SPEARFISHING

the sport of underwater hunting that became popular in the early 1930s and after World War II spread rapidly throughout the world. Underwater weapons range from the simple hand spear to guns capable of penetrating the largest fish. The simplest weapon is the Hawaiian sling, a hollow wooden tube with an elastic loop at one end. The shaft, which is tipped by one of a variety of spearheads, is drawn through the tube and pulled back, stretching the loop. When released, the shaft is propelled forward. In the mid-1930s, Alec Kramarenko patented an underwater gun in which the spear was propelled by a compressed spring. Shortly after, there appeared a spring-propulsion-type gun invented by a Frenchman, Maxime Forlot, and the popular spear gun designed by his compatriot Georges Beuchat and propelled by a rubber elastic band. Other guns were designed that used gunpowder, carbon dioxide, or compressed air to propel the spear; one of the latter type, invented in 1956 by Juan Vilarrubis of Spain, became popular because of its accuracy, power, and simplicity of operation. The foregoing are rifle-type weapons in which the spear either travels through a long barrel or is guided along its upper surface. In all of them the spear shaft is released by a trigger mechanism. Spearfishing guns often have a line attached to the shaft, making retrieval easier. On strike, the line holds the quarry securely. The targets of underwater hunters may include sharks, barracuda, and fish weighing several hundred pounds, as well as the ordinary game prized by fishermen everywhere. Stalking and shooting his quarry underwater is usually only the beginning of a skin diver's battle. After a fish is hit, it must be held on a harpoon line and landed. With large fish this may mean an underwater ride as the diver is towed through the water. Underwater spearfishing is so popular among diving clubs that local, national, and international competitions are held each year. The competitions do not permit the use of scuba, and the contestants dive while holding their breath.