Looks like a fantastic product.
I have some friends doing the Rotto swim in February, looking to purchase a shark deterrent device.
I'd prefer to recommend them one designed and produced locally (ie your's Dave!).
Just wondering the logistics of using your system minus board -
ie what is the range of the device
could it be used, for example, attached to the paddlers' wave ski or kayak, shielding the swimmer next to it
attached to the hull of the support boat
or fixed to the swimmer in some way - bag, strap etc.
Cheers
Dave said they've been doin it (Indo I think), for 12 months, no problem, I'll let you know how I go over east in about a week.
The more of these in the water the better imagine 20 guys outat strickos 10 with these then u would think the pack of human surfing seals would less desirable for the shark. 10 electro shields must be better than one and id say the shark wouldnt bother the whole pack.
I put both the kids boards in today to have them fitted. I think the product is fantastic and keeps the boss happy to.
lots of crew have been asking about retrofits to epoxy boards without cutting/chasing the wire in a in along side the stringer we have been using a horizontal boring method on eps cores and although a bit trickier it allows for a seamless install
Great fits on those boards...would have felt a lot more comfy surfing on my own with one of those today
I had one of them once, took months of chasing to get into her pants too. Eventually got her horizontal and she was boring as hell. Felt like a right prick when I told her thanks but no thanks.
Reunion has had some serious shark problems too, it is affecting tourism and there is a ban on surfing, may be worth looking into some capitol from there.
May be in to get one of these puppies installed very soon. =)
Talking to a guy at work the other day whose brother is an Ab diver south coast WA had recently a great white 5 mt plus charge him mouth open etc x 2 and turn away at about 2 / 3 mts.
He was using a shark shield type device (he didn't know which type).
He has had a few encounters with great whites but this was the 1st to seriously charge it still rattled him apparently.
Earlier this year I met a bloke in his 80's who started diving in the late 1940's. He was an Ab diver in Augusta for a number of decades, I forget how many exactly, but yeah a long time & the biz continues with his sons. He swears by them & says your crazy trying to operate these days without them coz sharks have come to associate boats with food. He says, in the old days everyone used to carry a shotgun on board & the sharks would piss off quick when they saw a boat coz otherwise they'd get shot. But since gun laws & everything has changed, so has the sharks behaviour. How many stories have we heard of sharks biting props nowadays. Unfortunately they've not been in a surf friendly form for most of us...till now...
I was thinking the other day...it really pisses me off that Dave has approached the government in regards to his WA developed product & they havn't shown any interest. It doesn't make any sense to me... & I've seen crap on the news about camo wetsuits I doubt have been tested with a person swimming around with sharks & some kinda bric-a-brac ocean fencing.
5hits going to hit the fan in Jan when the governemnts plan on removing local sharks over 3m begins. There'll be Sea Shepherd type people buzzing around the baited drum lines shoo'ing away their beloved sharks. Academic landfarers are going to be parading around screaming for it all to end. Claiming all the overseas experts agree with them rarara & probably speaking of alternatives.
Should be a good time for the Surf Safe unit to become known to more people.