Powerheads, Shark Defence Weapons

[popgun pete]

The Shark Dart was used as a lance, so it was either mounted on a pole or used in a dagger form. It is really a large ditch defence weapon, you don't hunt sharks with them. The idea was the needle sharp point on a gas injection needle penetrated the shark up until a stop disc on the needle hit the fish. That stopped any further penetration of the needle, but the still moving lance pushed the carbon dioxide cartridge mounted in a cup onto a sharpened inner end of the needle sending gas through it. The gas instantly expanded inflating the shark by hitting it near the body cavity that contained its guts. Deeper down you would need more gas, so the darts came with various size CO2 cartridges or cylinders. Never met anyone who had used one, but for sure in the USA they had been employed against sharks. Although there is a big shark image rehabilitation crusade that has been going on for years now, sharks do eat people. If you are made of meat and a shark feels hungry, assesses you as easy prey then you are going to have problems.

Here is a gas dart dagger using the same ideas.

 

[hassoalbert]

The Shark Dart was used as a lance, so it was either mounted on a pole or used in a dagger form. It is really a large ditch defence weapon, you don't hunt sharks with them. The idea was the needle sharp point on a gas injection needle penetrated the shark up until a stop disc on the needle hit the fish. That stopped any further penetration of the needle, but the still moving lance pushed the carbon dioxide cartridge mounted in a cup onto a sharpened inner end of the needle sending gas through it. The gas instantly expanded inflating the shark by hitting it near the body cavity that contained its guts. Deeper down you would need more gas, so the darts came with various size CO2 cartridges or cylinders. Never met anyone who had used one, but for sure in the USA they had been employed against sharks. Although there is a big shark image rehabilitation crusade that has been going on for years now, sharks do eat people. If you are made of meat and a shark feels hungry, assesses you as easy prey then you are going to have problems.

Here is a gas dart dagger using the same ideas.
View attachment 59163

Powerheads are specialized underwater tools designed to enhance the efficiency and safety of spearfishing and diving activities. These devices, often attached to spear guns, utilize compressed gas or spring-loaded mechanisms to propel spear tips with increased force and accuracy, enabling divers to target fish with precision and minimal effort. Additionally, powerheads can serve as shark defense weapons, providing divers with a means of protection in the event of a shark encounter. By delivering a powerful and incapacitating blow to the shark' sorteo tris de hoy s vital areas, powerheads can deter potential attacks and enhance diver safety in challenging underwater environments.

 

[popgun pete]

Powerheads are specialized underwater tools designed to enhance the efficiency and safety of spearfishing and diving activities. These devices, often attached to spear guns, utilize compressed gas or spring-loaded mechanisms to propel spear tips with increased force and accuracy, enabling divers to target fish with precision and minimal effort. Additionally, powerheads can serve as shark defense weapons, providing divers with a means of protection in the event of a shark encounter. By delivering a powerful and incapacitating blow to the shark' sorteo tris de hoy s vital areas, powerheads can deter potential attacks and enhance diver safety in challenging underwater environments.

That sounds like what used to be written on the brochures! Basically there are two types of powerhead, although the name has meant different things in different countries. One uses gas to push a dart into the fish, a bunch of them are shown on the first page, and others discharge gas and whatever pellets or projectile they would normally be pushing in a terrestrial weapon. 12 gauge shotgun shells produce a lot of gas, so they were favoured for doing in sharks provided you hit them on the top or upper side of the head. The downside is they are heavy.