Customer Reviews

Spearfishing and Underwater Hunting Handbook

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although the content is really good, the book lacks polish. The formatting isn't great, the computer drawings are so-so, and many of the photos didn't reproduce well. Compared to some other books on spearfishing, it looks crude. The book also lacks up to date reference information. I mailed a letter to every manufacturer in the reference section and only about half were still valid addresses. There is no online reference section, either. However, there's lots of valuable information within, and its one of the few books aimed at the beginner.

The book is easy to read, but you might not like the schoolbook layout with the review questions in each chapter.

I expected more tips about developing the skills of freediving, since most spearfishermen do their sport without the air tank. Dive gear part says about three weighting systems but nothing about buoyancy adjustment, no suggestion of how much weight to put on your belt. The guns part says quite a lot about types and sizes of guns, but it lacks the shot range you could obtain using them, as well as possible catch size data. After reading it you know everything about guns but you still do not know which gun to buy according to your needs.

In my opinion the book lacks also two important parts: 1. The guide of most popular fish with the worldwide zones of presence and seasons of good catch. I also wanted to know where to look for fish - bottom, sand, rocks, vegetation, on the reef? There is no answer to it. 2. The matter of tides! Is it better to go spearfishing on low tide or on high tide? How the fish do behave during the tide? Have you ever tried to freedive near the rocks, when the water level goes up or down 20ft in 6 hours and produces strong currents?

The book seems quite Florida oriented. There are some useful tips and the book gives general view, but I doubt if it is for advanced sperafishermen. I'm a beginner but my several questions were left without an answer. The pcx format graphics are explicative, but look very obsolete. So, still looking for sources of information I would rate the book 2.5 stars, but since this is not possible I incline for only two of them.

I was quite dissapointed. To many instructions on how to buy hunting gear but only few good hunting tips. The handbook looks more like school book. I had to wait to find that out more than one mounth and the end price for book and taxes and shipping to Europe came out 45$.

This book is a waste of time and $$$. The information is simplistic and VERY outdated!!!! More an advertisement for instruction than a guide. May be suitable for a Complete Novice or someone who has never speared a fish. And to top it off the author defends his use of gender specific references; but admits there excellent female divers. NOTE it is Possible to use gender neutral references!!!

I'd like my money back!!!

Obviously the book did not recieve a good rating, I have not read it. But please dont be as stupid as the person who wrote the comment below. He's wondering about buoyancy control? When free diving you wear weights, that is about the only buoyancy control, you cannot keep adjusting it like a BC vest when Scuba diving. And how about a suggestion for how many weights on your belt has too many variables. Do you dive in cold waters with a wetsuit or in warm waters with only surf shorts and t-shirt? How thick is the wetsuit you wear (3mm or 7mm)? How much do you weigh? How deep are you diving (the deeper you are the more buoyant you are)? So obviously this guy did not have one clue about free diving or spearfishing, which is fine but he cant expect to find all of the answers in one book. For the shooting range of a speargun, it is usually three times the length of the gun (i.e. if the gun is 5ft. long it will shoot approx. 15ft.) Is it better to go spearfishing during high or low tide was another complaint that was not in the book for him. Where does he live geographically? What is the tidal range in his area? I think he is looking for a book that is specifically designed to him and his geographical area and personal needs. What size fish will certain guns yeild? Give me a break. You can catch a 100lb fish with a 3ft gun if you have the right equipment and are good. You can put 400lb test line on your gun if you want but you may only be shooting 5lb fish. So if you dont have a clue about spearfishing you have to search more than one source just like writing a research paper in college.

I bought this for my son in the Army in Hawaii and he loved it. He is becoming an expert in spearfishing and needed this for information - great guidebook!

Great Book. Covers A-Z about spearfishing and the equipment used. Great format for teaching. Great for the beginners or advanced diver.