# Mirage Drive .... Conspiracy theory?



## Drewboy (Mar 18, 2008)

How much evidence do we have that a Mirage Drive actually attracts sharks.
In the throws of vacating the scene of a toothy, I would imagine mad paddling/pedalling to be even more exciting for them.
OK, so do we paddle mildly with-out too much surface disturbance, or pedal gently with-out too much noisy hull slapping?
Or do we just sit there and prey for a helicopter gun-ship to arrive on the scene.


----------



## BJM (Oct 5, 2008)

I'd say about 0% "Evidence" other than..."Hey, that kinda looks like a flipper on a seal"


----------



## eth93 (Dec 17, 2007)

Four Hobie threads in a row, id say that's a Conspiracy. :shock:


----------



## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

BJM said:


> I'd say about 0% "Evidence" other than..."Hey, that kinda looks like a flipper on a seal"


agree to that point...however i can see how the fins would make something a shark MAY POSSIBLY be interested in...

don't worry drew...we can mount a nice harpoon gun on our rigs... :twisted: :twisted:


----------



## yankatthebay (Dec 14, 2007)

I often see sharks while I am out in my outback. I dont think they are attracted to the yak because of the mirage drive as they certainly dont stick around and bother me, they just go about their business and I go about mine.


----------



## Feral (Oct 18, 2008)

Well Terry is the best shark catcher I know, and he rides a hobbie! hows that for objective evidence!


----------



## malhal (Jul 8, 2008)

Its the guy with thunder thighs and tuck shop/bingo wing arms on a Hobie that attracts the sharks.


----------



## murd (Jan 27, 2008)

Drewboy said:


> How much evidence do we have that a Mirage Drive actually attracts sharks.


Hasn't this been covered to death by now! :twisted:

Look, Mr Hobie ain't gonna do tests on this because if they prove that their black flippers 'excite' sharks then naturally, sales of their yaks will decrease. I'm _very _surprised that a rep from Hobie hasn't come forward on this discussion and offered their comment. The only evidence pertaining to this argument is what I witnessed on the day we were harassed by the GWS off Longy. Everytime the Hobies tried to pedal somewhere the shark zeroed in on them (sorry Justin, Johnny and Steve!). I was in a SIK (with a paddle) moving about as we all were and several times I watched the animal simply swim past me to 'inspect' the Hobie. Note that the other paddler out there also wasn't harassed.

Again, think of water displacement and the strong vibrations created by Hobie flippers - it's no different to a struggling fish. I've offered my advice in past posts about what Hobie owners should do in the event of a curious GWS confronting them. Until this incident happened we had nothing to offer, but now I think we do.


----------



## SgtWilson (Oct 6, 2008)

I was going to buy a revo,

After some consideration, I think I'll stick with my SIK and my paddle.


----------



## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

Keep in mind the NZ report a couple of years ago where a non mirage kayak was harrassed by a GWS - sure he probably smelt a little stronger due to the abundance of burley etc in his yak and he was the only thing floating at the time, but he got a serious harrassing.

http://www.fishingkites.co.nz/sharks/gr ... ttack.html

From my limited knowledge of sharks, it appears GWS love seals better than anything (except a whale carcass). Hammerheads enjoy squid and rays. I have a mirage drive and I have no doubt I can do a better seal impression with the drive than with paddles and generally I can't do squid or ray impressions very well at all.

There is no problem retracting the drive and paddling if circumstances dictate (and everyone with a mirage drive also takes their paddle with them - right ?).

I have bought a SS as an additional deterrent and reading some recent posts about paddling at the shark rather than away from it has given yet another option.


----------



## Alster99 (Nov 20, 2008)

murd said:


> The only evidence pertaining to this argument is what I witnessed on the day we were harassed by the GWS off Longy.


Gotta give it to Murd... It's hard to argue with someone who has seen it first hand.

It still doesn't stop me hoping you are wrong though! God I hope they aren't attracted to green outbacks!!


----------



## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

do a search on the net guys you will find that paddle kayaks have been hit over ten to one to hobies.

so far i know of two hobies being hit by GW's the one here and one near Doug in the US. There are heaps of reports of kayaks being hit by gw's that are paddled.

how about this for a theory

The yaks were in a school of kingy's, they had bleed there catchs on the yaks, even over the side same diff, kingy blood and burley everywhere. GW feeding on kingies smells kingy blood and comes to investigate the tuperware that smells like kingy's.

This sounds a lot more logical than the fins attracted him.

Cheers Dave


----------



## azzaroo (Aug 17, 2007)

kraley said:


> correlation does not imply causation.


 yesss.. but it may cause castration :shock:


----------



## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

It would be fun to see if sharks are attracted to Murd. :twisted: :lol:

Cheers

Scott


----------



## wopfish (Dec 4, 2006)

Hobie Vic said:


> t would be fun to see if sharks are attracted to Murd. :twisted: :lol:


Only crocs are attracted to Murd - and they now what is strapped on the inside of his yak - so they give him a wide birth :lol: :lol:


----------



## Drewboy (Mar 18, 2008)

Had a chat with an older professional fisherman at Seacliff yesterday.
This topic was raised and he referred to the days when he was in one of a fleet of identical boats that would all go out at the same time.
Day after day, one particular boat was constantly being pestered by any sharks.
This fellow said there was no reason for this specific interest apart from perhaps the resonance of the engine of that one boat.


----------



## PAINKILLER (Oct 20, 2008)

A cattle prod would do the trick in scaring them away . Wouldnt like to be in that situation where i had to use it though.


----------



## Nativeman (Sep 6, 2005)

occy said:


> I have absolutely no idea if the Mirage Drive attracts sharks, but they seem to attract more than their fair share of bloody bream if the inaugral ABT Kayak series is anything to go by. So much so I think I'm going to have to cross to the dark side sooner rather than later. :twisted:


I'll pay that Occy, now thats funny,pmsl. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cheers


----------



## justinp (Jul 9, 2007)

occy said:


> I have absolutely no idea if the Mirage Drive attracts sharks, but they seem to attract more than their fair share of bloody bream if the inaugral ABT Kayak series is anything to go by. So much so I think I'm going to have to cross to the dark side sooner rather than later. :twisted:


I will pay that one too occy, having seen them in action in awful conditions zipping past me whilst I struggled to make any headway in 25knot plus winds has definatly got me thinking, I reckon that the hobie guys would have had at least double the amount of casts into structure than I had on the day, definatly a better kayak option when the wind is up, back creek fishing where it gets shallow, weedy and unseen shallow water snags the paddle yak is probably better, just my 2 cents worth.


----------



## coldwetnhappy (May 27, 2008)

I don't know if they attract sharks, but my Hobie certainly attracts seals more than other paddle kayaks. I was out the other day with a few friends in their paddle kayaks, and two seals virtually ignored them while hangling around me and my Adventure mirage drive for a good 10 minutes. Luckily neither of them attempted to mate with my yak, though the mirage drive might have turned them on as they started to mate with each other (which was strange as it was supposed to be an all male colony).

If the mirage drive gets a seal curious, why not a shark?

Note that none of us were fishing that day so the smell of fish was not an attractant.


----------



## redman (Jun 5, 2008)

coldwetnhappy said:


> I don't know if they attract sharks, but my Hobie certainly attracts seals more than other paddle kayaks. I was out the other day with a few friends in their paddle kayaks, and two seals virtually ignored them while hangling around me and my Adventure mirage drive for a good 10 minutes. Luckily neither of them attempted to mate with my yak, though the mirage drive might have turned them on as they started to mate with each other (which was strange as it was supposed to be an all male colony).
> 
> If the mirage drive gets a seal curious, why not a shark?
> 
> Note that none of us were fishing that day so the smell of fish was not an attractant.


Gay Seals maybe??? :lol: :lol:


----------



## Guest (Jan 19, 2009)

Jeebus... there's a difference between a 'theory' and 'conspiracy theory'. Right or wrong, who knows... but as a theory, it's plausable enough I reckon (though over 5000km pedalled in coastal water is yet to it for me), as is the theory that a paddle could also work as an attractant.

Not a conspiracy theory... just a theory.


----------



## Drewboy (Mar 18, 2008)

Yakass said:


> Jeebus... there's a difference between a 'theory' and 'conspiracy theory'. Right or wrong, who knows... but as a theory, it's plausable enough I reckon (though over 5000km pedalled in coastal water is yet to it for me), as is the theory that a paddle could also work as an attractant.
> 
> Not a conspiracy theory... just a theory.


Occasionally conspiracy theories are promoted for commercial gain.
There might be a sniff of manufacturer's commercial gain in a customer's decision one way or another.

I agree with you Yakass, it would be good if we only had to deal with theories.
What am I talking about.... I reckon we're letting it get to us now!


----------



## redman (Jun 5, 2008)

Yakass said:


> Jeebus... there's a difference between a 'theory' and 'conspiracy theory'. Right or wrong, who knows... but as a theory, it's plausable enough I reckon (though over 5000km pedalled in coastal water is yet to it for me), as is the theory that a paddle could also work as an attractant.
> 
> Not a conspiracy theory... just a theory.


But a plain old theory is never quite as entertaining as a conspiracy theory


----------



## SteveFields (Mar 21, 2006)

Yakass said:


> as is the theory that a paddle could also work as an attractant.
> 
> Not a conspiracy theory... just a theory.


I read this, again, just theory.

"Once safely on shore I asked all the local fisherman and also the French fishing tour operator on this tiny island what they thought of the incident and they all agreed that only a shark would have acted in this way. Especially as the _*splash of my paddles created that surface action synonymous with scuttling schools of bait fish, a scenario known to attract sharks*_"

from http://africasafariblog.com/?p=294

Not a conspiracy theory... just a theory, this is why I use a Mirage Drive, they don't create splashes on the surface synonymous with schools of bait fish


----------

