While it is possible to shoot a speargun above water, you absolutely should not. Spearguns are designed for use under the water. The pressure that it utilizes is to overcome the kind of resistance it will face beneath the surface of the water. Without that resistance, you’re holding an extremely powerful weapon with very extreme recoil.
Under the water, the resistance acts as a cushion. After you fire the gun, your body is able to sort of float back in response to the recoil. No harm is done to you.
On land, it’s different. There isn’t any water to cushion your recoil. Instead, you feel the brunt of the recoil.
The speargun, itself, doesn’t need the water to fire. It won’t detect whether you’re under the water or not. With a simple pull of the trigger, you can fire it on land as if you were in the water. You’ll just also potentially get seriously injured.
How Dangerous Is Shooting A Spear Gun Above Water?
Shooting a speargun above water is extremely dangerous for several reasons. The first is the recoil. Because the recoil is so massive, you can easily have the gun smack itself back against your face or body. The force you experience may be enough to break or fracture bones. At the very least, you will experience a bloody nose or extreme bruising.
The second danger is the line. Spearguns fire a spear that is attached to a line. This is to enable you to quickly reel the fish back in that you shot. Otherwise, without the line, the spear would continue to float through the water and potentially become lost.
The problem with shooting the spear above water is that the line can snap back to you with little resistance to slow it. That means you can end up with a spear sticking right through your head, chest, or any other part of your body.
You may also have the line snap. The line of a speargun is extremely taut. When released in the water, it has the resistance that the water provides to keep it from going too wild. Above land, the line is able to snap, then suddenly stop. This might rupture a poorly-made line or one that is old.
Much like a snapped cable, the line can be a serious threat. At the very least, if it strikes you, you might end up with a gash. At worst, it may cut off limbs or cause other life-threatening injuries.
Finally, spearguns are not accurate above land. They’re designed for under the water and that’s what their range and accuracy are made for. Above land, it fires completely differently.
This means it can be extremely dangerous for others to be around you. The spear may ricochet and strike them. The line may cut them. The recoil may send you toppling over into them. Spearguns are dangerous weapons and should never be handled above water either on your own or with someone around.
Are There Types Of Spearguns That You Can Shoot Above Water?
There are no spearguns that are designed to shoot above the water. Rather, there are spearguns that are designed for different depths of water and for different kinds of prey. Those who want to use their speargun to hunt small prey, for example, may only need to use a smaller gun.
Those who want to hunt larger fish in deeper depths, however, will need a more powerful speargun. These guns typically use compressed air to fire off their spears.
Because spearguns are made for the water, you should also never load them above the water. This can be bad for the gun and decrease its lifespan. Only reload and fire the weapon under the water.
Why Would You Want To Shoot A Speargun Above Water?
Considering that spearguns are used to hunt fish, there’s really no reason to shoot one above the water. Some may believe it might be cool to use them to hunt other animals. Or they may want to practice their shooting before hitting the ocean.
Neither of these reasons, however, should be used to fire the speargun above the water. For one, the spear is typically only powerful enough to kill fish. You won’t be able to take much else out with it.
Secondly, the accuracy it has above the water is significantly worse than the accuracy it has below the water. You may be trying to practice your aim, but you’re really only wasting your time. The only way you can practice is to actually hunt. Nothing will take the place of moving fish.
If you really want to practice, then you can always attempt to fire in a long pool. However, you’ll still lack moving targets.
How To Safely Shoot A Speargun Above Water
Since you shouldn’t fire a speargun above water, here’s a video below that shows just what might happen to you. As it shows, the shooter had a difficult time loading their gun. This is because he was attempting to load it above the water. He had to overcome a tremendous amount of force just to get the spear loaded and the line ready.
Secondly, he had his positioning incorrect. He attempts to fire the speargun like a typical gun. You should train with a professional if you want to be sure that you’re using the right stance and positioning while shooting. This can keep you safe and give you better accuracy.
Finally, as the video shows, the shooter injures himself after firing the line. The recoil was intense and hit the gun back into his head. It’s possible that the force gave him a concussion.
Since there was a second person there filming, there was also a chance that he could have become injured during the firing of the speargun, too.
To ensure you don’t end up seriously injuring yourself like the shooter in the video, then you should never fire a speargun above the water.
