# Another anti-shark technique



## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

I found that making barking sounds and chasing sandbar sharks with a pole spear worked well to ward them off today. I was on a public wreck with a stringer of flounder.


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

Went to the Tex Edward.... Loaded w/ Bull sharks... bigggguns. a shot of the spear gun was like ringging the dinner bell. I had on a shark shield Fredom 7 and they still got w/in 6 feet.. AMAZING creatures.. but when they are overly curious.....


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2011)

Sailorboy said:


> Went to the Tex Edward.... Loaded w/ Bull sharks... bigggguns. a shot of the spear gun was like ringging the dinner bell. I had on a shark shield Fredom 7 and they still got w/in 6 feet.. AMAZING creatures.. but when they are overly curious.....


Interesting that they got that close with the shark shield.


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## Ozeanjager (Feb 2, 2008)

Sailorboy said:


> Went to the Tex Edward.... Loaded w/ Bull sharks... bigggguns. a shot of the spear gun was like ringging the dinner bell. I had on a shark shield Fredom 7 and they still got w/in 6 feet.. AMAZING creatures.. but when they are overly curious.....


yeah i have a freedom 7 too. until now we have been applying mutipule shark tecniques ,chargeing ,bunching ect . So its hard to tell if the freedom is actually the thing repelling them or keepin them away. how did the one that slipped in the perimiter act? Whats your evealuation of your shark shield? i know on my last dive day , two of my three dives the sharks followed us to the boat from the floor of 100 ft .... very persistant.


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

Being my first real encounter w/ these guys, my ability to "observe" was probably offset by the increased pucker factor. The factory websight claims 8m (24'+-) but they were way closer. they never made a charge, but they were always there.. we had a AJ get off the spear and the biggest shark was close as we were holding the fish trying to get it on the stringer. The decision to "pay the tax" was easy, however once we let go there was no thrashing or commotion. In retrospect i guess it was like a black lab i once had who would run thru the wireless fence to be w/ his GF.... take the shock and keep on going.....You dont seem to have a full bubble of protection. The Freedom 7 was doing something i got a couple of tingles from it and my BIL felt his fillings a couple time when he got close.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Ozeanjager said:


> yeah i have a freedom 7 too. until now we have been applying mutipule shark tecniques ,chargeing ,bunching ect . So its hard to tell if the freedom is actually the thing repelling them or keepin them away. how did the one that slipped in the perimiter act? Whats your evealuation of your shark shield? i know on my last dive day , two of my three dives the sharks followed us to the boat from the floor of 100 ft .... very persistant.


My Shark Shield seems more effective on a fresh charge. Towards the end of the day it seems less effective. I plan to replace the battery soon. I suspect that it is not maintaining its charge very well.

It also seems that some species of sharks are more sensitive to the electrical pulses. Bull sharks, nurse sharks and rays appear to be more sensitive to the electrical pulses than sandbar sharks. It is not unusal for a sandbar to come within 8-10' of me. However, I have seen bull sharks drop fish and dart away when they were 30' out.

Different sharks of the same species seems to have different personalities. Some are timid and some are bold. Some are curious, and others passive and fearful, or mean and aggressive. Estimating a shark's personallity helps me to plan my response, should he come too close. Chasing shark and barking is a good way for me to gauge his personallity. It also let's him know that *I am at the top of the food chain, not him*.

Since the strength of the pulses increase very rapidly as the shark get near (energy is inversely proportional to the distance squared), I think of the Shark Shield a type of lightweight body armor. It provides 360 degrees of coverage and it is very effective at close range. However, like a good football running back, a frenzied shark could ignore the pain and charge through it.

Shooting fish up to the surface on a lift bag is extremly effective, as most sharks lose interest immediatly. Amoung my bag of shark tricks, this is my favorite.

Whack 'um


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

Lift bags,,, i guess the boat is not on anchor? and can go pick up?
Barking?... or just loud noise?
as we were only 65 feet we were on the bottom and the stinger tail was touching the sand/wreck any comments on preformance?
we had a green light and a fresh charge (battery age unknown) less than 1.75 hours under water. What is the typical time a charge is good for?


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Sailorboy said:


> Lift bags,,, i guess the boat is not on anchor? and can go pick up?


I typically live-boat (not anchored) when spearfishing. However, even when we anchor we still shoot bags up and pick them up later. The lift bags I use are yellow, about 6' long, and lift about 15 lbs. I have never had sharks or barracudas mess with fish on a lift bag.



Sailorboy said:


> Barking?... or just loud noise?


I make a barking sound. ("barking mad?")



Sailorboy said:


> as we were only 65 feet we were on the bottom and the stinger tail was touching the sand/wreck any comments on preformance?
> ?


I have not noticed a difference when the tail touches the bottom or a wreck.



Sailorboy said:


> we had a green light and a fresh charge (battery age unknown) less than 1.75 hours under water. What is the typical time a charge is good for?


I believe the manual says that a charge is good for around 7 hours of continual use.


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2011)

WhackUmStackUm said:


> My Shark Shield seems more effective on a fresh charge. Towards the end of the day it seems less effective. I plan to replace the battery soon. I suspect that it is not maintaining its charge very well.
> 
> It also seems that some species of sharks are more sensitive to the electrical pulses. Bull sharks, nurse sharks and rays appear to be more sensitive to the electrical pulses than sandbar sharks. It is not unusal for a sandbar to come within 8-10' of me. However, I have seen bull sharks drop fish and dart away when they were 30' out.
> 
> ...


What kind of lift bag are you using for this? Seems like you would need one with a dump valve or it might pop on the way up.


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

MillerTime said:


> What kind of lift bag are you using for this? Seems like you would need one with a dump valve or it might pop on the way up.


Use one with an open bottom so excess gas can escape. Puff just enough gas in it so that it lifts out of your hand. Gas expansion will give it the proper lift. If you over fill, it may rocket out of the water, dump its gas and come back down. This is really not cool when lifting an anchor


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2011)

SaltAddict said:


> Use one with an open bottom so excess gas can escape. Puff just enough gas in it so that it lifts out of your hand. Gas expansion will give it the proper lift. If you over fill, it may rocket out of the water, dump its gas and come back down. This is really not cool when lifting an anchor


Seems like you found out about the anchor the hard way. 

Do you have a reel or anything attached or just let it go to the surface and pick it up.


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

I was told about the anchor depth charge lol. I fire the lift bag up and we live boat. The 2 divers on the boat motor over and grab it.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

MillerTime said:


> What kind of lift bag are you using for this? Seems like you would need one with a dump valve or it might pop on the way up.


My lift bags have over pressure values.


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