Net Dive Bags

[Steinbeisser]

Divers don't actually look like seals but when they are on the surface they become targets for one of the white sharks favourite feeding patterns that being to ambush and attack from below prey at the surface and as such they are constantly looking out for objects silhouetted above them. They are also very curious and will inspect unusual items they find, one way of doing so is to give said item an exploratory bite.

 

I believe there is another reason divers are vulnerable to shark attack and that is that sports divers use SCUBA as opposed to oxygen re-breathers. i.e. sports divers expel used air in great clouds of bubbles under water. This is said to emulate a wounded seal and may initiate a feeding response from a shark.

 

Having said that, experienced divers feel most vulnerable on the surface (shark attack, sea sickness, idiots on jet skis and in other powered marine craft).

 

Steinbeisser

[snakey1]

true you are a hell of a lot more likely to drown. i personnally think although its likely white sharks do visit our coast occasionally the chance of becoming ones lunch is negligable so i wouldn't worry, your more likely to get a good gumming from passing basking shark

[gilbo]

your more likely to get a good gumming from passing basking shark

 

Im up for that!!!!!!!!

 

[snakey1]

I believe there is another reason divers are vulnerable to shark attack and that is that sports divers use SCUBA as opposed to oxygen re-breathers. i.e. sports divers expel used air in great clouds of bubbles under water. This is said to emulate a wounded seal and may initiate a feeding response from a shark.

 

Having said that, experienced divers feel most vulnerable on the surface (shark attack, sea sickness, idiots on jet skis and in other powered marine craft).

 

Steinbeisser

I hadn't heard that air bubbles from scuba sets provoke a feeding response from sharks infact from what i've read sharks don't actually like the air bubbles given off by scuba sets and there were some experiments in the past using curtains of air bubbles as a shark deterrent however i don' think they were particularly successful. Still as you say i think the jetskiing fraternity are more likely to be a hazard than white sharks off the UK coast.

[Wavegoat]

A local fisherman reckons he spotted a Great White off the North Cornish coast a few weeks back, wouldn't be the first time. I certainly feel a lot safer on a kayak than when i'm out surfing (I generally use lures so no chum in the water). I was surfing last week and some mackeral started jumping, your imagination soon starts running away with you when you start thinking about what they might be trying to get away from!

[Mark Crame]

I believe there is another reason divers are vulnerable to shark attack and that is that sports divers use SCUBA as opposed to oxygen re-breathers. i.e. sports divers expel used air in great clouds of bubbles under water. This is said to emulate a wounded seal and may initiate a feeding response from a shark.

 

Having said that, experienced divers feel most vulnerable on the surface (shark attack, sea sickness, idiots on jet skis and in other powered marine craft).

 

Steinbeisser

 

 

Attacks on SCUBA divers are very rare - it's nearly always skin divers. Bubble barriers were trialled as anti-shark measures and were largely effective, except against Tigers which kind of defeated the object so the idea was scrapped. Skin divers with flopping fins, undulating body movements and arms held to the side do resemble seals, especially from below, and I stand by that theory. As Whites tend to favour seal colonies as feeding grounds (especially off the coast of South Africa) it would be pretty foolish to skin dive in those places.

 

Yum Yum Yellow. I recall that term, and had thought of it when buying my prowler. White also gets blamed for attacks from Mako's. However, it's nice and visible to ASR hence I chose that colour.

 

I hope to get a shark from the yak. I've caught them in SA from skiboats and have an idea of what i'm dealing with. Big ones will NOT be coming onboard! I shall be avoiding stainless hooks if targeting them so that I can cut the trace close to the mouth if too large to handle safely (for me or the shark) as they will soon corrode away. I shall also avoid touching the tail as this is guaranteed to annoy them (sharks tails are, apparently, ticklish!). Perhaps I should practice on dolphins first though as they are similar size but less sharp.......

 

Back on topic, I went into LIDL today and got two of the dive bags - at £2 each I thought they were exceptionally good value and very well made. I also got 10 karbiners for £7, and the same for 10 bow shackles. Happy boy i am. They had sailing gloves too, but these felt a tad thick for paddling with to me.

[YakDiver]

chance of becoming ones lunch is negligable

They said something like that with the Titanic

[snakey1]

Good luck with getting a shark mark , i'm trying for tope this year and after that who knows i think blues are a definite possiblity, porbeagle i would be wary of as i don't personally agree with deliberately targeting juvenile porgies in the 80 -150lb bracket and i think trying to tackle a 200lb plus shark from a kayak would be too much for most people although fair play to you if you want to try its just not something i fancy.

Edited May 10, 2007 by snakey1

[paintfly]

I shall also avoid touching the tail as this is guaranteed to annoy them (sharks tails are, apparently, ticklish!).

 

But by holding the tail you are nullifying the shark's principal mode of propulsion (think doggies) and will therefore more easily pacify it. They might be pis*ed off or even giggling like a girl, but there's not much they can do about it. Also keeps line of sight and sharp pointy bits well away from you. Of course, only if you're trying to boat it.

 

Back on topic, I went into LIDL today and got two of the dive bags - at £2 each I thought they were exceptionally good value and very well made. I also got 10 karbiners for £7, and the same for 10 bow shackles. Happy boy i am. They had sailing gloves too, but these felt a tad thick for paddling with to me.

 

Hope there's some left for me when I get home tonight. I went in late last night in the vain hope that they were putting things out early, and walked out with a 30 litre electric cool box for £29.99. Ooops! Cheapest I'd found was Argos 24 lit. for £44.99. love it!

[Mark Crame]

Best to rope the tail then, but I'd as sooner cut the hook off without hauling it aboard. If only we had a smiley of a shark giggling like a girl.....great term!

 

I have 3 karabiners and 5 shackles left. Yak rattles like a middle aged housewife with hypochondria.