Shark Repellant Devices

[DaChief]

I put a similar post at the end of JoeSWFLA's post that got some replies about it and found it pretty interesting. In a nutshell, it appears that most research shows that sharks are attracted to small amounts of true electrical current such as that generated by a shorted low voltage wire.

The same research states that they are repelled however by electromagnetic waves such as those emitted by metal detectors.


Good news, your detector appears to be a shark repellant. Just make sure you don't work in the water with shorted wires on your coils, etc. Either way, I believe that the electromagnetic field emitted by your detector would be much stronger than the electrical impulse of a shorted wire.

Here is the Patent of one shark repelling device. There are others. This one is a floating bouy. Some of the others I saw are designed to be attached to surfboards, kayaks, life vests, etc.

United States Patent 7270083

This device is a floating bouy that emits an electromagnetic field to repel sharks.

For a neat perspective on how sharks home in on small electrical impulses, you have to check out this PDF. It is awesome with some great pics. Since the focus of this PDF is about attracting sharks, they mention very little about repelling sharks but there is a part of the PDF that shows how magnets are being used to repel sharks from commercial fish hooks which proves the point of electromagnetic repellant.

http://www.londonderry.org/assets/twps/danielgrant/Sharks_Electric_Sense.pdf

Patented Shark repelling bouy which emits Electromagnetic Waves.
Looks alot like a metal detector doesn't it!​

 

[guzz1]

Thats is comforting news , I always have an eyeball Peeled looking for them when I'm in the water . Guzz1

 

[JoeSWFla]

Hey DaChief,I have one of the new Freedom 7 units ,but still haven't tested
it yet,especially to see how it interferes with the detector.Some who use it
say that they see more sharks when they use it than when not.Might
attract them with the current,then repel when close due to too much
current for them to stand.As for the detectors repelling sharks, I don't
know.I slowly moved in on a ray the other day to see if it affected it,
but it didn't move till the coil almost hit it.Sharks sensors may be different.
Over all,I've not heard of any bothering detectorist.Usually we aren't
slashing around,so not much chance to mistake us for fish.So far,for the
number of hours of MDers in the water,the record is pretty good-maybe
perfect.They are there,but don't get near people that much.Many divers
hope to see one,but hardly do in lower vis. water.I respect them,but try
not to get obsessive about it.I recall a story of a woman who took a
couple of her kids out on the sand bar wading.A hammer head swam
toward her,and she just held still with her kids and observed it as it
circled her once and just swam off.She thought of it as a great experience.
Guess it's all how you look at things.HH Joe

 

[mumszie]

This is a good thread. I'm not sure I could have stood still and just watched a hammerhead swim towards me and around me and my kids! On the other hand..... you sure can't outrun a shark in the water and with kids too..... It is comforting to know that maybe the machine repels them somewhat. I won't count on it but it is still comforting. As you can tell.... I'm a coward!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Sharks, bears, and dogs are why it is always best to hunt using the good old buddy system.

This system works best with two other buddies and you, and the secret is to ALWAYS , ALWAYS make sure your buddies are slower then you are..

 

[DaChief]

Pretty funny stuff. I try to stay away from people who are splashing around. I see those distance swimmers just outside the bouys going up and down the coast and keep waiting for one of them to get it. I don't trust my Infinium to save the day and I am still very uncomfortable in the water. I drag my scoop behind me hoping that anything coming from the rear will bump it first.

Good thing is that there have not been too many attacks in the Tampa area where I hunt most. Looks like most are coming from the Atlantic side and the panhandle area when they do occur. The flip side of that is that the Tampa area may be overdue!!!!!

Like was said earlier, not any of reports of detectorist being bitten so there must be something to it.