Do Anti-Shark Devices For Surfers Work?

One of the major fears among surfers, divers, and those who venture into deeper waters are shark attacks. The reality of the situation is that these kind of attacks are vastly less prevalent than we believe. With high media interest and public admiration for famous shark movies, we’ve tended to overestimate the number of human-related incidents.

Nevertheless, the industry of anti-shark devices is a big and busy one. There’s a number of device types available ranging in price and popularity. The effectiveness of these devices though is something which is often questioned. This article will attempt to guide you through the products available, and how effective they may be.

Audio

This is one of the newer ways to defend against shark attacks. As with all animals, sharks are naturally attracted to their prey for need of another meal. Inversely, all predators, including humans, will be detracted from entering a situation they believe will cause them harm or danger.

It is these very dangers which shark repelling audio devices try to replicate, by emitting the sound of a predator. For sharks, an effective predator is the Orca, or killer whale. This serves the purpose of discouraging the shark, protecting the user, and all without any real physical or mental harm to the animal.

This audio method has been extensively tested, although, as with any shark repellent method, it may not be 100% effective. After years of testing, shark repelling audio devices are now available on the market and are likely to rise in popularity.

Magnetic

The magnetic wave shark repellent devices are by far the most common in the industry. Many also believe they’re the most effective when it comes to keeping those pesky predators at bay. Some companies even offer 100% guarantees that there’ll be no shark interactions while equipped with their devices.

So, how do they work? These devices emit magnetic waves to disrupt the movements of sharks, who famously rely on their receptors to detect prey. With these sensors thrown off by the magnetic waves, the sharks quickly turn away. Finbin has an excellent run down on the various types of devices available and where they can be purchased. View page here to discover the most commonly used and effective anti-shark devices.

These magnetic style devices are often preferred as they cause no physical harm to the sharks, whilst providing a convenient and effective protection.

Electrical

An electrical option is a highly effective, and in many cases, scientifically proven method of keeping sharks at bay. They are some of the only methods which are actually proven by scientific research in an actual real-life shark situation.

Many of the devices work by emitting a low frequency or high voltage electrical wave which has a stunning effect on the snout of an incoming shark. These are not just your regular noses. Filled with electroreceptors called ampullae of Lorenzini, the shark’s snout is an electromagnetic hub used to detect prey in the waters around it.

As you can imagine, when you receive a short shock to such a sensitive area, you’ll likely be deterred. This is exactly what happens to the shark. With their senses momentarily confused and stunned, they typically make a hasty getaway. This protects the wearer in almost all cases. They are on the upper scale in terms of cost, but this can also be applied when it comes to discussing their effectiveness. For these reasons, they are usually the go to devices for regular divers and sea professionals.

Spray

The final option when it comes to fending off a shark encounter is a spray option. These are popular as they are very readily available, and depending upon the product they can also be highly effective in ensuring a shark encounter never occurs.

These sprays usually take the form of dead shark tissues which have been juiced. Naturally with an animal so sensitive to its surroundings and scents, this should send danger signals to any surrounding sharks to stay well clear of the area.

Similar in operation to that of audio devices, these sprays may indicate to our great white and other shark species friends that a predator is in the area, and thus, they will typically back off.

Effectiveness

Undoubtedly the most scientifically proven methods to stay clear of sharks, is not to get in the water. Presuming this is not an option and the people using these methods are passionate divers, surfers, and others, the most effective deterrents appear to be electrical. These have been shown under testing conditions to have highly positive results.

No matter which methods are used though, sharks are highly intelligent creatures who can adapt and overcome many obstacles, thus, there will always be some inherent level of risk when undertaking a dive, or going into deep waters where their presence could be.

Final Thoughts

Electrical methods have been proven by scientific research to be more effective, but it will vary depending upon circumstance. Given the already relatively rare occurrence of direct shark to human attacks, employing any of the devices mentioned will increase your defenses. This combined with strong vigilance of your surroundings will help prevent any unwanted encounters.