Why are plated spears becoming more popular than that of stainless steel?
Stainless steel spears are very good in terms of looks but when it comes to cost and stiffness they cant compare. A stainless steel shaft can not be made as stiff as that of standard spring steel and costs around twice the price. The main problem when using a stainless steel spear is when it gets bent. The spear will still look good and the diver will be reluctant to change it for a new one because of this and due to the cost of replacing. A common problem now is the diver tries to straighten the spear and use it in this condition. He maybe able to straighten it to some degree but it is very difficult to straighten it properly. This will now most probably cause the spear to shoot inaccurately and, the place where it was bent will now be weaker and most likely to bend at the same place on the next fish if he is lucky to hit a fish accurately. I always liken it to the rod and line fishermen; very few use stainless hooks because of the cost and strength differences and rather use a hook a
