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Surfing, especially in places like South Australia, can be a little dangerous in winter. Every year there's a few fatalities, due to attacks by Great White Sharks.
The most sensible solution is not to go in the water. After that there's a few things you might do, like the following:
Make the
board completely clear, so it acts like a glass boat, allowing perfect vision of what's happening below. That way you can see if there are any sharks below you. (They usually attack from beneath the water, I believe)
Add either:
1. A rapidly inflating Kevlar dinghy that requires you to get arms and legs inboard and then pull the toggle, POP!, you're in a boat, or
2. A chemical rocket motor in the back of the board.
Either one will keep you safe from most attacks. Of course, if you fire up the rocket then you'd be wise to hang on tight, 'cause it's gonna be one hell of a ride!
Disposable Anti-Shark Attack Surfboard
Disposable_20Anti-S...0Attack_20Surfboard
by mcscotland. [calum, Nov 01 2005]
[link]
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I like this and I would think some simple shark deterrent (noise maker? electric current?) would be more than adequate. |
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But that relies on you noticing the shark in the first place. Given that sharks are pretty good at catching their normal prey, who presumably are on the lookout for predators 24x7, I wonder how much attention someone concentrating on hanging ten is paying to the water below? |
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If you're surfing in SA these days, I would suggest that just about everyone is looking out. |
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Most are attacked while they are sitting on their boards, waiting for a wave. |
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Can you see the jellyfish coming? Which coast are you on?
There should be a way to secure yourself before firing the rocket. But I like the kevlar dinghy option. |
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I'm on the East coast. Why does that matter? |
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As for security... just make sure your leg rope is nice and tight. |
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Aren't the jellyfish more dangerous on the Northeast coast? |
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Yep, that's the Box Jellyfish and the Irukandji. They're not just dangerous, but deadly. They also occur right across the north. Dangerous time is September to May, which is when you're likely to go swimming... the hot part of the year. |
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Im a scuba diver and have a saying - If you can see the shark its not going to attack you. |
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Not much reassurance there but I think the idea of repellent works better |
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A low voltage electric current may repel the shark but it is also possible it would attract them (the sense prey using electrical impulses). I dont know how good a sharks sense of sound is. |
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You can get commercial shark deterrants, Ill try to find a link |
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This would inevitably lead to the formation of extreme surfing. Although I'm not sure if it would be at all feasible for surfers to keep their balance after firing off the rocket. |
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//If you can see the shark its not going to attack you.// |
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Amen. Get off the surface, sitting duck. They’re generally well behaved if you hang out *with* them (and aren’t spear fishing). |
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Getting a visual on an attacking shark in low visibility conditions seems inadequate. How about sonar that beeps for large fish only, then sounds the ‘hold on for dear life’ alarm before automatically firing the rocket if one is approaching. Um, make sure you’re pointing towards the shore. |
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On a less halfbaked note: Don’t surf at dawn or dusk when large predators normally feed, and don’t dangle your feet in the water if you don’t have to. |
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That's the sort of thing I meant, [Shz]. Most survivors also report being bumped first, then hit with a mouthful of ivory shredder blades. |
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"If you can see the shark its not going to attack you" - if that is correct, I'm putting a pair of eyeballs on the bottom of my surfboard. Along with a video cam and sonar. |
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Actually, that does prompt the question - why aren't surfing beaches equipped with sonar and underwater video monitoring? |
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Because sonar is likely the cause of mass beachings of whales. |
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Hm, yeah, but that's the high-powered naval warfare kind, I thought, not the gentle pinging of civilian models. |
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True, it’s the loud (military) ULF that causes the harm, understandably. |
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I don’t think sonar ‘nets’ and video installations can be justified. We already know there are sharks in the water. |
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