Kayak Color and sharks...

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by deepdvr

This pic is the NorCal dude that almost got chomped this past August. So much for the shark shield pattern on the yak.

This is the classic example of someone taking an idea they do not understand and using it in a way that it actually achieves the opposite effect of what they are going for.

The idea behind the concept that patterns would deter sharks is that a pattern breaks up the silhouette of the object involved, minimizing it's contrast with the surrounding environment like camouflage. From that basic concept some people took that all patterns deter sharks and started painting zebra stripes on their surfboards. Now those black zebra stripes on white surfboards are not a terrible idea as they make some sense because in the water the white turns to light blue and the black to dark blue and to the shark that looks like rippling surface water, but the stripes really should go all the way to the edge for them to be effective.

This guy took the zebra stripes and went a step further, and painted high contrast black bars on his Yum Yum yellow yak.

In order to break up the silhouette first the pattern needs to go all the way to the edges and second it part of the pattern has to blend in to the environment the yak is in. His pattern does neither. It instead looks like some high contrast road side sign, that's there to alert a driver to danger.

Don't paint that pattern on your kayak.



Warning signs are yellow and black for a reason it's to make them stand out and be more visible to the eye. His stripes rather then make his kayak less visible to sharks just make it more visible and therefore more interesting to sharks. So essentially his stripes made it even more attractive to sharks, which might well be a factor in why it was attacked.

Once again it's the Yum Yum yellow factor.

Like I said sharks are attracted by bright colors, and contrast and though bright colors may not be as likely to trigger a hunting type of attack from a deep shark they are far more likely to trigger investigative behavior or scavenging behavior where a shark that is already swimming near the surface comes up and chews on your yak, just to see if it's something edible. Sharks are opportunistic and will eat other things that they do not hunt down. Just like a good looking babe draws your attention when walking by that high contrast pattern on that yak caught that sharks eye and made it worthy of investigation.

This may seem wild or new but it's not. People have been fishing small boats in the ocean for thousands of years and it's always been traditional to paint hulls white aqua or blue. I bet you money that centuries ago local fisherman in shark infested waters figured out that white or blue hulls were less attractive to sharks then bright colored ones and that is why that tradition exists.

Before rotomolded kayaks most commercially available kayaks had white hulls. For instance I bought a Altura Kevlar yak that I'm going to put a hobie drive into. It's yellow and a non traditional shape but it has a traditional white hull like all their traditional touring yaks

That is actually the very kayak I now own, nice but I'll probably eventually camo that bottom as well.

As to your stripe guy...If he wanted to make his yellow yak less interesting to sharks all he had to do is paint the bottom white or blue. The last thing he should of done is put high contrast stripes on it because that's like a high contrast invitation for trouble.

Just my take...


Jim

[deepdvr]

Originally Posted by Jim Day

As to your stripe guy...If he wanted to make his yellow yak less interesting to sharks all he had to do is paint the bottom white or blue. The last thing he should of done is put high contrast stripes on it because that's like a high contrast invitation for trouble.

Just my take...


Jim

I think we all know we are fishing in the taxman's backyard. As you said before, its a numbers game and somebody's number will come up eventually. I really don't buy into all this color/pattern nonsense.....unless you enjoy sitting on a ridiculous looking yak.

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by deepdvr

I think we all know we are fishing in the taxman's backyard. As you said before, its a numbers game and somebody's number will come up eventually. I really don't buy into all this color/pattern nonsense.....unless you enjoy sitting on a ridiculous looking yak.

I used to know a old guy that only fished two colors of lures: white lures and black lures. He used white lures on sunny days, and black lures on cloudy days, and he was a hell of a fisherman, and caught a lot of fish.

One day we were talking about it and he said essentially what you said: I really don't buy into all this color/pattern nonsense. If a fish wants to eat a lure it's going to eat it.

My take was fair enough, I mean whatever works for you. That said at the risk of looking ridiculous I'll stick to the blue and white irons and the sardine and mackerel patterned lures, the zukini and mean joe green colored feathers and marlin jigs, and all those other lure patterns I like to use and have had success with because between you and I and the rest of the internet world...... I really do think when it comes to what fish and sharks are attracted to, color does in fact make a difference.

More then one way to skin a catfish though... and to each their own.

Jim

[wiredantz]

Proverb:

The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.



I don't doubt Jim words. I could just imagine how a red kayak looks under the water. It probably looks like a handicap seal that is bleeding. (because the light will disperse the red in the water and makes it look attractive) So the attraction is there.

and i also believe that we are in the worng places at the wrong time.

time and unforeseen circumstance will befall us all.


This being the case, taking extra steps to protect one self is not a bad idea and these shark infested waters. Especially if you tend to go out by yourself like i do.

[Iceman]

So who is packin' heat?

[Ed]

Originally Posted by wiredantz

I could just imagine how a red kayak looks under the water. It probably looks like a handicap seal that is bleeding. (because the light will disperse the red in the water and makes it look attractive) So the attraction is there.

When I dive under and look back up at my yak all I see is a dark silhouette against the sky. Can't even make out the color. Just sayin........

[wiredantz]

Originally Posted by Ed

When I dive under and look back up at my yak all I see is a dark silhouette against the sky. Can't even make out the color. Just sayin........

Well, i could be wrong. lol


I just used a glass of water and put in a red plastic coated pen and it made the water look red.

So i would just say in the right conditions it would probably disperse the color red in the immediate water surrounding the kayak.

[dos ballenas]

In Southern California we only have to worry about Great whites for the most part. Unfortunately socal is home to a large number of immature and juvenile GWS. Fortunately, when they are small these sharks are mostly fish eaters.

That being said, if the young ones are born and grow up here then the mammal eating mothers must also be here. This may cause some concern, but if you run the numbers, the probability of getting attacked by a shark on a kayak is very, very, very low. How many shark attacks have you heard of in socal? Compare that to how many people go swimming, surfing, kayaking, etc.. everyday in socal. Of course the chances go up if you spend more time OTW. Not to mention that GWS populations are slowly growing.

If you're worried about sharks, then you might as well stay home and never leave your house. Its more dangerous crossing the street to get a donut. I'm personally more worried about the 16 year old that just got their drivers license...

That being said, shark avoidance is a great idea... but then you have to think about why and when most shark attacks occur... Most of the time shark attacks are a case of mistaken identity.... most of the time they occur in murky water with low visibility. Most of the time GWS are ambush predators. So how visible is a kayak, or the color of a kayak, in dark, dirty water? Good question.

In regards to color preference when using irons or jigs IMO: color matters, but the action or way the jig swims is more important. The action is a combination of the jigs shape, and the fishermens presentation. Many people say size doesn't matter... whats important is how you use it. IMO, I think size, color, and action all are important. But they are not equally important.

The only shark attack I can think of that occured in socal was a case of mistaken identity in low visibility water which leads me to believe that the shark was keyed in on the action of the swimmer and not their color...

The fact is that GWS are all around us all the time. If they wanted to eat humans they wouldn't have any problem doing so.

Just go fish... you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.

[wiredantz]

Originally Posted by dos ballenas

In Southern California we only have to worry about Great whites for the most part. Unfortunately socal is home to a large number of immature and juvenile GWS. Fortunately, when they are small these sharks are mostly fish eaters.

That being said, if the young ones are born and grow up here then the mammal eating mothers must also be here. This may cause some concern, but if you run the numbers, the probability of getting attacked by a shark on a kayak is very, very, very low. How many shark attacks have you heard of in socal? Compare that to how many people go swimming, surfing, kayaking, etc.. everyday in socal. Of course the chances go up if you spend more time OTW. Not to mention that GWS populations are slowly growing.

If you're worried about sharks, then you might as well stay home and never leave your house. Its more dangerous crossing the street to get a donut. I'm personally more worried about the 16 year old that just got their drivers license...

That being said, shark avoidance is a great idea... but then you have to think about why and when most shark attacks occur... Most of the time shark attacks are a case of mistaken identity.... most of the time they occur in murky water with low visibility. Most of the time GWS are ambush predators. So how visible is a kayak, or the color of a kayak, in dark, dirty water? Good question.

In regards to color preference when using irons or jigs IMO: color matters, but the action or way the jig swims is more important. The action is a combination of the jigs shape, and the fishermens presentation. Many people say size doesn't matter... whats important is how you use it. IMO, I think size, color, and action all are important. But they are not equally important.

The only shark attack I can think of that occured in socal was a case of mistaken identity in low visibility water which leads me to believe that the shark was keyed in on the action of the swimmer and not their color...

The fact is that GWS are all around us all the time. If they wanted to eat humans they wouldn't have any problem doing so.

Just go fish... you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.

Yes, it is a very very low chance. you are more likely to get in a car accident and probably the same percentage as getting struck by lightning.

Just like we have to drive to work and put on our seatbelts and just as we make sure we carry a spare tire. This is just like going into lion territory, you just want to play your cards right.

No doubt all of us love to be on the water, thats why we are all here. Some of us just like to take more precautions than others. Some of us drive a huge Hummer while other drive a smart car. How protected are you?

If someone wants to be camoflauged, while other want to go in a bright red suit. To each his own.


I had a red tandem for a long time and never got bothered. Was I more of a target that another color, i don't know. Do i want to find out? no...

[Hunter (The 80's Man)]

So, what's the protocol if you do have an encounter with one of these sharks? If you have one nosing around your yak, is it one of those things where you don't make eye contact? Do you stare him down? Do I raise my arms and yell to try and seem bigger than I am? Or, maybe since I'll be crapping my pants, I can just throw it at him like a monkey in a zoo. Seriously, if you can poke him with a paddle, do you do that? What do you do????

[maui jim]

It's there world , were only passing thru.............

[maui jim]

Well said.. Ive seen sharks twice in30 years of surfing Oside and Santa Barbara, its there world and im passing through.
Ihave also been in close contact with bears and a Mountain Lion while hunting in deep woods and forests. And I dont like being stalked either way, but being in the outdoors there is no betta life, So enjoy it before you get too old. No ka oi.

[tacmik]

always thought that sharks were color blind, only saw in black and white. Or was that my dog? Also as to the color red, thought that that was the first color to go in the spectrum in the water.

[Sheephead]

My buddy listens to house music via portable speaker and see's a shark every outing. Don't listen to music and you'll almost never see one.