Sharkskin

[Glenbow]

SHARK SKIN RESEARCH COULD REDUCE AIRPLANE DRAG BY 30 PERCENT

It may seem obvious that the surface of an airplane should be as smooth as possible to minimize aerodynamic drag, but that's not really the case. A bit of roughness can break up the boundary layer and improve efficiency. Sharks, with skin formed of rough scales called denticles, can slip through the water at speeds of up to 60 mph with minimal drag. This week, The Lindbergh Foundation awarded a grant to Dr. Amy Lang, at the University of Alabama, to study whether the surface texture on the skin of fast-swimming sharks, capable of bristling their scales when in pursuit of prey, could be mimicked and used to reduce the drag on aircraft. "If we can successfully show there is a significant effect, future applications to reduce drag of aircraft and underwater vehicles could be possible," said Lang. The technology has the potential to increase aerodynamic efficiency up to 30 percent, with savings of billions of dollars and substantial reductions in fuel burn and emissions.

 

This is an article I found on an aviation news website - those guys at SA must be on to something.

[admin]

It makes sense. look at gold balls. If it weren't for the dimples, players would only get about 2/3 of the distance they can now. Thanks for posting the info Glen. Very interesting.

[Guest bigbadbrent]

also keeps it on top of the water better, as it has less surface area....less line stick, gonna be saaaaaaaweet

[Weedy1]

I hear sharkskin line is quite noisy. Just how much more "noisy" than a regular line is it? Brent???

[Guest bigbadbrent]

They're correct, it shreaks through the guides...

 

is manageable for sure, but its quite noticeably noisy, especially compared to any other line.

 

its worth it.

[Weedy1]

They're correct, it shreaks through the guides...

 

is manageable for sure, but its quite noticeably noisy, especially compared to any other line.

 

its worth it.

 

 

Would it piss the guy off next to you on a lake or stream that's trying to enjoy the peacefulness of the outdoors? (Or is this the rap type of fishing line?)

[headscan]

Would it piss the guy off next to you on a lake or stream that's trying to enjoy the peacefulness of the outdoors? (Or is this the rap type of fishing line?)

 

You can hear what it sounds like here:

http://www.feather-craft.com/2007FL.asp (Scroll to the bottom of the page for the video)

[Weedy1]

Thanks Headscan.

 

I don't know, after listening to the video it probably wouldn't be bad where there's some background noise but I wouldn't want to be parked next to a guy listening to that whining noise on a lake all day. I do find the technology interesting though.

[Brownstone]

cool line for sure .. dunno about the noise though .. have to be tougher on eyes

[Guest bigbadbrent]

I dunno if it would be tougher on the guides, i'll ask around

[lethfisher]

I dunno if it would be tougher on the guides, i'll ask around

 

On the SA site it talkes about the friction on the guides, heres what it says:

 

Q. This line has to wear out guides?

A. The real question is - does the Sharkskin™ wear out guides more than a normal line? All lines wear out guides. In our standard laboratory tests we did not notice any wear on the guides. We expected wear to be less since it is the same material with less surface contact area. In fact, we have seen no wear even with about a million cycles on our durability testing equipment. We are continuing long term tests on guide wear of standard lines versus Sharkskin™ lines.

[headscan]

I would think the guides will wear the texture off the line long before the line wears the guides. I have heard that if you're going to be using Sharkskin for streamers you should wear a glove or tape your fingers otherwise you'll end up with some nice burns from stripping the line back in.

 

One thing about this line that I haven't seen mentioned very often is that it's extremely supple - almost soft. My GPX line stays on the spool easily when I take it off the reel. I had to put a rubber band over the Sharkskin spool when it isn't on the reel or else it starts unraveling. Very little (if any) memory on this line.

[hydropsyche]

I would think the guides will wear the texture off the line long before the line wears the guides. I have heard that if you're going to be using Sharkskin for streamers you should wear a glove or tape your fingers otherwise you'll end up with some nice burns from stripping the line back in.

 

Even if you aren't fishing streamers, what about when you catch a bruiser and you're trying to control the run while you're getting it on your reel? I use finger pressure for that.

 

And if it does that to your hand, its got to be harder on the guides. I don't buy SA's answer. Sandpaper has less surface contact area then plain paper.

[Lundvike]

also keeps it on top of the water better, as it has less surface area....less line stick, gonna be saaaaaaaweet

 

I would guess that it actually has more surface area and that reason it doesn't "stick" to the water is because it breaks the surface tension due to the roughness.

[headscan]

Even if you aren't fishing streamers, what about when you catch a bruiser and you're trying to control the run while you're getting it on your reel? I use finger pressure for that.

 

And if it does that to your hand, its got to be harder on the guides. I don't buy SA's answer. Sandpaper has less surface contact area then plain paper.

 

I don't think you can really compare sandpaper (grit) to plain paper...

 

Sharkskin is a new concept. Some people will buy it and others won't, which is why some people still fish split cane rods rather than graphite. Only time will tell if the line has any long term effects on your guides. I'm willing to test it

[lonefisher]

I'm not sure I see the need for the sharkskin but I can see it being a handy big water line....... if the pickup and casting is that much easier and longer then it would likely be a great when you want that little bit extra...... might be a great bow river line...... but I don't think that it would be my choice for the majority of my fishing as anything under 60 feet is pretty reachable with current lines. I will have to get one though to try it out. I heard lots of people didn't like the ridgeline because of noise and other reasons but my ridgeline is only a tiny tiny bit louder through my guides and all in all I like the line just fine. I find I have a bit of a line fetish actually just got a loop stillwater line, getting a new SA DT trout taper or 2 for next season as well as a clear intermediate a new 40 plus fast sink tip and have the 120' SA ED line on my xmas list. Then theres the gamut of spey lines I need(want) for next year......... I think this fishin thing is a sickness......... Any new word on the tapers they will be adding the sharkskin tech to BBB?

[Guest bigbadbrent]

 

 

* Longer head for optimum combination of distance and control

* Long front taper for smooth delivery at any range

* Works like a DT in close, excels at distance too

* Excellent for roll casting, mending and long pick-ups

 

 

that is their current one, it is more of a GPX taper mixed with their Mastery Trout taper, but not either one exactly..

 

its their ultimate trout taper, i think they got it right

 

Call around and see if any shops have any reels rigged up with it, and go give it a shot, you wont regret it.

[dino]

Oh my! Whats next Sharkskin waders??

 

Seriously though, I wonder what has been done different to the core? Stiffness? As well as running line diameter?

SA is pretty secretive on these details, RIO however.....

 

Great marketing on SA's part.

 

Dean

[Rick]

Well actually.... "Sharkskin" waders are already a thing of the past. My first pair of breathables were called Sharkskin and made by Bare. They were very very poor quality and I only used them for a year and had Bare repair them twice in that year. Rick.