After the thirteenth shark attack since February on the Northern NSW coastline, local government has laid down the gauntlet and declared 'enough is enough', making plans to drop a net off Lighthouse Beach in Ballina, like a metaphorical guillotine - severing the necks of hungry reporters waiting in the dunes for their next shark attack story. Meanwhile, surfers, bodyboarders and swimmers are scrambling to buy shark repellents online, be it in magnetic, electronic or dazzle camouflage form in a bid to save themselves from 'that' theme music. Da Dum. You know it, you've probably had it insidiously creep into your mind during a session. But have you ever heard of a stand up paddler being attacked by a shark? Could our sport, stand up paddling, actually be the envy of all other watersports due to the inherent shark repelling characteristics built within? All thirteen shark attack victims on the NSW coast this year have been surfers or bodyboarders. Not one single stand up paddleboarder has been killed by a shark. Ever! So what makes stand up paddlers less likely to munched by a shark? Here's three reasons why becoming a stand up paddleboarder is the best shark repellent you can buy.

Stand up paddlers stand on top of the water, not sitting in it with our legs dangling beneath the surface, like, well, shark bait. Stand up paddlers spend more time surfing, and less time waiting for waves. You can bet your favourite leggy that no surfer has ever been mauled while actually surfing a wave. Do the maths, and that makes stand up paddlers far less likely get bitten! Stand up paddlers usually have giant shark repelling sticks in their hands, called a paddle. Aside from the obvious brutality the previous statement conjures up, the act of paddling through the water with a paddle looks a lot less like a seal/fish than our prone paddling friends. So before you go rushing out to buy the latest shark repellent for your ankle, consider the facts! Sharks just don't like stand up paddlers...

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