Anti-Shark Wetsuits - The Pattern Of Attack

[Wingy]

I live where these are being developed and trialed - we have had multiple fatalities surfers, swimmers and divers which is why the government grant has been given to the young guys who are doing the R & D. We have tagged great whites in considerable numbers setting off beacons sometimes multiple times a day 500m from popular city beaches so its a response to public pressure rather than culling sharks as some uneducated people are calling for - and our cops tend to be a little less trigger happy so while the jokes about prison are amusing they dont translate that well to Aus. We protected sharks 25 + years ago which has allowed the whites to hit 6m size so of course a bite is likely to end in a fatality. Id rather not walk round looking like a zebra nor would i want to purchase the blue model as I like sharks and go out of my way to dive with them but bear in mind in a round a bout way this is a shark protection and conservation initiative.

 

[dfx]

What a great idea from a sales perspective. I mean, given the rarity of shark attacks the chance of someone wearing one of these actually getting bitten? After a few years they'll be able to say "In x years of operation, nobody has ever been bitten wearing one of our getups."

Of course it could actually be working, we'll never know. Unless someone gets bit with one of these on.

I wonder if they come with a money-back guarantee

 

[RickI]

Thank you for the local perspective and all success in finding effective solutions to this problem.

I live where these are being developed and trialed - we have had multiple fatalities surfers, swimmers and divers which is why the government grant has been given to the young guys who are doing the R & D. We have tagged great whites in considerable numbers setting off beacons sometimes multiple times a day 500m from popular city beaches so its a response to public pressure rather than culling sharks as some uneducated people are calling for - and our cops tend to be a little less trigger happy so while the jokes about prison are amusing they dont translate that well to Aus. We protected sharks 25 + years ago which has allowed the whites to hit 6m size so of course a bite is likely to end in a fatality. Id rather not walk round looking like a zebra nor would i want to purchase the blue model as I like sharks and go out of my way to dive with them but bear in mind in a round a bout way this is a shark protection and conservation initiative.

 

[danvolker]

I wonder if they come with a money-back guarantee

The real issue here is PRICING.... These could be expensive, and may well cost you an arm and a leg

 

[HalcyonDaze]

I live where these are being developed and trialed - we have had multiple fatalities surfers, swimmers and divers which is why the government grant has been given to the young guys who are doing the R & D. We have tagged great whites in considerable numbers setting off beacons sometimes multiple times a day 500m from popular city beaches so its a response to public pressure rather than culling sharks as some uneducated people are calling for - and our cops tend to be a little less trigger happy so while the jokes about prison are amusing they dont translate that well to Aus. We protected sharks 25 + years ago which has allowed the whites to hit 6m size so of course a bite is likely to end in a fatality. Id rather not walk round looking like a zebra nor would i want to purchase the blue model as I like sharks and go out of my way to dive with them but bear in mind in a round a bout way this is a shark protection and conservation initiative.

It's definitely better than calls to start culling sharks, but again I have my doubts as to whether these will work. I've worked with a lab group in SoCal that studies white sharks and I'm more than a bit skeptical that camo or disruptive patterns are going to help. I'm all for testing it to see if I'm wrong - preferably by presenting sharks with mannequins, maybe in a manner that could make for some good "Air Jaws" footage - but if you're marketing an "anti-shark" product that doesn't actually work you'd better have some good lawyers working on a waiver or disclaimer.

Just for reference, does anyone know the breakdown of the attacks in WA - the relative proportion on surfers, swimmers, divers, etc.? As stated I doubt it will be much help for surfers and swimmers; the shark is going to be looking up at a silhouette and probably won't even notice the color of the object. And unless you're selling transparent or patterned surfboards, the suit isn't much help for surfers. I'm not 100% confident in a device like the Shark Shield (especially against a great white that might be coming up at 20-plus knots), but I'd trust that or some repellent solutions a friend of mine has been working on over a zebra suit any day of the week.

 

[Wingy]

Timeline of shark attacks on WA's beaches theres the breakdown for the last 13 years.

Shark shields sold out due to the 2011/12 spate and associated media coverage. We had a situation where people were heavily lobbying the govt for culling in as many numbers as people protesting against the mention of possible culling as the tourism industry (let alone dive industry) took a bit of a knock - the baying for sharks blood rears its head every time it happens. From this link Shark Alarm - Live shark alerts, shark sightings, and shark attack information you can see the frequency of sharks that are tagged setting off beacons and prox to city beaches - of course this being only the tagged sharks. I dont know and nor could anyone know the amount of untagged sharks out there but this IMO doesnt do much to provide the public with any positive tools to assess risks and decide, well, im not swimming at cottesloe today because the beacons gone off x times today. There is also a move to install the first shark net on this coast at one of the more family friendly beaches by summer. The issue of legalities is also a bit different here as the litigation culture is nothing like the US. The developers clearly say there is no way of making anything absolutely 100% ''shark proof'' BUT - if it gives people who are worried about shark attacks a sense of being less at risk, then great - I personally wont be lining up to order one.

To date not a single family of a person who has been taken by a shark or bitten has tried to sue anyone, it doesnt work that way here. Id rather have this initiative and the shark net installed so people stop going into a kill every shark frenzy every time theres an incident. Re shark shields - there has been no definitive proof they work either, but at $699 each they sure sell out quick after every incident. We have had the reports of "I saw a white/tiger/bronzey coming straight for me punched the button and it spun around and headed the other way" which could also be interpreted as "While i was wearing a shark shield a shark swam near me and didnt attack me". No positive proof the shark shield was the reason the shark did not attack, but again, if it makes people feel safer then its $699 they consider well spent.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

This group has some pretty interesting stuff in the works - Home

 

[danj]

[h=2]The disclaimer from the SAMS website

Caution to Users[/h]

SAMS Technology applies newly discovered scientific principles of shark vision to the development of marine materials configured with specific patterns of colour, contrast, size and shape to present the wearer or object as either cryptic (disruptively coloured) or conspicuous in the ocean. The principles are based on the physiology of what predatory sharks can see at different depths, from various angles, in different light conditions, and times of the day.

Testing to confirm shark behavior across species in relation to these technologies has commenced and will continue for many years.

The rationale for certain types of conspicuous and disruptive colouration affecting behavior of sharks has a long anecdotal history. SAMS Technology applies the new discovered information on visual science of shark vision to enhance these strategies.

Initial tests have been completed in live conditions off the coast of Western Australia, on the SAMS technology. Whilst the initial trials were strongly supportive of the scientific principles, they are not 100% conclusive, and further testing is under way.

The technology is designed around conditions of clear water and good light. In conditions where light has been reduced or water is murky protection will be reduced. At this stage that cannot be quantified exactly and will be subject to further field testing.

All sharks are dangerous and unpredictable creatures. It is impossible for SAMS to guarantee that 100% of sharks will be deterred under all circumstances with the SAMS technology. Water based activities in the presence of sharks is inherently dangerous and is not recommended therefore we recommend that if a shark is sighted that the user leaves the water.​