How do you protect yourself

[Splitlip]

I paged through an old Scuba Pro book last week ( circa 1973).

It showed the diver in a "defensive position".
The diver had loosened the harness and rolled the tank over his head, down his chest, and (valve down, now) tipped it towards the threat.

PS. carrying that ziplock of bloody fish to use as chum might not be the best defense;
but it may make that shark head shot a posthumus prize.

I remember seeing that too.
What was the name of that Spielberg movie that came out around that time?
Dive industry was probably impacted. I remember my mother bought me a sick little bang stick after she saw the movie. Attached to the tank kind of like a cylinder mounted pony. Never carried it except ehen she was on the boat, but I chuckle when I think about it.

 

[radinator]

A dive knife is a tool, not a weapon. Here's mine.

 

[fishb0y]

And some tools are weapons...

 

[Meister481]

Kinda reminds me of a conversation I had with a guy a few years ago. I help out at a friends gun shop sometimes, so I hear some doozies. Said customer walks in and asks what type of bullet he should use in his 9mm when he goes hunting in grizzly country. We all snicker and kindly tell him he needs a hunting partner if he's taking that small a gun. He didn't find it funny when we told him to shoot his buddy in the leg and run if he sees a gris.

I'm a firm believer in self rescue.

My biggest fear is that my wife audits my business books and finds my discretionary funds. I've got everything else covered....

 

[Mr. Sunday]

A dive knife is not a weapon but a cutting tool for situations such as entanglement etc. I have been diving up close and personal with many different species of sharks and have never felt I needed a weapon to protect myself.

 

[S. starfish]

The best thing you can do to protect yourself from monsters of the deep is to dive with someone much slower and tasty looking than you. Perhaps sprinke them with nutmeg or oregano before diving.

But really, the most dangerous thing you'll ever meet in the water is the nightmare buddy - my choice of protection, diving with a good buddy.

 

[SoggyShoes]

This is a really entertaining thread.

I remember when I was doing my open-water dives, a lady asked about sharks. Our instructor calmly said its not the sharks you need to worry about it’s the boat. Very concerned about this comment I asked what was wrong with the boat. The instructor said gravity must be stronger on the boat because she said the most injuries she has seen are from people slipping and falling, dropping weights on their feet, or jumping out of the boat at shore.

When I asked what was the most dangerous creature under water she replied “a bad buddy”.

Another instructor said the most injuries he has seen underwater are from coral followed by people sticking their hands in to places they shouldn’t. I guess eels tend to be very protective of their homes.

How many people personally know someone that was attacked by a shark? Not a news story or your cousins-fiends-neighbor.

With the exception of jelly-fish, I personally have never meet anyone who was attacked by an unprovoked animal. I can tell you that if you torment a puffer fish they do get really agitated for the three seconds before they relax (literally).

 

[Quarrior]

I've been looking for a nuclear tipped spear gun. I figure that should keep jaws at bay. LOL

 

[billtodive]

"Jaws" limited edition DVD is available; just in case I can't come up with any baseless excuses not to dive where there are sharks......

 

[BiggDawg]

I think PADI does have a Shark Defense specialty Don...

And before anyone gets upset, I do have PADI AOW....

Wasn't Shark Defense offered in your PADI AOW?
Methinks you must have not gotten your money's worth.