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| Shark Shield's Spectacular Failure |
 Attached to a surfboard, the Shark Shield surf model emits an electronic field that will repel sharks. "Nobody wearing a Shark Shield has ever been attacked by a shark," Rod Hartley, director of Sea Change Technology, manufacturers of the Shark Shield, told the Australian News.
"There is no doubt whatsoever that it does not attract sharks," Hartley added.
Attached to a float with bait for a demonstration and trial in South Africa, a Shark Shield was turned on. Soon after, a 12 foot female shark approached the device and bit into it.
Hartley blamed the spectacular failure of the product on a problem with electrode configuration. A disclaimer was added to the packaging of the Shark Shield noting that it would only repel sharks when the surf board was still while waiting for a wave, not when in motion.
"The surf product only can be guaranteed to work when it's stationary, not when it's surfing in the wave or paddling," Hartley said.
When turned on and working properly, the $715 dollar electrode system sends out electromagnetic waves that are supposed to cause muscle spasms in sharks from a distance of 16 to 26 feet. Tiny pores in the noses of sharks, highly sensitive to electromagnetic waves, will detect the field being generated and, according to Shark Shield, it will give the shark the feeling that it is listening to speakers turned all of the way up.
Many surfers say that they use the system but haven't noticed any changes in shark behavior and, some say, the sharks seemed to become more interested in people wearing the system.
At in inquest into the death of Jarod Stehbens, killed by a shark while wearing two Shark Shields, the notion that the Shark Shield in fact attracts sharks was one of the many points of the court.
On their website, Shark Shield now notes, "However, it must be remembered that all sharks are dangerous and unpredictable creatures, and therefore a 100% guarantee cannot be given. It is impossible to guarantee that all sharks will be deterred under all circumstances."
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