Ocean Guardian is the manufacturer of devices that use Shark Shield Technology. The Ocean Guardian electronic devices create an electromagnetic field to deter shark attacks and are used by surfers, scuba divers, snorkelers, spearfishers, ocean kayak fishers, swimming areas off boats and for ocean fishing. It is considered one of the few electrical devices on the market that has performed independent trials to determine the effectiveness at deterring shark attacks, Whilst it is noted the Shark Shield Technology does not work in all situations, new modelling research from Flinders University states that the proper use of personal electronic deterrents is an effective way to prevent future deaths and injuries, it is estimated that these devices can save up to 1063 Australian lives along the coastline over the next 50 years. History The original wave-form used in the shark repelling technology was devised by three inventors, Graeme Charter, Sherman Ripley, and Norman Starkey, and released in 1995 by POD Holdings Ltd, a joint venture company partly owned by the Natal Sharks Board and the South African government. In the late 1990s the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board developed the first electrical shark deterrent, the SharkPOD (protective oceanic device or simply POD). In 2001, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board ceased distribution of the SharkPOD. All rights to the intellectual property were licensed to a South Australian-based company, SeaChange Technology Holdings, which developed various new application patents resulting in a commercial product line under the brand name Shark Shield in April 2002. In 2007, Shark Shield introduced the third generation of products to replace the original FREEDOM4 and DIVE01, expanding the range of products offered to include the SCUBA7 (replaced the DIVE01) and introducing two new designs: the FREEDOM7 (replaced the FREEDOM4), a versatile option that can be used by a broad range of ocean-users, including scuba divers, spearfishers, boaters, and kayakers; and the SURF7, designed to be fitted onto a surfboard or stand-up paddleboard to offer surfers protection from sharks. The Shark Shield Technology was further developed by the Australian company SeaChange Technology Holdings Pty Ltd, and commercialized by its trading company Shark Shield Pty Ltd established in October 2006. SeaChange Technology Holdings Pty Ltd changed its name to Ocean Guardian Holdings Limited in 2018 with Shark Shield Pty Ltd trading as Ocean Guardian. In 2016, with research and development funding from the Western Australian government, Ocean Guardian announced the FREEDOM+ Surf a product designed