# Dive Watches Attracting Sharks



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Doing a spot of snorkeling/diving in the Red sea September and wanted to test out my recent watch purchase (Omega PO). Thing is, i've just read on the net that there is a risk in wearing a dive watch as the reflections from the metal can attract sharks! Now I know there are sharks around the Sharm area of the Red Sea and don't particularly fancy coming across any sharks attracted to me by my watch!! Is there a great deal of truth in this, or do I really need to seriously think about not wearing it!?

Any help much appreciated!

Regards

Arty


----------



## Ironpants (Jul 1, 2005)

I thought sharks found their prey, in order of distance, by chemicals in the water then by the electrical activity of your muscles then by sight. So if there are sharks near you they would approach to investigate you to see if you might be food, watch or no watch







.

I think it is other hunters Barracuda etc who might mistake the flash of a watch for a passing fish.

If you come back minus your left hande we'll know I was wrong







.

Toby


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

And minus a 2 grand watch!!!!


----------



## SharkBike (Apr 15, 2005)

I agree with Toby. We humans smell like s#*t to sharks, and the bubbles and noise we make when diving messes with their sonar and stuff. Plus, they seem to know we taste like s#*t too.

Even if I'm wrong, who's afraid of sharks anyway? They _rarely _attack humans, and the rush you get from being in the water with them is awesome.


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

Well, I for one am!! I'm not a total wuss or anything, but I don't mind admitting that i'd probably sh*t myself if I saw one!!! I know that they very very rarely attack humans, but as an animal, they are unpredictable by nature and can always cause a lot of mess which I can't say I fancy too much. I do know that a bloke was killed snorkeling a few metres off the edge a couple of years ago in Sharm and would just like to know before I get there and I go jumping in all gung ho and regretting it!

Arty


----------



## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

arty11 said:


> Doing a spot of snorkeling/diving in the Red sea September and wanted to test out my recent watch purchase (Omega PO). Thing is, i've just read on the net that there is a risk in wearing a dive watch as the reflections from the metal can attract sharks! Now I know there are sharks around the Sharm area of the Red Sea and don't particularly fancy coming across any sharks attracted to me by my watch!! Is there a great deal of truth in this, or do I really need to seriously think about not wearing it!?
> 
> Any help much appreciated!
> 
> ...


Ive been diving in Sharm each year for the last 4 years, never seen a shark, they are very very rare there, its the Moray eels and Lion fish you should worry about more!!, but seriously respect the wildlife and touch nothing and you will be fine...

Think about all the other shiny bits youll be wearing, glass mask, regulator, first stage, bright coloured fins / suit / hoses guages etc, and a 12ltr tank on your back, spewing bubbles, you will also be with 20 other divers from your boat, and likely to be moored alongside 5-10 other boats all with similar numbers of divers diving ( it might be a bit better in September actually) ...Your watch will be the last thing that attracts a shark...I wish you luck in seeing one even, they are magnificent animals in their own habitat....

Dive watches dont attract sharks.....


----------



## Alas (Jun 18, 2006)

Ironpants said:


> I think it is other hunters Barracuda etc who might mistake the flash of a watch for a passing fish.
> 
> Toby


Yep - I would always be more concerned with the Barracuda than sharks. The reason for that of course could be the 2" missing circle of flesh on my leg that made a nice mouthful for a passing barra one day. A local told me I must have frightened it







not half as much as it did me & the wife. I came out the water onto the boat like Flipper. No steps or ladders required.









The following year I ended up with over a foot worth of jellyfish tentacle wrapped round my leg. Afterwards it looked as if I had a purple rope wrapped round my leg with the swelling. Must admit jellyfish are the only things that worry me now when in the water.


----------



## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

SharkBike said:


> Even if I'm wrong, who's afraid of sharks anyway? They _rarely _attack humans, and the rush you get from being in the water with them is awesome.


WHO LET THIS GUY IN HERE?
































Best regards.....from a shark free thames estuary David


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

& people wonder why I don`t agree with this whole idea of going back in to the sea


----------



## SharkBike (Apr 15, 2005)

I'll try to scan some photos of my shark dives in The Bahamas...big fun. Dozens and dozens of 'em swimming all around your head while a guy in the middle with chain mesh on his arms feeds 'em fish parts with a stick.

Here's a link to the guys I go with. Go  here to see some short promo videos.

I highly recommend everyone try it at least once.


----------



## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

SharkBike said:


> I'll try to scan some photos of my shark dives in The Bahamas...big fun. Dozens and dozens of 'em swimming all around your head while a guy in the middle with chain mesh on his arms feeds 'em fish parts with a stick.
> 
> Here's a link to the guys I go with. Go  here to see some short promo videos.
> 
> I highly recommend everyone try it at least once.


Yeah brings back memories









Back in the last century (err... '99), hadn't been diving for a while. Divemaster parks up the boat, peers over the side, says "Well look at that" - so we look, and see a bunch of big b*gger sharks swimming around (well, they looked big to me). Naturally I assumed we'd be poodling off to another location but nah, in we went with the sage advice "keep your arms by your sides & don't try to stroke them"










I'll try to get a clip of my video up in a bit...


----------



## dave993cars (Aug 12, 2005)

Hi People

Having just qualified this year on Holiday to open water dive in the Maldives (with my full lume Citizen 200 diver) I can agree the sharks didn't bother me but the Moray Eels were very scary, find some photos.





































Great sport









Dave S


----------



## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

Hopefully this is just a short clip:

Diving With Sharks

Great pix by the way Dave!


----------



## tranber70 (Mar 24, 2007)

I heard that it depends on yur band...

A sharck band seems risky...









Bertrand


----------



## jcalka (Jan 6, 2007)

Here I am, white T-shirt, diving with my wife and black-tip reef sharks about thirteen years ago in Tahiti. At that time I wore a TAG F1, with SS bracelet, all brushed - still have my hand. Now I usually dive with a Casio Frogman, but have various dive watches. I have a Breitling SuperOcean, and was always told that I shouldn't dive with it around Barracuda - they like shinny...only heard that in reference to Barracuda.


----------



## SharkBike (Apr 15, 2005)

Morays can indeed be menacing and Barracuda LOVE to mess with your head....but the Jewfish (now called Giant Grouper to be politically correct







) are truly frightening. They are the size of a sofa, hang around in packs inside wrecks, and are very territorial. I've had 'em chase my ass and steal fish right off my spear shaft.

I've heard the Navy Seals list them as one of the most dangerous of all sea creatures.


----------



## SharkBike (Apr 15, 2005)

These were taken with one of those cheap throw-away cameras, so they kinda suck, but you get the idea.

That's me taunting the sharks in the first pic. Have no idea what watch I was wearing at the time...something cheap, no doubt, so it wouldn't get stolen by any local "land sharks".


----------



## SharkBike (Apr 15, 2005)

A few more...




























Supper time...yummy yummy.


----------



## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

Jeez, is everyone crazy?







All you need is a giant squid to drag the boat under! People used to avoid stuff like this.

Later,

William


----------



## SharkBike (Apr 15, 2005)

William_Wilson said:


> Jeez, is everyone crazy?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


"If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane." - Jimmy Buffett


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

SharkBike said:


> William_Wilson said:
> 
> 
> > Jeez, is everyone crazy?
> ...


Totally `Loony Toons` the lot of ya
















Great photos though


----------



## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Great photos all, I also did a fantastic shark dive in the Bahamas a few years ago, it was amazing.....

We also encountered them during 'normal' dives i.e without bait balls....Superb stuff..


----------



## mart broad (May 24, 2005)

"Dive Watches Attracting Sharks"

So you have been checking out E Bay then.









Martin


----------



## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

dave993cars said:


> Having just qualified this year on Holiday to open water dive in the Maldives (with my full lume Citizen 200 diver) I can agree the sharks didn't bother me but the Moray Eels were very scary, find some photos.


We're just back last night from Hudhuran Fushi - where did you go?

We saw three divers getting into trouble - sort of puts you off. They were about 500 yards offshore having dived from the jetty and caught in a strange current. Two novices and one professional. A local went out to get them but Maldivian speed isn't very fast.

The only sharks we saw were small black tips and the photo below shows how close them come to you and to the shore.










They were off fast when they saw you but one came within about three feet before it saw my toes.










We saw one Moray (from dry land) right at the jetty - simply hadn't thought about them before and it made you very cautious snorkelling near jetties and rocks.

The dolphins were great - travelling at speed they would hurt if they bumped into you. They visited the surfers one day



















Saw a sea snake but didn't have the camera handy at the time.


----------



## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

Fab pics - especially that last shot


----------



## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

arty11 said:


> Thing is, i've just read on the net that there is a risk in wearing a dive watch as the reflections from the metal can attract sharks! Now I know there are sharks around the Sharm area of the Red Sea and don't particularly fancy coming across any sharks attracted to me by my watch!! Is there a great deal of truth in this, or do I really need to seriously think about not wearing it!?


Fish are generally attracted to shiny things but doesn't mean they will attack it. Put a larger disc of tin foil on your other wrist and then the watch will be ok









I guess sharks use more than just sight to find food. They might see the watch but probably realise quite quickly that its not food


----------



## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

langtoftlad said:


> Fab pics - especially that last shot


Thanks, just one of many I took. Need a faster memory card to save a sequence quicker


----------



## ditchdiger (Jun 23, 2007)

well i was thinking of getting a diving watch

not so sure now will i be safe down the local pub with it?









those are some great pics by the way


----------



## dave993cars (Aug 12, 2005)

Robert said:


> dave993cars said:
> 
> 
> > Having just qualified this year on Holiday to open water dive in the Maldives (with my full lume Citizen 200 diver) I can agree the sharks didn't bother me but the Moray Eels were very scary, find some photos.
> ...


Robert

We were at Club faru on the north Atoll about 20 min from Male, great holiday.









Dave S


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

It seems Sharks aren`t the only creatures you should be worried about when going into the water









v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v


----------



## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

The "Lesser Spotted Siberian *Tiger* Shark" perhaps







???


----------



## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

Just a harmless catfish


----------



## arty11 (Jan 15, 2007)

http://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-a-Shark-Attac

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/isaf/color.htm

Just incase you all thought I was taking the p*ss! These were some of the things that made me ask my original question!


----------



## pugster (Nov 22, 2004)

what are ppl worried about here ? having a shark come close or maybe losing a favourite watch in an attack


----------



## Guest (Jul 16, 2007)

Use 710 as







destraction


----------

