Hawaiian Sling?

[IronLung]

I recently got together with some friends I have not seen in a while and talk got around to freediving and spearfishing. I am a freediver but I have never spearfished. They invited me to go spearfishing sometime and suggest I get a hawaiian sling, its what they use. Are slings easier or harder to use than spearguns? Is there an advantage to using them? Is there anything else a total newbie should know? I have been sort of wanting to get into spearfishing and now having that invitation, it seems more and more something that I would like to do. I will be trolling the forums for more info and I would really appreciate any input on this thread.

Thanks in advance,
Ike

 

[Poida]

Yep used to use one a long time ago. In fact I haven't spearfished for a long time. We call them gidgies here but the same concept. I caught more with my gidgie, still got it, than I did with my speargun.

I read with interest about fish staying away from spearos with guns and perhaps that is why I found it a bit harder to get fish. With gidgies they are not so imposing as there is no large rubbers out the front, it's at the back and there is no support frame just the metal tube with the barbs out the front.

I found that I had to wear a glove as the water makes your hand soft and the rubber cuts into your hands.

Safety: Years ago when spearfishing was allowed, there were quite a few people doing it and occassionally you would get people spearing themselves. Because you hold the head of the spear fairly close to your own head, if you accidently let go, you can spear yourself in the head. Also be carefull when you are swept backwards by a wave, if the back end of your spear gets caught on a rock or reef, it stops going backwards and you don't. Another head spearing activity.

The gidgie allows you to get under ledges easy as you don't have a few feet of gun in front of you. However you will not expect to spear large fish with it the power is just not there.

Best of luck.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

I used a Hawaiian sling when I was a little kid in Florida, and then later when I was stationed in Hawaii in the Marine Corps. The advantage is the simplicity. The disadvantages are the relatively limited range and the fact that you have no line connected to your shaft, so they are mainly suitable for small fish.

Of course they can be used for large fish, but its sort of a gimmick. When I was a kid my idol was Art Pinder of Miami. He and his brother used to take large jewfish with slings, but they chased them all over the reef in clear water and put more shafts into them until they looked like pincushions. Art also took a sailfish with a sling and made the cover of Skin Diver magazine, but he stoned it. He and his brother were the only divers ever to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated too.

 

[IronLung]

Alright, thanks Poima and Bill. I'll make sure to wear gloves, I've got a pair. More importantly I'll be thinking about the spear point and my head, and how I would like to keep the two seperate. Bill, I dont think they have too large of fish in mind so I'm not concerned. Thanks again!

Ike

 

[dend76]

Slings are a great way to learn spearfishing. The are simple, easly reloaded, and can be very effective on small to medium sized fish. I consider them a better alternative to polespears.

One thing you might consider, however, is cost. Manufacturers such as cressi, imersion, omer, beuchat, and many others all offer high quality low cost spearguns marketed for beginners. For slightly more than you would pay for a sling and shaft, you could get a decent gun.

My recommendation is the 90 cm Cressi Comanche. 90 cm is a good all around size. It would be suitable for any situation that a sling could be used in, while offering a bit more power and range. You can get it at scubastore.com for about $85.

 

[lmperez]

If you're a pretty good freediver and have a good understanding on how to go fairly unnoticed in the water, maybe a polespear might be better for you. For me, my shot doesn't get anymore accurate than with a polespear. Cheap, really easy to reload for another quick shot (just yank back and aim) and very durable. You could spend $30.00 and use it for years. I love them. Either way, good luck in your spearfishing endeavors.

 

[IronLung]

Imperez (or anyone else with knowlege in regards tot his matter), is there a difference between polespear and speargun, or is it just a different way of saying it?

 

[lmperez]

Big difference

the polespear is just that...a long pole (sometimes 6 ft long) with a speartip screwed onto the end. On the other end of the pole is a long rubber band similar to a speargun band. You put this inside the meat of your palm between the thumb and pointer finger and pull up on the pole so you're grabbing about 3/4 of the way up. Then it's as simple as aiming and letting go. With a day or two of practice your aim increases dramatically and I think it's more fun and natural.

 

[IronLung]

Ok, I kind of like the sound of it. Very simple, clean, efficient. Do places like Sport Challet carry polespears?

 

[uluapoundr]

Polespears are a great way to start spearfishing. The polespears come in different lengths and different materials. The most common are all aluminum or all fiberglass. There are also all graphite models or hybrid aluminum rear and graphite front. I own a hybrid polespear called a Kawabunga and a hybrid I made myself. The advantage of the hybrid is you got the quickness of a graphite, with some punch of an aluminum spear. All aluminum or fiberglass spears have good punch, but aren't as quick.

With a polespear, you can practice techniques you also use with a gun like stalking, breathhold, hiding, etc. The disadvantage of a polespear compared to a speargun is the range. Polespears are limited to the length since most times you don't let go of it. The advantage is it's cheap, quick to reload, and fairly simple to use.

The true "Hawaiian Sling" has a wooden hande with a metal hinge and spear rubber. The hinge holds a freeshaft in place while loaded. When shot, the spearshaft needs to be retrieved. If shot at a big fish, it could run away with your shaft.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

The true "Hawaiian Sling" has a wooden hande with a metal hinge and spear rubber. The hinge holds a freeshaft in place while loaded. When shot, the spearshaft needs to be retrieved. If shot at a big fish, it could run away with your shaft.

This is hair-splitting, but the original Hawaiian Sling that I used in the early 50s and that Art Pinder used for that sailfish in the photo I posted above had no hinge. It was just like a slingshot in that you pulled it back and held it until you let go.

 

[cdavis]

Bill, you got my curiosity up. Did yours and Pinder's sling have no notch on the rubber to fit the end of the spear into? I think uluapoundr is calling a hinge what I call a notch. Or maybe not??

Just general comment for those unfamiliar with slings. Its a gear that takes some practice, but for the right type of fish, in the right kind of water, in the hands of someone who knows how, slings are considerably more effective than guns at putting pounds of fish in the boat. Thats a lot of caveats, but fits most spearfishing as it used to be carried out in SE Florida and the Bahamas. I've shot grouper (not jewfish) just about as big as they come with slings, one shaft (and good aim) works fine. In todays world of few (and very smart) fish, the greater range of a gun is a considerable advantage and the lower rate of fire is only a small disadvantage, but I still prefer my sling, especially after carrying it around for several hours.

Connor

 

[Bill McIntyre]

It had something on the rubber to fit the spear into, but that is not what I call a hinge. A hinge was a plain old door hinge attached to the front of the tube with the spear going through a hole in the portion that folded down over the front of the tube.

When you pulled the spear back and stretched the rubber and then released it a bit, the spear jammed in the hole in the hinge as the hinge tried to straighten out. It was held in the cocked position until you pulled on the hinge and aligned the hole with the shaft, just like pulling a trigger. I feel like words are failing me here, so I hope this isn't too fuzzy.

Anyway, I never saw one of these hinges until I was stationed in Hawaii in 1961. The ones we used in Florida didn't have it. I guess we were not "high tech."

 

[uluapoundr]

Bill,
You are most likely right, the original Hawaiian Sling may not have had a hinge. I grew up diving in the 80's and we use to call the hinge guns, Hawaiian Slings. Some people get confused and call the three prong pole spears a "Hawaiian Sling", I was just trying to make sure there wasn't that confusion. Thanks for the lesson.

 

[freediver7]

You have a few choices on spear tips. You can use a fixed flopper, a three prong paralyzer, or a detachable slip tip. I started out with a paralyzer with little barbs which I brazed on.

 

[Chad Carney]

Pictured is a true Hawaiian Sling, in the hands of Art Pinder himself.

This pic was taken for the article in Spearfishing Magazine, Fall 2003. (I've still got a few back issues.)

No pole, just a freespear with a single Hawaiian flopper. The sling is around Fred Pinders neck in the SI cover and also Art's neck in the illustration on the SFM cover.

Chad

 

[sinkweight]

That looks as fun as it does strenuous, and strenuous as it does challenging. How far back does a Hawaiian Sling go, I wonder.

Hawaiian Sling also sounds like a mean cocktail, heh-heh.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

You have a few choices on spear tips. You can use a fixed flopper, a three prong paralyzer, or a detachable slip tip. I started out with a paralyzer with little barbs which I brazed on.

Until you mentioned the little barbs, I had forgotten what was on the end of the shaft of my first sling. But now I recall that it had little barbs braised onto the straight shaft. I don't recall whether I did it or it came that way. Of course I was about 10 years old and all I was shooting was little sheepshead under the docks of the boat basins in St. Petersburg, FL. I recall how proud I was when I finally got a "pelagic"- a mullet.

 

[Rolando]

There's a great sling that's made by a gentleman in Florida www.hawaiiansling.net
We use them all the time and are easier to track prey as opposed to the wooden models.

 

[earl campbell]

Pole spears are not just for beginners. Many countries (like here in Bermuda) do not allow the use of spearguns.

We use a pole spear called gold death made by henley. Landed cost in Bermuda is in the 275 - 300 range so these things are not cheap (others can be had for under a 100 bucks). When you have a 100# rockfish on the end which is thrashing about in a reef, you will be glad you didnt use a cheaper spear.