Sydney Harbor Shark Attack

They also had divers with electronic shark shields at the Olympics, if I recall correctly.

The odds of death are still greater driving to the Sydney Operahouse than swimming in Sydney Harbour.

I wonder how much it would cost m for one of these guys?!

about $600

http://www.sharkshield.com/Content/Products/

Please, send your $700 to me and I will make sure you don't get attacked.  If you do, i will refund your money.

Fear is a great thing to make money off of, just ask G.W. (terrorists), Gore (global warming) and Obama et al (economy)

I am working on a Koala Shield (patent pending) right now

Got a chance to hold one in Aus back in 2002.  SMELLY little buggers, for something so cute

i think i can say that about a few people i know.....

The Navy diver lived and is being cared for. The koala lived and is being cared for.

BeginnerMan - 2009-02-11 1:36 PM I completely understand what your saying. and I definately do not have 700 dollars. I dont even have 200 dollars All i was stating was that in the EXTREME UNLIKELYHOOD of a shark being in aggressive to attack mode, having this do-dad isnt bad. Also-if i send you 700 dollars, im gonna need to see your credentials ETA: I come from a family of people who are all divers and love the ocean-hence the earlier part about my obsession. my father has had an ENTIRE school of pirhana follow him for 2 miles a few years back when he was diving-he was never attacked, he said he was a little worried bout it but was fine, so im not one of "those" people. nice pictures from his underwater camera tho!!!

Cool background and funny story about the piranhas

You would appreciate Chris's pictures; they're just amazing.

http://www.underwaterplanet.com/

Sorry, Chris, can't help promoting you, you're so cool

[admittedly with too much time on my hands... ]

that's some piece of mind :^  http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/04/shark-shield-experiences-epic-fail-gets-chomped-by-great-white/  I suppose if you are a really slow swimmer it might work.

At least an insurance company will (eventually) pay if it can't find it's way out of coverage.  I think it's a false sense of security.

As for me, do I not on occasion think about the fact that a great white might get me on my weekly open water swim?  Yup.  Does it stop me?  No, and it's not out of swagger or bravado, it's just a willingness to accept the odds.  Perhaps it's also having been around lots (and lots) of them.

I just read that the incidents of attacks/deaths by sharks is about the same as the attacks/deaths by mountain lions in the US.  We all still go run mountain trails.

TriAya - 2009-02-11 2:08 PM

BeginnerMan - 2009-02-11 1:36 PM I completely understand what your saying. and I definately do not have 700 dollars. I dont even have 200 dollars All i was stating was that in the EXTREME UNLIKELYHOOD of a shark being in aggressive to attack mode, having this do-dad isnt bad. Also-if i send you 700 dollars, im gonna need to see your credentials ETA: I come from a family of people who are all divers and love the ocean-hence the earlier part about my obsession. my father has had an ENTIRE school of pirhana follow him for 2 miles a few years back when he was diving-he was never attacked, he said he was a little worried bout it but was fine, so im not one of "those" people. nice pictures from his underwater camera tho!!!

Cool background and funny story about the piranhas

You would appreciate Chris's pictures; they're just amazing.

http://www.underwaterplanet.com/

Sorry, Chris, can't help promoting you, you're so cool

[blushing]

but here's a better gallery anyway    need to get them linked.....

http://www.underwaterplanet.com/gallery/

I assume it's Santa Monica Bay ... same place I swim  ... and how come I'm not swimming with you?! probably because you do it at some yuck-crack hour with those crazy LA Tri Club people ...

Chris might go a little further south, but GWs are in the water all along the Pacific Coast.

What she said.  ^^^^^  And no, I am not up early with them.  Although I did swim once at sunrise down in Torrance beach last summer, it was against all the rules but it was freaking beautiful!

Couple years ago some yahoo caught a great white (smallish, I think 4 or 5 feet) off the Manhattan Beach Pier.  Took a pic of it and got it in the local paper.  Then promptly got arrested as they are federally protected species. 

That's the same pier we round every Sunday morning Spring - Fall on our LA tri club OWS.

Poor guy its a bit scary.

I still believe though that with tri swims, big swims etc,  there is so much movement, boats water safety etc  that sharks would not be venturing anywhere near that amount of movement etc. 

(that is my theory and it keeps me happy open water swimming so not willing to let anyone disprove it )

I'm way over on the other side of Aust, but over christmas a guy was taken by a shark over here,  we had a tri scheduled 200m's up the beach a few weeks later.  there were a few extra boats out there patrolling the water and the course was changed slightly but it still went ahead.  obviously theres a difference that was open water and the guy yesterday was in the actual harbour.

interesting to note though this year there has been a big increase in shark sightings,  I was speaking to a fisheries research guy over here who was saying his theory was that this summer (australia wide) has been unusual weatherwise.  apparently over this side of the coast the snapper did not spawn at the usual time, (sept, oct,nov) but were spawning later hence the sharks were in closer feeding. so more spottings.  Not too sure how accurate that is but its interesting all the same.

anyway i'm rambling on and probably not really answering the original question,  I'd still be happy to get in and swim in teh sydney harbour for a swim.  But then I am more worried abou being knocked of my bike by a car then eaten by a shark!

There used to be a massive OWS event in Sydney harbour every March that I wanted to do but I cant find any reference to it online this year...

Would I still do it... yup! We get all sorts of wildlife in the harbour at different times of year like Penguins and we've had whales there too... if they can swim in sharks can too.. they just generally seem to chose not to!

Not surprising with all the boat traffic etc that some wildlife would chose to stay away... I have a bit of a fear of sharks but its never ever once stopped me from hopping in the water! I know the odds... an the odds are in my favour!

There has only been ONE OWS event in the Sydney area cancelled due to a shark threat in the last few years that Im aware of which was a 10k swim a couple of years ago... the shorter versions 1k and 2k of the same event went ahead... I do like the logic dont look like a seal (wetsuit) and dont be the slowest!