spearfishing with sharks in the area

Hi all,

In my opinion, I think you'll have a better chance being as un-cumbersome in the water as possible, and concentrating on your body language and calm movements in an area where there are sharks. I think a lot of the time, a diver wearing a ss will be checking to see everything is in order and everything is in the right place and this could lead to erratic movements instead of calm, purposeful presence in the water. A lot of guys freediving with great whites (on purpose) say that body language has a lot to do with the 'outcome'.

Also, in my experience, shark sheilds often shock a buddy diver when you're close to each other which is off putting.

However, I don't want to knock the product - I DO think it is very useful in certain environments.

Anyway, this is all coming from someone who doesn't own a ss.

Well I think its a personal opinion, yes the guys that dive with GWs on purpose adapt a subtle and relaxed movement of body, but ask most of them and they will tell you that theyve only done it when they had very good visibility and the sharks they encounter appear relaxed off the boat also they dont spearfish or have any other form of luring the sharks to them, they go out and hope to find one. Now when you encounter one while spearfishing and you have or had dead or dying fish in the water the shark more than likely comes to investigate the smell of blood in the water and then it sees you floating around and well naturally it will then see you as a possible source of food and come in for a better look, now in water with 3 to 6m viz you see a fast moving 5 or 6m GW comin out of the murk investigating you you want all the possible means of personal prtection you could want. And yes I own a ss and allthough I havent seen a shark since I got it the idea of having a bit of extra protection in certain cases does add a bit of peice of mind and if your buddy or yourself gets bitten by it well I guess it comes with the teritory...

Its a really interesting matter to read about, especially for guys like me in the UK that find it hard to really comprehend a genuine danger or threat of a predator so well adapted for the purposes of killing... over here our biggest predators are seals... and GWs would have those for a snack rofl.

I have to say that if for some reason I was in SA and I was spearing, then i think the only way i could really concentrate on the matter in hand - would be if i had a ss giving me a little bit of peace of mind... mind you i think i would still be looking over my shoulder every 2mins .

Huw.

A book i read had a slogan HUW "There are old divers and bold divers but no old bold divers" And you obviously have a good head on your shoulders. Yes a SS might give you peace of mind, but you also run the risk being lured into a false sense of security, Which is never a good thing. I think as a diver you should know that any peace of equipment can fail at any time, and therefore you should always be aware. I think in most cases if a GWS/Mako/Bull or an aggressive Nurse "raggy" is spotted most of our divers have the common sense to get out of the water with or without SS. I think its there for the occasion that viz isnt bad but isnt great either 5-10m. And avoiding attacks from behind or below.

As we all know GWS are extremely good and intellegent hunters, And they love preying on vulnerable prey. Therefore once they get irritated they normally go away. But there is no garuantee that a 6m GWS wont try and ram you just once shield and all. Therefore if i had a GWS for company, I would still take the precaution of getting out of the water and putting on a powerhead if I have one.

Once we all got on the boat my friend who we all thought had been bit said "that scared the shit out of me, literally" and proceeded to pull his pants down and drop a load right then and there. The strange thing about the whole incident was that when we pulled the buoy up to get my friend’s gun back, the cuda was still on it, untouched! Anyone care to explain that behavior????????

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Drop a load?!! - Thats the STRANGE thing!rofl What was that all about - nerves or an attempt at retribution?