Shark deterrent?

[Chad Carney]

Here's a current thread on the subject: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-hunting/297058-pre-dive-nerves.html

You'll have to sort out reality from the BS like this: "Drop the catch if your scared... All they want is the fish." & "kinda like a conveyor belt system"

Take your time and learn to scuba &/or freedive, then spearfish.

Chad

 

[Jon Nellis]

Capt Jon,
You preach about education but call one of the best education networks names. I will admit that they are trying to get people to watch buy making things dramatic and some shows prey on peoples fears of sharks but most of the programs shown teach that sharks are not mindless killing machines but an animal to be respected.

For the most part, what they air is show after show of shark attacks on people and then rate, on some scale, the "deadliness" of the species or location. Whatever sells advertising spots, that's not educational, that's sensationalism. These shows make people fear sharks instead of fearing what will happen to the oceans when the sharks are wiped out by frightened people who only see then as a menace. I'd like to see them air a show about the role of sharks in the ocean ecosystem and how it has changed since the asian shark fining mafia has decimated roughly 90% of the worlds shark population. But then they would lose the asian advertising sponsors and shame the majority of the asian demographic, dropping their ratings.

Discovery is far from an educational network. A better description would be entertainment with a few biased facts sprinkled in.

P.S. Don't believe everything you read (or watch) either.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

If you need a weapon then maybe you should not hunt until you yourself are more familiar with sharks. There is no need in MOST hunting to need a weapon for sharks. I met a guy about 2 months ago who has been hunting 45 years. His words were if your not smart enough to drop the fish then you should get bit and I wont say what he said about those who do carry a weapon for sharks.

Here's a current thread on the subject: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-hunting/297058-pre-dive-nerves.html

You'll have to sort out reality from the BS like this: "Drop the catch if your scared... All they want is the fish." & "kinda like a conveyor belt system"

Take your time and learn to scuba &/or freedive, then spearfish.

Chad

 

[Chad Carney]

When spearfishing we are competing for prey with many other predators. Experienced spearos know that giving up a fish easily, without a show of aggression, is a mistake. Most of the time predators will back off when threatened. The ones that don't are the reasons some areas have different methods of dealing with the catch, such as fish floats and chase boats.

I'm not saying I've not lost fish to sharks, cudas, Goliath groupers, eels & even a turtle... just it was never by choice. I could not get my fish under control before a predator hit it. Most of the time it excites the predator and it wants more, and then it gets others involved real quick! By contrast even big bulls, hamerheads, lemons & reef sharks will generally not mess with an aggressive diver. (But not always!)

Nobody can deny that removing the fish from the water ASAP is not a good idea. That's what we usually do when freediving, because it's very efficient as well, you have to get up and bring your fish up, so having the boat follow and take fish makes sense. You can't always do that on scuba, especially if anchored. Fortunately carrying fish on scuba is often not a problem when divers know how to protect themselves and their buddies. A hand carried hoop stringer and a stiletto knife to finish off the fish will usually do the trick.

Most of my buddies and I don't carry a specific weapon for sharks, just the same gun (often with multiple spears), sling or pole spear that I'm using for spearfishing. Many divers carry powerheads but I've never liked them, usually too complicated to deal with. Leaving an area is my preference rather than killing a predator.

I've done a lot of video and photography of spearfishers, and not having a weapon can be very dicey around hunters, even when I'm not shooting and carrying.

Want to learn a lot about spearfishing? Check this out: http://thebluewild.com/index.html TBW 2010 should be around the same time next year.

Chad

A good friend and one of the best commercial shooters on the planet has a favorite saying: "Try not to have strong opinions about subjects you know nothing about!"

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

When spearfishing we are competing for prey with many other predators. Experienced spearos know that giving up a fish easily, without a show of aggression, is a mistake. Most of the time predators will back off when threatened. The ones that don't are the reasons some areas have different methods of dealing with the catch, such as fish floats and chase boats.

I'm not saying I've not lost fish to sharks, cudas, Goliath groupers, eels & even a turtle... just it was never by choice. I could not get my fish under control before a predator hit it. Most of the time it excites the predator and it wants more, and then it gets others involved real quick! By contrast even big bulls, hamerheads, lemons & reef sharks will generally not mess with an aggressive diver. (But not always!)

Nobody can deny that removing the fish from the water ASAP is not a good idea. That's what we usually do when freediving, because it's very efficient as well, you have to get up and bring your fish up, so having the boat follow and take fish makes sense. You can't always do that on scuba, especially if anchored. Fortunately carrying fish on scuba is often not a problem when divers know how to protect themselves and their buddies. A hand carried hoop stringer and a stiletto knife to finish off the fish will usually do the trick.

Most of my buddies and I don't carry a specific weapon for sharks, just the same gun (often with multiple spears), sling or pole spear that I'm using for spearfishing. Many divers carry powerheads but I've never liked them, usually too complicated to deal with. Leaving an area is my preference rather than killing a predator.

I've done a lot of video and photography of spearfishers, and not having a weapon can be very dicey around hunters, even when I'm not shooting and carrying.

Want to learn a lot about spearfishing? Check this out: The Blue Wild Spearfishing Seminar and Expo TBW 2010 should be around the same time next year.

Chad

A good friend and one of the best commercial shooters on the planet has a favorite saying: "Try not to have strong opinions about subjects you know nothing about!"

 

[Killer&Griller]

Lets see, you are spearfishing so apparently you will have a speargun, do you need anything more. If it threatening get out of the water, if you can't get out which is unlikely, use the gun to fend it off but not necessarily shoot it unless all else fails.

Clearly you haven't had 125lbs of fish on a stringer and getting tag teamed by 2 or 3 taxmen that came in quickly....

Anything that could assist in you safety is something to consider. That being said, I use both the Scuba 7 and Freedom 7 and if the shark is in "feeding" mode and all worked up, he is still going to come in on you, period.

For some reason, it doesn't work as well on sand tigers as it does on all the others. You would think since the company is in Australia and that is a predominant shark there, more research would have been done on them. Works on others much better. I have plenty of video of sand tigers less then 4 ' away with the SS on. I have also swam directly over sand tigers and dropped my whip on their back from the Freedom 7 to see how it worked when I first got it...... they REALLY DON'T LIKE THAT......

Then again, it may help with your confidence around sharks also.

If you are looking to buy a Shark Shield, send me a pm. Anyone that tells you that you have to pay $700 is off their rocker. I bought both of mine cheaper than that by quite a bit.

 

[Hetland]

I have also swam directly over sand tigers and dropped my whip on their back from the Freedom 7 to see how it worked when I first got it...... they REALLY DON'T LIKE THAT......

I want to test my Taser. Where can we meet so I can pop you in the back with it? I wonder if you will really like it?

 

[Bottomfeeder Brodie]

Here on the west coast of Florida we chum with football players 30 miles out and stay close to shore( 15 miles)

 

[Spearomen]

I would actually like to see a Cuda sheild......I think they scare me more when 4-6 of them are swimming around my stringer than the sharks. Them damn things are just like a bunch of thugs.

 

[Killer&Griller]

I want to test my Taser. Where can we meet so I can pop you in the back with it? I wonder if you will really like it?

Come down to my LDS................ Let me know if you need directions............... I would be more than happy for you to come by. I would also bet that your demeanor will change while being in person as to the ambiguous anonymity the seems to preside and be quite prevalent on the internet. Seems to reason the cause would be due to a lack of accountability for ones actions and respect that one should have for another individual....

When I am using a product and it is designed and marketed to deter sharks, I expect it to work. When said product doesn't seem to work on Sand Tigers, I want to know why. If this product allows the sharks to swim 3-4' below me in parallel, I want to know if it will have any effect on them at all. Apparently it only does on direct contact, something about the species.... good to know....... especially if I am going to market said product..... Then again, I guess I could let you find out on your own......

This product assessment was done after a "bug" hunter got bit by a ST while wearing one. He had his back to it and got a taste test 2 times..........

Obviously it would have too much effort for you to inquire about the motives for the action, much easier to play arm chair quarterback and make assumptions....

You obviously lacking a motivation or any form of deductive ability as to my actions, if you had taking the time to read other posts I have put up in the past, they would have aided you in a character assessment of myself. It should be pretty clear I am not a reckless diver.

This type of equipment happens to be important in the type of diving I participate in as stated above.... along with having product knowledge, INCLUDING LIMITATIONS.

I didn't say it was a regular practice, I did state it was done when I first dove with it.

Typical....... someone like you or Kevin Carlisle has to make an irrational, smart comment or condone it, like that. Why am I not surprised. Here I was worried someone wouldn't join the thread making unjustified, uneducated or unsubstantiated comments, assumptions or innuendos. Thanks for setting my mind at ease......

If you have a problem with testing gear, well, ohhh, better yet, give the next Sand Tiger you see a hug from me to the next time you are trying to fill your stringer down there in Bama & Fla........ :shocked2:

Call me if you get lost, I will Google a map for you.........

BTW, Kevin Carlisle, congrats on your recent cave cert....... have you considered crawling out of one and trying your hand at spearing and maybe we will see a little less of this.....

Then again, you are regurgitating info and opinions from someone else, I presume, because you lack real world experience in this specific topic as a whole. As if this esteemed individual you put so much faith in should have any bearing on the subject from our viewpoint at this juncture. From you previous posts above you are solidifying your lack of skills and experience along with demonstrating your inept ability and continuing struggle to overcome thinking for yourself. On the brighter side, it does appear you have mastered the uncanny attribute to project an obviously uneducated, ill informed and bias opinion on said topic. I guess it is better to be good at something, then nothing, right?

Please carry on.........