How do you protect yourself

[Jon C]

Usually a small knife and a slow swimming dive buddy. If I get really concerned, I take my mini nuclear sub with a full range of missiles and torpedos.

However, ever since I started wearing my new, neoprene g-string speedo, nothing seems to come near. Don't leave home without it....

Jon

 

[Guba]

Homeland Security doesn't know about my chemistry or physics classes, either. Shhhhhhhh. Don't tell them!

 

[Guba]

Seriously (rarely), against what would you be arming yourself? A knife is useless against a shark attack (which are so extremely rare against divers that you have more chances of being struck by lightning WHILE crashing a plane). Even if you have it out and ready (assuming you saw the shark coming) you'll be bitten before you can use it against the shark. I think you see where I'm going. What the other divers said is true. Common sense, basic skills, and a knowledge of what is in your selected diving area are your best "defenses". Know what organisms can sting or puncture you, and then avoid them. Stay off the bottom and coming into contact with critters there. Learn the habits of animals such as sharks, barracuda, octopi and morays so that you know the warning signs and when to back off. Become knowlegable about how to decrease your "attractability" (such as wearing shiny stuff around cuda, etc...). In short, knowledge is your best defense.
Then you can wear your knife for defense in an environment in which it is really needed....such as while walking in a park after dark in a metropolitan area!

 

[Seawalker]

Well said. I hate making excuses for myself, but the fact is I'm new to this and I just want to be safe. Thanks for your time.

 

[Walter]

Your best defense against sharks is to keep your wits about you. Sharks usually notice us before we notice them, then leave. When we're lucky, they ignore us and hang around so we get a good look, we rarely see them at all. Encounters with sharks that are not fun are extremely rare. You need to be aware that rare as they are, they do happen. Knowing how to react is important. Stay off the surface! Very few attacks (3.8%) on divers come from above. That's particularly significant when you consider most divers spend most of their time near the bottom. Present a stong confident image, swim gracefully, without using your hands. If you feel you're in danger at any time, swim underwater to the boat and get out of the water. Keep an eye on the shark. If a shark gets too close, yell or growl. You can't outswim the shark, so don't even try. A better option is to charge. If a shark is going for your buddy, charge it while yelling. Animals trying to swim rapidly away from a shark appear to be prey. You don't want a shark to identify you as prey. If you have to, push the shark away (or you away from the shark) or hit it on the nose or in the gills. Gills are my first choice, but sometimes you can't reach your first choice.

 

[cascbagrl]

Wow a cattle prod...hhhhhmmmmm nope have never gone in the water with one of those Just a small knife and sometimes not even that.

 

[H2Andy]

Does Semtex float?

we had an intern trying to figure this out ... but haven't heard from him in a while...

:33:

Does the Department of Homeland Security know about you?

:54:

 

[wilkie]

Hhmmmm underwater cattle prod.......Whalerkyle....

 

[H2Andy]

Stay off the surface! Very few attacks (3.8%) on divers come from above.

Present a stong confident image, swim gracefully, without using your hands.

If you feel you're in danger at any time, swim underwater to the boat and get out of the water.

Keep an eye on the shark.

If a shark gets too close, yell or growl.

ya... i've read all those before

sharks are rather primitive hunters, and if you "trigger" an attack response, you're in trouble. in order not to trigger the attack response, you shouldn't do things that the shark recognizes as "victim" behavior.

the more un-victim you appear, the less likely the shark is going to get triggered into attacking.

 

[Guba]

Wait...there are CATTLE underwater? I must not have been looking as close as I thought. (Either that, or I really need to have the prescription of my mask checked.)