# The dangerous colours - YELLOW & ORANGE...and Now RED !



## solatree

Its probably been discussed stacks before, but when I came across this, I could not resist !

"_Sharks attack the only way they can - by lunging with fearsome teeth. Sharks can grip their prey easily in their powerful jaws and are capable of biting through almost anything. - Useful avoidance techniques: Don't wear yellow or orange, as sharks have good eyesight and these colours in particular seem to irritate them. Engage in your aquatic recreation in groups - sharks are more likely to attack solitary prey. . . _" :shock:

I do wonder what evidence there is for sharks being irritated by yellow and orange. :? At least it made me feel better about my ivory dune Kayak  - although not so good about about being solatree and having a safety yellow PFD2  .

See - http://travel.aol.co.uk/the-10-most-dan ... 2409990002


----------



## swivels

Hmmm, colours appear very different underwater, in fact red is the first to disappear once a few metres below, so I'm not sure how accurate this info is. Also, refraction of light rays bouncing off the yak/pdf and going thought the water may look completely different from down under. 
I'd think smell/vibrations would trigger a reaction rather than colours, but i'd rather no find out for myself :lol: 
Then there's an argument of brightly coloured vs fish-coloured lures... and why fish go for each one.


----------



## solatree

Found it ! 

"*Dr. Gruber : Re PROTECTIVE SUITS.....This is how I got started in shark research! The navy asked my professor whether sharks could see color. They observed that in some air-sea crashes, pilots wearing the bright orange suits were attacked by sharks while those in the green suits were spared. This seemed to suggest that sharks had color vision. They even called the yellow survival suits "yum yum yellow". So-this launched me on a 15 year study of the shark visual system. My conclusion was that sharks had respectably good vision from the standpoint of brightness discrimination and temporal discrimination (flicker fusion capability e.g.). the lemon shark had poor but existing color vision. The retinas of all sharks that I looked at had receptors associated with color vision--that is cone receptors. But, I think the navy does not use the yumyum yellow, while other branches do (Coast Guard does). Probably the more appropriate question is is it more important to be seen by a rescuer than by a shark*" :shock:



occy said:


> that colour is by far the best chick attractant one can get. And you can't make stuff like that up.


Must have been the girl sharks that were doing the eating ....what a way to go....ravaged by a sex starved girl shark ! :lol: :lol:

See 
http://www.accessexcellence.org/LC/ST/Sharks/

and more http://www.elasmo-research.org/educatio ... vision.htm


----------



## kas

O, OH............. Orange yak & yellow, sory yum yum yellow PFD. No wonder they were on sale!


----------



## solatree

Actually - I personally think a Hi -Vis kayak and PFD (yellow / orange /flouro green ? ) is the right choice for ocean work - IMHO being hit by a power boat is a far bigger risk than shark attack - and better to be easily seen. As Dr Gruber said "Probably the more appropriate question is is it more important to be seen by a rescuer than by a shark" - besides, as Occy points out, a yellow yak has great chick pulling power 

What I thought most interesting about the web info was the research on shark colour vision - I had my doubts about lure colours, but I guess I need to re-think. ;-)


----------



## mustrumr

There's a heap of info and opinion on this issue here viewtopic.php?f=3&t=24585 . I'm with solatree on this one - I'm much more worried about being seen by powerboats than being taken by a shark. Quoting from my post in that thread:



> I found this site http://sharkattackfile.info/shark-attac ... search.asp If you enter "kayaking" in the "Activity" search box it lists all shark attacks on kayakers worldwide since 1989. All seventeen of them. Three were fatal (actually there were only TWO fatal attacks, but in one of them two kayakers died). Two resulted in minor injuries. The other twelve caused no injuries to the kayaker (or at least no physical injuries - I'm guessing post-traumatic stress syndrome would be pretty likely). In most of the 12 no-injury attacks the kayak was either bitten or rammed by the shark, which would scare the crap out of me :shock:
> 
> The site lists only four shark attacks on kayakers in Australia since 1989. Three resulted in no injury. One was knocked off his kayak and then rammed in the chest by the shark, resulting in a bruised chest.
> 
> What I guess this means is that you have to be really, really unlucky to be attacked by a shark, and even more unlucky to be injured or killed - regardless of the colour of your kayak. I mean, 17 attacks in 20 years, worldwide. I don't think that's a big enough sample to draw any conclusions from, even if we knew what colour kayaks they were using.
> 
> Sure the "yum-yum yellow" information is a bit worrying, but it seems to me that the chances of attack are so tiny in the first place that even if yellow makes you 10 times more likely to be attacked the risk is so small that it's not worth worrying about. How many millions of hours have people spent kayaking in shark-infested waters over the last 20 years? And only 17 attacks.
> 
> So I guess I'll go back to being worried about being run down by a power boat - which is why I bought a high-visibility yellow kayak in the first place.


Cheers,


----------



## yaktheseven10ths

gi day,

did see a test, done down a burley trail with coloured ballons and baits under them, yellow at the back got hit first then when yellow was moved towards the boat and other colours down the back, the shark went past and attacked yellow again.

food for thought ?


----------



## DGax65

The chances of your yellow kayak being attacked by a shark are practically nil. Your chances of being run over by a drunk/inattentive/stupid boater are significantly greater. Anything that makes you more visible on the water is a good thing. Yellow and international orange are the most visible colors when on the water.

Let's say a drunken hoon in a tinnie runs over your light blue kayak and you end up in the water. When he gets to the ramp he asks a boater who has a VHF radio in his boat to report that he ran over something a few miles back. As you float around on the big blue wobbly, wearing your non-shark-attracting blue jacket and PFD you can feel confident that the tax man is not going to see your tasty bits that are hanging below the surface. Of course, even though the tax man can't see you that well, he can feel your movement, detect your heartbeat and smell you at a distance far greater than he would be able to see you; even if you were wearing a yellow suit. So as you float there waiting for the rescuers what color gear would you rather be wearing? ;-)

I'll take my chances with the sharks. I will only paddle a yellow kayak.......


----------



## keza

if it is a worry you could always paint the bottom of your yak blue and keep the top yellow.
or just write " DO NOT EAT " on the bottom :lol:

the other option was "not to be taken internally" but i don't think a shark would get it 

ps. i'm yellow


----------



## Ranger

I'm now off to buy all the yellow and orange lures I can find! Coz if it works for the big fishies, it has to work for the little fishies too! 

Oh, and this is getting a bit off track I know, but one thing which has always made me wonder. The two hardest colours to see on the water would have to be blue and white. Now have a look at the prefered colours used by most boat builders! :?


----------



## solatree

keza said:


> just write " DO NOT EAT " on the bottom


Don't forget, the shark will be quite irritated .... "_*these colours in particular seem to irritate them*_"

If you go down the bottom writing option, probably wise to write, in as calming a style as possible, some additional text, such as 
"_VERY SORRY ABOUT THE COLOUR. PLEASE DO NOT EAT_" ;-)


----------



## keza

solatree said:


> keza said:
> 
> 
> 
> just write " DO NOT EAT " on the bottom
> 
> 
> 
> Don't forget, the shark will be quite irritated .... "_*these colours in particular seem to irritate them*_"
> 
> If you go down the bottom writing option, probably wise to write, in as calming a style as possible, some additional text, such as
> "_VERY SORRY ABOUT THE COLOUR. PLEASE DO NOT EAT_" ;-)
Click to expand...

or perhaps,

it's not really yellow, it has quite a warm tone which lends it more towards the orange side of the scale, but hey look at that guy over there, he's really yellow, go get h'm


----------



## PAINKILLER

And Bulls dont like red so dont wear red!
Does that work the same for Bull Sharks???? :lol: :lol:

Cheers

Justin


----------



## Shorty

Freyas kayak is a Dune colour ,,so whatever you do don't buy Dune ;-) 
http://qajaqunderground.com/2009/07/13/ ... -11072009/


----------



## ageboy63

Arrr what if the shark under your Yak is color blind. No one is safe. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## Guest

interesting!!! glad im trading my YELLOW Adventure Island for a brand new RED one!!! lol

by the way. for those interested....... Adventure Islands hold their value, and have a real good resale value, or trade in value.....i traded mine in at sunstate hobie. great service, and fair dinkum too....

cheers.


----------



## keza

surely a red one will look like it's injured and bleeding :lol:


----------



## hairynosedwombat

I have a yella Ok prowler elite but i am going to paint a picture of chuck norris on the bottom making me 100 % immune to shark attack and if they even so much as cruise past for a sticky beak a horrible brown cloud will surround the yak making me virtually invisible .I suggest you blokes with yella yaks don't waste anytime in using this technique...........cheers


----------



## kayaksportsmark

I did not know seals were yellow and orange


----------



## mustrumr

kayaksportsmark said:


> I did not know seals were yellow and orange


I know - you'd think that dark grey or black would be most attractive to sharks, but apparently not. It seems surfers and divers are more likely to be taken in colourful wetsuits than in black ones - weird, but true. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/isaf/color.htm

Cheers,


----------



## mehi

For sale,
yellow and orange swing :lol: just joking

Cheers Dave


----------



## Rose

My kayak is yellow and my paddle blades are orange...I'll just have to concentrate on looking as unappetising as possible... :shock: :lol:


----------



## solatree

kayaksportsmark said:


> I did not know seals were yellow and orange


There used to be yellow and orange seals, but they are now extinct - only the drab no-contrasting coloured ones are left. Natural selection at work ;-) :lol:


----------



## solatree

fishnut said:


> Solatree, I heard they only eat Hobie sports now.


I must admit - at only 2.8m long, I was begining to feel a bit exposed on the gulf with all the 4m+ shark sightings about  - but then I comforted my self in the knowledge I'm paddling a very unpatalable non- yum yum yellow - ivory dune kayak


----------



## TheBream

Ranger said:


> I'm now off to buy all the yellow and orange lures I can find! Coz if it works for the big fishies, it has to work for the little fishies too!
> 
> Oh, and this is getting a bit off track I know, but one thing which has always made me wonder. *The two hardest colours to see on the water would have to be blue and white*. Now have a look at the prefered colours used by most boat builders! :?


at time white is hard to see but on some days white can be seen before other

i have been out on some rather dark overcast days and even with some sea chop on the water i have been able to see the white bouys or drums of the fish traps a fair way away

i only say that because it supprised me how well they stood out on these kind of days

stange enoght i have been outside on some days where we have had trouble seeing the yellow FAD bouy in a bit of a sea untill we were only a couple of hunder meters off it but as the norm yellow and red/orange does stand out more and my old dagger drifter was in the yellow/red flame as being see was my first worrie


----------



## Hughman

My two cents worth:

1. I was sitting side-saddle with my feet hanging in the water yesterday in the Georges River outside Oyster Bay when I happened to look down. My feet, clad in their flourescent orange neopream boots, seemed to glow like giant fish lures in the murky water. (See photo) A slight chill went down my spine as I considered my foolishness and decided better about my seating arrangements.

2. A fair-sized bronze whaler cruised by me half way between Little Manly and Balmoral a few weeks ago. I don't know much about the reputation of bronze whalers in particular, but all the theoretical arguments about the the liklyhood of shark attacks suddenly seemed to me to be pretty, well, 'theortical'.

3. I recall a study some decades ago in which they found that large bold alterrnating black and white stripes where generally avoided by sharks. The hypothesis was that this colour combination is like sea snakes and killer whales -- critters that sharks prefer to not mess with. Therefore a reasonable option would be to paint the bottom of your yak in black and white stripes leave the top in yellow or orange or whatever. Sadly however you would not likely win any awards for the coolest looking yak amongst your mates.

Cheers


----------



## Stoffeltoo

I have an ORANGE kayak which is a visible life saving kayak as them tinnies, glassy and jet heads get a chance to see me.
It does help to use the largest rapala on a spare rod as an offensive weapon. Jetheads pop off their rides tjop tjop when seeing an orange thing with hooks screaming their way!
In SA I want to use orange as we have the doffest (Translated brain dead) skippers who are not even worthy to drive a pedal trike.


----------



## YakMan

Have I made the wrong choice of colour???????????


----------



## solatree

YakMan said:


> Have I made the wrong choice of colour???????????


Nah..... just add a shark camo sticker to the bottom and you'll be right ;-)










http://www.lucidsurf.com/SharkCamo/about.html


----------



## keza

solatree said:


> YakMan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Have I made the wrong choice of colour???????????
> 
> 
> 
> Nah..... just add a shark camo sticker to the bottom and you'll be right ;-)
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.lucidsurf.com/SharkCamo/shop.php
Click to expand...

Research shows that a zebra has never been attacked by a shark.


----------



## Stoffeltoo

Solatree

:lol: :lol: :lol: Plonk! That is a good one! DUnno do you chaps in Oz have roo's with Zebra camo?

Here in sunny South Africa we lovingly refer to them as "pyjama donkies". Their bray is almost bird like, they kick like mules and bite like gators.
They are often kept with cattle herds to ward off predators and others on a no good walkabout.


----------



## Stoffeltoo

Nah..... just add a shark camo sticker to the bottom and you'll be right ;-)

Roschach tests for sharks?


----------



## feelfree09

YakMan said:


> Have I made the wrong choice of colour???????????


please tell me your yak is named NEMO. :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## solatree

Stoffeltoo said:


> Roschach tests for sharks?


Yep - little know fact that Sharks are shit scared of psychologists :lol:


----------



## Basher

Don't worry about the sharks- You know they won't eat you whole...............
They eat the rest of you and spit that bit out :lol: :lol:


----------



## DGax65

solatree said:


> YakMan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Have I made the wrong choice of colour???????????
> 
> 
> 
> Nah..... just add a shark camo sticker to the bottom and you'll be right ;-)
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.lucidsurf.com/SharkCamo/about.html
Click to expand...

Back around 2008, a kayak fisherman in Northern California decided to paint the bottom of his kayak with that zebra pattern









In a delicious bit of irony, he was hit by a GWS earlier this year. These pics show some of the damage to his hull. Notice how well the zebra prints deterred the shark.

























Here is a link to the story. 
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,25902.0.html
Quite an interesting read. Pictures and video start at about page 4.


----------



## solatree

:shock: What colour was the Kayak ? :twisted:


kraley said:


> how do they know it wasn't a lion?


I don't reckon he was a lion - lookin at those pichures and vids, I'm prudy sure he was tell'n the truth. ;-)


----------



## Rose

It's no use putting zebra stripes on a yellow kayak...all sharks know that zebras are black and white...


----------



## solatree

Rose said:


> It's no use putting zebra stripes on a yellow kayak


Maybe it was a Tiger Shark and he was just trying to make friends ? ;-)


----------



## Rose

solatree said:


> Rose said:
> 
> 
> 
> It's no use putting zebra stripes on a yellow kayak
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe it was a Tiger Shark and he was just trying to make friends ? ;-)
Click to expand...

You mean, just trying a bit of smooching? :? But are you sure great whites get into tongue-kissing? :shock: I mean the dentures...oh never mind...


----------



## Zed

Don't forget RED [the color. Sorry Red.] Red gets it share of attacks, here.


----------



## mustrumr

Zed said:


> Don't forget RED [the color. Sorry Red.] Red gets it share of attacks, here.





Zed said:


> Don't forget RED [the color. Sorry Red.] Red gets it share of attacks, here.


Nah, it's not the red kayaks they are going for - it's blokes with salt & pepper beards and receding hairlines.

_*This safety alert brought to you by Grecian 2000 and Ashley & Martin.*_


----------



## Zed

I used to be with it, then they changed what _it_ was. Now what I'm with, isn't it, and what's _it_ seems weird and scary to me. It'll happen to yoooouuu.
--grandpa Simpson
Don't deny getting old. It gets us all in the end.

salti, don't know if you were talking to me, but no bulls on the W coast. All we have to deal w/ is whites (both the above were whites) and ornery makos. Makos only make trouble when they are hooked up. A mako is the only [local] fish I won't land on a yak. Soon as I know, they're cut loose, which is pretty quick since makos seem to charge the boat when hooked. And they usu stay and circle for abit after and need a poke to send them off.


----------



## kayakone

Occulator said:


> ....the worlds most boring people (i.e. accountants). ;-) :?


Did you mean moderators? :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## solatree

Zed said:


> Don't forget RED [the color. Sorry Red.] Red gets it share of attacks, here.


Looks like ZED is right, those teeth marks don't lie.....Red is also dangerous (not Red the bloke....he's OK). Check out the YouTubes found by Batron viewtopic.php?f=9&t=53796


----------



## doddsj

G'day,

That's probably a good reason to own a Blue Yak like mine. Blends in nothing to see here :lol:

Cheers,
Steve.


----------

