Following on from this thread:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Surfing/Shortboards/Shark-Shield-Freedom?page=1
The Wife organised my family to all go in and get me a shark zapper for my Birthday, they got me the new sharkshield freedom+ surf from Ocean and earth.
Thought i would share my experiences for anyone interested.
First thoughts i was surprised the unit is relatively weighty than i expected, and you can notice it even with the board under arm, however yet to see if you notice in the water.
The Kicker is taller then a regular tail pad, but not as bad as i thought from the first concepts of this design.
The install was fairly straightforward, although being a sign writer i'm used to applying decals, hardest part was removing the existing tailpad.
I've got a shock playing with electricity at the house once so i'm a bit nervous of the shocks 
Pics of unit on my grovel board, yet to put on my everyday short board. I am in no way affiliated with shark shield, just thought I'll share for those interested.
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Thanks for sharing, it would be cool to get a ride report also after you've had a few runs..
The Wife organised my family to all go in and get me a shark zapper for my Birthday
... happy birthday...
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Select to expand quoteoz surf said..
No bloody way
Just need a board with bigger dimensions.
That's a relief
I've got the rpela housed in to a few boards. In the small wave board it is definitely noticeable compared to others without it. When the waves are decent with a bit of grunt I don't notice it at all except for the occasional zap
Select to expand quoteoz surf said..
No bloody way
Just need a board with bigger dimensions.
This is pretty big, SDR made it for a bloke recovering from a neck injury so it packs pleanty of foam. Unfortunately he did another injury waiting for this to arrive so i took it off his hands- its my board when its super fat and more volume is required.
nathe is the zap bad? Is it like a static electricity zap or worse? I guess ill find out soon enough 
I had a ride on a board that has it and it's like sitting in a bath that has a current running through it. Bit off putting at first but it doesn't feel like a shock, just that you are sitting in an electrical field. You do get the occasional shock but they aren't painful or anything just annoying.
It's a bit more than static. You cop them if your standing up in the water and lift the board to jump over the whitewash or when you duck dive and come out the back of the wave with you hands on the nose. The thing I don't like about the rpela is the corrosion you get on the brass connections but I wasn't keen on stickers with salt water and sand. Not sure if I'm going to house them into my two new sticks
Select to expand quoteNathe said..
It's a bit more than static. You cop them if your standing up in the water and lift the board to jump over the whitewash or when you duck dive and come out the back of the wave with you hands on the nose. The thing I don't like about the rpela is the corrosion you get on the brass connections but I wasn't keen on stickers with salt water and sand. Not sure if I'm going to house them into my two new sticks
I try and rinse my Rpela with fresh water and occasionally just chip the green corrosion build up with a Fin key..
Im surprised you can feel the difference in performance, even on small waves..
Mate I rinse it with fresh water and even do the bi carb with vinegar. Salt water and electric current = corrosion. It's ok if you ride bigger boards but in my 5'8 it's definitely noticeable.
Select to expand quoteNathe said..
Mate I rinse it with fresh water and even do the bi carb with vinegar. Salt water and electric current = corrosion. It's ok if you ride bigger boards but in my 5'8 it's definitely noticeable.
My smallest is only 5'11" but still has 40 litres volume..
I have never bothered washing with anything other than what i shared. I always take the unit out of the board (mostly because i can just stick away wet then with out it flattening) .
I was trying to share the youtube video by Terra Australis recently they did some simple testing with the shark shield that looked great..But i cant seem to attach the link
Select to expand quotejbshack said..Nathe said..
Mate I rinse it with fresh water and even do the bi carb with vinegar. Salt water and electric current = corrosion. It's ok if you ride bigger boards but in my 5'8 it's definitely noticeable.
My smallest is only 5'11" but still has 40 litres volume..
I have never bothered washing with anything other than what i shared. I always take the unit out of the board (mostly because i can just stick away wet then with out it flattening) .
I was trying to share the youtube video by Terra Australis recently they did some simple testing with the shark shield that looked great..But i cant seem to attach the link
Cheers for the heads up JB i think i found it :)
Select to expand quoteBoothie88 said..jbshack said..Nathe said..
Mate I rinse it with fresh water and even do the bi carb with vinegar. Salt water and electric current = corrosion. It's ok if you ride bigger boards but in my 5'8 it's definitely noticeable.
My smallest is only 5'11" but still has 40 litres volume..
I have never bothered washing with anything other than what i shared. I always take the unit out of the board (mostly because i can just stick away wet then with out it flattening) .
I was trying to share the youtube video by Terra Australis recently they did some simple testing with the shark shield that looked great..But i cant seem to attach the link
Cheers for the heads up JB i think i found it :)
Thanks, i just couldn't get it to load.
Their is often a lot of criticism of these tests as they are not on Great Whites. I just thought id explain its almost impossible to test on Great Whites in Australia, and even if you can, you are forced through a particular area and you will not get much change out of 6 figure sums of dollars..
But this style of device works on the electrical receptors of sharks and for that they are very similar, and IMHO a very reasonable test still..
Hurry up and give us a ride report now 
I have one on my 5'2 groveler (24lts) and you notice the heel weight at first but quickly get over it. 5'2 is well under the recommended board size for this unit, and for that I cop a fair whack of shocks every session, but on the plus side I haven't been eaten by a shark yet. It comes with a soft plastic heel kick for the days you are feeling lucky or trips to the ments and returns the board to its pre-installation feeling. Not that it's a big issue.
Select to expand quoteGuys said..
I have one on my 5'2 groveler (24lts) and you notice the heel weight at first but quickly get over it. 5'2 is well under the recommended board size for this unit, and for that I cop a fair whack of shocks every session, but on the plus side I haven't been eaten by a shark yet. It comes with a soft plastic heel kick for the days you are feeling lucky or trips to the ments and returns the board to its pre-installation feeling. Not that it's a big issue.
Thats the Shark shield version obviously 
I think the "Rpela" unit has been installed in boards as small as 4'6" something like that.
Its good to see people taking up some of the available options..
the test looked pretty effective
but the only shark that is a worry is the GW
So sooner or later they need to test the shield on them
Not to many reef sharks ripping limbs off
Select to expand quoteHENDO 77 said..
the test looked pretty effective
but the only shark that is a worry is the GW
So sooner or later they need to test the shield on them
Not to many reef sharks ripping limbs off
I know the shark shield dive unit has been was tested on great whites. Dave's unit Rpela has also been tested on Great Whites, but its just so expensive to have that testing done and then to have it independently written up. Also time consuming as he waits for reports currently. That is what the state government is saying they will only extend their $200 discount to independently tested units. So far thats only the Shark Shield freedom 7 dive unit. (All testing completed and paid for by the WA state government i will add).
In one round of testing on on Great Whites, Dave was told he could not have the unit turned of and then turn it on at the last second as the shark took the bait (As was done in the above test). Apparently as a ICUN protected species it was not acceptable to scare the sharks 
SO the entire time everyone is waiting for results/answers, the governments, the companies involved and the customers, scientists and "Shark controllers" (For want of a better word but I'm referring to business operating in that space) hold us all to ransom.
Hey JB cheers for the response so quickly , I could imagine it is a hard task with so much red tape .
Someone on the normal surfers side is appreciated
Tried the sharksheild out today, i was a bit worried about the shocks as i saw someone on SS facebook saying he only uses the unit 10% of the time because of the shocks and it ruining his surfing experience.
I kept the unit off until i was past the whitewash and into paddling. And also turned it off before i pulled the board out the water.
Once out i wasnt sure the unit was working as i couldnt feel anything at all. I put my hand under the board i could feel what i would describe as a half strength mild static electricity shock.
Only time i noticed the kicker height was duckdiving because this board has heaps of volume i push the tail with my foot to sink it deeper.
I only got one shock and it was coming up from duckdiving some whitewash and i got what felt like a static electricity shock. Im not sure if it was a full shock though as it was nothing like what ive read people whinge about.
The electrodes show some corrosion after just one session but reading on the net this is normal and just requires regular cleaning with bicarb soda.
so far so good i didnt notice the weight in the water at all however this is a very big high volume board i was using. Might be different on my regular shortboard.
One bad thing i will say is the logo part on the tailpad doesnt seam to adhere to the backing glue so may have some lift issues (i have had this in the past with other tailpads logos) there was even a notice in the packaging saying sharksheild are aware of this and working on a solution. I hope they make just that part of the tailpad available for purchase cos i dont fancy forking out $100 if they crap out regularly.
Select to expand quoteBoothie88 said..
I only got one shock and it was coming up from duckdiving some whitewash and i got what felt like a static electricity shock. Im not sure if it was a full shock though as it was nothing like what ive read people whinge about.
Thats probably the extent of the shock you'll get. Its not so bad IMHO..Shark shield do say narrow boards you will get shocked more often.
Again i use the Rpela and last week i feel over onto the board (Upside down) whilst traversing some rock and had a laugh at the build up of shock. Still not that bad just strange causing my arm to convulse which i find humorous/freaky not really uncomfortable. I was laying on the board not just a single jolt, (Hopefully that makes sense) 
As for shocks after duck diving you'll find you will re position your hands over time and often will be looking for that spark to see if its working..
Select to expand quoteBoothie88 said..
Tried the sharksheild out today, i was a bit worried about the shocks as i saw someone on SS facebook saying he only uses the unit 10% of the time because of the shocks and it ruining his surfing experience.
I kept the unit off until i was past the whitewash and into paddling. And also turned it off before i pulled the board out the water.
Once out i wasnt sure the unit was working as i couldnt feel anything at all. I put my hand under the board i could feel what i would describe as a half strength mild static electricity shock.
Only time i noticed the kicker height was duckdiving because this board has heaps of volume i push the tail with my foot to sink it deeper.
I only got one shock and it was coming up from duckdiving some whitewash and i got what felt like a static electricity shock. Im not sure if it was a full shock though as it was nothing like what ive read people whinge about.
The electrodes show some corrosion after just one session but reading on the net this is normal and just requires regular cleaning with bicarb soda.
so far so good i didnt notice the weight in the water at all however this is a very big high volume board i was using. Might be different on my regular shortboard.
One bad thing i will say is the logo part on the tailpad doesnt seam to adhere to the backing glue so may have some lift issues (i have had this in the past with other tailpads logos) there was even a notice in the packaging saying sharksheild are aware of this and working on a solution. I hope they make just that part of the tailpad available for purchase cos i dont fancy forking out $100 if they crap out regularly.
Did it keep the sharks away?
Select to expand quoteGreenroom said..Boothie88 said..
Tried the sharksheild out today, i was a bit worried about the shocks as i saw someone on SS facebook saying he only uses the unit 10% of the time because of the shocks and it ruining his surfing experience.
I kept the unit off until i was past the whitewash and into paddling. And also turned it off before i pulled the board out the water.
Once out i wasnt sure the unit was working as i couldnt feel anything at all. I put my hand under the board i could feel what i would describe as a half strength mild static electricity shock.
Only time i noticed the kicker height was duckdiving because this board has heaps of volume i push the tail with my foot to sink it deeper.
I only got one shock and it was coming up from duckdiving some whitewash and i got what felt like a static electricity shock. Im not sure if it was a full shock though as it was nothing like what ive read people whinge about.
The electrodes show some corrosion after just one session but reading on the net this is normal and just requires regular cleaning with bicarb soda.
so far so good i didnt notice the weight in the water at all however this is a very big high volume board i was using. Might be different on my regular shortboard.
One bad thing i will say is the logo part on the tailpad doesnt seam to adhere to the backing glue so may have some lift issues (i have had this in the past with other tailpads logos) there was even a notice in the packaging saying sharksheild are aware of this and working on a solution. I hope they make just that part of the tailpad available for purchase cos i dont fancy forking out $100 if they crap out regularly.
Did it keep the sharks away?
Yes.
But more importantly it keeps the wife happy and that means more surfing for me.
When Dave wanted to make a surfboard shark deterrent, he opted for the placement in between the fins, for best protection from damage. Well in this photo i can say it worked a treat Sadly the two outer fin boxes didn't fair so well
Select to expand quotebjshack said..
Again i use the Rpela and last week i feel over onto the board (Upside down) whilst traversing some rock and had a laugh at the build up of shock. Still not that bad just strange causing my arm to convulse which i find humorous/freaky not really uncomfortable. I was laying on the board not just a single jolt, (Hopefully that makes sense)
Not as humorous/freaky as everyone else found you falling over and laying on your board Upside down.
Select to expand quoteLegion said..bjshack said..
Again i use the Rpela and last week i feel over onto the board (Upside down) whilst traversing some rock and had a laugh at the build up of shock. Still not that bad just strange causing my arm to convulse which i find humorous/freaky not really uncomfortable. I was laying on the board not just a single jolt, (Hopefully that makes sense)
Not as humorous/freaky as everyone else found you falling over and laying on your board Upside down.
Select to expand quoteNathe said..
It's a bit more than static. You cop them if your standing up in the water and lift the board to jump over the whitewash or when you duck dive and come out the back of the wave with you hands on the nose. The thing I don't like about the rpela is the corrosion you get on the brass connections but I wasn't keen on stickers with salt water and sand. Not sure if I'm going to house them into my two new sticks
its pretty easy to adjust the way you handle your board and avoid zaps by only grabing your board by the rails in the center
also we have a new model with domed electrode in the main unit so its easier to maintain with a quick wipe with a scourer
and for those guys that can feel any weight issue we have a pro model which is lighter for the same price @ www.rpela.com
