Question: Wetsuit color & shark attack?

chilly wrote:
> Well, actually, I've heard yellow referred to as "yummy, yummy
> yellow", as in shark's seem to be attracted to it.

Didn't AdeG, under his 'Buster Lung' alter ego, attribute
the line "They taste of rubber and the yellow things on
their backs make you fart" to sharks.

....or something like that.

See! I do remember something from that magazine!

nigelH

"boatlover" <boatlover1971@yahoo.com.hk> wrote in message
news:bmm5n2$2aci$1@news.hgc.com.hk...
> Hi everybody,
>
> I just wonder if there is any relation between
wetsuit
> color & shark attacks? Somebody told me black is perfect while others said
> yellow is best cause sharks can't figure out what you are and wouldn't
> recognize you as a seal. Does anybody has any suggestion on this? I
couldn't
> find any information on this. Thank you.
>
Shark attacks on scuba divers are very, very rare in a world where shark
attacks on people are very rare.
Anything you hear will be of an anecdotal nature because nobody knows.

Sharks use a variety of ways to find and attack their prey including sight,
sound, smell and electrical currents.
The final attack many sharks make is probably based on locating the meal by
it's electrical signal.

This *may* be one of the reasons why we are not attacked much. With dive
gear on we frequently are a weak battery (two dissimilar metals in an acidic
solution) The idea is that we look a lot bigger than we are.
The trip to the water is far more likely to cause problems than a shark is.
So is the sea urchin you didn't see.

Nigel Hewitt <news@REMOVETHISnigelhewitt.net> spluttered indignantly:
>chilly wrote:
>
>Didn't AdeG, under his 'Buster Lung' alter ego, attribute
>the line "They taste of rubber and the yellow things on
>their backs make you fart" to sharks.

If he did, Larson (and possibly others ) beat him to it.

Pete


--
__________________________________________________ __________________
Pete Young pete@antipope.org Remove dot. to reply
"Just another crouton, floating on the bouillabaisse of life"

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks...es/clothes.htm

One of a few studies available.

Forest Aten


"boatlover" <boatlover1971@yahoo.com.hk> wrote in message
news:bmm5n2$2aci$1@news.hgc.com.hk...
> Hi everybody,
>
> I just wonder if there is any relation between
wetsuit
> color & shark attacks? Somebody told me black is perfect while others said
> yellow is best cause sharks can't figure out what you are and wouldn't
> recognize you as a seal. Does anybody has any suggestion on this? I
couldn't
> find any information on this. Thank you.
>
> Casey
>
>

On 16 Oct 2003 09:26:45 -0700, de Valois <devalois@nailedandused.com> wrote:


>I think the funeral was about two weeks after he posted that here. I think it
>was a pink suit he was wearing.

I wear a red wetsuit and a pink stab jacket, (don't ask why, but it was going cheap) and I have
never been bitten by a shark.
--
New Computer Help forum at
www.lincolncomputerclub.info
--

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 19:47:07 +0100, dixit Derek Dear
<derek.dear@ntlworld.com>:

>I wear a red wetsuit and a pink stab jacket, (don't ask why, but it was going cheap) and I have
>never been bitten by a shark.

You think you're lucky...

I wear a _nice_ yellow Weezle in winter, set off by a _nice_ black DUI
drysuit. I used to wear a yellow (non-knitted) twinset, but I have
since sold the lumps off for a _nice_ yellow box, which suits me fine.
When teaching, I use a _nice_ faded off-yellow Buddy Commando (nod to
the Wookie) and a grin.

Not so much as a nibble...

--
ferret "He leads me beside quiet waters ICQ 163264
He restores my soul" - Ps 23:2
"Follow, lead or get off the shotline"
Make spammers pay... use CruelMail

boatlover <boatlover1971@yahoo.com.hk> wrote:
> I just wonder if there is any relation between wetsuit
>color & shark attacks? Somebody told me black is perfect while others said
>yellow is best cause sharks can't figure out what you are and wouldn't
>recognize you as a seal. Does anybody has any suggestion on this? I couldn't
>find any information on this. Thank you.

Someone never heard of "yumm yumm yellow," apparently.

The worst color after black

and blue, and pink, and green.

(The most dangerous color is whatever is being worn by the newbie
diver in front of you)

--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

Thanks for your info., Forest.


"Forest Aten" <forestaten@comcast.net> ¦b¶l¥ó
news:CgAjb.293451$mp.232272@rwcrnsc51.ops.asp.att. net ¤¤¼¶¼g...
> http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks...es/clothes.htm
>
> One of a few studies available.
>
> Forest Aten
>
>
> "boatlover" <boatlover1971@yahoo.com.hk> wrote in message
> news:bmm5n2$2aci$1@news.hgc.com.hk...
> > Hi everybody,
> >
> > I just wonder if there is any relation between
> wetsuit
> > color & shark attacks? Somebody told me black is perfect while others
said
> > yellow is best cause sharks can't figure out what you are and wouldn't
> > recognize you as a seal. Does anybody has any suggestion on this? I
> couldn't
> > find any information on this. Thank you.
> >
> > Casey
> >
> >
>
>

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 22:18:03 +0100, ferret <ferret@cruelmail.com>
scribbled:

>On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 19:47:07 +0100, dixit Derek Dear
><derek.dear@ntlworld.com>:
>
>>I wear a red wetsuit and a pink stab jacket, (don't ask why, but it was going cheap) and I have
>>never been bitten by a shark.
>
>You think you're lucky...
>
>I wear a _nice_ yellow Weezle in winter, set off by a _nice_ black DUI
>drysuit. I used to wear a yellow (non-knitted) twinset, but I have
>since sold the lumps off for a _nice_ yellow box, which suits me fine.
>When teaching, I use a _nice_ faded off-yellow Buddy Commando (nod to
>the Wookie) and a grin.
>
>Not so much as a nibble...

I dive in a black and yellow drysuit and never had any problems.

Not that there's many sharks in Stoney - but the vrayfish are grumpy
little buggers! :)

Dom

---
Dominic LeGros
There are only two ways to deal with bearaucrats...
Stealth and sudden violence
Boutro Boutros Gali

In uk.rec.scuba boatlover <boatlover1971@yahoo.com.hk> wrote:

> I just wonder if there is any relation between wetsuit
> color & shark attacks? Somebody told me black is perfect while others said
> yellow is best cause sharks can't figure out what you are and wouldn't
> recognize you as a seal. Does anybody has any suggestion on this? I couldn't
> find any information on this. Thank you.

I have heard that contrasting colours are easiest for sharks to see so the
colour of the wet suit isn't too much of an issue as long as it doesn't
contrast with your other kit.

Probably the biggest factor with shark attach is where you are diving and
what sharks are around you. For example, if you are surface swimming
through the surf zone then a great white may mistake you for a seal but
in open water it is very unlikely to attack you are it can clearly see
that you aren't one. Likewise a grey reef shark is only likely to attack
you if you are in its territory, on your own and ignore its warning
display and a nurse shark is only likely to attack if you are silly
enough to kneel on it or attack it in some way.

To put shark attacks in perspective with a quick, silly statistic...
approximately 25 people are attacked globally every year but 250
are killed annually by falling coconuts. This makes the humble
coconut is 10 times more deadly than the average shark.

I wouldn't worry too much about your wetsuit's colour.... you are
probably more likely to kill yourself putting it on that it leading
to a shark attack

Nick