As a shooter that spends a lot of time around sharks, I was recently given a HECS suit to play with.
HECS stands for Human Energy Concealment Systems. The wetsuit (designed by HECS LLC and manufactured at this point by Xcel) masks up to 90% of electromagnetic fields emanating from the human body.
Sharks are able to detect even very small electromagnetic fields. They use EM fields to find prey when they are in turbid water or when their desired food is hiding under the sand.
I test drove the suit on my last Tiger Beach Expedition. I thought it would help me get close to shy sharks but at Tiger Beach thats never the problem.
When I was amid scores of reef, tiger and lemon sharks it was more important to keep the sharks calm.
The HECS wetsuit seemed to offer a slight edge over my regular suit. When I positioned myself right next to the bait crates it felt like the sharks were paying me less attention than they have on previous trips.
It could be a case of me seeing what I wanted to see rather than what actually occurred but it certainly felt like the sharks were very relaxed around me.
Its a subjective measurement of course and it wasn't helped by me waiving around chunks of fish in order to keep the sharks interested in our little group. But, it seemed to be effective and whether it worked or not, I have a slick looking and very comfortable new suit :)
Thanks to Jack Polanen for this video of me shark diving in the HECS suit. Judge for yourselves!
Andy Murch
Trip Leader / CEO at Big Fish Expeditions
Creator of the Elasmodiver Shark and Ray Database
