To powerhead or not to powerhead

Most of us cringe at the idea that such a loathsome creature as a shark even dares to inhabit the waters vaguely close to our homes. Many people stay away from local beaches just at the thought of their presence. But what about us that actually want to venture into their turf? Are there dangers? What do we do to protect ourselves?

I have been reading with much interest about the sudden increase in Great White sharks in our bay (Algoa Bay). Other spearfisherman have reported sightings of some decent sized specimens, some in excess of 4m and many within swimming distance of popular bathing areas. The exact reason for this increase is still unknown although many are pointing fingers at the new Coega deep water harbor development. The fact of the matter is they are here.

We as spearfisherman are not about to stop at the thought of their presence. For this reason many have resorted to carrying bang sticks or power heads and other tools to fend off sharks, this has led to a bit of a debate as there are many pros and cons.

Powerhead - A powerhead, bang stick, or shark stick is a specialized firearm used underwater that is fired when in direct contact with the target. Powerheads are often used for spear fishing, and against sharks or alligators for sport, defense, or to kill nuisance animals. The term powerhead refers to the firearm-like part of the device; when attached to a shaft to form a spear, it may be referred to as a bang stick or shark stick. The spear in question may be handheld, or launchable from a spear gun. Wikipedia

A variety of powerheads (bang-sticks)

Let's look at a few of the pros:

• Peace of mind knowing you have the firepower at hand
• Might save your life in the advent of a shark bite

Now what about the cons?...

• You need to have time to load the unit onto your spear
• It is live ammunition and therefore volatile
• You are using it in water, contamination could cause a misfire
• You will be carrying an illegal firearm (in South Africa)

OK, so you might have noticed that I am not pro powerheads. Let's think of it in real world terms, although many sharks are known to harass spearfisherman its the big five that we are really concerned about (Tiger, Bull, Great White, Hammerhead, Mako). I am no marine biologist but I have a good idea of the ideal hunting conditions of these sharks. If you are spearfishing and have a fish on, you only then see a shark, I can almost guarantee its already too late to start groveling around for your powerhead.

My next argument is their legality. In South Africa it is illegal to carry a modified firearm, a powerhead pretty much falls into this category. I know many police officers have turned a blind eye to the powerheads carried by some fisherman but I don't think you want to be the unlucky chap that has to explain it to that irate cop that is not so lenient. Also remember regardless of the firearm used to discharge the ammunition, you are still going to need a license for the bullet used. It' starting to get a little complicating hey....

What about the moral aspects? Granted that this is where I will get the most flack as it's justifiably only my opinion. When we enter the oceans, we are entering a sharks hunting domain, we should respect this by educating ourselves about them rather than just destroying the first one to cross our path. There are many techniques that have been developed to repel sharks, most times a stern prod with the tip of your spear behind the eye is enough to send a shark in to the depths allowing you enough time to get yourself and your catch onto the boat.

I do understand that there are extenuating circumstances that may require a person to do away with a shark, but you will soon find that most sharks that are powerheaded are merely the victims of selfish spearfishermen that are trying to clear a dive site of the pesky characters and not as a result of an impending attack.

We all want to be safe and we all want to enjoy the ocean, let not the combination of these bring out our selfish traits!

Totally unnecessary