Are freedivers cheap?

    I got to thinking today that we're always looking where to save a buck doing what we do. No one likes to spend needlessly but as a consumer group we're probably less conditioned to spend our hard earned cash than scuba divers for example. What does it really take to start spearfishing freediving? A mask and a pair of fins and a speargun. By comparison I think that scuba folks are dishing out cash from the moment they start, certification, tanks, bcd, air fills, boat rides etc. and so are more used to or comfortable with the idea of paying every step of the way. So are freedivers more frugal ;) by comparison to others who spend their time on or in the water? Certainly the name fits :)

    Did you ever notice that scuba guys are content with cheap guns? I don't think it's because they spend the money on other stuff though. I mean if you're going to spend good money on doing something why would you skimp out on the most important detail, the ultimate reason you're in the water and your only connection to the fish, the speargun. Maybe for a scuba diver the main focus is to get there and then everything else is a secondary matter. Maybe a scuba diver is able to get closer to the fish. Or possibly it's a cultural thing that's just passed on from diver to diver. I understand that the very first guns on the market were JBL, possibly the crappiest gun there is. Another possibility is that the euro pipe guns up until recently were simply too light a tackle for some of the fish we regularly encounter in US waters. The east coast when it comes to spearguns seems to be far behind California where a quality wood gun tradition has long been established. But then again they're mostly freedivers there. Obviously this is the place to discuss spearguns as we all love our guns and have very good reasons for using the ones we do.


    From things I learned from Tin Man I started to understand some of the conditions that may preclude freediving in a given area. I'd like to know more about the diving you do to understand why you choose scuba. What is difficult for me to accept is using scuba in up to 60' of depth in good visibility over a nice reef. From my perspective, if you're curious to know my start with diving, there was no great jump I had to make to get in the water and dive. I've been splashing around in sea water since childhood much like kids here splash around in a pool. Difference was that it was much more interesting in the sea and there's a natural inclination to go deeper and see what's down there. I not sure where and how the line is drawn between someone that thinks this way and someone who automatically connects scuba gear with any kind of depth. It probably has to do with where one lives/grows up. But I will tell you that freediving is easy and that I think anyone can do it. Striving to become a better underwater hunter however is a whole other ball game and will keep me motivated for as long as I live.

    I've been wanting to chime in on this, because I can share my experience.


    I started Scuba diving when I was 15, but that was only to satisfy my curiosity. Diving was the end goal, not catching fish. When you start (scuba) diving its like this whole world is opened to you, something you've only seen on TV, so it feels almost magical being there with the fish. It varies from diver to diver, but mastery of buoyancy and getting comfortable happens relatively quickly and the novelty wears off. Diving for diving's sake got boring at about 10 dives. I took the next course level, and learned to go deeper and navigate. I also started creating a mental list of fish and creatures that I was looking for. From majestic animals like the Manta Ray or Dolphin to the lowly nudibranch. I'd check them off as I saw them and searching for others was kinda fun. Exploring wrecks are cool too.


    Frankly, this got boring after a while. So what are the options:


    a) Take the next course - Rescue Diver/Nitrox/Cave Diving, etc...
    b) Stop diving
    c) Underwater Photography
    d) Spear those fishies!


    I actually chose "b) Stop diving" for 10 years or so. I'd do it sporadically, but not enough to warrant buying my own gear.


    A buddy of mine who grew up hunting moved to Miami and decided that he wanted to try spearfishing when someone mentioned it to him. Sounds good. What type of spearguns do all shitty dive shops have? JBL's or Billers, possibly Riffe. If you're just giving this sport a try, you're gonna go with JBL or Biller, unless you have money to burn. So you dive with the JBL or Biller and find out that they work fine, just get close enough to the fish. Hogfish are so easy that you could use a sharp stick, I won't even bring up Grunts :rolleyes1:. So shitty guns do just fine for those purposes.


    They have distinct advantages to the scuba diver, mainly hip loading. Chest loading sucks with all the gear you have on. Euro guns will probably never take hold in that community for that reason.


    That's actually how I got into spearfishing, my buddy invited me and I used one of his JBL's that he bought. I had also bought a fiberglass polespear with a paralyzer tip. That didn't last long.


    Long story short, I liked it enough to do some research and get online. I ended up buying an O.ME.R. Cayman and never looked back, that was 4 years ago. I really got into freediving "seriously" in January or so of this year. I bought some freediving fins in July off eBay because freediving with scuba fins blew.

    Me beign a experiece scuba diver instructor. also a really long time freediver spearo i see the point of laziness. I see and understand the way scuba spearos feel. But i really love the freedive spearo world that i love the most. Scuba is fun for lots of reason. and you have to remember they are down there for a certain amount of time. Freedive spearos are out in the water for way longer than that. Yes you enjoy more the freedom of less gear in the water and the world of a silent hunter. scuba produces lots of noise. so i guess in all we get more chance to close up on cetain species. I really love both but love the freedive version . because it free me from the daily routine and issues more. plus like stated before more cheapo.:D

    They both have their pros and cons like anything else. I think if you're gonna go deep(depending on ability, over lets say, 70' or 80') or at night then SCUBA would be better. If you're diving in daytime over reef or in bluewater, then free. I think any type of stalking requires minimal noise.
    I do understand that there are guys out there that do 140' dives to spear, but I am talking mere mortals.
    Also many people get into Scuba for other reason besides spearing.(Caves, deep wrecks, pics. etc..) and sometimes spear to see what it's all about.
    As for the purity of the sport, my father couldn't do much fishing because he would get sea sick easily. So, he opted for hunting. He bow hunted mostly(purity). Do you know what his bows/arrows costs???? Does this make it less pure because he used expensive materials????

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