David Garrison, and his son, Nathan, have teamed up in creating a device aimed at drastically reducing the likelihood of a shark attack. The product, Sharkbanz, is a sleek rubber design (no bigger than your average surf watch), intended to disrupt a shark’s electro-receptors. This product is said to be particularly effective with sharks due to their very unique and very sensitive electro-magnetic sense. Nathan said it’s “akin to having a very bright flashlight shined in the shark’s eyes.” It doesn’t hurt the shark – it’s just unpleasant.
Sharkbanz is an alternative to the visual, shark-deterring zebra wetsuits. Photo: Facebook
The Garrison’s were inspired to create this band after several “spooky experiences” with sharks – Nathan’s best friend was even bitten by one. The product became available to the public just a month after Sean Pollard lost an arm and his other hand in Western Australia, and just a month before 17-year-old, Jay Muscat lost his life to a great white while spear fishing at Cheyenes Beach in Western Australia.
Sounds cool, right? But the main question is: is it authentic? Judging from their tests, it seems fairly effective with particular species of sharks, especially small ones – as illustrated in the video. But it has not been tested with great whites and other large species of sharks responsible for attacks. Would Sharkbanz really deter a large, hungry and curious great white shark from mistaking you for a scrumptious seal? This would certainly be a game-changer in the surfing community. It would enable surfers to enter waters that were previously off limits due to their high volume of sharks. The owners, however, explicitly state that by wearing this technology, it doesn’t mean that you are able to jump into chummed, shark infested waters. That would be just moronic.
To learn more about Sharkbanz, visit their website.
