Shark Shield Issue

[Lenny]

Covert I know about the unwritten rule, but I say: hey stuff it! What's the point of having a shield and not useing it! I dive with you guys without one and that's a risk I take cos I want to dive with buddies and not alone. I don't know if the shield actually attracts them, even if it does, so does blood in the water, so does splashing, so does fish struggeling on the spear. There are a hundred other reasons why a GW should come investigate you even without a shark shield. and If a Shark does come investigate I'd rather have a buddy watching my back than the alternative of having to face a great white alone! So when I'm with you I really don't mind at all, use it by all means! it will in all likeliness be of benefit to both of us rather than a disadvantage to one in the event of an encounter. Besides I don't think it will be too long before I get myself one. I have now fully convinced my wife that she will not see yellowtail on our table until I get a sharkshield!

 

[Lenny]

[\quote]For what its worth i believe there is indisputable evidence that the shark shield is 99.5% effective... if theres a 6mtr white that wants you... hes going to get you!
remember... i heard more people die of bee stings than shark attacks! its just bees dont have big pointy teeth!!![/quote]

I wonder about this cos the guys who developed the shield say that, it is not really effective on small sharks. But it is effective on the bigger preditory sharks because they have a more developed senses for elctromagnetic pulses, since they rely more heavily on this sense for hunting than the smaller sharks. That's just what they say.

Also people love to quote the fact that more people die of x than of shark attacks. Like there was this banner in Fish Hoek (GW attack hotspot) that said "More people die by falling of chairs than by shark attacks". What they forget is that there are a million times more people who come into contact chairs on a daily basis than GWs. If nearly the entire world's population came into contact with GWs on a daily basis as they do with chairs, i'm sure that quite the opposite of this statement would be true! In fact I think that all the GWs would probally have been culled to extinction, because the amount of attacks would be staggering! I'm not saying we should cull them, but I am saying it is stupid to compare the odds of getting chomped to the odds of dying some other way!

 

[covert]

lol lenny its just people trying to rectify the image of the GW remember jaws made it out to be this man killing monster, and fickle minded people beleived this, this tarnished the sharks image as true master predator, and an awesome creation. So its all Public Relations. looking at sites and headlines like this
Shark Attacks
no wonder the poor buggers need a dedicated PR team.

But yeah its kind of weird swimming round millers point this weekend, with three fishies strung to my float like a sosatie being hounded by cow sharks, double checking three or for times that my shield was on. But admittedly as long as it works on mako's, GW's Coppers and large hamerheads im pretty happy the rest I can deal with.

 

[Lockedin]

Covert (and friends)

It seems that agreed theory is that GW's are pretty smart / curious animals. Would it not stand to reason that the GW's will begin realize that the diver / surfer shape is not pleasant to explore (bite), and is better left alone?

Odd question to SS users - Does it repel other fish?

Just my .02

Oh, and though my above citation and pics were somewhat tongue-in-cheek, there are some obvious ettiquette issues (swim step, crowded lineup, etc.) to hash out.

 

[Lenny]

Thatś the million dollar question which everybody including the scientific community are trying to find out. We know they are super intelligent, and we know that we are not their natural prey. And most marine biologists actually agree that they can recognise the difference between people and other prey! Yet what happens in reality is quite unexplainable: There are many people who dive ´unprotected´ with GWś and encounter no problems, in fact probally the majority of encouters are of this sort. But every now and then , (just when you think you understand them) they will go contrary to everything you know about them, and attack a bather in 2m of water!

So as some wise spearo said: ¨The only predictable thing about a shark, is itś unpredicatbility.¨

 

[buzZzz]

hi guys i'm new here.
by the way, may i know what is the reason that lead you all purchase shark shield this product? Is because of safety or have other reason?
and for people who choose to not having shark shield what is the reason that make you feel unconvinced with it?

Because this product is costly so i would like to have everyone opinion before purchase. Thank you.

 

[Lenny]

1) It depends where you dive? If you dive in False Bay, Cape Town, Arguably the most great white infested places on earth, I'd say sure, might be a good idea. But if there is not a good chance that you will run into a big tiger or a great white, buying a shark shield is a waste of money. They don't work with smaller sharks anyway, that I have witnessed first hand.

2) It also depends on what type of diving you do. Sharks generally (at least our kind in SA) are not interested in Scuba divers, Spearfisherman on the other hand have been eaten a plenty.