How many fatal shark attacks to stop you diving

[CT-Rich]

My position is very easy to uphold because the position of the majority on this thread is plainly ridiculous and indefensible. It is that they 'don't care' about the risk of a fatal shark attack. That they have no regard for their own safety in this matter. That even if a fatal attack was inevitable they'd dive.









Numbers have been provided for the area in which I live. Also check the Shark Attack Files for many more.





Those were the comments that preceded the inclusion on the thread of the option 'don't care' by Netdoc, one of the Scubaboard administration. Incidentally I've never witnessed that kind of interference without the approval of the person who created the poll and OP before by the administration of any internet chat forums. I'd hazard a guess that this is the first time it was done on this board.

The fact that this position has been defended by so many on this forum and the site administration is disturbing. It testifies to how fanatical and deluded people have become in their support for Greeny ideology.

---------- Post added February 24th, 2014 at 06:57 PM ----------



This was discussed at length and the evidence tendered previously in the thread.

Would you jump in with scuba gear and no shark protection behind a boat with cages divers with a number of big, hungry, man-eating white pointers milling around?

First off why was I not included in your ranty-tirade? Doesn't my snarky disdain qualify? Huh?
Back to explaining the bloody obvious....

A) I think you misunderstood "don't care" they care if they die, but they worry about things that might actually kill them, like auto-erotic asphyxiation and Jellyfish (man, box Jellies scare the crap out of me).

B) I "don't care" wasn't actually offered as an option in this poll.

C) if the fatal attack is inevitable, why not dive? I mean, why hide on land if those buggers are just going to find you anyway? (see earlier Sharknado refence)

D) Doc was actually doing you a favor, most admins on most board would have deleted your posts and banned you for being a troll, especially since this is supposed to be a basics area. And here you are espousing irrational tripe to people who might not realize what an irrational point of view you are holding. (by the way doc, thanks for not bouncing my posts....)

E) you say in your area this is a problem and you have already shown documentation.... would you cut and paste specific examples and link back to the original source. I didn't see those posts and am not going to scan back through a 200+ posts to find it. I think repeating the phrase "I have already gone over that" doesn't really cut the mustard. If you had data (the generally accepted NUMBER-ie types of data) to discuss I would like to see it. Consensus seems to be about 5 deaths world wide per year (my guess is that there are a number that are never reported, but hey, who's counting....).

Speaking of Fanatical and deluded people.... You have a community of people that have TENS OF THOUSAND combined dive hours, PhDs and commercial divers, instructors and site administrators saying the opposite of what you know with unwavering certainty

And trust me, I am probably the biggest Greeny here (well maybe not) but there are PLENTY of people on SB that doesn't apply to... Just go read what gets written in the pub.... I think you need on who is deluded....

 

[fbk]

I'd call two fatal attacks on scuba divers within 12 months within the area defined in the OP significant.

Considering the zero fatal bite injuries to SCUBA divers in the years prior and since, I'd call it a statistical anomaly. And very unfortunate for those involved.

 

[Insta-Gator]

I pay extra to dive with sharks. So, where's that option on your survey?

 

[MMM]

Saying this (repeatedly) does not make it so.

I'd call two fatal attacks on scuba divers within 12 months within the area defined in the OP significant.

 

[Foxfish]

Will you please just go away! Or better yet what's your real job and office so I can pass it on to my friends in Sea Shepard. The only delusional one here is you. Do the world a favor and stay out of the water as well. Go hunt baby stealing dingos.

Thanks Jim. You've played the devils advocate part fantastically. Can you tone it down just a tad, people might start getting suspicious.

---------- Post added February 24th, 2014 at 07:50 PM ----------

Considering the zero fatal bite injuries to SCUBA divers in the years prior and since, I'd call it a statistical anomaly. And very unfortunate for those involved.

Based on my discussions with a number of divers and dive shop owners around town there are many who don't see it that way.

 

[KevWind]

My position is very easy to uphold because the position of the majority on this thread is plainly ridiculous and indefensible. It is that they 'don't care' about the risk of a fatal shark attack. That they have no regard for their own safety in this matter. That even if a fatal attack was inevitable they'd dive.

That is nothing less than a ridiculous statement of conclusion of position, by exclusion. The majority position is they are against culling and do not care what the number of fatalities is as an excuse to implement it . Attempting to ignore the most important part of the question does nothing to validate your absurd conclusion.

The fact that this position has been defended by so many on this forum and the site administration is disturbing. It testifies to how fanatical and deluded people have become in their support for Greeny ideology.

What Greeny idealogy ? The only way that position can be construed to be Greeny is to include the " and believe that shark finning or culling is morally wrong." Which as the salient part of the question, you keep attempting to exclude.

So which is it? Exclude that part, in which case it isn't close to being Greeny, crazy perhaps, BUT Greeny no possible way. Or include it and yes it is certainly could be called Greeny, but then including it invalidates the absurd claim that it is only "I don't care" and then becomes very focused clear minded and "fanatical" only because you cant accept it as the clear majority

 

[fbk]

Based on my discussions with a number of divers and dive shop owners around town there are many who don't see it that way.

I'll agree that you aren't alone in your irrational fear and assessment of risk. I know people who are too scared to let their kids dip their toes in at the beach.

One thing we are good at culling here in WA is ridiculous hypothetical threads started by someone seeking to validate their position on shark attack risk to SCUBA divers. This one lasted 4 posts...

Western Australian Divers ? View topic - A study in risk

 

[Foxfish]

I pay extra to dive with sharks. So, where's that option on your survey?

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?

---------- Post added February 24th, 2014 at 08:03 PM ----------

I'll agree that you aren't alone in your irrational fear and assessment of risk. I know people who are too scared to let their kids dip their toes in at the beach.

One thing we are good at culling here in WA is ridiculous hypothetical threads started by someone seeking to validate their position on shark attack risk to SCUBA divers. This one lasted 4 posts...

Western Australian Divers ? View topic - A study in risk

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.

---------- Post added February 24th, 2014 at 08:12 PM ----------

I'll agree that you aren't alone in your irrational fear and assessment of risk.

I'm thinking irrational fear is more along the lines of people saying you shouldn't enter our offshore swim throughs without doing a cave diver course, guide lines, three torches and couple of spare air tanks. Okay I exaggerate a little.

 

[Scuba-4life]

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

 

[Finneli Felwitch]

Being in Florida, I have only ever seen Nurse sharks. They are so nice, you can swim up and sit next to them and pose for the camera, they wont swim away.
If you want to see sharks, you really have to go looking for them.