The Newest Australian Invention : a Shark-Proof Wetsuit

The Newest Australian Invention : a Shark-Proof Wetsuit

Researchers from the University of Western Australia have created a shark-proof wetsuit that is meant to keep sharks off you while surfing, swimming or diving. Unfortunately, the suit is not made of some magical fiber that can resist sharp teeth but relies on optic illusion. Since surfers get attacked by sharks mainly because they look like tasty seals in their regular wetsuits, the best way to avoid that is to change the way the sharks see them. The newly invented suit has either black and white stripes that will make surfers look like a poisonous prey to the sharks and thus warn them to stay away; the other type of suit is basically blue, meant for swimmers and divers, and its embellishment makes the wearer look invisible in the water to the colour-blinded sharks. The suit costs $500 and has been on sale for less than a couple of weeks so it’s too early to judge its effectiveness but here’s hoping.

I'm glad we got our priorities in order. Phew!

Oh look! A Zebra Cake with fleshy legs! OM NOM NOM

reply to post by WonderBoi


Wonder what kind of 'prey' they had in mind with the black and white stripes???

It would be neat if it worked but as the article stated, 'here's hoping'.

reply to post by WonderBoi


Maybe big wave guru Greg Noll was onto something beyond just cool style...

reply to post by WonderBoi


Does the buyer get any guarantee with this suit? I would hate for someone to think they could surf without any worries and than all of a sudden have a leg bit off. A possible future law suit against the maker?

Originally posted by WeRpeons
reply to post by WonderBoi

 

Does the buyer get any guarantee with this suit? I would hate for someone to think they could surf without any worries and than all of a sudden have a leg bit off. A possible future law suit against the maker?

Doubtful. It's in Australia, not the US. People don't generally need a warning for common sense anywhere but America.

Ive got a much more effective method of protection..dont swim in killer shark infested waters! Ill guarentee its 100% fool proof.

Now they will just be mistaken for a Zebra by a Salty...Bad Place that Australia.

Originally posted by superman2012

Originally posted by WeRpeons
reply to post by WonderBoi

 

Does the buyer get any guarantee with this suit? I would hate for someone to think they could surf without any worries and than all of a sudden have a leg bit off. A possible future law suit against the maker?

Doubtful. It's in Australia, not the US.

People don't generally need a warning for common sense anywhere but America.

Could not be more true!

On topic....this is really going to make determining who competitors are in a competition a bit harder now.....

Seems like a plausible idea. Sharkproof is a misnomer; shark deterrent might be more applicable. Kind of surprised no one had thought of this earlier. It resembles the early ship camouflage used during WWI.

I had high hopes the Ozzies had rediscovered the secret of Mithril.
Capable of stopping orc blades or tridents carelessly tossed by stray trolls.

On the flipside there's a new surfboard pattern that resembles baby seals swimming.
The perfect gift for that annoying surfer son-in-law you never wanted.

I'm not a marine expert but don't sharks mainly use receptors in their noses and other parts to hunt for prey, so the splashing around when a surfer is paddling and kicking will still give off the sign of something swimming in the water. I could be wrong but are shark eyes not all that good so changing colours won't change anything .. Like I said I may be wrong

Originally posted by PhoenixOD
Ive got a much more effective method of protection..dont swim in killer shark infested waters! Ill guarentee its 100% fool proof.

You've never heard of a Sharknado or Ghost Shark.

You are destined to be eaten by a shark no matter what!

In the old 1970's documentary film about some lunatics searching for Great White Sharks "Blue Water, White Death" Valerie Taylor wore a chain-mail wet suit, and let a little blue shark bite her forearm---still left a mark and some blood in the water. With a big shark biting, she would have been in multiple pieces, but still inside her chain-mail outfit.

Speaking for myself as both a scuba diver and a surfer I am not wearing that ugly thing. Maybe the one that is all blue but hell for $500 I doubt it.

I would rather have this

www.sharkshield.com...

www.sharkshield.com...