Currently available shark shield technology is it a proactive way of avoiding shark encounters?
Two systems are available;
Shark Shield which is the size of a large Iphone and a bit heavier than an Iphone, sits behind the rear deck grip with a 1m trailing lead emmitting a current disliked by sharks
Or the yet to arrive in Australia ESDS developed in Hawaii which is the size of a match box and is built into a leg rope ankle strap with the current emitted from two probes on your ankle.
Both systems have support data and claim to give protection.
What worries me is sharks are attracted by electronic activity would this current emmitted not attract them from a distance and then repel them as they got closier to the field what if you were beside someone wearing one could put you in a dodgy situation or what if everyone started wearing them.
From the studies I have read, the attraction theory is a myth. Also I don't think the electrical field is detected by the shark until close range.
^^^^ agreed. Surely every shark fisherman in the world would use an electrical attraction device if it were true...?
A crowd in the states have found out the dead shark smell scares sharks away or magnets - the down side with the magnets depends on the way the shark hunts, it would not work on great whites because they taste first rather than circle.
I had a look at the ankle option and it does look like a better option as the battery life is longer than the shark shield - that is if it works.
Cheers
Rich
^^^^hmmm dead shark perfume - should be a real hit.
Just dont get it confused with your dead whale perfume
richswing
Have used cut up shark on longlines to catch sharks so i wouldnt trust that theory at all .
Ben
All im saying is i wouldnt cover myself is dead shark juice and go out in water to avoid being eaten.
Cannon make a down rigger that emits an electric field to attract fish, don't know if it works but I think they sell plenty of them?
That BBC shark repellent looks the business though it would be great if someone could try it during Great white cage dives???
If the repellant works it might ruin their busines for a day and we could all get back to entering the water with a relaxed sphincter
I've spearfished with plenty of sharks around without too many dramas but, as mentioned by many crew here, the Whites are the characters I'm trying to steer clear of.
You couldn't go running back to the shop if it didn't work, as you'd have no lower torso
The only independent scientific study I have ever found on the subject found slight correlation toward great whites taking the baits with a shark shield more often than those without a shark shield.
If they had independent evidence proving they worked I would be forking out a long time ago.
GWs do eat each other www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/giant-great-white-bites-another-great-white-shark-in-half/80796381/ but I've also seen a documentary where they test GW rot/oil on half a dozen tagged GWs, and they scattered for miles when the stuff was released.
Ill see if I can dig it up.
I'm with Addikt, I think one of them has gotten the taste for humans and is the one knocking us off.
I have read about this with Lions and Tigers where you get a rouge animal who develops a taste (or realises we are really easy to catch) and then keeps targeting us. Sharks are the apex predator in the water so why would they be any different.
Problem is though its pretty impossible to track a shark compared to a big cat, not as many paw prints in the dirt.
So it's a cull, which is not a very good option or ??????
If a great White shart is in a predatory mode There is very little chance of a shart shield stopping it.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/General-Discussion/Chat/The-shart-shield-debate/
I recently bought a Shark Shield Freedom 7, I surf and freedive (the latter a little) and have used it a few times surfing, it doesn't get in the way anywhere near as much as I'd thought, I'm no ripper but I can surf most waves in WA, admittedly the ones I tested it on were of the smaller variety but I figure you'll notice it more in smaller waves.
I also looked at the ESDS, the guys at the dive shop in Mossie Park stock both. The ESDS is by far and away the best design for surfing, you wouldn't even know it was there. But they've not tested it on Whites yet and the Freedom 7 has been, it seems to work, not all the time but it does repel them. I note that someone raised the bait ball example of the shields not working, the other side to that is the first part of that study was towing seal shaped objects, of which the Shark Shield did protect, in all case I think.... I like to think I'm more seal than frozen ball of bleeding tuna so I take some confidence from that test (which was off seal Island in Sth Africa I think.)
A few comments on my trialling of the SS Freedom 7 so far:
- Got zapped a few times surfing the beachies, barely noticed it. Apparently it effects different people in different ways.
- I felt at peace in the surf again,
- My wife doesn't freak out when I say I'm heading for a wave.
I'm still trialling it, I'd rather surf without it but it's not a massive deal. Be interested to hear from anyone else that's used one for surfing. I went with the freedom 7 over the surf model as it's on my ankle, not my board, I've snapped a few leggies at Cathedral Rocks, Main Break etc.. and wouldn't want to swim in while my board is protected, also I can use it for diving, swimming, hanging off the boat when fishing up north.
As I said in my first post, the shark shield, from an effective point of view, seems similar to an air bag in a car, they'll save you, unless great speed is involved.
Also on the point of "do they attract sharks", as the majority of forum users have said, unlikely, my impression was that the sharks use their electric senses at close range when they close their eyes and come in and do things that we don't like. Their sense of smell is the long range one, I've stopped peeing in my wettie since then. Be interested to hear other comments though.
oh and on the comparison between the ESDS and SS, apparently SS emits a pulse every 0.6 second and the ESDS is every 2 seconds, I did email the maker of ESDS to ask this but never heard back. Hopefully these companies will do some more R&D and come up with a better model, unless someone thinks of a better idea for protection. In the mean time I'll continue to use my SS. Agree with doggie though, better for out of town use given the leash is about 2m long.
ROSS1BRO - no idea mate, if they have electrical sensors then possibly. But the Salties can get yo on land and fresh water too, the electric fields emitted by these shields only work in salt water.
Doggie - I tried the ESDS with and without the leash attachment, if you get teh one without, it fits quite well on the ankle below where your leggie would go - then you can use the ESDS for other water sports too. Look forward to the report.
Word on the street is that the above is a quote from the new owner of the shark shield company so maybe a little biased?
