UK ONLY - Anti spearo dive shop's

[SurfnSpear]

I would like to propose a thread for people to list any confirmed anti spearfishing dive shops's. I would say that confirmed means you got a very anti response from specifically the owner or long term manager.

My first nomination goes to:-
Dolphin Divers Scuba Centre
16 Parkway
Newbury,
Berkshire,
RG14 1EE
Tel: 01635 49977

Whilst having a quick browse there the other day, I was given the extreme anti stance by the owner who had a huge amount of missinformation about UK/Worldwide spearfishing that he wanted to ram down my throat(and all in the shop) in the hope I did not know any better. Did not get a word in edgeways and left him in mid-rant.
:rcard
Regards

 

[Huw]

well i wont be going there then!

 

[Spaniard]

When I was trying to sell Sporasub in the UK the amount of anti-spearfishing sentiment thrown my way was incredible. Not suprising when all of the main Dive mags here are constantly anti-spearfishing too even though they are happy to talk about divers taking all kinds of shellfish and flatties :head To be frank I'd need a few pages here to list 'anti-spearo' establishments.....

 

[1 shot 1 kill]

Where did the anti spearo sentiment originate? I've been spearfishing for about 5 years and have been lucky enough to only meet a couple of people who were openly hostile towards me. After a brief chat outlining what i see as the positive aspects of spearfishing (and seeing my empty stringer!) they mostly agreed that, when undertaken responsibly, spearfishing has its place. Was there some sort of falling from grace for the sport in the 70's or 80's or have people always just assumed its 'cruel'?

 

[Spaniard]

I don't know when it started to happen but it has not looked back since. Personally I think it filters down from BSAC into the magazines and then out to the scubies who buy the mags. You very rarely get balanced opinions just ranting and raving. Ironically David Way, author of The Spearfisherman's Handbook, used to have a spearfishing column in one of the main dive mags back in the '80s. We are the fox-hunters of the sea................................

 

[fearthespear]

I don't know when it started to happen but it has not looked back since. Personally I think it filters down from BSAC into the magazines and then out to the scubies who buy the mags. You very rarely get balanced opinions just ranting and raving. Ironically David Way, author of The Spearfisherman's Handbook, used to have a spearfishing column in one of the main dive mags back in the '80s. We are the fox-hunters of the sea................................

....your hounds must be well trained!

 

[glowworm]

It's no as if Spearfishing shops are a common sight in the UK.You would think they would understand the strong following of spearo's in the UK and cash in on their needs.Again it seems we lack behind the continent.

I still don't think i would hit a swimming fox rofl rofl rofl

 

[Old Man Dave]

Brothers don't always see eye to eye but I wouldn't shoot Foxfish. :naughty

Now chasing him with hounds might be a laugh though.

Old Man (brother) Dave

 

[foxfish]

We are the fox-hunters of the sea................................

Huh Fox hunters "A"
Well I will be disguising my scent with ferret urine & utilizing my camo suit in anticipation of the chase. But beware I will bite when cornered.:martial

 

[Huw]

It took me 2 years to finally get the information i needed to get into speafishing! after many trips into dive shops to ask what they knew - i was told that i was the only person that had inquired into this "dangerous" "unfair" "boring" and the best of all "unsociable" sport (that i now love and chersih) in 10 years of bussiness. After finding this site, and spearo uk i finally got what i needed and was happy. However last season my buddy and i were out spearing our favorite local point (about 400meters away from the nearest beach, which incidentally we have nver seen more than 10 people on at any one time in the last 3 years) with flags up and floats ---- the lot. Anyway, we were aware all of a sudden of two approaching kayaks, who were steaming straigt for us. we unloaded our guns as we knew we were going to have some sort of confronatation - they didnt look happy. Once they arived they went straight over our floats nearly hitting my buddy then saying "isnt that a bit dangerous mate?" in a strong scouser accent!!!!! and seeing as we are in cornwall we were not too pleased. It turned out they were down on holiday and didnt like the fact that we were catching fish with guns whilst they were attempting to use crab lines :head



HUw

 

[Spaniard]

Being scousers you're lucky they didn't nick everything you had without you realising it! Did they have big dark afros and moustaches wearing Liverpool shirts rofl rofl rofl Ehh calm down

 

[naiad]

Huh Fox hunters "A"
Well I will be disguising my scent with ferret urine & utilizing my camo suit in anticipation of the chase. But beware I will bite when cornered.:martial

Good luck escaping the DB foxhounds! rofl

In the UK there is a lot of anti-"bloodsports" sentiment. I have seen anti-spearfishing articles in scuba mags. Managers of dive shops must read things like that.

Strangely enough, many of the people who make such a fuss about things like spearfishing eat intensively farmed meat and commercially caught fish, which cause far more suffering and waste than the sports they object to.

I am not a spearo, but I think it's the most eco-friendly way of fishing.

Lucia

 

[Mlungu]

This is quite interesting...I've been spearing in Wales for 2 or 3 years now and have not had much in the way of negative vibes from anyone.Most of the time when we emerge from the water onto the beach we get loads of kids + parents running over to us to see what we have caught and to check out the big spearguns...more curiosity than anything; seems divers coming out from the sea with guns is a pretty unusual site at most beaches in the UK.

Justin

 

[Robbo66]

This is quite interesting...I've been spearing in Wales for 2 or 3 years now and have not had much in the way of negative vibes from anyone.Most of the time when we emerge from the water onto the beach we get loads of kids + parents running over to us to see what we have caught and to check out the big spearguns...more curiosity than anything; seems divers coming out from the sea with guns is a pretty unusual site at most beaches in the UK.

Justin

I also spear in west wales and never had any bad feeling thrown my way, just people intested in what I'm doing.

Rob

 

[SurfnSpear]

My point really is down to anti-spearo scuba/dive shops. Well, there must have been something in the wind because that shop has suddenly closed down! Can't say I'm sorry for that particular individual.:hmm

 

[spearheads]

This is quite interesting...I've been spearing in Wales for 2 or 3 years now and have not had much in the way of negative vibes from anyone.Most of the time when we emerge from the water onto the beach we get loads of kids + parents running over to us to see what we have caught and to check out the big spearguns...more curiosity than anything; seems divers coming out from the sea with guns is a pretty unusual site at most beaches in the UK.

Justin

i get that some times all the tourists coming to see what you have shot. some people ask if they can have a go with the gunrofl rofl

 

[Huan]

I got a small rant one time from LDS owner here and I listened politely and then asked a few questions of him, did he eat fish? how many fish did I have to kill before he would think it was excessive?, and basically I just refuted his rant in a calm and reasoned manner. He ended up agreeing with me that spearfishing was a pretty safe and selective sport. I sold him some weights and he took me out a few times on his RIB when he was instructing Scuba divers. We have a good relationship now.

 

[Boomstick]

Most of the dive shops I've come across haven't known enough about spearfishing to comment and the one's I've found that do, support it???

You wanna try hunting on land, then you'll see what 'Anti' really looks like

 

[SurfnSpear]

I do. And they all form part of an imaginary target up there in my dreamland.