International Shark Attack File ("ISAF") 2007 Report

[JDoe]

http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/

2007 Totals:

• 71 Attacks
• 1 Death

Compare that to:

• 37 Americans died from vending machines from 1977-1995
• 385 U.S. and Canadian hunters were accidentally killed by other hunters from 2000 to 2005
• An average of 130-140 people die each year from Deer (includes car accidents)

[NateSmith]

This proves why it's safer to dive than drive.

[JDoe]

Originally Posted by NateSmith

This proves why it's safer to dive than drive.

Especially when I am on the road, just don't be in front of me and you will be okay. I got my license put on probation this year for too many accidents, I was suppose to get a suspended license but my lawyer helped me out of that.

[Mike Eberhardt]

Originally Posted by FJHIII

Especially when I am on the road, just don't be in front of me and you will be okay. I got my license put on probation this year for too many accidents, I was suppose to get a suspended license but my lawyer helped me out of that.

I wish you had told me that before I hitched a ride on the sled of your jet-ski!

J/k, I guess beggars can't be choosers

~Mike

[JDoe]

Originally Posted by Mike Eberhardt

I wish you had told me that before I hitched a ride on the sled of your jet-ski!

J/k, I guess beggars can't be choosers

~Mike

Hey, WTF! JK

Get this, if I get a speeding ticket on my ski or car, then I get my drivers license yanked for a year.

[Tino Bernazzani]

The best part about that study was that Divers made up 3% of all attacks. Thats a pretty small number when compared to surfing or just wadding in the water.
http://www.underwatertimes.com/news....id=70810693514

[Trimbandit]

Originally Posted by Tino Bernazzani

The best part about that study was that Divers made up 3% of all attacks. Thats a pretty small number when compared to surfing or just wadding in the water.
http://www.underwatertimes.com/news....id=70810693514

That's true Tino, however I would guess that diving makes up way less then 3% of water activities. So I would suspect your chances are actually much higher diving than say wading in the water.

[apneanaut]

This one's my favorite:

– The New England Journal of Medicine reported that from 1990 to 2006, there were 16 deaths on American beaches caused by digging sandholes till the sand collapsed, smothering the digger. ISAF counted a dozen U.S. shark deaths in the same period. Clearly, you’d be safer in the water, with the sharks, than you are in your own sandhole.

[JDoe]

Originally Posted by apneanaut

This one's my favorite:

– The New England Journal of Medicine reported that from 1990 to 2006, there were 16 deaths on American beaches caused by digging sandholes till the sand collapsed, smothering the digger. ISAF counted a dozen U.S. shark deaths in the same period. Clearly, you’d be safer in the water, with the sharks, than you are in your own sandhole.

I forgot about that one. It was a tie for me between that one and the vending machine.

[abachar]

Originally Posted by FJHIII

I forgot about that one. It was a tie for me between that one and the vending machine.

Ha! I was shaking the crap out a vending machine this morning trying to get my m&ms and one of my students recited this study or something to its effect offering to give me some quarters to buy another. A couple more shakes and it was out and I am alive. Whew!

I wonder however, if you take into account the ratio of people participating to deaths? I would imaging that would change the perceived inherent risk. Regardless, I feel safer in and under the water diving, as opposed to floating on the surface on the edge of a reef surfing.

[j-mar]

That's good piece of mind for those of us who have been diving for a while. And I think a lot of this can be attributed to the fact that divers are good about shark safety.

The only thing I would caution, though, is that for new divers they need to be aware of the risks involved. I mean on the one hand it helps to get new people into the sport by telling them no worries about the sharks, but on the other hand you've got to keep them aware that much of this is because we reduce the risk by educating ourselves and diving safely.

Just want new spearos to know that it's through education and diving safely that our sport can be safe, especially when you compare it to some of these other statistics. If you don't know what you are doing you greatly increase the risk of being attacked by a shark or worse.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by ab10hunter

I wonder however, if you take into account the ratio of people participating to deaths?

Good observation. I don't claim to be an expert, but misuse of statistical figures to prove a point is my pet peeve.

But who knew vending machines were so dangerous?

[thereefgeek]

Originally Posted by santiago

misuse of statistical figures to prove a point is my pet peeve.

Originally Posted by grouperdude

sad yes but 3 sharks die every second

Hmmmmm, 259,200 sharks killed per day, 9,460,800 per year. Granted, I've seen a lot of "fining" of sharks on T.V. by foreign commercial fishing fleets and it disgusts me, but statistics seem to be like bad rumors and fish storys; they get bigger every time they're repeated.

[OCEAN'S ORACLE]

which ones the vending machine one? please post

[JDoe]

Originally Posted by OCEAN'S ORACLE

which ones the vending machine one? please post

Read the first post.