A recent shark attack off the coast of nearby Tobago got me thinking about the shark deterrent device we've been successfully using for over a decade, the Ocean Guardian Shark Shield. It is scientifically proven to repel sharks and yet outside of Australia very few people know about it.
This review of the Shark Shield is going to run you through how it repels sharks, what types of shark repellent devices Ocean Guardian sell and my thoughts after using the Ocean Guardian Freedom 7 for years. We'll also touch on a cheaper alternative, Sharkbanz.
CONTENTS:
Who are Ocean Guardian?
Ocean Guardian is an Australian company that's been selling electronic shark repellent devices powered by their Shark Shield Technology since 2001. Their devices are independently and scientifically proven, and some Australian states give a consumer rebate to people who purchase one.
Fast facts on Ocean Guardian
Backed by peer-reviewed research papers
Australian owned and designed
Featured by Forbes, National Geographic & Discovery Channel among others
How Shark Shield Technology works
The Shark Shield Technology takes advantage of the natural physiology of a shark to deter it away from the person wearing the device.
It is not harmful to sharks
No impact on other marine life
Inside a sharks snout they have short-range electrical receptors called "Ampullae of Lorenzi". These receptors help them find food.
The Shark Shield Technology has two electrodes that when submerged in water create a 3D electrical field around the area. This electrical field causes the shark to have muscle spasms in it's nose when it comes within a few meters of the field, which is extremely uncomfortable. That discomfort repels the shark without causing any damage.
Fish and other sea life don't have Ampullae of Lorenzi so experience little to no effect from this form of shark deterrent technology - while wearing mine I've swum with fish, dolphins and seals!
Devices available from Ocean Guardian
Ocean Guardian have fitted their Shark Shield Technology into a range of devices that are suited to different ocean purposes.
Freedom Series | Personal Device
The Freedom series is the original design sold by Ocean Guardian, with the latest model being the Freedom7. It's the personal shark deterrent system that we have aboard our Leopard 45 catamaran, having used this device for years while spearfishing off the coast of Western Australia - more on that later!
Scuba Series | Personal Device
Currently on the Scuba7, the scuba series was designed for scuba divers who didn't want to have the long tail that's on the Freedom devices. It's rated to a depth of 50m and has 6-7 hours of battery operating time.
Freedom+ Surf | Personal Device
Designed for surfers, the Freedom+ Surf range has stand along units as well as a short and long shark repellent surfboards that comes with the device inbuilt and were designed in collaboration with Tom Carroll and Ocean & Earth.
Ocean Guardian eSPEAR | Personal Device
The eSPEAR is a hand held shark repelling device for diving, snorkelling and spearfishing. It's lightweight and has a trigger activated extendable baton that starts the electrical field.
Boat Series | Longer Range Device
The Boat series of devices is a long range shark repellent inside of a buoy. The buoy can be floated off the side of the boat, protecting the swimming area around the vessel. They are currently selling the second version, Boat02.
Fish Series | Longer Range Device
The Fish device hangs under your boat and ensures there's no last minute shark tax on your catch. They're now on the second version of this model as well, the Fish02.
LR1000 Shark Barrier | Barrier Device
The Ocean Guardian LR1000 Shark Barrier is essentially a shark barrier net powered by Shark Shield Technology. It underwent testing in South Africa, an area known for great white sharks, and is now being installed in locations around the world. The hope is that is will eventually phase out drum lines and traditional shark nets, which often lead to the deaths of sharks and other non-target species
Ocean Guardian Freedom 7 review
First a bit of context, we're originally from Western Australia which is an area of the world with some of the larger and more aggressive shark species, including tiger sharks, bull sharks and great white sharks. We've always enjoyed spear fishing but the nature of where we were and what we were doing led us to research effective shark deterrents. We found the Ocean Guardian Freedom 7.
In Western Australia the state government offers a consumer rebate on this device as a way of preventing shark attacks. It was done in place of often lethal methods like drum lines. We used ours for many years off the coast and in that time had first hand experiences that proved the product's efficacy.
Spearfishing in Greenhead
After a day of spearfishing in Greenhead we climbed up on the rocks, put the catch bags down and turned off our Shark Shield Freedom 7 devices. Within 60 seconds of doing this, a Wobbegong carpet shark launched itself onto the rock and tried to get at the fish in the catch bag. These sharks are generally not harmful to humans but it shows how quickly things changed when the device went off. Greenhead is an area which has experienced fatal shark attacks in the past so it's not an areas without risk.
Spearfishing in Port Gregory
While spearfishing outside a barrier reef near Port Gregory, Trent noticed a huge tiger shark swimming outside the range of the Shark Shield. It turned towards and away from him a few times. Curious, he turned the shield off for a second; the shark started coming straight for him. He turned it back on and it turned away. This video is very similar to what he experienced.
Swimming with the Ocean Guardian Freedom7
Wearing the Freedom7 is quite comfortable but you need to be aware of where your electrode tail is and the electrode tails of anyone you're swimming with. While the electrodes aren't harmful, if one comes in contact with you it does make your muscles contract like a strong TENS machine.
Care and warranty support
We always wash our Shark Shield devices with fresh water as soon as we've finished using them and store them dry, without any kinks or sharp bends in the tail. Seals are kept lubricated and we always check them thoroughly before heading out for a dive. Trent's Shark Shield Freedom7 is over 10 years old now and still going. Mine is at least 8 years old but recently broke; if we can't fix it I have a spare one aboard our Leopard 45 catamaran that's ready to be commissioned.
To date we've not had a warranty issue with an Ocean Guardian product so can't comment on their customer service. We had no problem with any of the devices we originally purchased and hope that stays the same for the new ones we have as spares.
Sharkbanz - A cheaper alternative
Sharkbanz use magnetic technology to target the Ampullae of Lorenzi, the same receptors impacted by the Ocean Guardian devices. They only have a range of 1-2 meters, which is smaller than the range of the Shark Shield Technology, so some people may have to wear one on their wrist and one on their ankle.
Personally we have not used Sharkbanz but there have been third-party studies from marine biologists to suggest they can be an effective deterrent, and the Western Australian government is conducting research on them.
Unlike the Ocean Guardian products, the personal shark deterrent wrist bands from Sharkbanz are suitable for kids, designed for people aged 5 and up. They're also cheaper per unit.
Shark repellent FAQ's
Here's the answers to a few other questions you might have about shark repelling devices.
Do shark shields actually work?
Some shark shields or shark repellent devices work and some don't, it just depends on the device and the science behind it. We use the Ocean Guardian devices with their patented Shark Shield Technology because they are independently tested and scientifically proven to work.
Is there are a shark repellent spray?
Some companies sell shark repellent sprays or liquids that they claim repel sharks, but for many of these the idea behind development is to minimise shark bycatch in the fishing industry, rather than to protect swimming from shark attacks. If you're looking for a personal shark deterrent, you're better off with a technical device.
This post features Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, if you use the link to make your purchase we make a commission. It's just a simple and free way you can support the channel.
Commentaires