A 3-meter great white tails a surfer at West Beach near Esperance in Western Australia. Photo: Frits De Bruyn
In the wake of Mick Fanning’s recent near-death experience at J-Bay, a debate erupted surrounding what exactly occurred in the water that day. Whether or not the shark’s presence was considered an “attack” or just an “encounter,” – all opinions aside – the shark could’ve easily killed Mick right then and there.
Sharks are extremely powerful creatures and every time we surf or swim in the ocean we run the risk of meeting one. I certainly don’t believe that they’re all bloodthirsty beasts, but the bottom line is that they have a tendency to attack humans, even if it’s by mistake. Although attacks aren’t very prevalent, what happened to Mick Fanning last week and Bethany Hamilton in 2003 is certainly enough to make me consider protecting myself.
Shark-deterrent technology has received a bad rap over the years because people think they’re kooky, or that they simply don’t work at all. Contrary to popular belief, modern shark technology has proved to be effective. So much so that it can keep you safe without harming the shark whatsoever. Here are the three best wearable shark-repelling technologies on the market right now:
Shark Attack Mitigation Systems
Would you wear one? Wilko probably would.
Sharks have fantastic vision, which plays a huge role in prey selection. Shark Attack Mintigation Systems (SAMS) combats this with their intricately patterned wetsuits. The detail in the suit disguises the wearer as a foreign object to the shark, making it look completely different than any type of prey. Providing it works properly, the shark will simply ignore the person and swim away. I’m not going to lie, I think the suit looks pretty rad. I wouldn’t be surprised if Matt Wilkinson adds it to his arsenal. SAMS also carries other equipment, including surfboard stickers and skins for dive tanks and kayaks.
Sharkbanz is an alternative to the visual, shark-deterring zebra wetsuits.
When sharks are unable to see clearly, in murky water for example, they use what are called electro-receptors to sense what’s around them. This allows them to judge distance, shape, and heart rate of animals in the general vicinity. Sharkbanz takes advantage of this with their small watch-like product for your wrist or ankle. When the shark gets near the device, its electro-receptors are disrupted through a patented magnetic technology that causes the shark to change direction and swim away. It’s sleek, cheap, and effective. I love it already.
Sharks are sensitive to low frequency, close-range electrical fields. The Shark Shield is a track pad attachment equipped with two electrodes to create three-dimensional magnetic field around the user. When the shark comes in a few meters of the Shark Shield, it experiences minor muscle spasms and discomfort in its snout. The shark is not harmed in any way by the device. Rather, it simply causes the shark to swim away and ignore the wearer. The Shark Shield also has two other products, one catering toward free diving and the other toward technical diving.
None of these technologies harm sharks in any way; they simply repel them, reducing the chance of an attack. These products are also not 100% guaranteed to prevent attacks or encounters. Swim and surf at your discretion, and always make sure to respect beach closures due to dense shark populations.
