Survivalist and Spear Fishing

Finding actual ways to maintain our existence in extreme cases of emergency situations is a taxing problem for the survivalist. The responsibility of providing the necessities of life for ourselves and our families is a great burden to all of us. While traveling and once we arrive at our retreat it becomes even more important to know how to obtain continuous food reserves over a period of time. Spear fishing can certainly act as one of these resources for fresh food.

Spear fishing has been portrayed as vital part of the outdoors culture for literally hundreds if not thousands of years as a source of valuable food. The great part of spear fishing is that it does not require an abundance of special equipment but rather all that may be needed is a sharpened spear. These pieces of equipment can be obtained at any sporting goods store or through one of the dive centers in your local area.

The procedure is really very simple and can be performed in one of several ways. The first method is to simply stand in a shallow pool of water and watch as a fish approaches. Another means of spear fishing can take place in shallow water with snorkeling equipment. Lastly, you can go all out and employ scuba diving gear. Keep in mind that with this increased gear comes elevated training and licensing that the simple standing in water with your spear gun does not require. You can often discover scuba and snorkeling classes in your local vicinity. It can not be stressed enough that knowing how to properly dive is important for your safety when you go spear fishing under water.

When you practice for using your spear fishing equipment and develop the necessary skills for its use you should keep in mind that certain rules and regulations may apply. Granted that in an emergency situation we would and could disregard many of the wildlife rules and regulations but until such time it is best to comply completely with both the city and state laws as they are set forth. In some locations this equipment may be considered illegal while in other locations you may be restricted to harpoon or similar devices. Not knowing could cost you some very healthy fines so it is best to check before hand.

A trip to the sporting goods store will reveal several types of spears and the related spear guns available for both fresh water and salt water spear fishing. Traditionally, spear fishing used simple trident shaped barbed hooks on the three ends of the spear. The trident was made from wood or some other lightweight metal and consisted of sharpened tips on each of its three prongs. There are usually two main styles of spear guns which you can purchase. The first is powered by a rubber band setup which releases the spear. The second one is pneumatic or air powered. Most pneumatic type guns can be quickly reloaded and requires no outside source of air since its air is contained in the chamber. Various sizes of spears are available that can be the size of an arrow and up.