Do these anti-shark POD's work very well?
- Thread starter fisher
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Capespearo
Senior Member
Nobody I know has really had the opportunity to test one.I wear a POD myself diving areas known to have a healthy population of GW's,but hunting the shallows in the Eastern Cape you should be relatively safe,but then again a few surfers have had attacks in recent years.
The plus is no-one has been attacked while wearing one as far as I know.
The plus is no-one has been attacked while wearing one as far as I know.
Yes there was a Jongensfontein incident with a surfer a few weeks ago.
Just to clarify, GW's, zambies, and tiger's are the most aggressive species. Most other species are pretty docile unless provoked?
In your experience are sharks often attracted to your area after spearing fish?
Just to clarify, GW's, zambies, and tiger's are the most aggressive species. Most other species are pretty docile unless provoked?
In your experience are sharks often attracted to your area after spearing fish?
Capespearo
Senior Member
You only need to be concerned about the GW's in your area.The rest of the greysuits,although annoying at times with speared fish,are pretty harmless unless provoked.
If they are in the vicinity of where you have speared fish and the fish has put up a struggle,any shark WILL come investigate.
If they are in the vicinity of where you have speared fish and the fish has put up a struggle,any shark WILL come investigate.
Capespearo, from prior posts I see that you have dived Arniston/Struis quite a bit, do you use your pod in the De Mond area? Have you seen great white frights or other big sharks for that matter whilst using the pod and how have they reacted?
Reason I ask is that I am returning to Cape Town after spending time in the Caribbean and am considering getting a pod when I get home? This clear water has spoilt me, but made me more nervous of S.A.'s sharks.
Reason I ask is that I am returning to Cape Town after spending time in the Caribbean and am considering getting a pod when I get home? This clear water has spoilt me, but made me more nervous of S.A.'s sharks.
HI
some divers think that the pulse can attract the attention of sharks to the area and threfore wont dive with a guy wearing a device , the beleif is he may be safe but puts his mates at risk - dont know , mabey my dive buddies are just Superstitious or perhaps there is some truth in it.
there was one attack in AUS on a diver.
"The makers of electronic shark repellents have defended their products, saying other factors may explain why a diver wearing such a device was killed by a six-metre white pointer.
One suggestion is that the victim may have had his device turned off to save battery power.
Professional diver PAUL BUCKLAND, 23, was wearing a shark repellant when he was attacked as he dived for scallops on Tuesday, off Smoky Bay in the Great Australian Bight off the South Australian coast.
some divers think that the pulse can attract the attention of sharks to the area and threfore wont dive with a guy wearing a device , the beleif is he may be safe but puts his mates at risk - dont know , mabey my dive buddies are just Superstitious or perhaps there is some truth in it.
there was one attack in AUS on a diver.
"The makers of electronic shark repellents have defended their products, saying other factors may explain why a diver wearing such a device was killed by a six-metre white pointer.
One suggestion is that the victim may have had his device turned off to save battery power.
Professional diver PAUL BUCKLAND, 23, was wearing a shark repellant when he was attacked as he dived for scallops on Tuesday, off Smoky Bay in the Great Australian Bight off the South Australian coast.
Dont mean to be a cat amongst the pigeons here, but i know of some spearfishermen that were in false bay quite a while back, the one guy was wearing a Pod, and a White went for him, when the shark came in he kicked it away with his fins as well as jabbing it with his spear.
I have also spoken to one of guys at MCM and they recon that they do work in most cases but are not 100% proven yet!
I looked into this a year or so ago.... here is the link to the post i put on Sealine http://www.sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=9219&forum_id=26&highlight=Shark+Pod
I have also spoken to one of guys at MCM and they recon that they do work in most cases but are not 100% proven yet!
I looked into this a year or so ago.... here is the link to the post i put on Sealine http://www.sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=9219&forum_id=26&highlight=Shark+Pod
Capespearo
Senior Member
Hi Galjoen12,
Struisbaai,De Mond,Agulhas are all areas I will wear the POD no matter what.Even with the POD you won't get me in that water with less than 10m visibilty.I see it as a "seatbelt" for a car,your chances when wearing it are better of survival,but it may not be a guarantee.
A crew member of mine survived a hectic attack off my boat at Agulhas in June last year,he was the only one in the water not wearing a POD.Now the guys who don't wear POD's will say the others attracted the shark,I disagree,the field only emits to a certain distance (around 10m) and then dissapates to nothing,so that shark would have seen us/him anyway.(2 POD wearers were right next to each other and he was 30m off alone as well)
If someone doesn't want to dive with others wearing a POD,best he find another boat to dive off .....................
Struisbaai,De Mond,Agulhas are all areas I will wear the POD no matter what.Even with the POD you won't get me in that water with less than 10m visibilty.I see it as a "seatbelt" for a car,your chances when wearing it are better of survival,but it may not be a guarantee.
A crew member of mine survived a hectic attack off my boat at Agulhas in June last year,he was the only one in the water not wearing a POD.Now the guys who don't wear POD's will say the others attracted the shark,I disagree,the field only emits to a certain distance (around 10m) and then dissapates to nothing,so that shark would have seen us/him anyway.(2 POD wearers were right next to each other and he was 30m off alone as well)
If someone doesn't want to dive with others wearing a POD,best he find another boat to dive off .....................
I agree with Capespearo. Its like the gun fraternity says , "better to have a gun and not need it , than need it and not have a gun"
A friend/skipper is going all out to get himself one before the start of the next 'tail season in Struis. He's had more encounters with whites than he cares to remember
.
Also, we will dive at the Mond but as stated only if the vis is 10m+
A friend/skipper is going all out to get himself one before the start of the next 'tail season in Struis. He's had more encounters with whites than he cares to remember
.
Also, we will dive at the Mond but as stated only if the vis is 10m+
Dorado,
The guy in your story is Marc White, and there are two ways of lookign at it: The white came in at him on the bottom in full attack mode, but turned away right at him. Marc left the bottom and it follow him back up, very close and agressive. Marc pulled the trigger and the spear bent in the gun, so it was right on him, but he managed ot get to the surface and into the boat in a big hurry!
Now you can argue that it had no effect, but you could also argue that it turned the shark off the first time in attack mode so it gave him enough of a chance to get up and safe. You choose!
Cheers,
Tony
The guy in your story is Marc White, and there are two ways of lookign at it: The white came in at him on the bottom in full attack mode, but turned away right at him. Marc left the bottom and it follow him back up, very close and agressive. Marc pulled the trigger and the spear bent in the gun, so it was right on him, but he managed ot get to the surface and into the boat in a big hurry!
Now you can argue that it had no effect, but you could also argue that it turned the shark off the first time in attack mode so it gave him enough of a chance to get up and safe. You choose!
Cheers,
Tony
Double Tap
New member
Dear sceptics, fence sitters, unconcerned, converts and believers; I saw the guy being attacked in Capespearo's story which put me off diving for a month or so. I now wear a shield in any open water where the big teeth reside and I feel a lot safer when I dive. However, when a 4m+ submarine is bearing down on you at 37 km/hour, will a little tickle from our man-made devices be enough to sway its resolve??