Sharks

[Inspiredbyfishing]

Bought a kayak and maybe soon a shark shield,what do people use to deter sharks or have you found anything that does, apparently soap does but what do you guys think will do the job

[Damien2Rad]

As far as I know, no one I know is that paranoid about sharks.

Just don't fall in!

[samsteele115]

Just don't paddle in an aggressive stop/start motion making blooping noises or they might think you are a popper

[Luvit]

I saw an expert speaking this morning about the shark shield. During testing the shark shield definitely slowed down or deterred the sharks however all the baits were still eaten.

So if a shark is taking it time to investigate you it maybe of some use, however if its an attack like you see with the white pointers hitting seals nothing is going to save you.

Its a risk you will just have to weigh up yourself.

[Terry H]

Bought a kayak and maybe soon a shark shield,what do people use to deter sharks or have you found anything that does, apparently soap does but what do you guys think will do the job

Are you concerned about getting attacked by a shark when swimming at the beach?

There was quite a rave about these products a little while ago, and I know in the kayaking community there was some anecdotal evidence floating around suggesting these products worked. I never followed it up too much however...

I have fished offshore for many, many hours and done hundreds of km out there. In that time I have been hooked up to a variety of sharks, from 5 ft to one that looked 8-9ft. I was never chasing sharks - I just can't help what slams a predatek viper when trolling offshore. I have also seen 7-10ft sharks cruise around the kayak, within only a few metres from my kayak. They have never hung around, harassed or otherwise interacted with me. I have seen far more turtles, whales and other marine creatures than sharks.

I have never once felt uneasy about seeing or knowing about sharks in the water. I was a lot more concerned about seeing a humpback play around some 10m from the kayak than any shark.

I'm not suggesting you be ignorant to the fact that sharks are out there, I would just personally save your dollars and buy some different safety gear, like an EPIRB if you don't already have one. Unless you are dangling bleeding fish in the water in an attempt to feed a shark, I would think you are more likely to need an EPIRB than you are a shark shield.

The biggest thing to do is work on overcoming the fear of being eaten alive whilst offshore so that you can enjoy your time on the water. Sharks are not man-eating machines that won't rest until they've eaten your leg or bitten off your head. 95-99% of the time you won't even see a shark, let alone interact with one.

It is a risk of offshore kayaking, but so is getting bitten by a dog on your walk to the train station.

[Inspiredbyfishing]

It's not the fear of sharks attacking the kayak, i just dont want to loose my fish to sharks.

buggers come out of nowhere and eat my catch.

[JarrydA]

It's not the fear of sharks attacking the kayak, i just dont want to loose my fish to sharks.

buggers come out of nowhere and eat my catch.

Not much you can do about that. Thats just part of fishing.

[Do$tylz]

are you planning to hang/dangle your catch off the side of you yak? why not put into an icebox that you have strapped into the boat?

[Terry H]

I kept all fish in the hull. In winter it is cool enough in there to keep them fresh enough. In summer, a wet towel over them can help if they are up on deck.

I would not leave them dangling in the water - at the most inconvenient (space wise) option take a small esky!

If you're worried about them being taken on the line, then I have not had this happen to me yet, although it can happen. I suspect the rate of this occuring would be no different to that in a boat though.

[Binder]

I must admit when I'm paddling on my own on those overcast dull days my mind starts playing the jaws theme song at times, particulary if you get an unexplained bump on the yak!

If you want to take fish home, finding space for an esky is a must. You wont get food poisoning if you dont, but immediately chilling the fish makes for much better tasting fish.

[Gad]

re: shark deterent electronic devises. may be some work may be they don`t.

I`m sure an encounter with overly insistent shark would make the day interesting, if they don`t work

/>http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/full-coverage/sharks/a/21526294/doubts-over-shark-deterrent/

[EZY]

have had bullies in the brisbane come in and nose the yak trying to figure out what it is, however a quick jab between the eyes with the paddle sends them on their way pretty quickly. just becareful when landing fish as the sharks will breach out from under the yak and grab the fish has happend to me and dam near lost a hand so a net is the best way to land any fish caught. apart from that just stay calm and use common sense and you should be fine . if your keen to give it a go drop me a post and will go out for a fish at some point. ezy