New Gadget Keeps Sharks Away the Smart Way

What will you do if you went out for a swim and were told that sharks are attacking the area quite regularly? Do you act like a chicken and run back home or do you act overly manly and try to tango with the sharks? We would suggest you do neither.
Instead we would direct you in another direction which is smarter and obviously science related. Get this wearable tech and make use of electrical punches to fend off any sharks which might be coming your way.

The rising issue of sharks around Hawaii Island of Maui has resulted in boosting up sales for this gadget which basically sends an electrical pulse in water and helps keep the sharks away. The gadget is known as Electronic Shark Defense System or ESDS and it is becoming quite popular on the island. In fact, they have become so famous that the demand has exceeded supply as told by Dennis O’Donnell who owns Hawaiian Island Surf and Sport; ‘They just cannot make these things fast enough.’

The idea is to strap the device on user’s ankle and have the gadget turned on. The rest is left up to the gadget which takes care of it all. The price range is $399-$649. The gadget, ESDS, comes from a long time Honolulu surfer Wilson Vinano Junior.

Sharks hunt and prey by picking up weak bio-electric fields which are given off by a living tissue. The gadget aims at disrupting this field and hence, sending the shark away. According to the designer; ‘What our product does is shock and thus interrupts a shark.’ The gadget measures 2×2 inches and weighs almost 200 grams. The design allows for it to be attached onto the surfboard leash but can be worn by the user as well. Until now, it has been tested on about 30-40 sharks which measured 6-11 feet in length. The gadget is accompanied by a built in battery which is capable of running for about 9 hours and is capable of being charged like a mobile phone.

Christine Ambrosino is a researcher who says; ‘As the shark swims toward it, it’s like punching them in the face with a cattle prod.’ Although the extent to which this gadget works is still not quite clear yet and many speculate that it might not be good enough to hold back the bigger sharks, we would still commend this peculiar gadget and how it has been executed. For those of you who are being too skeptical, Dan Peters visited Maui and said that while hearing about shark attacks did concern him, it wasn’t good enough to keep him away from the ocean and further added that he is aware of the fact that they are not out there looking for him specifically and that’s all the assurance he needs!
Would you trust this gadget on your next surfing trip?