No Yellow Fins??

[Green Frog]

I recently bought a pair of Mares full foot fins in bright yellow with black trim, planning to use them primarily for boat dives. Exploring the website of a FL dive operation I read their warning against wearing yellow fins on dives where sharks would be encountered. They even said they would rent blue or black fins to eliminate the “danger”. Am I the only one who has never thought (or even heard) of this phenomenon? On some of my recent dives in Nassau, we were surrounded by Reef Sharks but I didn’t get attacked, nor did they even show any undue interest in my bright yellow fins.
Was I just lucky? Were the sharks color blind in the Bahamas? Is the FL dive operation just trying to rent more fins to yankee tourists? What gives here?

 

[inquis]

The theory is they perceive large swatches of bright color and become aggressive and territorial. I'm not sure if I believe all that, but their boat, their rules. I did the bull shark dive in Playa del Carmen a few years ago with yellow and black fins, and the operator said it would be fine since most of the blade was black. (Tusa Hyflex Switch if you want to look at them.)

 

[NovaCane]

It's not uncommon for shark-specific dives to require all-black or mostly black gear.

 

[Rob9876]

Was I just lucky? Were the sharks color blind in the Bahamas? Is the FL dive operation just trying to rent more fins to yankee tourists? What gives here?

I have heard of this too and believe there is research both for and against the thought that bright colors cause shark agression.

I do know that most of the sharks I saw while diving in the Bahamas were reef and nurse sharks, both of which generally move away from divers. FL seems to regularly get a wider variety of sharks, including bulls and whites that are generally viewed as perhaps presenting more threat to divers.

 

[scubadada]

... FL seems to regularly get a wider variety of sharks, including bulls and whites that are generally viewed as perhaps presenting more threat to divers.

Maybe I'll get lucky one day and see a Great White . I only have about 1300 dives in SE FL.

 

[tursiops]

The professionals tend to say it is most likely just color contrast that is seen, not color specifically. So yellow and white, for example, might be equally attractive. They also agree there is no good research, just some epidemiological studies, so avoiding light colored fins is much more a precautionary measure than a real preventive measure.

 

[Rob9876]

Maybe I'll get lucky one day and see a Great White . I only have about 1300 dives in SE FL.

Looks like a few of the tracked whites are somewhat close to the Keys -- you may need to stalk them:

OCEARCH Shark Tracker

OCEARCH is a data-centric organization built to help scientists collect previously unattainable data in the ocean.

www.ocearch.org

 

[scubaozy]

Some years ago, I went shopping for 5mm wetsuit just before traveling to South Africa to do shark diving in 3 different locations. I got my self a beautiful Camaro suit that was on a great discount possibly because it was mostly in bright orange color. I remember thinking "gosh, lets hope I wont have my leg bitten off because I am so cheap". When I was putting on my suit for the first dive in Umkomaas, the guide glanced at me and said yummy yummy and walked off. At that point I was promising my self I will never cheap out again. Long story short, I survived the holidays, I still have that suite and wear it occasionally and get compliments how cool it looks and how easy to find me. It was worth the risk, if I am gonna go, I want to do it in style and not break the bank.

 

[MrChen]

Search the forum, and you'll find the same question and conversation over and over.

 

[Searcaigh]

Didn't Mythbusters refer to yellow fins as "Yum yum yellow"?