# shark deterents??



## craig51063 (May 30, 2008)

1 ive thought of is a tasser ??????? how would it go do you think and

2 can you rig up a spike thats attached to your 12 volt battery ??? to give the shark an electric shock ?? is a 12 volt big enough ??

i dont know just some thoughts ive had

craig


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## ned (Dec 26, 2008)

Craig

Doesn't sound like a very good idea to me to carry any of those things. I think tasers are illegal, anyway.

Ned


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## L3GACY (Sep 2, 2007)

Yeah I'm with Ned, I think they're illegal aswell. Even if you did have one I'd be sticking with the old "electricity and water don't mix" principle. If there's water in your cockpit or your hand touches the water when something like a taser is firing I reckon it would probably have an undesirable effect. Just my thoughts, don't have any proof.


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Or you could do waht i am about to do and paint the bottom of your kayak with a mixture of brussel sprouts ,turnip , and broccoli juice , no self respecting shark would come near that :lol:


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## Cuda (Sep 18, 2006)

bazzoo said:


> Or you could do waht i am about to do and paint the bottom of your kayak with a mixture of brussel sprouts ,turnip , and broccoli juice , no self respecting shark would come near that :lol:


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Very good Bazz - how about going one further and actually hanging a few brussel sprouts, turnips etc off the yaK :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

That should turn any hungry GW off good and proper :twisted: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: ;-)


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## L3GACY (Sep 2, 2007)

arpie said:


> you could do the double whammy & get the yak shark shield & the personal one as well, that attaches to your leg (in case *you* end up in the water with a big one!)
> 
> Check out the info on it ..... what price for 'peace of mind"?
> 
> ...


Unless you're a diver or a surfer there's only one type of shark shield and even then they all serve the same function, just different mounting options. Not much point having two of the same unless you want to leave your yak and still have a unit operational on your yak while you leave it unattended.


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

ahhhhh there ya are ya old sand shark , yep i reckon we got tha right idea Mark, and maybe we could add a serving of swedes , or perhaps that congloberation that gatesy photographed on his dinner plate , and he said it was carp , nothing would eat that, good to hear from you you old bugger :lol: :lol:


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## Cuda (Sep 18, 2006)

Yeah Bazz, I reckon we're on a winner here mate 8) We can call it the BazzCuda shark repellant - guaranteed to work on any meat eating aquatic beastie (well I dunno about those leg removing KGW's that Andybear has warned us all about) and I reckon the greenies will even approve of the concept :shock: 
Should be very cost effective too - just head down the local greengrocer and pick up some old stocks of the secret ingredients then tie those vegies off the yak and head out for a full on fish fest without a care in the world mate :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 
Let's get a patent on this one quick smart :twisted:


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Cuda said:


> Yeah Bazz, I reckon we're on a winner here mate 8) We can call it the BazzCuda shark repellant - guaranteed to work on any meat eating aquatic beastie (well I dunno about those leg removing KGW's that Andybear has warned us all about) and I reckon the greenies will even approve of the concept :shock:
> Should be very cost effective too - just head down the local greengrocer and pick up some old stocks of the secret ingredients then tie those vegies off the yak and head out for a full on fish fest without a care in the world mate :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
> Let's get a patent on this one quick smart :twisted:


your as mad as me Mark or maybe even worse , i have contacted the patent office mate and the bazzcuda production line is away and running , and as Con the fruiter says" shell be beudiful ,ARRRRRRRrr couple a days " :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Feral (Oct 18, 2008)

Salt water would probably short it out, but if it didn't a cattle prod would probably be the way to go, I doubt you could fire a taser under water.


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## kayakity-yak (May 31, 2007)

Gday Craig,

yeah we were talking about this earlier, I had a think and I remember an old old trick was something along the lines of a shotgun shell on the end of a stick. I think when you jab the shark this pushes a firing pin into the shell and sets it off. I doubt it would kill a shark as a bullet without a barrel is really only a firecracker, but it would have to scare the crap out of them.

I had a sniff on the web and it looks like some company actually makes them, but I think it is something you can whip up yourself, tho I think you need a gun licence to purchase the shells.

*An underwater shotgun having a barrel rotatable relative to a firing mechsm. The gun is fired by jabbing it against a target such as a shark. After firing, the firing mechanism is positioned behind a second shell, in the barrel, and the gun is again ready for firing. The gun may be fired, without reloading, up to the number of shells contained within the barrel.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3721031.html*


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## L3GACY (Sep 2, 2007)

kayakity-yak said:


> yeah we were talking about this earlier, I had a think and I remember an old old trick was something along the lines of a shotgun shell on the end of a stick. I think when you jab the shark this pushes a firing pin into the shell and sets it off. I doubt it would kill a shark as a bullet without a barrel is really only a firecracker, but it would have to scare the crap out of them.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerhead


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## kayakity-yak (May 31, 2007)

L3GACY said:


> kayakity-yak said:
> 
> 
> > yeah we were talking about this earlier, I had a think and I remember an old old trick was something along the lines of a shotgun shell on the end of a stick. I think when you jab the shark this pushes a firing pin into the shell and sets it off. I doubt it would kill a shark as a bullet without a barrel is really only a firecracker, but it would have to scare the crap out of them.
> ...


Thats another fancy version, but is there actually a simple one you can make? I cant find anything on the web. I vaguely remember a while back seeing a docco on shark divers and they had what just looked like a broom handle and a shotgun shell on the top.


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## noeskimo (Oct 20, 2008)

some legal personal protection....? http://www.spearguns.net.au/speargun_-_ ... ilgun.html

the terminator...looks a handy little yak gun....

.


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## YakN00b (Jun 9, 2008)

If you are serious about your safety get some fragmentation grenades. Just make sure you are not in the water with it when it goes off.


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## swivels (Oct 28, 2008)

How bout a sedative/anesthetic in a spear? a shot of vodka?  
Just enough to the beast to sleep for 20 mins to make a getaway?
Anyone knows a vet? :twisted:


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## craig51063 (May 30, 2008)

im just thinking out loud peoples

the underwater shotgun sounds to me like a revolving powerhead .i seem to remember a powerhead that was a needle and a co2 cartridge ..... it work the same way as a powerhead in that you pushed it up against the shark and instaed of a cartridge the needle would go in and emty the co2 cartridge into the shark ie same affect.

also if you had a red or orange yak then couldnt you tye some green xmas tinsel to the back ??? inso from underwater you would look like a giant carrot :lol: :lol: :lol:

craig


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## wearebeingwatched (Jan 31, 2008)

Why not the taser?
It could have some of safety pin ( like an epirb)to show it has been used.It is small and could easily be mounted.
If used only in the most extreme case it could probably save a life.
If not the taser-what is there for us to use ?
machete,cricket bat, fence paling,metal bar,pitch fork,picture of madonna with no pants,anything but we need some kind of deternt even if it is for peace of mind.
My 2 cents


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Shotgun shell with a firing pin is often called a "bang stick" and is very deadly. The gasses and pellets are trapped inside the "shark" and due to the rate of expansion cause massive damage. Not much penetration power, but a huge hole inside it. You do have to hit the "shark" with a decent amount of force though.
Any properly designed powerhead or bang stick has a cotter pin to prevent accidental firing.
I would not recomend one though, you'd have to be leaning out of your yak to use it and either trying to aim a speargun at an agressive / curious shark or trying to hit one with the end of a stick with enough force to set the primer off. Given the speed of a hungry shark, some way of avoiding trouble would be a much better option.


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## GregL (Jul 27, 2008)

Dudes, I know we have reasons to be concerned about what lurks beneath, but I'm not sure if we should be contemplating making our own powerheads. A homemade power head is going to be illegal and fricking dangerous. Kinda asking for trouble don't you think?
Get a SS, or a big solid knife, or club if you want protection out on the wobbly.
At the end of the day "it's" unlikely to happen, but if it does, there's probably going to be sweet FA you can do about it.If a shark is curious, you'll see it. If its hungry you won't.
Lets not put ourselves in any more danger by taking explosives out with us.
Smeg


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## noeskimo (Oct 20, 2008)

i still recon these are a handy lookin gadget.....http://www.spearguns.net.au/speargun_-_ ... ilgun.html

.


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## kayakity-yak (May 31, 2007)

Good point GregL. I wouldnt want to potentially kill the shark either.

Thinking about it now if your gonna be stuffing around finding things and spending money to fend off a shark then you may as well buy a shark shield. Prevention is the best cure, so they say. IF you were caught out there without one, I'd probably be whipping the paddle out and try to poke the thing away. It doesnt take much in some doccos ive seen, just a push it the other direction is often enough. If possible i'd be aiming for a well placed blow on the nose, eyes or gills. And if they have a taste they will soon realise how unpallatable this strange looking thing is (maybe a problem if you dont have a hobie tho!!) But having never been in this situation, I cannot say whether or not this is a viable option.


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## grant ashwell (Apr 24, 2007)

As one who fishes alone and often several K's offshore for at least 10 yrs now, I have pondered over what I might do to at least feel more confident--in between bites cause I forget all about it when active. I don't see a phone or radio as being off much use if I was getting harangued by some critter. I guess that if something has made its mind up to missile up from the depths at 30kph and torpedo me then nothing will help. On the other hand, a critter having a sniff around me may well be put off by a SharkShield. What I also carry is a bottle of liquid chlorine. It's in a squirt detergent container and my idea has been that squirting a ring or 2 of this foul liquid around the yak MIGHT make me more unattractive (and perhaps prevent me having a heart attack). As has been said before, I think we should all have a mental rehearsal and some form of plan. Mine is Sharkshield on, fold flippers up under the hull, unhook paddle for balance and fending, squirt, get low and stay very still.
There are storage problems with this chlorine stuff. I have tested it on my "pet" bream that I feed daily. They ignore and swim away from bread with a few drops on it till it dissipates.
If there is a less volatile but more noxious substance anyone has thought of then I am happy to try it ( I have wondered about garlic juice or ammonia). If there is evidence that this is a crap idea then let me know. For me , the process of fishing offshore is all about being methodical and organised and reasonably reducing the risk that each of us sees as applicable without taking away the simple joy of being out at sea; I want to have done all I can be reasonably expected to do then forget about it and focus on catching fish.
The other day my GP spoke to me about the risks involved in my solo exploits. In reviewing them,getting to bed at 11pm, the drive at 3am and then return drive at 2pm on the Pacific Highway for 150 k each way is for me far more risky due to tiredness.

So has anyone any other options or ideas that don't become to dominating or difficult. I don't think that I would be steady enough to prod a shark with a broomstick explosive


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## Kalgrm (Nov 15, 2008)

Does anyone know if a spike on the end of a piece of dowel will deter an inquisitive GWS? I'm considering making a flag pole with a sharpened end (spike) to poke any bities in the eye or snout, should the need/opportunity arise.

Cheers,
Graeme


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## L3GACY (Sep 2, 2007)

Another one to consider grant would be a solid metal pole. If a shark is just curious then a light tap on the nose could be enough to show him you're not food. There's some research going on with charged metals or something like that at the moment, I think we could see something from them in the future.

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2008/05/12/news/story03.html
I think this is what I am thinking of.


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## fisherdan (Apr 17, 2007)

Search "bang stick" 
.357 is all you need, and yes they do kill sharks, it's not the projectile but the transfer of the explosion into the target that does the damage.
It's all Johnny needed..


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## GregL (Jul 27, 2008)

Re: Poking sharks with pointy sticks.
Ok, this is slightly left field, but when we are livebaiting for marlin, one of the most frustrating things that we come across are seals.
They love a big fresh livey, and will 'stalk' the boat until they get bored, or we pull in the gear and motor a k or two away from them. Even then, they sometimes will track us down and pester us some more.
So, in order to try and make them piss off, we remove the tags from the tag poles, tease them in close enough for a shot, and then let em have it. 
They don't like it, but to be honest I've never taken a shot on a seal and had that see him off. I'm not sure that a shark would react any differently unless you hit a real sweet spot.
Lunging with a sharp pole or whatever, is going to put one at a great risk of tipping - its very hard to work out your distance/angle - especially on your first shot, and if your already panicking, then you can be sure you'll get something wrong.
I'm pretty sure that chemical, or of course electrical deterrents are going to be the way forward for yakkers - not weapons.


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## mcbigg (Jul 14, 2007)

Kalgrm said:


> Does anyone know if a spike on the end of a piece of dowel will deter an inquisitive GWS? I'm considering making a flag pole with a sharpened end (spike) to poke any bities in the eye or snout, should the need/opportunity arise.
> 
> Cheers,
> Graeme


Also,I remember seeing a video once where I guy was showing that touching a Great White on the snout triggered a mouth opening reaction, like what happens at the end of both of these videos:










I reckon you'd be wanting the shark to keep its mouth closed as much as possible.

(Having said that, I've always thought that besides trying to photograph the beast, if it did start to nudge or mouth the yak, I'd be driving my knife up to the hilt into its nose.)


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Mc Bigg , i saw a couple of shows some time back on optus where the scientists were putting sharks into what the called "tonic " which is a catatonic state where they tickle the sharks nose on the Ampulie of Loranzini and it becomes hypnotised and eventually rolls over onto its back like a big puppey , some of the sharks used to being handled in this way were pushing smaller sharks out of the way so they could have their turn at "tonic " , however , the scientist concerned had to pick his sharks carefully and he only tried it on sharks he called "players " , as other sharks wanted nothing to do with it and would become a little agitated , he is a very brave man that scientist , i guess some sharks are just like woman mate , ya never know what there thinking :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Kalgrm (Nov 15, 2008)

mcbigg said:


> Also,I remember seeing a video once where I guy was showing that touching a Great White on the snout triggered a mouth opening reaction, like what happens at the end of both of these videos:
> 
> I reckon you'd be wanting the shark to keep its mouth closed as much as possible.
> 
> (Having said that, I've always thought that besides trying to photograph the beast, if it did start to nudge or mouth the yak, I'd be driving my knife up to the hilt into its nose.)


You could be right. I wasn't planning on giving one a tap on the snout though - more like a solid jab on the snout or a poke in the eye.

Guess I might consider some sort of chemical solution then. Perhaps dish-washer powder would be unpleasant enough to put them off.

Cheers,
Graeme


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## diabolical (Mar 30, 2008)

Isn't there some sort of dye bomb that acts as a screen in the water. I remember seeing something on a survival type show on tv, the dye was bright green and may have served more than one purpose(masking brown water?)


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## DnN (Oct 5, 2008)

Seriously people, I think the green/brown water camo would be your best hope (excluding the SS that I know very little about). I believe the SS puts out an electical 'pulse' to scare the bities away - a cattle prod(especially)/12 volt battery or what ever, will force electricity through any conductor. While a plastic kayak prob won't conduct sparks, the medium everyone floats in, ie water, conducts these little sparks. So anything conected to the prod end by water shall recieve the same little spike. Pointless outcome to stay alive n safe, and scare a bitey at the same time i think. The other option discussed involved a shotgun shell or a round of bullet (357 - but johnny was good)..... while i had a little mispent youth and pulled many of these apart for homemade fire crackers instead of just pulling the trigger ( yeah i know....) a bullet or shot gun shell has a barrell to go down to direct the hurty bits. If you explode anything without having some way to direct the explosion it goes in a 360 degree..... again not real useful especially if it be a shot gun shell........

I do like the chlorine idea... besides the SS i know nothing about i think i would lay some one elses testes on that working......

But then again, it is friday night and a few rums have been had.........


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2009)

I've just come up with what I think is a pretty good solution for shark defence - a conclusion I arrived at after considering the Byron Bay yak attack last year, in which a 52 yr old lady fought off a GWS with a paddle. Behold, the Stake-out pole, which for me has a double use of shallow water anchoring and if required, shark whacking:










Note the metal spike on the end 
I wrote about it in more depth here: http://yakabout.com.au/home/content/view/493/42/


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## craig51063 (May 30, 2008)

thats what im talking about

i think hobie sell them

craig


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2009)

> i think hobie sell them


Yep, Hobie dealers stock them. I'd rather get hit over the head with the fat end of a pool cue than one of these - as a whacker or a jabber, these would have to work better than a paddle (which, as I said, seems to work for 52 yr old ladies). The best thing of all, it doubles as something that will get a fair bit of use in shallow waters, perfect for fishing around estuaries like St Georges Basin. And it sits into the Hobie paddle bungee's perfectly.


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## mcbigg (Jul 14, 2007)

And if all else fails:


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2009)

Xactly - I was going to say that. if Luke Skywalker can do it to a Rancor, I can certainly do it to a shark 

hahaha... nice photoshop. I'm gunna use that on yakabout


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Hogans Ghost Mc Bigg how are you ever going to get your shallow water pole back now :shock: :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

craig51063 said:


> thats what im talking about
> 
> craig


Or I guess a pointy stick or old ski pole would do the same job.... :roll:


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## craig51063 (May 30, 2008)

Davey G said:


> craig51063 said:
> 
> 
> > thats what im talking about
> ...


would a stock be to soft ,ive seen plenty of bent ones ,i was actually thinking of a hobie sand stick as i do alot of flats fishing at narrabeen .and it would be handy

craig

sailing scene $129


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2009)

> Or I guess a pointy stick or old ski pole would do the same job...


No, it wouldn't. This is no pointy old stick, it's every bit as meaty as a baseball bat (not as thick, but just as dense and solid), and the spike is reinforced with metal. Not the same as a simple stick, or even a ski pole (which might be ok for jabbing, but probably not for whacking, which is what I'd try first). Besides... this actually doubles as a useful yak fishing device to, which is largely my point. Find one, pick one up, feel it, think about it and you'll understand Davey. Until then, keep on rolling your eyes.

No doubt you could make something just as effective to do the same thing, but not with just a stick. Not unless that stick was really good heavy duty wood (actually the SO pole is fibreglass, but feels like heavy timber) that you'd then have to work into a smooth evenly shaped shaft (a lumpy stick won't store well). And if you want it to be as good as this particular one, you'll need a metallic cone shaped tip attached, a high-quality marine-grade anchor rope, marine-grade stainless caribeener and high-density foam handle. Or you could just use a broom handle and sticky tape an old fork to the end of it if you prefer the Tom Sawyer look.

A ski pole, broom handle, etc, just wouldn't compare either. There'd be better ways (than your suggestions) to make something that would serve just as well, sure. But this one is ready made and should do the job (both jobs) nicely. That's all I'm sayin.

Craig, I've been using mine at St Georges Basin on windy days - one spot in particular it comes in very handy because anchors are illegal (due to caulerpa weed). The stake out pole is legal because it doesn't stir anything up. Because boaties can't get in there, it's absolutely full 'o fish to - I'd say with the most bio-mass per area in the entire estuary, so more than once I've been glad to be able to anchor the yak in there.


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## widsa (Nov 26, 2008)

Havent you been told about the meat with 2 veg? :lol: 
So I dont think the sprouts and such would work, only give the beast a more nutritional meal.... 

Power heads actually dont need a bullet, they can just use blank cartridges.
Its the expanding gasses that make them work, although it does have to be in direct contact.
Unfortunately bullets dont work through the water, so my 303 wouldnt help much unless it pokes its head out. :twisted:

I think SS is prob the best option, but as has already been stated, statistically your more like to die of a car crash, bee sting, flying cork etc...
Its just the thought of being eaten alive that worries most.. :shock: :lol:


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## Shorty (May 11, 2008)

At what point do we start wacking the "Men in White" with sticks,,,in the Longly Vid i see the GW gently swimming in and checking out the yakkers while they sat quietly,,whose knows what would have happened it they started flogging it with pointy things and thats about the only chance they would get,,not when its hitting 40 MPH coming up underneath.

Thats what the question is for me ,,when do we go on the offensive ?


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## widsa (Nov 26, 2008)

True, but remember even an exploratory bite or nudge from something that weighs 2 tons could be fatal. Hard to say when offensive begins. If its bumping you i think thats the que to defend yourself, as long as your fingers arent welded to whatever your hanging too....but yes the boys at longy did well and got away without offence.


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## Scruffy (Nov 9, 2008)

When I used to dive we had power heads that used to fire shotgun cartridges 303 or 357 magnum shells.We used to coat them with clear nail varnish to waterproof them so that they did not misfire.When they impact with the target the head moves back and comes into contact with the firing pin.It is not the pellets or bullet that causes the main damage but the concussion.You can kill large sharks with these but you need to be above them so that you can shoot them just behind the eyes into the brain.I am not sure if you can legally still buy them. I think you would have to have a firearm licence to purchase one.A sharkshield would be a better option as it is better not to even see one than having a GW charging at you and trying to shoot it with a spear gun or hand spear. 
Cheers,
Terry.


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## DnN (Oct 5, 2008)

I'm not sure the pointy things are a real good idea... If you have a growling angry dog and kick it - chances are you will get bitten. Not sure what an actually killing machine would do from a little prod with a sharp stick.


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2009)

DnN, look closely at some of the recent attacks. Yesterday a boy fends off a 5 metre great white by punching it. _Punching it_... without knuckle dusters to. And then again yesterday, a snorkeler does the same thing. Last year a 52 yr old woman manages the same with a paddle. All that combined tells me everything I need to know about how to react in the same situation. No way in the known world would I just sit there waiting for something to happen. Nor would I just try and paddle away (based on the Longreef boys experienced). if a shark was just loitering, I'd try to get a photo. If it was aggressive in any way and got close enough, you can bet that there'd be some quick monkey magic happening.


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

i know this sounds really pissweak but we always had a knife strapped to our legs when we were snorkelling , mainly to just cut open oysters to feed the bream. i would rather have some weapon if i was in the water like karnage, rather then trying to punch it or poke it in the eye

cheers pete


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## kayakity-yak (May 31, 2007)

grinner said:


> i know this sounds really pissweak but we always had a knife strapped to our legs when we were snorkelling , mainly to just cut open oysters to feed the bream. i would rather have some weapon if i was in the water like karnage, rather then trying to punch it or poke it in the eye
> 
> cheers pete


Definitely, and the longer the weapon the better! Think how close you are to a sharks pointys when you are punching them in the nose or fumbling at their eyes. I think the pointy stick would be great, I'd like the see how well you could weild it underwater and how well you could actually see underwater without a face mask. I'd rather believe that I could avoid getting to that point tho, I think there is a lot of luck at play once you are in the drink whatever you are packing



DnN said:


> I'm not sure the pointy things are a real good idea... If you have a growling angry dog and kick it - chances are you will get bitten. Not sure what an actually killing machine would do from a little prod with a sharp stick.


One thing to remember is wild animals want and easy meal. They do not want be injured any more than we do. An simple injury in the wild can spell death for the recipient


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2009)

I saw a doco about a south african guy who freedives with white pointers. All he uses is a 15cm long pice of steel in his hand.
All he does is softly touch the shark with it if it comes too close- and off they go!?
They don´t like that matall at all, works somehow on the lorenzies as well.
So a knive might work well, or Josh´s pole with the metall point.


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2009)

> i would rather have some weapon if i was in the water like karnage, rather then trying to punch it or poke it in the eye


Me to Grinner and I reckon most of us feel that way. But just in case, it's nice to know that fisty-cuffs seems to work.

I recall that doco to Hollgi and is one of the reasons I started thinking about using the stake-out pole as a prod.


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## SweetLips (Jan 3, 2009)

Just stay out of the water :shock: ! Or at least, try and stay on top of it! If a sharks hanging around nudging yaks and tinnies, he's obviously pretty hungry. I'd be getting the hell outta where ever I was REEEEAL fast!


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## DnN (Oct 5, 2008)

Yes Yakass, that has happened, thanks for stating the obvious. No doubt some sort of defense is better than just waiting to get bitten, but I'm sure if you could ask most shark victims that didn't live, they would also say they tried to fight back. By no means am I saying don't hit the suckers, but I would think that they have been hit before and still went for the kill at times. and if one of the suckers is coming at you from underneath and hits with no warning, nothing much is going to help. i'd reckon the best defense would be luck more than anything.



Yakass said:


> DnN, look closely at some of the recent attacks. Yesterday a boy fends off a 5 metre great white by punching it. _Punching it_... without knuckle dusters to. And then again yesterday, a snorkeler does the same thing. Last year a 52 yr old woman manages the same with a paddle. All that combined tells me everything I need to know about how to react in the same situation. No way in the known world would I just sit there waiting for something to happen. Nor would I just try and paddle away (based on the Longreef boys experienced). if a shark was just loitering, I'd try to get a photo. If it was aggressive in any way and got close enough, you can bet that there'd be some quick monkey magic happening.


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2009)

> and if one of the suckers is coming at you from underneath and hits with no warning, nothing much is going to help.


No argument from me there. Popular theory is a shark shield wouldn't help in that situation either. You speak of those who haven't survived attacks. I'm guessing most of those guys went out like this, as opposed to the alternate scenario. I'm no shark expert and nor are you - this is all just speculation, including your assertion that if one tries to defend themself, they'll get bit. The biggest difference between your speculation and mine is that mine has been formed on the outcomes of recent such events.

You may be right (who the hell really knows... I'm not aware of anyone who got killed by shark after hitting it, though sure, it's probably happened) but it's not a theory that would stop me from trying to protect myself in an offensive manner. If I thought some form of offensive self-defence was required, I'd do it. Because in that situation, I'm already assuming I'm going to get bitten otherwise.

We recently found out that trying to flee might not be a good idea (ie: Long reef) and personally, I don't think just sitting there waiting for something to happen is all that smart either. I'll take the method that's been proven to work, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel on the fly.


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## sailfin (Jul 31, 2008)

Somthing like this, (see link) would work well, mabey if we were in Texas lol
Desert Eagle .50 from the movie Snatch.


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2009)

Well well, just found this in a Uk Guardian news report about how Aus has seen 3 attacks in 24 hours, & the hysteria it's causing. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/13/australia-shark-attacks
This is from wikihow... so take it for what its worth. Bold is my emphasis, for points that I found interesting and or relevant. If this is accurate information, my instincts seem to be serving me well.

_If you meet a shark ...

• If you are in the water, remain calm. *You cannot outrun a shark and sharks can sense fear*

• *Keep your eye on the shark at all times.* Sharks may retreat temporarily and then try to sneak up on you

• If you can't get out of the water right away, try to reduce the shark's possible angles of attack

•* Fight. Playing dead doesn't work. A hard blow to the shark's gills, eyes, or, as a last resort, to the tip of its nose will cause the shark to retreat.* If a shark continues to attack, or if it has you in its mouth, hit these areas repeatedly with hard jabs, and claw at the eyes and gills

• If you are near shore, swim quickly, but smoothly. Thrashing will attract the shark's attention

• *Sharks have difficulty biting things that are vertical* (their nose gets in the way) so avoid leaving your hands and feet loose or going horizontal to swim away from the shark

• Sharks can't breathe out of water, so, if possible, *hold the bitten part of your body out of the water, and get their gills into the air and they will let go of you*

• Sharks tend to thrash prey around to tear chunks out of it, so you should latch on to the shark

• Repress the urge to scream. Screaming will not deter the shark much and may provoke it further.

Source: Wikihow_


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## diabolical (Mar 30, 2008)

Had a laugh today listening to a shark expert on the ABC radio. When asked by Allan Bro(?) if sharks had a favourite colour, the repy was yellow is refered to as "yummy yellow" :lol: :lol: :lol: :twisted:


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## craig51063 (May 30, 2008)

Yakass said:


> > and if one of the suckers is coming at you from underneath and hits with no warning, nothing much is going to help.
> 
> 
> No argument from me there. Popular theory is a shark shield wouldn't help in that situation either. You speak of those who haven't survived attacks. I'm guessing most of those guys went out like this, as opposed to the alternate scenario. I'm no shark expert and nor are you - this is all just speculation, including your assertion that if one tries to defend themself, they'll get bit. The biggest difference between your speculation and mine is that mine has been formed on the outcomes of recent such events.
> ...


hi guys just wieghing into the discusion

i have a national geogrphic docco on the great white and it says that if i great white comes under attack from the victim this confuses the shark .and it basically calls of the attack and retreats . reason being is as KAYAKITI YAK has said , the shark does not want to sustain an injury becase then it would become easy prey itself . so better to stay hungry and safe than to be injured and easy prey . 
it showed a seal under attack from a gw but the seal escaped the first blow and started fighting back bitting around the eyes and nose of the shark and the shark fled . it also showed a human survivor who after he was bitten latch on to the side of the shark and repeatedly punched it in the gills the shark also fled and he survived .

craig


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## john (May 6, 2008)

All this shark stuff is scaring the crap out of me. Started after I got home, last Saturday, from a 3 week yak fishing holiday to hear that a surfer was chewed, at Binnalong Bay, the day after I left, 500m from my launching/body surfing site. :shock:  :shock: 
I am now the proud owner of an as yet untried SS. Guess the Yak has now become a male with that long black thing dangling from the scupper. 
Seems that any form of aggression towards the GW will make it change its mind. Guess creating the aggression after the intial shock is the hard/debatable part. 
Tell me if I am wrong,,, I thought power heads were extremely effective under water, whilst diving, as the recoil is dampened by the water. Using one from above the water from a yak would be like playing John Wayne with a broom handled 45 ???

J


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## widsa (Nov 26, 2008)

Power heads are more effective under water. However above water i wouldnt want to be on the receiving end either, would still be like a sawn off shotgun vs the skin. Provided you used real shells and not blanks.


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

probably effective on jetskiers as well


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## widsa (Nov 26, 2008)

grinner said:


> probably effective on jetskiers as well


Lol - no comment!


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