The shark shields go up at the Margaret River Pro
The next stop on the WSL Championship Tour is the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro, beginning on March 29th. It was only a few years ago that the South-west region of Western Australia experienced a shark attack cluster - a sharp spike in attacks, many of which were fatal.
In response the WSL have collaborated with Western Australian company Shark Shield to kit out all their PWCs with electronic shark deterent devices.
Shark Shield make a range of devices for SCUBA divers, spearfishers, and surfers. The device the WSL has chosen is the Freedom+ Surf, which is comprised of two sticker thin decal antenna that work in concert to generate an electromagnetic field that repels sharks.
During the Margaret River Pro the same technology will be used except the stickers will be on the bottom of PWCs.
Tom Carroll displays the thin decal of the Shark Shield
"It's exactly the same technology as we'd have on a board," says Shark Shield CEO, Lyndsay Lyon, "but stuck on the bottom surface of the jet skis. It'll work exactly the same way."
"We know that jet skis themselves don't always scare off sharks," explains Lyon, "especially when they're in attack mode."
"So, worst case scenario is there is an incident or even just an inquisitive shark, then Shark Shield technology can get it out of the immediate area."
"It's a simple and cheap solution, and it works."
On that note, conversation veered toward WA's recent state election, which Lyon followed very closely. "One of Labor's promises was that if it got in it'd provide a $200 rebate for scientifically proven shark deterents," says Lyon.
A fortnight ago the Labor government won in a landlside victory.
"The wording of that promise is important," identifies Lyon ."Scientifically proven. Shark Shield are the only device on the market that's undergone independent scientific testing and the technology has been proven to work."
"You can't throw those words around without expecting a visit from Consumer Affairs or the ombudsman."
So there you have it, WA surfers. Not only do you get piece of mind from what's lurking below but you save an extra $200.
As long as the politicians keep their promise, of course.
The Drug Aware Margaret River Pro starts on March 29th.
Comments
Hey Stu, are the surfers actually going to be equipped with any tech on their boards or just the Jetskis? cheers
Just the jet skis. Think the surfers have the option though.
Cheers Stu, I don't see how they'd get past the sponsorship issue of tail pads:
1. that tail pad still needs the battery pack and that's an Ocean Earth piece unless they modify it.
2. It's extra weight that the athletes may not want on their sleds
3. To put new tail pads on the entire quiver or even a couple of boards is perhaps a bit of an ask.
I am all for technology improving, all power to SharkShield for persisting. Concerned punters are definitely the market so any involvement with the WSL is a good move.
Does the ski have to be stationery for these things to work ?
Hang on a sec: "Shark Shield are the only device on the market that's undergone independent scientific testing and the technology has been proven to work." Except on Great White Sharks in attack mode. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
At 1:32, seems the GW is coming in pretty fast. I'd say that's "attack mode." if there is such a thing.
I've been using one for a while now, and its sends out a very powerful field, so much so that I often get belted if I pop with my hands on the rails, like when taking off late pigdog.
If the receptors are sensitive enough to detect heart beats of small fish, I can see how this induced field would be the equivalent to a blinding light, or a deafening sound and thus be a very unpleasant experience for the shark.
I think this technology has traction.
At 3.33.
This video supplied to us from one of the universities testing Shark Shield answers your question on deterring charging great white sharks
The video seems to confirm that the product is not 100% effective on great white sharks and that a great white sharks behaviour can change to be more aggressive and less cautious as they get used to the device.
You can deduce all of that from the video?
This video Stu, Sharkshield posted it in the comments early this morning. Check it out.
When the Australian Geographic reviewed this research their headline was "great white shark deterrent almost one hundred percent effective" so yes MP your correct, no safety product in the world is 100% effective, it is impossible for a bike helmet, seat belt, shark deterrent, etc. to remove 100% of risk.
Is that the "attract then repel " technology? Or was that the other company? At least the skis will be safe. Been heaps sightings lately with all the salmon running. Maybe better to cancel the whole thing in the name of safety I reckon.
I've struggled for a very long time to find a good example to explain why it is impossible for electrical deterrents to attract sharks because it's impossible to transmit an electrical field through salt water at any distance, and coincidentally today I was lunching with a physicist and here is the best answer yet because it basically says even the electromagnetic field created from an atomic bomb can't travel through salt water for any distance (about 3m), here is what he's provided:
Can an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) such as from a nuclear bomb travel through water and affect electrical systems underwater, such as submarines?
Best Answer: Although there are alternative methods to generate an EMP besides a high-altitude nuclear detonation, EM waves do not propagate through conductive material, like water, except at very low frequencies (skin effect). That's why radios don't work on submarines when they're underwater and why they use SONAR (accoustic) instead of RADAR (EM). Any amount of EM energy that was able to propagate at lower frequencies would go straight to the earth since the ocean acts a one, enormous electrical ground.
This article about electroreception in sharks is worth reading:
http://elasmo-research.org/education/white_shark/electroreception.htm
A small extract:
In 1998, graduate student Steve Kaijura demonstrated that newborn Bonnethead Sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) can detect electric fields less than 1 nanovolt per square centimetre. This is equivalent to the electric field of a flashlight battery connected to electrodes some 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometres) apart in the ocean. Such incredible electrical sensitivity is over five million times greater than anything you or I could feel and is by far the most acute in the Animal Kingdom.
The article also discusses electroreception in GWS.
Here is another article where the author claims that a rubber balloon with a small static charge could be detected by a shark at a distance of 4 miles:
https://www.wired.com/2013/08/how-sensitive-are-sharks-to-electric-fields/
Thanks Coaster because this is exactly the article that propagated the myth that A. sharks can detect electric fields at distance (no it's <50cm) and B. you can transmit electric fields in water (no).
I love the last line in the second article: Oh, and for my example both the balloon and the shark are in a vacuum so that we can ignore the effects of the water......(no you can't ignore the water, that's the whole point of the discussion)
Are you saying sharks can only detect electric fields at less than 50 cm? Doesn't shark shield repel sharks at 130 cm? Anyway, I don't doubt the product works; I'm just not sure about it attracting one into the area.
Time to pull out the remote control fake shark fin and buzz it past .
Then go for a solo surf as the crowds in hysteria
Very scholarly link MP !
I reckon Ultrasonic Surfboard 'd clear line-up quicker than Clam's remote Shark fin.
In July 2016 Professor Collin finds no devices on market now or into future will guarantee avoidance of shark attack.....
Every day since...Kombi Van Medicine Men peddling shark-fin elixir.
Any other market would demand product recalls and refunds.
Crooks are off the hook as Surf Product Reef soon declared a Marine Debris Reserve. Hooroo!
Perhaps use two at once
Shark Shield are producing a good product that has been proven to be a reasonable shark deterrent - what percentage of the time and what percentage of sharks will be open questions for some time.
What amazes me is no one is jumping all over other promotors of alternative devices. Modom etc claim a magnet as "tech" - what a joke. A few pro surfs get behind them and they throw a few dollars at Surfing Vic and Surfer in Suits. Where is your integrity guys. Anyone remember balance bands ? These guys are the fraudsters in the surfing game at the moment.
There was an immediate response to some of these other technologies such as the ones you refer to with rare earth magnets. Almost 100% of those were negative and dismissive of the claims that these products were making regarding their effectiveness at keeping sharks at bay. Surfers on the most part are a very sceptical bunch when it comes to changes in surfing related products. Back in the day leg ropes were scorned, grip pads laughed at and Epoxy glassing was around in the 50's but it's not until recently that it's been widely adopted. Shark related surfing products have one big advantage over most other surfing products when encountering a sceptical surfing population and that is "fear". Our politicians have used fear based campaigns to great success in gaining votes and fear is what drives sales of Shark Shield and other products. The suggestion that buying one of these products may save you life is often all that is required to get a sale. The claims of their effectiveness is seemingly contradicted by the small print product disclaimer that comes in the packaging. Who to believe?
I reckon another pertinent question to ask is;
What were the other brands did the UWA research team test? Their field research could be several years old.
For example did they test Rpela from Surfsafe? Its a lesser known WA product that has been around for a few years now.
This whole debate just goes round in circles,its all been said before but what i cant understand is why is there so little feed back from pretty much anyone who's used a shark deterrent or company's making them.....or is it that no one really knows for sure .
Shark shield .
You guys need to be commended for a great product and proper research .
I like others worry about larger " rogue " whites ( like the one that did a lot of damage in the SWA region a few years ago ) . And I've been assured by someone ITK , that it was taken out by an individual a few years ago .
Considering the size of Whites in the region I frequent , and the likely hood of certain death after even a tentative test bite . I personally will never bother with devices even as good as yours .
But going back to what you guys are going to do at the contest , why aren't we running a long line circling the contest zone , with two or three in series or even extra long aerials dangling down to the depths every 10m around the contest zone !?!
Atleast that way if a big shark takes interest Then as he starts stalking , he will be hindered instead of trying to stop half a tonne of shark as it comes in at > 15kts for the kill ?!? I know your trying to show the punters how good an idea they are , but having the suspect comps fin free would probably be a better proof of concept ?!?
How do you know it was the one shark causing grief over there? Bit hard to tell isn't it?
GF .
I posted in these walls about the time it was taken . I won't say too much , but " there was compelling evidence of which I can't confirm but only relay that people stopped being stalked after it was nailed . And since there have been lesser sized sightings . Now I wouldn't celebrate such an event , but things have slowed a little over that way . Of course numbers are still rising , just one less rogue .
Planet of the Apes extras commanding sea chariots....
Trumpeting conch shells trawling the XXXX buoys.
Great White sacrifice unleashes wild sex crazed Gidget Beach Party.
Cheap as chips sustainable surf comp Luau.
Intoxicated pros flake -out. That's when Apes fire up the BBQ . Win! Win! Win!
A WA local visiting Noosa late last year told me that Rpela were very popular in his region. I don't think surfing will ever be totally device relliant, as legropes snap and then you grab your goggles, flippers and telescopic handspear out of your backpack and wave down the nearest jetski.
^^^The Rpela is a great unit in that the design of it is such that you don't really notice it when surfing. Seems to have heaps of power too gives you a good boot if you touch the electrode.