QLD: What dreams are made of: Fraser Island west coast trip

[RackRaider]

how much do shark sheilds go for, should i bother chasing a second hand one?

[Decay]

RR,
I don't think I've ever seen a second hand shark shield, most people that have one don't want to let them go.
I think one of the best prices might be here in Brisbane:
http://www.scubadiving.com.au/add-on-gear/shark-shield

Always worthwhile shopping around. Maybe just as important to get a second opinion about getting one! Red wouldn't carry one even if you paid him! But then again he's never been hassled by one (a shark I mean).
DK

[roller]

Great report thanks....................Sharksheilds do they really work?

[Decay]

Do Shark Shields work?

I’ll give some of my impressions and try to be non-bias, first I’ll start with a fact/observation.
I was out fishing with Roo1 and he caught a little Bronze whaler, or maybe it was a black tip, it was a while ago and I don’t remember the species. After a protracted battle on lightish gear, the shark was lulling about on the surface, stuffed! Roo1, who didn’t have a Shark Shield but was also interested to see if they work, so calls me over and asks me to turn it on. A little cruel in retrospect, but I had only just purchased mine (after an incident with a tiger shark in Fiji). I had never seen the effects and wanted to see for myself if I should rely on it. The result was devastating. I turned the Shark Shield (SS) on and the shark came out of its slumber quick smart, it almost walked on the water to get away from the yak and didn’t settle again for quite a while. Eventually Roo brought it back in (SS off at this stage) and we released it more or less unhurt (I can’t speak for the psychological damaged we instilled into the animal). A few months later, we were at Fraser and the Lontails (LT) boiled in front of us. We were under sail and moving reasonably fast. Right on the nose of our yaks a BIG shark took an LT, blood exploded out of the water, almost instinctively, I deployed the SS and Roo1 closed on my tail and tucked in nice and close till we left the area. OK, I don’t know if it affected that shark but we both felt a little more secure with an SS onboard (Maybe Roo1 would have felt better if it was on his yak).
Do they work? Yes, I feel more secure with one onboard. Even if they don’t work, I fish more secure, tranquil with one. When I clean fish at sea, I deploy the SS and feel safer cleaning the fish at sea.

Now I’ll recount some things that I have heard but NOT verified. The following comments are ALL hearsay. You can google these things and make your own mind up.
First up go to the manufacturers site and have a look at some of their vids. Tuna, with a SS stuffed inside and a Great White unable to approach. If you believe that, you’ll be sold
Apparently the South African military forces make all divers wear one after they carried out their own research (hearsay).
The abalone diver that was taken by a great white in Western Australia, I heard a rumour he was saved by a mate wearing an SS as a shark was attacking him. He bought his own but was taken several months later as he surfaced and moved towards the boat. I heard (hearsay) that he was wearing the SS but it was not known if it was on at the time.
My neighbour works with a marine service (private), they claim the SS can attract sharks. They suggested an SS might stop an attack by a curious shark but you will have more of them around you. Laughingly they said, not a good time to have a battery go flat after you’ve attracted them, made them curious but agitated them with the SS pulse…. food for thought.

My last comment, something that a lot of people seem to agree with. The SS probably works but has its limits, it’s not going to stop a few tonnes of charging Great White, even if the pulse was effective the shark couldn’t/wouldn’t turn. A bit like hoping the bumper bar on my Suzuki Swift will stop a Mack truck.
I’m happy to carry one, a bumper bar on my car and a Shark Shield on my kayak.

[Couta101]

Sharksheilds do they really work?

I like Decay's opinion on the SS....As for my own experience....

Well at Fraser last year I was fishing the Maheno wreck, the water was perfectly clear. Just after I had launched I saw a rather large whaler following the yak. I left it at that and continued. At one point it came directly towards the yak, not in an attacking mode but just idiling along. It was at this point I turned on the SS, no sooner had I turned it on the whaler turned 90 degrees and hightailed it out of my area. I must also say that it was a little way away, about 5meteres from me.

So does it work, for sure, will eveyone believe that it works, no ways, will I continue to fish with it in known sharky waters...you better bloody believe it.

[Decay]

It was at this point I turned on the SS, no sooner had I turned it on the whaler turned 90 degrees and hightailed it out of my area.

Yes, they are the functional stories I like and want to hear.
The trouble is I don't have mine on unless I'm cleaning a fish or see a large unit cruising near me. So I wouldn't see the one just behind me about to nibble my rudder. This was highlighted on the last trip to Fraser with Roo1. After a bit of action I was re-rigging when Roo1 says "What's that?" then with a bit more panic in his voice "Gees, what's that behind you?" I looked at the water behind me between my yak and his, didn't see anything but deployed the shield, his voice told me all I needed or wanted to know. Later I queried him and he said "the distance between the fins was 'significant'". I looked at him incredulously and said surely I would have seen that. Then he pointed out that I was looking about half way between the yaks, I should have been peering just over my rudder

[roller]

thanks for the replies about the SS

[Davey G]

Thats going on my to-do list... Along with an AI.

Nice work gents. Fist pump

[swabio]

I loved reading the report Red & DK!

I am itching to get back to Fraser island

[RedPhoenix]

"the distance between the fins was 'significant'".

Bah.. was probably just two little reefies synchronised-swimming with their dorsals up, just doing it to have a laugh at your expense.

Reminds me of a spearfishing trip. Spotted a nice coral trout darting into a cave, so dived down, and poked my head into the crevice. It was pretty dark, but I could just make out two pectoral fins waving in the water. From the distance apart, this was a pretty good fish, and he must be just sitting there looking at me!

Lined him up, and the spear went away beautifully - an instant kill, right through the forehead... so I thought. No resistance whatsoever, and the spear bounced off the rocks at the back of the cave.

.. at which point, two very pretty butterfly fish, which had been facing each other, about a foot apart, waving their fins gently in the water, darted out past my head, shocked at having a few foot of metal twang through the water between them.

It IS possible to laugh and swear underwater, I have found.

Red.

[Decay]

It IS possible to laugh and swear underwater, I have found.

The trouble is stopping him, on land, underwater, wet cement, nothing seems to work!

[Ado]

I haven't read any Qld marked trip reports for some time now. This one reinforces why. Hate hate hate vomit.
Nice vid though red.

[RedPhoenix]

I haven't read any Qld marked trip reports for some time now. This one reinforces why. Hate hate hate vomit.
Nice vid though red.

Says he of the 'Oh, I just happened to catch a bream the other day that stretched from one side of the lake to the other... no biggie' tale!

Red.

[Ado]

I haven't read any Qld marked trip reports for some time now. This one reinforces why. Hate hate hate vomit.
Nice vid though red.

Says he of the 'Oh, I just happened to catch a bream the other day that stretched from one side of the lake to the other... no biggie' tale!

Red.

[kayakone]

Not one bream! A kayak load of freakin' monsters! TWICE!

Trevor