SHARK MONITORING SYSTEM
Conditions look marvelous for Surfski this Saturday; hardly any wind and small waves. This Saturday is going to be a great day for paddling.

The Shark Story:
Understandably there is some apprehension because of last week's fatal shark attack. Last week I made a solemn promise that we will never jeopordise your safety and that we will be doing our utmost to guarentee it.

Before telling you the plan I must remind you that in reality, if you have successfully made to Fish Hoek beach alive you are already well ahead of the stats. You have way more chance of "moving on" on your way to SSS than you have of something happening in the water at SSS.

However, here is how we plan to manage your safety in the water:

1. Dedicated Lookout: We will be placing our own "Shark Watcher" on the mountainside. There are already shark watchers posted on the mountainside above Fish Hoek beach, but for the duration of the Surfkischool sessions we will be adding to their efforts and have someone watching the Surfskischool only. We will be in contact with them via cellphone and will continually check that the "coast is clear".

2. More Shark Shields: We will add 2 additional shark shields behind the backline and have a roving shield on the safety kayak. You already know that we routinely place 2 shark shields on the backline. We will be bolstering that by adding another 2 shields and also have a roving shield on our safety kayak which will attempt to be close to anyone who is swimming next to their ski.

3. Adherence to Protocol: Should the RED flag or SHARK flag be up we will not be going into the water until an all clear signal is received from the Shark Spotters. Below is how the flag system works:
A Green Flag means visibility for the spotters is good and no sharks have been seen.
A Black Flag means visibility for the spotters is poor, but no sharks have been seen.
A Red Flag means that a shark has been seen recently, but is no longer visible to the spotters. A White Flag with a Black Shark, along with a loud siren, means a shark has been sighted and you should leave the water calmly, but immediately.

I hope that the above measures we are taking will be suffcient enough for you to continue to come paddling on Fish Hoek beach. We'll see you there?