Hawaiian sling & pole spear: legal gear for the Bahamas
In the Bahamas the speargun is banned, so you have just two legal tools: the Hawaiian sling and the pole spear. Neither has a stock or trigger — which is exactly why the law allows them (Fisheries Regulations, reg. 2). That's no handicap: used well they're deadly on the reef, and they force you to get close, which is what breath-hold diving is about. This guide covers how each works, the technique, what to pack, and where to get them.
For a Bahamas trip the pole spear is the do-everything tool — compact, cheap and deadly on lionfish and reef fish. Add a Hawaiian sling if you want more reach on bigger or spookier fish. The key point: both must be without a stock or trigger, and there are no speargun rentals.
Open the flagship — Andros →Why the law bans spearguns
The law only allows a device that launches a missile «by the force of a sling of rubber» — the Hawaiian sling — plus the pole spear, which launches nothing. A speargun with a stock and trigger falls under «prohibited apparatus» (reg. 2(b)). The logic is conservation and heritage: it keeps hunting breath-hold, low-tech and selective, and protects a fragile reef resource. It isn't a quirk — it's the DNA of Bahamian spearfishing.
The Hawaiian sling: how it works & technique
It's a tube or handle with a band that launches a free (untethered) shaft — like an underwater slingshot. Load it by gripping the shaft and stretching the band; aim and release. Because the shaft flies free, range is short and you must retrieve it, so a reel or retrieval line helps. Technique: get in close (2–3 m), aim just behind the gills and shoot on the drop or from an ambush. It shines on snappers, hogfish and reef fish.
The pole spear: how it works & technique
It's a pole (fibreglass or carbon, 5–9 ft) with a band at the butt and a swappable tip: a three-prong «paralyzer» for small fish, a single flopper or a slip-tip for bigger quarry. Load it by stretching the band along the pole and gripping it in your hand. Short range but very fast: ideal for lionfish, hogfish and reef holes. Ambush or «aspetto» technique: hold still, let the fish come, and extend in the last half-metre.
Sling vs pole spear: which to bring
- Pole spear: compact (breaks down for luggage), cheap and forgiving. King on lionfish, hogfish and reef fish. It's the best first buy.
- Hawaiian sling: more reach and power with the free shaft; better for bigger or spookier fish, at the cost of retrieving the shaft each shot.
- Rule of thumb: for a first Bahamas trip, the pole spear covers almost everything. Add the sling if you're after big reef fish. Both WITHOUT stock or trigger, or they're illegal.
What to pack (traveller's kit)
- A breakdown pole spear (3-piece) for luggage, with spare tips and bands; a Hawaiian sling with free shafts.
- A float and dive flag with line, a knife, gloves, a 3 mm suit or rashguard, a weight belt (buy or rent the lead at destination) and a mesh bag.
- A lionfish containment tube («Zookeeper» type) if you'll be culling, and your permit with the «spear endorsement». No spearguns.
Where to buy or rent
There are no speargun rentals (they're banned). Bring your own pole spear or Hawaiian sling, or buy them before you travel online (JBL, Riffe, Scuba, etc.). At destination, dive shops in Nassau, Freeport and the Family-Island marinas sell pole spears, bands, tips and lionfish gear; some charters lend slings or pole spears to guests. Buy the breakdown pole spear so it fits your checked luggage.
Where to dive, by region
New Providence
New Providence (Nassau) — the No.1 hub, but hunting is banned within 1 mile of shore: legal hunting is on the offshore banks and cays. Gin-clear water, a launch point.
- Nassau — Nassau is the country's №1 traffic hub, but spearfishing is banned within 1 mile of New Providence's coast — so the city itself is an info stop, not a shot.
Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama — Freeport-Lucaya on the south shore under the ≥1-mile rule; the famous Theo's Wreck (a dive site). West End — the western gateway from Florida on the bank edge.
- Freeport–Lucaya — Freeport–Lucaya sits on Grand Bahama's south coast, where spearfishing is banned within 1 mile — the famous Theo's Wreck and UNEXSO reefs are dive sites, not shots.
- West End — West End is Grand Bahama's westernmost point (Old Bahama Bay), a classic gateway from Florida on the edge of the Little Bahama Bank.
Bimini
Bimini — the islands closest to Florida (~80 km): the bank's western edge drops in a wall to the Gulf Stream. Gin-clear water, pelagics, the iconic Sapona wreck.
- Alice Town (Bimini) — Bimini is the closest Bahamas to Florida (~80 km): the western edge of the Great Bahama Bank drops into the Gulf Stream — gin-clear walls, pelagics and a verified spot array.
Abaco
Abaco — the sheltered Sea of Abaco between the mainland and the barrier reef, plus the ocean side with reef and wrecks. Many no-take parks around (Pelican Cays, Fowl Cays).
- Marsh Harbour — Marsh Harbour, the country's third-largest town, is the boat and charter hub of the Sea of Abaco — a sheltered lagoon between mainland Abaco and the barrier-reef cays.
- Hope Town — Hope Town on Elbow Cay (the candy-striped lighthouse) sits on the ocean side of the Abaco barrier reef — reef and wall past 200 yd, plus the sheltered Sea of Abaco behind.
- Treasure Cay — Treasure Cay — famous beach and marina on mainland Abaco — fronts the sheltered Sea of Abaco with the barrier reef offshore.
- Green Turtle Cay (New Plymouth) — Green Turtle Cay (New Plymouth) is a fishing settlement on northern Abaco — barrier reef and the historic San Jacinto wreck offshore.
Eleuthera
Eleuthera — Spanish Wells, the country's lobster capital with rich banks; nearby is Current Cut, a famous strong-current drift (slack only). Harbour Island's pink beaches.
- Spanish Wells — Spanish Wells (St. George's Cay) is the crawfish capital — the country's biggest lobster fleet, so proven productive banks all around. Legal hunting past…
- Harbour Island (Dunmore Town) — Harbour Island (Dunmore Town, the pink-sand resort) fronts the Devil's Backbone reef on its ocean side — a shallow, jagged ship-graveyard, so navigate carefully.
- Governor's Harbour — Governor's Harbour is Eleuthera's administrative centre, set on a sheltered leeward bay with the Atlantic reef on the ocean side.
- Rock Sound — Rock Sound, southern Eleuthera, sits on the sheltered side by the inland Ocean Hole (a landlocked blue hole, an info curiosity) with Atlantic reef offshore.
Exuma
Exuma — the ECLSP park (no-take since 1986) starts north of Conch Cut: hunt SOUTH of it, outside the park. George Town and Staniel Cay are hubs; 20–30 m clarity.
- George Town — George Town (Great Exuma, Elizabeth Harbour) is the Exumas hub and regatta anchorage.
- Staniel Cay — Staniel Cay sits mid-chain in the Exuma Cays (the swimming pigs, Thunderball Grotto) — but the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park (no-take) begins just north at Conch Cut, so hunt only SOUTH of Conch Cut, outside the park.
Andros
Andros — the flagship of Bahamian spearfishing: the world's 3rd-largest barrier reef and, right behind it, the Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO), a ~2,000 m trench off the coast, plus hundreds of blue holes.
- Fresh Creek / Andros Town — Fresh Creek / Andros Town is the heart of the Bahamas' spearfishing flagship: Andros carries the world's third-largest barrier reef, and just beyond it the Tongue of the Ocean drops to ~2,000 m right off the east shore.
- Nicholls Town — Nicholls Town, northern Andros, is the quiet northern approach to the great Andros barrier reef and the Tongue of the Ocean wall.
Long Island
Long Island — Dean's Blue Hole (~202 m), a world freediving mecca and trust for a «breath-hold» brand, plus the Atlantic walls of Stella Maris on the east side.
- Clarence Town — Clarence Town, Long Island, is home to Dean's Blue Hole — the world's second-deepest blue hole and the Vertical Blue freediving arena.
- Stella Maris — Stella Maris, northern Long Island, is a resort with dive infrastructure and Atlantic walls off the east shore (Shark Reef, the Comberbach wreck, Cape Santa Maria).
San Salvador
San Salvador — a remote ocean plateau island (fly-in): dramatic wall drops 100–200 m off the beach and the clearest water in the Bahamas (25–30 m+).
- Cockburn Town — Cockburn Town is the main settlement of San Salvador, a remote oceanic plateau where the reef drops into deep water 100–200 m off the beach — dramatic walls and the clearest water in the country (25–30 m+).
Cat Island
Cat Island — remote, with minimal fishing pressure: walls, The Cut and high visibility on the leeward west coast.
- New Bight — New Bight is the main settlement of Cat Island (Mount Alvernia's Hermitage above it), a remote, low-pressure island with walls, The Cut and coastal dropoffs into deep water.
Frequently asked questions
Rules current as of 2026 — always confirm with the Department of Marine Resources before you go. Spearguns are banned country-wide (Hawaiian sling / pole spear only, breath-hold); keep ≥1 mile off New Providence and south Grand Bahama, ≥200 yards off any Family Island; national marine parks are no-take.
Can I rent a speargun in the Bahamas?
No. Spearguns are banned and there are no rentals. Bring or buy a Hawaiian sling or a pole spear.
Hawaiian sling or pole spear for a first trip?
Pole spear: compact, cheap and deadly on lionfish and the reef. Add a sling if you want more reach.
Is a pole spear enough for bigger fish?
For hogfish and snapper, yes, with a slip-tip. A Hawaiian sling gives more punch and reach on bigger quarry.
Where can I buy gear?
At dive shops in Nassau, Freeport and the Family-Island marinas, or online before you travel. Better to bring your own breakdown gear.
Why does the Bahamas ban spearguns?
Because the law only recognises a rubber-sling launcher (Hawaiian sling) and the pole spear as legal; that keeps hunting breath-hold, low-tech and selective.