Shark Repellents

[alsurfing]

I have recently became interested in finding a shark repellent on the market that 1. Actually works and 2. Is relatively cheap. The first couple of products I came across were ridiculously expensive (around $600) such as those found on https://www.sharkshield.com/shop/.

However, my friend owns a scuba shop and the owner just began stocking products from this company called SharkTec - http://www.sharktecdefense.com/ and their products are actually within a reasonable price range of around $25 dollars. Their repellent has been endorsed by a significant number of well-known media outlets and have appeared on the Discovery channel during Shark Week.I was wondering if anyone had any experience with product(s) such as these and what are your thoughts?

[alsurfing]

Jsut realized that I have posted this in the hardware section

[jaffa1949]

Jsut realized that I have posted this in the hardware section

That's the right place

Just looked at the second product, a spray, of something derived from putrefied shark. which you spray in the water around you You'll get a lot of space to yourself. Pheww

[waikikikichan]

Concerning about buying things with your hard earned money. Usually it's choose 2 of the 3

Restaurants : Delicious food and cheap but its crowded. Cheap and un-crowded by the food sucks

Surfboards : Strong and Light but it aint Cheap. Light and Cheap but it's isnt Strong. Strong and cheap but it is not Light.

I paid a lot of money when I got Lasik surgery for my eyes. There were a lot of $99 specials, but no way I was going to trust those fly by night businesses.

$600 vs. $25 Shark repellants ? Hmmm. My best advice is to surf a Long board and sit next to Beginners on their cool wiz-bang short board that can't paddle very well.

Where do you surf at anyways that you need shark repellant ? Australia ??

[jaffa1949]

Further to sharks being repelled by dead sharks

One final thought you are more likely to get the same sort of deadly injuries driving home from the surf.
Investigate car repellents.

Waikikikichan, Western Australia is currently winning in the number of great white attacks at the moment.
Normal attack zones there are reef breaks with a deep drop off at the back, currently seal time on southern Australia and whales with young calves migrating back to Antarctic waters, sometimes shedding placenta whilst birthing.
Surfers look like slow wounded seals Iwonder how long the smelly repellent would stay in the breaking surf zone.

[alsurfing]

Jaffa1949-

I understand the point you are trying to make with your video but this product releases concentrated chemicals that trigger a flight reaction in sharks. Of course if a bleeding, half-opened shark is present in the water then a shark will likely overlook this chemical warning. I just watched tons of videos of SharkTec's products working greatly

According the company developing the shark repellent, it can last up until 30 minutes depending on the environment you are in of course. This would be more than enough time to get out of the area. I for one, will be buying a few of SharkTec's repellents. I will let you guys know if I can get in a situation where there are sharks nearby and see if I can get it on video

[jaffa1949]

I have to ask where are you surfing that you have such concerns with sharks?
Realistically if I was concerned enough to require shark repellent I would be surfing somewhere else!.
Great whites are stealth attackers and hit hard from a deep drop off usually to stun bite their prey and then leave it to succumb to exsanguination from the bite then feed minus risk.
Bull sharks in the estaurine environments bite everything from number plates to dead cattle and kangaroos washed down stream, not a place I'd choose to surf or swim.
Of course I also surf for more than 30 minutes which is a fairly moot point, because an attack is often without prior notice from the shark ( ie stealth ) it is quite common that if the shark notices it has been noticed they will cease their movement to attack.
There are also behaviours that will discourage attack but with anything , will you have time to spray or time to instigate a defensive behaviour?

If I had to resort to a having a spray at hand while I surf again I would be elsewhere.
If for some reason I was in that sort of environment my surfing would be dreadful and unenjoyable and again I wouldn't bother.
Press on and see how you go, I am inclined to think in spite of the tests, sharks make the rules
You have more chance of being killed by lightning, bees, than being killed by a shark, divide number of surfing shark attacks by number of surfers, gives you standard odd. Going in known spots puts you on the other end of the stick!

The spray however has more relevance as a deterent while diving, there it makes sense!

[kitesurfer]

Oh ok if I must....

KS

[jaffa1949]

I just knew someone was going to post that

[oldmansurfer]

As far as a repelent that you put in the water that would only work if you were going to stay in that one spot in the water. The electronic ones might be worth considering. They make a version that goes on your surf leash. Or you can do as I do and just try to not act like a wounded fish.

[alsurfing]

Actually, oldmansurfer, the exact opposite is true. A shark's best sense is its sense of smell. Smell is so vital to a shark, two-thirds of its brain is devoted to it. They can detect some scents at concentrations as low as 1 part per 25 million, which translates to about a third of a mile away in the open ocean. In fact, a shark uses its sense of smell to find its prey.

So if you were to spray a repellent in the water that causes a flight reaction in sharks, then this would be much more powerful, effective, and long range than any other method.

[jaffa1949]

So are you advertising the repellent or just stating that you are thinking of using it?

[alsurfing]

I am merely trying to gauge the general audience's opinion and see if anyone had any experience with such repellents. I am thinking about using one but wanted to open up a discussion. I am no means advertising the repellent, but I have studied marine biology and I wanted to correct the previous incorrect statement ( I did not mean to advertise for said company)

[jaffa1949]

No-one questions the shark senses and ability to use fine tuned smell as a prey sensing device.
Urine, blood are all shark attractants known science, so is electricity along the lateral line.
Shark behaviours are fairly well documented, you are asking our opinions and some of them may fly in the face of current research but not one argument you have offered has motivated me to buy a can of spray repellent. Diving, I certainly would have one, but I cannot see it being efficacious in surfing usage for many reasons, length of time I surf , the likelyhood of the repellent staying where I am surfing in a surf zone. The expensive electric leash has more appeal to me as a device but even with that I couldn't be bothered. If I was to consider surfing where I felt I needed such a device I wouldn't .
Basically I just don't want another piece equipment can or electric to lug around!
We are telling you our thoughts BTW.

[oldmansurfer]

Who needs a shark repellent? Are you looking for testers? Here is what I think about scent shark repellents, if they work then the shark needs have a certain concentration in the water to repell it. I know the navy has tried to find a repellant and failed so far because the ocean rapidly dilutes it out. Currents will rapidly take it away from you unless you are going to go along with the current in which case it will take just a little longer for it to be diluted out. So as a surfer how would you use it? Set it off before you go surfing? Wait till you get bit then set it off?

[waikikikichan]

"They can detect some scents at concentrations as low as 1 part per 25 million, which translates to about a third of a mile away in the open ocean. -- "So if you were to spray a repellent in the water that causes a flight reaction in sharks, then this would be much more powerful, effective, and long range than any other method."

Nature is a delicate balance. If we change/upset one aspect it effects everything else. If we kill the bees, then the flowers don't get pollenated. If we pick the beautiful coral, the reef dies, the sands goes out, the beach homes fall into the water. Man likes to mess with nature and doesn't realize the damage until it's too late.

If you keep surfing the same spot with your spray and make the sharks stay away, the medium fish will take over. They in turn will eat too much of little fish. The circle of life will be changed. You are visiting THEIR home. You are invading THEIR community and making them leave. It's almost like the movie AVATAR. All you want is the precious waves and don't care about the local indigenous creatures that were there way before you.

[billie_morini]

Billie: I know a carpenter that surfs. He uses shark repellent.

Kite Surfer: Really? Does it work?

Billie: Yup.

Jaffa: Really? What does he use?

Billie: A hammerhead!

Surf Patrol: I wonder what kind of markup I can get selling that in the UK.

Old Man: I bet you can sell a ton of cleaner with an anti-corrosion agent in it.

dtc: Yes, that’s a marketing dream.

Tony G: I wonder if I can sell that in Oregon.

IB Surfer: Ka-ching! Like a camera and film!

waikikikichan: Like razors and razor blades!

Zeboo: Like ham and eggs?

Roy: No, more like surfboards and wax.

Banz: I wonder when this bad attempt at good humour will cease.

Billie: When the surf’s up, naturally! (wink)

[dtc]

I'm a lawyer so don't have to worry about sharks - professional courtesy and so forth.

[CommonSenseSurf]

I'm Neil Campbell, director of the Common Sense Surf Company, based in Maslin Beach, South Australia.
Firstly, I can't believe that there hasn't been any posts on this topic for more than a year given the situation in both Australia, the States & worldwide.
At Common Sense we've made Chillax - an organic surfwax we think deters investigation by sharks.
Come & have a look at www.facebook.com/commonsensesurf
We welcome discussion & contributions. The comedians, the trolls & the poppy-cutters can stay away; but the skeptical & the dubious are welcome as much as the optimistic.
We passionately want to put an end to this nonsense of being vulnerable to attack by sharks; & we think we're on the brink of answering most of the concerns & frustrations expressed above.

[jaffa1949]

Be great if the wax and other ideas work, surfed gull rock a few times and have a friend who survived an attack at Aldinga, while spearfishing on the drop off there.
Keep us posted , btw the major injury I saw at Maslins was an American sailor who fell off the cliff while watching the pink pointers in the sand dunes.
Seaford area, Victor harbour ,Yorke and Eyre peninsula then over to Penong always bring the great Australian bite to mind.

Good luck