Why Sharks Hate The 80′s
One of the most common questions people ask me as a diver is, ‘Aren’t you scared of sharks?’ My answer? Yes and No.
This is especially true these days, as overfishing increases the sharks search for food in shallower waters. With our coastal culture, Australia is obviously going to have an increase in attacks, but I believe there are ways to lower the rate.
For divers, the comfort is in that a sharks eyes are towards the top of their head, and a diver swims below. (This possibly accounts for more surfer fatalities.) But in this scenario, the fear is not in the shark itself, but the predator between you and the surface, topped with a pulsing heart and a quickly depleting tank. But then I thought, is there an increase in attacks for other reasons that we have just failed to see amidst the horror? And for this reason I say,
“Bring back the fluro!!”
Black is the new… well… black! Everything is black (with the exception of increasingly sexist pink fins and regs for women) and the thing about black is, it is very seal-like. So, why do we insist on imitating one of the sharks favourite meals? Yes black is slimming, sexy, guaranteed to all co-ordinate, doesn’t fade etc. So how come I find such appeal in the old 80′s clips of divers in bright pink and green (and yellow and blue) ensembles! Even earlier in fact, is vintage retro diving at its best…
… How is that not the BEST thing you have ever seen in your life??
So embrace the fluro! You may leave the 80′s nappy style crotch tab horror though, nobody wants to see those EVER again. But bright colours, fandangled suits and clashing palletes is what I want. For the simple reason that in the marine world some fluro colouring means ‘poison’ and I’ve never seen a hot pink seal. So go get your fluro on.
(Photo credit – Asian Diver Issue 1/2009.)