After 40 odd years of spearfishing I have purchased a sharkshield for my spearfishing activities. The recent post on Seal Island got me thinking maybe I can use the Shark Shield on the SUP when eventually hit the blue water.

Does anyone have any real world experience with the Shark Shield and SUPing. I know that I would need to somehow attach it to the board rather than my ankle.

Mate have been reading about these and all the evidence seems to indicate they only repel smaller shark breeds which are not involved in attacks on people .Eg breeds such as bullsharks , great whites aren't repelled by them .

Happy to be proven wrong and if I was in a high shark number area would consider getting one anyway as they can't hurt .

The latest research that I have read seems to indicate colored wetsuits or boards . With colour patterns to match the fish sharks don't want to eat , such as the lion fish . Seem to work the best .

But then it couldn't hurt to have a colored board with a repellers attached , best of both worlds .

Sorry colas, but I honestly don't get the point with either of the videos you posted with relation to the discussion - one was of a chum-bag attached to a video mount on a pole with several fish & sharks in it...the other showed some lionfish in a bag, then a metal pyramid that could have been full of sardines & tuna for all we know?! What they did show is that the sharks are persistent (that tiger was getting that chum bag no matter what!)

I've witnessed first-hand sharks attacking boats, bait (luckily not me) and the one thing that I see as a common theme is that they are extremely curious and put off by very little. I've yelled & banged the side of my boat, started my outboard to get them away from my boat, started a propeller spinning in a 15ft white's face and smacked several on the head with paddles & gaffs without them even flinching. All of which made them hang around longer (which I had a feeling would happen). The only thing that worked was throwing them something to eat on one side of the boat whilst pulling up fish on the other.

The fact that they have no other way to suss out objects except to 'feel' with their teeth, makes them very dangerous. As a top predator, I don't believe that they fear anything either, which combined with curiosity - makes them a threat to swimmers/surfers regardless of if you're wearing stripes or have an electrode or sonic pulse device attached to you.

Saying all that, I very-much doubt that they see humans as food and I would guarantee that for every shark attack that has been recorded, there have been many thousand close-encounters that we wouldn't even be aware of. A hungry shark hunting for prey (normally at dusk/dawn), disoriented by waves & murky water combined with splashing/paddling will always result in possible casualties whether you have a zebra wetty, pink tutu on or a car battery tied to your leg zapping away.

There has been a fair bit of controversy in relation to shark shields after the deaths of abalone divers on the west coast of Sth Aust.In the most recent attack it was unclear if the diver was wearing an operational unit,no trace was found of the victim or his gear,with the sheller witnessing the attack.The diver was a shield advocate ,and I believe the device was not left on the boat. In the previous fatal attack ,I have heard he was using a device,however it still remains unproven ,as we will never know if the devices were working,or correctly fitted.Most of these divers agree being on the surface is the critical period(unfortunately the place we are at all times).However in a fatal attack on a research diver at Glenelg Sth Aust ,the diver was taken whilst decompressing ,hanging on the anchor line(shark shield not worn). The other attack at Glenelg took place when the young man jumped from a boat to begin wake boarding behind the boat,again no shield,but on the surface.This was reported as an attack by two whites,a very unusual occurrence.I think the jury is still out on shields,overall they may make us feel more comfortable, and that is ok.Who hasn't been spooked when surfing late afternoon, or alone ,or at a "sharky" location.We are (as we are constantly told ) much more at risk in the drive to the surf spot,but somehow that does not push the same deep fear buttons.Ask emergency services, it should.

faito anto said..

The only sure-fire defence is to employ a couple of large Orcas as bodyguards.

But who can afford that? They charge a small fortune!

ive often been confused for an orca, does that mean im safe?