[Oldsarge]

I've never skinned a shark but I've heard that it ain't easy. The idea of using compressed air, maybe even from a bicycle pump, came from a television show on commercial shark fishing a loooonnnnnngggg time ago but it made sense to me. I do know that skinning a deer is like peeling a banana but skinning a pig is like peeling a watermelon and suspect that something similar is going on in the difference between boney and cartelidgenous fishes.

As to the batter, go looking for a good beer base but the real secret is keeping your cooking oil hot enough. The commercial fish'n'chip places use really big pots that hold their temperatures well. With home deep-fat fryers, they cool down quickly so you need to use a deep-fat thermometer and let the oil get back up to proper temperature between batches of fish. That's how you get a nice, crisp crust instead of a soggy mess.