are powered by springs, compressed air or gas or explosive charges.
Hawaiian slings consist of a short, open tube with an elastic loop fastened across one end. The hunter shoots a steel spear from this device much as a person shoots a pebble from a slingshot. The spear measures about six feet long and its shaft fits through the tube and rests against the loop. To fire the spear, the hunter stretches the loop and releases it.
Spearheads have sharp hooks called barbs. The barbs hold the spear in place after it has penetrated a fish. A line attaches a spear to a spear gun and prevents a speared fish from escaping.
A spearhead using an explosive charge is used only to protect the hunter from a shark or to take a very large fish.
Most spearfishermen can dive to a depth of about 20 feet. They must return to the surface for breath after less than a minute, although some skilled divers can go as deep as 100 feet and stay underwater for about two minutes.
A snorkel allows spearfishermen to swim at the surface and spot their prey before diving.
Some fishermen use scuba equipment, which is self contained underwater breathing apparatus. A scuba diver breathes air from metal tanks strapped on his back and can stay underwater for as long as an hour.
In some parts of the world, the law prohibits spearfishermen from using scuba gear. In some areas, powered guns are outlawed and in several states, spearfishing is prohibited completely.