How many fatal shark attacks to stop you diving

[fbk]

Don't see too many people arguing against that position these days

Not many?? only the vast majority of all the members of at least two SCUBA diving forums you have tried to gain support from for your views, one of which evidently banned you. You might have gotten a different response on a surfing or bodyboarding forum... then again they are pretty passionate too and seem to accept the risk of being shark bait. You won't catch me on a surfboard in the Southwest but the fact remains that since 1997 (to reference your post above) and even long before that, there have been just TWO fatal shark bite injuries to recreational SCUBA divers in WA. It is pointless trying to argue against your determination to make it seem otherwise, so I, like I suspect many others, am out as they say. Cheers.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Wrong, wrong and wrong.

Tigers objections have been dealt with ad nauseam. He just needs to read previous posts and understand what is being said.

In our area fatal attacks on scuba divers is significant. You need to read back over the thread for the information provided.

I think it's safe to say that in your area way more scuba divers die due to poor diving skills than die from sharks. Perhaps you should be culling inept scuba instructors ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[clownfishsydney]

Will that be with or without a cage sir? We've got some good shark diving over here in Australia at the Neptune Islands, home of the white pointer. It is popular, if a little expensive for some. I'd imagine that many divers who have participated in the poll could get some action cheap. Just jump in a little dinghy with your scuba gear and head out to the Islands. Rodney Fox has said that people who do this would be mad, but what would he know. Clearly he's got a vested interest. And anyhow, the number of scuba divers who get killed by sharks annually is a fraction of the people who get killed by falling coconuts?

I think Rodney Fox might know something about the dangers of GWS, especially at the Neptune Islands, since he came so close to dieing from a GWS attack in December 1963 and has run shark diving trips to the Neptunes for more than 20 years. As I pointed out, I would not scuba dive there without a cage, the chance of attack being so high. Vested interest or not, he speaks the truth about this.

As you pointed out, more people get killed by falling coconuts. So you would not go to a tropical island and walk around under coconut trees just because there is a much larger chance you could get hit by a falling coconut and die? Most people would view this as being paranoid.

My final comments, give up diving (if in fact you actually do dive), swimming in the ocean or northern Australia rivers and waterholes and surfing. You should also not even think about going to the NT, northern WA or northern Queensland in case a crocodile attacked you as you lay asleep in your tent.

 

[Foxfish]

It is pointless trying to argue against your determination to make it seem otherwise, so I, like I suspect many others, am out as they say. Cheers.

Hang about. I previously said:

Sorry, I cannot see the link. That might be the forum I got banned from a few years back when I took the outrageous position that there had been a drastic increase in the number of shark attacks in the West since the white pointer was protected in 1997 and that most of those fatal attacks were by white pointers. Don't see too many people arguing against that position these days.

Are you now saying that this is wrong in spite of the latest statistics that support and reinforce the observations?

 

[gcarter]

This is an interesting read, it appears to be posted today. It seems shark attacks in Australia have declined to the lowest level since 2008 and fatal attacks are in line with the norm. Hmm?
Shark attack survivor 'bears no grudge' | News.com.au

Now that's inconvenient.

 

[Foxfish]

I think Rodney Fox might know something about the dangers of GWS, especially at the Neptune Islands, since he came so close to dieing from a GWS attack in December 1963 and has run shark diving trips to the Neptunes for more than 20 years. As I pointed out, I would not scuba dive there without a cage, the chance of attack being so high. Vested interest or not, he speaks the truth about this.

As you pointed out, more people get killed by falling coconuts. So you would not go to a tropical island and walk around under coconut trees just because there is a much larger chance you could get hit by a falling coconut and die? Most people would view this as being paranoid.

Thanks. Most people who have participated in the poll apparently disagree with Mr Fox. Oh and I understand the whole coconut statistic is a furphy.

 

[JohnN]

As you pointed out, more people get killed by falling coconuts. . . .

Far more are WA residents are killed in auto accidents. Extending your logic, shouldn't all rational people stay indoors and off the roads?

 

[scubastingray]

The cars and coconut examples are terrible. You should compare percentages. Far more people walk under trees, or drive cars than scuba dive.

I don't mean to give merit to the arguments regarding "scary" sharks, but by posting such foolish things you give the argument more credence than you intend.

 

[Foxfish]

I think it's safe to say that in your area way more scuba divers die due to poor diving skills than die from sharks. Perhaps you should be culling inept scuba instructors ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I had two very good instructors for my OW and AOW courses. Like most places, you get good divers and some that are not so good.

We've been over this before Bob. Suffice to say that to the best of my knowledge I don't know of anyone who has died diving the swim throughs/caves in the areas I dive. We've had two divers recently die in fatal shark attacks. Which do you think presents the highest risk? The reactions I've seen to the two risks on this forum, ie. the perceived risk, is opposite to the actual level of risk indicated by the fatalities.

Always remember. The best way to minimise risk is to eliminate the risk. That applies equally to cave diving as it does to man-eating sharks.

 

[Hank49]

Or better yet what's your real job and office so I can pass it on to my friends in Sea Shepard.

That explains a lot....