More Than Meets the Shark Eyes
Even at the best of times, the survival odds for new companies are daunting. There’s a twenty percent chance of failure in the first year, sixty percent chance within the first three years. When you take those odds into account, working for the man seems like a reasonable proposition for any entrepreneur-to-be.
However, chuck in a global pandemic, global shipping gridlock, and an acute case of economic uncertainty and the odds get longer again. The events of 2020, such as those just listed, were unprecedented. There’s simply nothing in the business manual advising a way through it. Guts and instinct is all you have.
“It was the craziest time to expand the business,” says Shanan Worrall of the COVID upheaval.
You know Shanan as the winner of the WSL’s Tube of the Year in 2017, see image below, and more recently as the fella behind Shark Eyes. Yeah, the shark deterrent stickers. Click here for an explanation of the science behind those.
A dedicated diver - ex-professional - and surfer, Shanan saw a gap in the market and made a play for it. Recently, a few apparel companies had crossed the surf/dive divide, yet no-one had done so with hardware.
Calling on their combined experience, Shanan and his wife designed a hybrid suit with the comfort of a surf suit, and the utility of a dive suit. Happy with the samples and specs, they prepared to place an order.
And then COVID hit.
“The normal lead time is around three months,” says Shanan of the time between paying for an order and receiving it, “but with COVID, each week it started jumping out further and further.” Four months, five, six, stretching out to twelve months, and this presented a problem.
“Everything pointed to COVID being a longer term thing,” explains Shanan of those uncertain days. “We realised that by placing a small order now, we might not be able to re-enter the market for another two or three years.”
Yet the opposite approach - going big - was equally as unnerving.
“We’re a new company, so we’ve got no prior sales history about the product to know if it’s even going to sell,” says Shanan. “I’ve always critiqued my equipment and I think this is a great no-compromise suit, but people don’t even know we make wetsuits.”
Planes were being grounded, ships stopped from sailing, the world was being shuttered, so Shanan and his wife had to make a hurried decision. “We gambled hard. We placed an order that was four times larger than what we originally intended.”
In short, they went big.
The manufacturing wasn’t without incident. “The factory we used makes both surf and dive suits,” explains Shanan, “each type is made in different departments.” As their suits have dive features such as a reloading pad on the chest, hip pocket, and fixed hood, the factory wanted to use the dive department but Shanan insisted they came from the surf section where comfort and finish quality are paramount. It was the first time surf suits had dive features included.
“The pocket was originally going to have a tourniquet in it,” says Shanan. “The plan was to sell them that way, however things didn’t line up to include it. Maybe in the next run.” The pocket, which sits at the side of the thigh, fits a tourniquet, though Shanan says while surfing he’ll often use it for wax or a muesli bar.
Shark Eyes have assembled a team of divers, surfers, and water photographers, such as Russ Ord, seen here (Photo Trent Slatter)
Swellnet received a suit to test, however with the editor dry-docked through injury he passed it onto gun spearfisher Pete Thompson to wear through late winter/spring on the NSW South Coast. The suit was a 4mm steamer made from limestone neoprene with attached hood, and of course it had the big unblinking eyes screened across the back of the wetsuit, and also near the cuff of each leg.
After a number of dives, Pete claimed it as the most comfortable dive suit he’d worn. Unlike normal dive suits, which are made from open cell neoprene, Shark Eyes is closed cell. Surfers are familiar with this as it has the same lining, however open cell dive suits require lube to allow the suit to slide on.
“It was great not having to mess around with lube,” said Pete. “Especially early in the morning when it was cold.” Pete used the pocket for a cray measure and claimed the 4mm suit was smack in the middle of the comfort zone for the season.
At a depth of ten metres, neoprene reduces to half its thickness so sporadic deep dives were fine. At any rate, spearfishers and snorkelers spend most of their time closer to the surface than that. It’s not a year-round suit, but then neither surfers nor divers wear the same suit year-round anyway.
“I wanted these to be no compromise suits,” says Shanan. “Ones that would work equally good for surfing or diving.”
When they hit the market, Shanan found the unpredictable quirks of COVID began to play into his favour. The first was the matter of enforced recreational time: Unable to work or travel, Australians suddenly had free time, and many chose to spend it in the ocean, for which they needed wetsuits. Secondly, and of more interest to Shanan considering his diving background, was how COVID reinforced the notion of self-sufficiency.
“I see lots of people diving for their dinner,” says Shanan. “Supporting a family that way.” You can surf and dive, for fun and for function, and, says Shanan, “You no longer need two suits.”
Another team rider is Shane Ackerman, who's equally adept above and below the surface
You may have noticed that, after 1,000 words, shark deterrence has barely been mentioned. That’s because the wetsuits mark a relaunch of sorts for Shark Eyes. “I didn’t want to just be the sticker guy,” explains Shanan, who’s become the go to person whenever the media needs a frontline shark story. “I’ve put my life story out there,” says Shanan, “but it’s draining reliving it over and over.”
So, while not disowning the shark eyes, the suits won’t be marketed as shark deterrent wetsuits. Consider the eyes a logo of sorts, albeit one with far greater significance than the usual symbol knocked up by a marketing company. “The eyes have their purpose,” says Shanan, “so too do all the other features on the suits.”
In early November, Pete Thompson dropped the suit back with Swellnet so it could get a surfing test run. First impressions? Limestone neoprene is supple. For a 4mm suit it’s incredibly easy to get in and out of, even with a gammy hand. The suit only got worn a few times, each session ending in dehydration. We’ll come back next year, when the water temperature again drops enough to warrant 4mm and provide a full review. Shark Eyes also have a 3mm steamer and 2.4mm skulk jacket.
For now though, Shanan’s big gamble appears to be paying off. Working for the man he won’t be, at least not anytime soon. The initial order of Shark Eyes wetsuits has almost sold out, with another on its way. This time with an expanded range and a bit of colourful promo too.
Comments
Get fucked on the first photo.
Edit: Compliment
should acknowledge Jamie Scott - Photographer - a past winner of WSL Wave Of The Year
My thoughts exactly, it's gotta be one of the heaviest barrels ever. The guy is fearless.
Yeah, that pic blows me away too.
I quite like the idea of a utility pocket on a wettie.
Good luck with the business Shanan.
Thanks heaps Zen, pretty stoked with how they have come out. Looking forward to a few more crew get to touch and feel them !
Tl;rl...
Trent has taken many an epic photo of that wave knew him through work and he had a real passion for the place.
I for one am very happy there are people out there in Oz keeping development in this area going and that support from this countries market continues.
https://www.sharkeyesglobal.com/pages/hybrid-wetsuits
Sheico built ?
Hey Udo,
yes.
Nice first and second shot :))
Could they have thought of any more cliche's for that ad !!!
Thanks heaps for doing a write up Stu!
Look forward to hearing the surf review!
With all the bullshit going on in surfing at the moment it's so good to see surf owned businesses proliferating.
Good to see a local business having a crack.
Just wondering why the eyes are shaped more like human eyes when everything I see in the ocean has circular ones. Arent they meant to imitate a large ocean creature?
I reckon the opposite. The eyes are meant to create uncertainty in the shark. They achieve this by convincing the shark it’s lost the benefit of ambush.
Unfamiliar life forms would tend to promote another level of uncertainty I’d have thought. The shark wouldn’t know what it’s potential prey was capable of and what unknown defences it might possess.
Just a thought.
Great idea for the suits. I’d love a 3/2. Best of lucky with your home grown venture. Shame you can’t get them knocked up in Oz though….same as everything else I guess.
Hey Blowin,
Your right with the reasoning behind human styled eyes. We feel it is creating one more layer of doubt, something they are not familiar with. Taking the element of surprise away is the other big factor.
We do have a 3mm suit also and a 2.5mm hooded jacket. Have a squiz..
https://www.sharkeyesglobal.com/collections/hybrid-wetsuits
Seems to me like you are mixing methods to trying to achieve two aims at once - uncertainty and abortive behaviour. Uncertainty based on unfamiliarity and abortive behaviour based on recognition of being watched. i.e.
A. Possible interaction > Unfamiliar stimuli > Doubt (is this even prey?) > Lower risk of attack.
B. Possible interaction > Recognition of eyes > Realisation of being watched > No chance to ambush > Lower risk of attack.
Maybe that's the best strategy. But it would be great to isolate the factors and run some experiments (and I know that would take a lot of resources) using eyes modelled on ocean creatures (like the natural examples on your website) and ones which were a little more unusual, like the current product.
I wonder if realistic eyes may even raise the chances of an attack by convincing the shark you're an ocean-dwelling life-form rather than a weird, gangly human-thing. I doubt it, but jeez, it'd be good to know.
Have any marine scientists out there done any work dragging bait with different eyes on it behind a boat? Any one want to give it a crack?
Yes. Theres enough evidence around that proves the deterrent effect on predators by using fake eyes,and this is one such example..Back in the day, I painted large,simple,Eye Spots on the Tuna- lures we used on our tuna-poling vessel. I was convinced that they would make the lures more realistic, so we would catch more tuna&never have to use stinking frozen bait again.To my surprise (and amusement of the crew), even in a feeding frenzy, the voracious fish would NOT touch my new EyeSpot lures. Do u reckon the skipper was happy?? Hahahaha!! Luckily there were some I hadn't painted,so I ran to grab them(while quietly freaking out), swapped them over & we were in business again. **Most lures these days do have eyes( and stripes!! ) ,but at the time I figured my customized lures had eyes that were just too big and freaky which made the Tuna - a super predator- wary and very reluctant to bite.
Thanks for sharing Ray, super interesting....I wonder if its universal among all ocean dwelling predators to be weary of eyes....I've been squidding nearly 4 decades and there's a crafty technique shared amongst us squidspeople and that's to orient the tail of the jig towards the squid... squid rarely attack the lure when the head is front on...on those clear, sunny days when the squid are doggy, orient the head away from the squid and they'll come join the party.
Cheers Ray. Next time, take a clipboard!
And, ah, "squidspeople"? Is that even a word? If not, it should be.
Nice title. I've said it before but Stu's puns are underrated. Try starting your day by reading the WOTD caption and visualise the pic. Or don't, does seem a tad strange.
I couldn’t make out the leg pocket properly on the website but if you could surf comfortably with your electronic car key in sealed plastic bag in it, then lots of us will want one.
x2
x3
I think a gun holster would be more appropriate than a tourniquet pocket if we are to be serious. Why not, as prevention is far far better than cure. I can't see anyone applying a tourniquet once their leg's been bitten clean off but shooting an approaching GWS is quite practical.
Did the guy in the first pic make it? Pretty insane if he did…
Waterman
Saw these suits at the Port Lincoln Dive Shop.
From a distance you could see they were a surf suit as the rest of the shop is dive suits.
Looking closer these suits are well thought through..
Quality stitching and materials
Tougher knees
All the little extras of a big name suit without the big price
Eyes for deterring the Grey suits on arm and back
Obviously designed to be worn diving/spearfishing too, chest pad for spear gun but only small so it doesn't feel bulky when surfing.
Finally a suit that can be worn for both instead of having two suits.
Ive seen a lot of wetsuits and these were actually interesting.
Top work
Hey Hoody,
I think we have succeeded in making it an epic suit for both sports. I have been spearfishing and surfing in them for the past 10 or so months and havent been able to fault them yet. They really do function well in both arenas.
I still pull out my commercial suits when on scuba or hookah chasing extra warmth of a 7mm dive suit,
Leo at the dive shop in Lincon is a champ!
He is just getting a fresh shipment in this week of all sizes week.
Thanks for the positive feedback!
Hi Shanan, I tried your shark eyes deterrent stickers but they washed off the board within a couple of surfs. Any suggestions on making them more lasting, cheers Johno
........ahh...fibreglass board??
Installation Error johno
Agree Udo, mine have no problems at all, maybe a few small bubbles when I first started using them but I improved my technique and fixed that
I agree, I've had my shark eye sticker on for over a year and it's still perfectly stuck on.
I have my Shark Eyes on the bottom of the board and another set trimmed one down to have on either side of the centre fin to maximise angle it can be seen from by Mr Shark and make him hesitate and think "eye on dah fin? WTF".
Has one seen them yet I sometimes wonder? I think not.
yeah i do ones on my fins as well , probably more effective than ones on the bottom of the board
There are quite some quite deep statistical analysis studies on predator prey interactions using large sample sizes in easy to study animals and insects that look at prey familiarity as a factor in predation.
One outcome (that is pretty obvious and logical but still reassuring to surfers) is that predators are substantially less likely to attack prey that is both rare AND unfamiliar per potential prey encounter.
The reason is the perceived risk of injury and poor cost / benefit for a predator of working out how to tackle something new and only seen occasionally..
Now whilst surfers, swimmers and divers are far from rare in our eyes, to the average GW shark cruising in a big ocean who has grown up hunting fish, skates, and later seals and dolphins, and who spends thousand of hours swimming and looking around in deep and shallow water across massive ranges, humans would be rarely seen and unfamiliar. Predators are very much creatures of habit and fixed hunting patterns. They are also cautious as injury can mean trouble.
That is in part what keeps us from being eaten on a daily basis.
Now the Shark Eyes concept, in addition to the important "sense of being watched factor", just adds to this sense of unfamiliarity when seen by a shark. A strange shaped creature with eyes not quite where expected just does not fit the deeply ingrained concept of familiar food built up over a decade of hunting. This kicks in a sense of wariness and hesitancy and discouragement from learned experience of failed hunts when going for unusual prey (mostly) in the cruising shark.
This research is just proving what common sense would say but is evidence that re-enforces the value of Shark Eyes or stripes on boards etc. for those who think it is pointless or have not got around to doing anything along those lines.
Shane Ackerman charges. Great spearo too. If anyone can put it through its paces its him. Good onya shark eyes for acknowledging his credentials
Will keep these in mind for my next wettie. Good luck with it Shanan. Still have to buy my eye stickers too.
And a happy Xmas to ya.
Have said it before, but you'd have to be a pretty dumb critter to be fooled by painted on "eyes". On the other hand, artists have known the secret to making them much more realistic for a long time. But they require some depth. By making the "eye" concave, the illusion of them following your every move can be created. Hopefully this link will illustrate what I mean.
Happy to be proven wrong but that illusion is from more than just a concave socket
In the example I provided, you are correct. But it's also been done with regular paintings. Without backlighting or the large depth provided by the ping pong balls, it's less dramatic. But it still works.