Sharkbanz: The Wearable Shark Deterrent
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Sharkbanz: The Wearable Shark Deterrent

Here at Forte, we get to review some pretty cool things, from music, movies, and comics to pretty much, well, everything. Every once in awhile, though, something comes across the desk that leaves us scratching our heads. Not in a bad way – more of a “how come no one has ever thought of this before?” kind of way!

Sharkbanz is a nifty invention from the brains of co-founders Nathan and David Garrison. After spending years surfing in murky waters, wondering what lurks beneath them and reef diving with sharks, they came up with the Sharkbanz concept. The idea was to create a more secure, effective type of deterrent against the large, chomp-happy predators they share the ocean waters with.

Collaborating with marine biologists, they looked for a technological solution to satiate their desire for extra security and peace of mind. They’ve been open about their overall goal, stating that they aim to “develop simple, effective and affordable strategies to reduce the risk of a shark bite – providing peace of mind and protection to every beachgoer, swimmer and surfer around the world while also promoting marine conservation and education.”

The result from this collaboration and extensive research was the titular Sharkbanz, which uses a patented magnetic technology developed and refined by the marine biologists to deter the predatory denizens of the deep.

The idea is that the powerful, permanent magnets within the bands can overload the sharks’ electroreception, which is the ability that sharks use in murky and dark water to navigate and find their prey. While using this capability the sharks are looking for small electromagnetic indicators, e.g. heartbeats, muscle movements, etc. from their prey. By using the powerful magnets within the bands, the marine biologists have created a strong electromagnetic presence that is far larger than anything the shark will have ever encountered within its natural habit. This will create highly unpleasant feedback for the shark and convince it that the wearer of the Sharkbanz is not prey.

Because this technology uses inbuilt magnets, an especially cool feature is that the field will always be active, and the contents of the band will never require recharging or battery changes.
Sharkbanz has already made a name for itself as a key item for many beachgoers as their Instagram and website boasts a range of high complimentary testimonials and reviews with an outstanding 4.8 out of 5-star rating.

While I hope to never actually need the band, if you are like me and would like a little bit of extra peace of mind (as well as a sense of protection) as you step out into the murky waters, this product is a simple and effective way to reduce the risk of a shark encounter.

Visit www.sharkbanz.com.au/

Written by Adrian Aloi