Bluewater Fathers of Spearfishing
(updated February 19th, 2005)

Jack Prodanovich has been instrumental in guidance and assistance.  Acquiring the right components for big game spearguns is not easy.  Many of the production "diveshop" spearguns  are  relatively frail or poorly made.  They are designed for production,  not  experimentation.  The San Diego Divers were not  afraid to build their own equipment.  There was no other way to go. There were no diveshops, eveything was hand-made. In general, all the old timers had to fabricate their own equipment. 

Bob Johnson has been  kind enough to  hold  a party at the beginning of yellowtail season annually. Many of  the San Diego divers are invited.  Gatherings like these "pow-wows"  help the divers to meet and share knowledge.  Information is handed  down, directly word-of-mouth from the older wise ones to the young bucks.  This is how information  has traditionally been transmitted in a hunting society. Stories are told about the hunt and it's success or failure.  It is a ritual that  needs to be perpetuated.  HTML is a great way to share knowledge, but knowing an old master personally and listening to their stories cannot be replaced.

I would urge you spearfishermen  to all get together for a Cioppino seafood cookout around an open fire. The tribal elders will help pass the essential information to the eager youngsters. It just happens naturally.

These are some of the  seasoned bluewater spearfishermen of San Diego.  From left to right, our host, Bob Johnston, Wally Potts, Marty Pasos, Bill  Hammel, and Jack Prodanovich. Wally, Marty and Jack are San Diego Bottom Scratchers. This dive club was started in 1933 by Glen Orr, Ben Stone and Jack Prodanovich.

Right there are hundreds of years of valuable personal experience and expertise.  It is an  honor to be able to know these guys who are known as the "Bluewater Fathers". Each of these guys has manufactured his own equipment, all share and relate their knowledge.  Hand-built prototypes are compared and critiqued among the tribe. This is a small sample of the talented divers from  San Diego. I hesitate to name others for fear I will overlook someone due to my own ignorance of the  history of spearfishing in California.

'The Fathers of Spearfishing' in memory
of the passing of Wally Potts, February 2002.

In appreciation of  the San Diego Bottom Scratchers Dive Club, I think what makes these guys, in particular, stand out from the rest of the diving community is that they have been selfless in their enthusiasm. They had so much joy for the activity itself  that making a living off of it was secondary to helping the youth develop competency. I believe that this is exactly why these particular guys were loved so  much. They 'gave' from their excellence rather than charged for it. These guys were accessible with a real humility.

With the gradual passing of the 'old timers' (the Fathers of Spearfishing)  we realize the generosity and kindness of  these true great sports gentlemen.  It's more than a loss of a friend, it's the sad end of an era of grace.