No Nibbles required….
Article from the September 2013 issue of Popular Mechanics Magazine.
New wetsuit design prevents surfers and divers from becoming lunch.
No one wants to become shark bait.
So why do we insist on donning black neoprene wetsuits and mimicking seals – a favoured shark snack – whenever we head offshore for a good surf, swim or dive?
It’s a dilemma that Australian Company Shark Attack Mitigation Services (SAMS) and researchers at the University of Western Australia’s Ocean Institute have been grappling with for a while now. Finally, we can report that their collaborative efforts have borne fruit, which is great news for water lovers the world over.
Although sharks have a number of receptors used to detect odours and weak electrical fields in the water, research has shown that vision is actually the crucial sense in the final stage of an attack. So it stands to reason that, if one can somehow disrupt a shark’s visual perception, an attack can either be diverted altogether – or at least delayed to allow those in the water to exit safely.
It’s also been discovered that, although sharks have excellent, eyesight,they perceive colours and shapes quite differently from how we humans do. Basically, sharks see in black and white, but their perception of shading is very acute and is affected by the “reflective spectrum” in the water (how bands of colour react to light).
The revelations regarding sharks’ predatory behaviour has allowed SAMS to develop a range of shark-deterrent wetsuit designs. There are two-design variants that either present the wearer as potentially dangerous and unpalatable, or hard to see:
Warning. Suitable for surfers and swimmers, the highly visible striped warning pattern has been designed to present the wearer as unlike any shark prey as possible – even as an unpalatable or dangerous food option.
Cryptic. This makes it difficult for the shark to see the wearer by using disruptive coloration and shaping. The patterns used are not only difficult for the shark to see, but are also designed to blend in with the background colours – effectively making this option a sort of invisibility cloak for scuba divers or snorkellers.
Although the patterns may look simple to the untrained eye, there’s a complex regime of patented science behind each one. Because the colours will be perceived differently by sharks at various depths, SAMS recommends you check which design is best suited to your main watersport. Both variants come in different patterns and hues to better suit the water depth and conditions in which they are expected to be used most.
And, because sharks have been known to also attack surfboards, kayaks and scuba tanks, SAMS has developed a range of stickers to protect those items, too.
For more information, visit www.sharkmitigation.com
This article originally appeared on www.pmzone.co.za and has been reproduced with permission.
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