Lots of Shark Talk lately... Teckie question for deep thinkers

[SEA]

There were recent tests done on a Shark Shield which works on more oress the same principles. Tests were done on a static bait in Aus and on a moving seal decoy off Seal Island in False Bay. It seems that the shield works pretty well with Great Whites but not 100% safe. Out of all the sharks encountered only one seemed interested in the device. Here is a link to the full report. http://www.sharkspotters.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Huveneers-et-al-2012-Shark-Shield-testing_SafeWork-SA.pdf

The electrical shark shield sure work for this poor bastard who WAS being mauled by a great white. I'll take that protection every day !!!!  This device was the first generation of electronic shark defense. The current ESDS shark shield is very convienient

[SEA]

Sorry Meant to post this newest Pic of an ESDS devise specifically for SUP.

[headmount]

Yeah that's cool but what keeps me from having a heart attack when I see a thing that big?

[Scottiver]

A White Shark just attacked a kayak in Santa Cruz just off the very popular surf area known as Pleasure Point.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/07/great-white-shark-attacks-kayaker-near-santa-cruz.html


And here is a website that list all the latest shark encounters on the west coast. (there are a lot of them) But all the encounters end without anyone getting hurt.
http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/pacific_coast_shark_news.htm

It does seem like more activity than normal and it's not really even the time of year for GW's to be in the area.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/11/03/GR2009110303427.html

[Celeste]

9 sightings in one weekend, sounds like the same shark seen lots of times.  especially since they were all inside the surf zone, not the most common place to find them

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

That video was interesting. I'm more convinced about that shark shield than I was before.

[supthecreek]

Headmount... it has attachments that you hook to your paddles... instant drfibrillator

[SoCalSupper]

Seriously guys, I think I've seen well over 1000 sharks in my life, mostly from going places to TRY to see them. Never had any kind of threatening encounter. You're working yourself up over something that represents a tiny danger.  No matter where you surf.

If you have any saltwater crocs where you surf, then worry, other than that, the sharks don't want you. It's like worrying about gay guys hitting on you. REALLY? Have you seen how those guys dress, groom, and take care of their bodies. They don't want your skanky butt. They want seals--the sharks that is, not the gay guys.

HAHA!-i got a really bad mental pic there at the end!

[OUTSIDEWAVE]

Yeah that's cool but what keeps me from having a heart attack when I see a thing that big?
Seriously I was out today at terramar dolphins all around so I should have been  relaxed. I looked down there is  really big body sliding slowly along the bottom probably  6 or 7 feet below me and 2 to 3 feet away. I think  crap that's a  big shark  but  then I see the tail and realize It was a dolphin So  I wished I had the  esds thingy   for my heart.  Used all that adrenalin to get a nice last wave.      True story!

[headmount]

Man, shark repellant AND difib, that's one hell of a piece of equipment.

In 1971 we had a surfer get a golf ball bite out of his thigh at Hookipa.  1986, windsurfer, same exact spot on thigh.  1998, a French wndsrfr, a mile out off Kanaha, saw it, trying to frantically water start, fluttering back leg for extra lift... but not in time.  Nailed the back of his leg and severed femoral artery.  The Frenchy had the presence to tie himself off to prevent a bleed out and amazingly someone saw the scene, called the calvary which was the lifeguard on a jet ski.  He even kept his leg.  

So that's three on this north shore of Maui in over 40 years.  There's been others on other parts of the island but from Maliko to Kahului Harbor, where literally thousands of people enjoy water activities from kiting, wndsrfng, surfing and DW SUP where we're outside over a mile some days, there have been only three.

Those first two incidences at Hookipa were smaller sharks.  The Frenchy got hit by a fair sized tiger and it didn't even come back to finish him despite quarts of blood entering the water.

Now, I've seen quite a few large tigers paddling DW and despite what I posted before, I managed to not seize up.  Fear does jolt thru me for an instance but the stroke keeps me centered.  My mantra becomes,  "nothing organic is entering the water, so I'm inert electrically.  I'm good.  I've got a big profile.  (17' vs 10-12', tho admittedly MUCH thicker) It's scared of me."  May be nuts but that's what I go with.  If I didn't have that, I'd probably not go.  OR if I had one tail my sorry ass like that vid of the kayaker on the NBC nightly news, then that would probably rattle my cage pretty good.

I used to stay out playing till after dark and invented all kinds of things to scare me into running home top speed.

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

Those golfball-sized bites sound like the cookie-cutter shark.



That's a nasty little bugger.

[ron.c]

'Creek hit the nail on the head

In our backyard there's no escaping the seals.  Not only are they not afraid of us, I think they like to hang'g out nearby

RC

[Brendon]

Crunchy Bob when I checked it awhile ago it looked pretty good except for those dodgy pings. Sometimes though I think I would rather not know where they are. Madiba pinged about 2km offshore from where I went on holiday last week. Very glad not to have met.
On the live stream of the Billabong today the commentator refered to Dolphins as gay sharks. I have never heard that one before.
I am sure these devices help and thank goodness sharks are not half as predictable as politicians or life would be really dull. I think one of the biggest problems with sharks here in SA is Shark Cage Diving where  natural boundaries are being broken down and sharks are associating food with the electric signal of a person in a wetsuit.
Lucky most of the time we are on top of the water.



Brendon

[stoneaxe]

'Creek hit the nail on the head

In our backyard there's no escaping the seals.  Not only are they not afraid of us, I think they like to hang'g out nearby

RC

I had two seals goofing with me at the bowl last year. one would swim under me, the other, bigger one was almost grabbing my leash. They hung around for about 10 minutes. I kept waiting for them to bump me.

Speaking of sharks.... http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#/video/bestoftv/2012/07/12/ac-the-shot-shark-eats-fish-on-line.cnn

[1tuberider]

I have had seals play with my feet at davenport S C.  Make sure you know the difference between a seal and a sea lion.  Sea Lions can be aggressive.