I was more talking about wearing a 5/4 in general. I've never even put one on. I wear a shortie a few weeks a year and boardies besides that. All that rubber shows some real dedication. My ass can't handle when it gets below 65 outside.
Yeah.. gotcha. Btw, I went to a forum on sharks the other night, specifically for surfers, where the regional GW expert (Dr. Greg Skomal) presented the data, etc. From the charts he presented, the numbers ramp up significantly July through October/November on the Outer Cape. Once the water gets colder, they leave until next summer. It appears they come here to feed (i.e., Cape Cod is a 5-star seal restaurant for them), then go elsewhere to mate, breed, whatever. He was hesitant to state how the numbers have increased in recent years until he finishes his current run of data analysis. But I personally would suggest from the increase in sightings, pings*, and human encounters, anecdotes, the numbers have increased in recent years. Although the transponder/tag pings will be increased due to the greater number of sharks tagged every year, so that needs to be factored in. One thing for sure, next summer I personally would be very cautious, and will consider the acquisition of a device (Shark Shield by Ocean Guardian -- also presented at the meeting) that creates an electric field around your bort, that repels the sharks due to the sensitivity in their snout. I may start another thread with info from the meeting and links (i.e., if they post a video of the presentations). In addition to the shark expert and shark shield product presentations, they were also promoting "Stop the Bleed" training, which would be a useful life skill. It was very informative. Winter surfing on Cape has never looked better … More later..
Great treadde ya'll - we know better than most about real life behavior from real life shark encounters. I was doing an ocean mile swim last Sunday, clear water and overhead sun, and on the way back down the beach I started seeing schools of juvenile pompano with the trailers still on their fins swimming by gracefully, but no pods of mullet or even a stray tarpon. As I was warming down and kinda doing a slow breast stroke coming to rest, a school of small jacks swam past me quite energetically. I looked behind me to see what they were running from, and a 5 foot reef shark saw me look at it and it took a 90 degree turn out to some deeper water. Mostly they don't want to eat our bony bland tasting flesh (we must taste like stale potato chips compared to a juicy tuna or a seal). Tiger sharks and bull sharks will eat anything if they are hungry, and they are very unpredictable, some being in rogue mode. Like women LOL Just my 2 pesos
Id be interested in what data on that guardian had besides the usual vague ”repels sharks” that usually means nuts. I know they are working on imitating the signals sent when a white shark is in distress/getting hurt or killed - like that one that got hit down off Guadalupe island by the orca and all the big sharks in the area hit the high road when it happened. That may be something but until then, it’s just be wary and smart about where you surf I guess. I was alone all afternoon today in the great forecast that wasn’t but man there was all kinds of stuff hunting around including several large swirls outside the break(what break there was lol) and I just kept seeing kyles little jokey joke picture - ha frikken ha Kyle. I still surfed though MoFo!!!
I think only tiger and bull sharks see us as food. Whitey is just curious, but an investigatory bite can kill.
I've had close encounters with both Tigers and a Bull while fucking around. I thought the bull shark was a manatee and went to check it out, and it swam away. The Tigers (yes more than one) swam past me as I was checking them out whilst snorkeling *, thought they were big rays until I saw one go by it took him seconds it seemed like days to pass by as he eyeballed me holy fuck! there were no stripes so they weren't lit up so they must have just ate and were like nah, he's too skinny to pick my teeth with but I almost shart me britches when I got to the beach no lie. My wife saved me once from a lemon attack while I was swimming along the beach in Vero behind Waldo's - Lemon sharks are gnarly and cousins (mackerel sharks) of GWs and they sometimes come up close to shore during periods of offshore winds that last a few days and produce upwellings, as they are typically deep water denizens. She got my attention by yelling and jumping up and down, and I got out before Lemon MonMon and I met. She said the fin was olive colored and big. Thank God I have the Mermaids on my side. Now that I am reminiscing, I remember once I did the same for her *, but the fin had stripes on it, and of course she ignored me so I had to wade out and calmly get her to calmly get the fuck out. Tiger was not hungry at the moment, but was lit up, but she is a mermaid so maybe its professional courtesy or karma. I don't eat shark, don't wear their teeth as jewelry, or have their jaw hanging from my pickem up truck rearview, and they don't mess with me, it's a nice deal so far.... * happened on Singer Island - best not to go there to swimme, but if you want to surf there this winter PM me, trending el nino could make it great againne
Someday someone is gonna figure out that the best & most intelligent solution is to train orcas to patrol the coastal beaches. Not kiddn I mean, seriously, they are very close to the human virus in terms of intelligence. They protect their own, they rule the seas. There's never been an orca attack on humans. They are truly extended family to we the sheeple. Train them to keep the sharks away. Sharks go elsewhere, orcas get fed a lot & get a lotta luv & the sheeple get to surf & swim in peace.
SIsdogg.. this reminds me of one thing the researcher mentioned the other night, that they appreciate the information they get from surfers and other watermen, as it is yet another data point on shark behavior, and encouraged the surf community to reach out to them (via email, etc.) with information from encounter's and other observations.
George Burgess at Univ of Florida has great data on actual bites https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/
I remember when our daughter was maybe 6 years old, my wife and I took her to see Free Willy. After the movie, in the lobby, some old lady was telling her grandkids, who all just watched the movie with her, that she was taking them all to Sea World soon. My daughter, all of 6, just looked at my wife and I with a WTF? look in her eyes, who are these dummies? look only a little kid can throw. It was awesome.
National Geographic article just published and popped up in my news feed. Some of the same info, but a decent read: https://relay.nationalgeographic.co...s/2018/11/wild-returns-cape-cod-shark-attacks
Talked to an older guy at a local surf shop today looking at some gear and we got to talking breaks - he’s all over but surfs a bit on Cape Shark. Was surfing end of October down on coastguards and described the following: Floating outside break on longboard, glassy and waistish perfect for cruising. Had been over an hour. No sitings, or anything else... but still wary. Looks to his right to see what’s coming for swell, turns back to center and right beside him practically still, is at least a 12-13’ white. Right at the surface. He says he judged it by his 10’6” board. Fin literally brushing up against his knee. The dam thing just decided to come up and brush against him to say “Hi stupid!” And slid away about 20 feet, did a lazy turn and came by to brush him again! He said he didn’t kick or grab because he was frozen and couldn’t move. Mr Grey just swam away and he paddled in as soon as he could and said he pissed himself. Poor guy was sort of shaking when he told me this and he said he would still surf but never without seeing that in his head and he would never surf the Cape again. I found myself wondering how I’d react and there isn’t an answer really. I’d be terrified, that’s all I do know. Don’t think the guy was lying I can tell you that, and all fall we would hear things about people getting bumped all the time down there now. Crazy.
One late night, was driving to get to a surf spot by first light, had to take a leak so I parked off on the side of the road and could hear the surf so went to check it out. Waves looked good only problem was 10,000 seals sleeping on the beach. Walking back to the car thinking, hope those seals aren't on the other beach that I want to surf. A friend was sleeping in the car, woke him up and jokingly said "get suited up cause we're here." When he got to the beach and saw the 10,000 seals he freaked, I called him a wussy boy and was taunting him to paddle out, we got in a Big Fight about dark water, seals and sharks until I fell down laughing in the sand. I think he kicked me.
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article224117535.html Dude needs a new board but not new feet, so all in all, a pretty good outcome.
yeah, nope. go to wellfleet every October and the more I hear about this sheet the less likely I will be to every bring a bort down with me surfing coast guard to me just sounds insane...I believe that's where all the seals congregate, so extra nope ccdog, share whatever info you get on the repellents when you get/find it...your buddies are beginning to vacation up here more frequently according to various apps
Sitting in line up, and a 6' whitey shows up between me and a friend. Obviously my friend gets a wave and yells to me - SHARK! The shark came to the surface, did a half circle around me and was never seen again. It was about 4' away from me, too close for comfort but I know the juveniles are not a big deal compared to the big mamma whites.
Yeah, juveniles don't eat to feed their growing bodies. You should have just reached out and petted him/her.
