Surfing is one of those contradictory sports that’s associated with a chilled-out stoner vibe, but actually involves a fair amount of athleticism and coordination.

Unlike field sports, it also plays out in an arena characterised by rip tides, giant waves, and sharks.

To make the surfer-shark relationship a little easier, people have started trying to invent things like ‘shark-proof’ wetsuits.

Do they work? Maybe. Are they super pricey? Definitely.

Before you break the bank buying shark armour, though, you should look into this simple, but clever little innovation by Australian surfer Shanan Worrall, founder of Shark Eyes.

Here’s Business Insider:

Surfers are sticking large eyes on the bottom of their surfboards to deter sharks from attacking them, as more and more sharks are sighted off the coast of the US.

The technique is one of several, listed by the Wall Street Journal, being used by surfers to stay safe from attacks, which are still extremely rare but can be fatal.

Great whites are ambush predators, and researchers believe that they are less likely to attack if they believe they have been seen – hence the eyes.

You can buy eyes from Shark Eyes – two large stickers that you apply to the bottom of your board:

 

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Effectively separate your space in the water from shark’s space in the water. The SHARK EYES visual shark deterrent is available now on decals for your #surfboard, #sup #foilboard, #bodyboard and dive tank, rash guards for #diving, #snorkeling and #oceanswimming and dive mask strap covers. Order yours at sharkeyesusa.com

A post shared by Shark Eyes USA (@sharkeyesusa) on Feb 5, 2019 at 6:47pm PST

The idea originates from surfer safety studies, and studies done on animals that have developed eye-shaped markings to fend off predators.

Seals should probably get on that evolutionary train. Watch this video if you want a ‘drone-eye-view’ of what happens in a seal versus shark showdown.

Another safety device, Ocean Guardian’s SharkShield device, emits a electrical field is meant to trigger spasms in a shark’s electrical receptors if it gets within range.

The manufactures of Shark Eyes and SharkShield stress that there is no fail-safe defense against a shark attack.

One surfer, A.J. Salerno, told the Wall Street Journal: “We’ve been bullied out of the water by the sharks”.

The ocean is their home, buddy.

Show some respect.

[source:businessinsider]