I decided, after kiting yesterday, than when I'm in the ocean I won't wear polarized sunglasses....

I swear I saw something under me yesterday, I know the whale are coming through and the pacific white sides are coming through. There are always sea lions...but with the seals washing up with bites, I'm PRETTY sure this was a shark.

The fish were jumping anywhere I was in the waves, the water was warm, I didn't have a wetsuit on....

And then I caught something out of the corner of my eye, I looked dead at it, It was moving slowing to the north, seemed to be in about 10ft of water maybe 6 ft long about 200ft from shore. BUT I RODE RIGHT BEHIND IT,

SO I DECIDED I'LL LEAVE THE POLARIZED LENSES IN THE TRUCK FROM NOW ON. I DON'T WANT TO KNOW DON'T CARE AND WOULD RATHER NOT SEE ANYTHING UNDER THE SURFACE UNLESS I'M SCUBA!

Tastes like Chicken!

THIS MAKES ME WANT TO POOP!

there is a vid out now of this , in Florida it jumped an twisted right by two completely unaware surfers.

That's scary. That's one of the reasons I stick with bay side. It always scares me that I don't know what's down there......

I know, call me a chicken

Holy O.O WOW that would definitely scare the CRAP outta me. Thank God nothing happened man! :o

I got slammed by an 8 foot reef shark while surfing about 8 years ago in Hawaii. Fortunately, it grabbed my board and not my arm (I was paddling in at the time). Its nose was about 8 inches away from my face when it hit. Definitely got my attention.

I've seen sharks of all sizes while kiting Hawaii. Personally, I'd rather see it than not see it. Might give me a moment to either do something ( move, defend myself, pray? ). Here on the OBX the water is too mirky to see much, so I'm pretty much on the alert all the time.

BTW, there was a shark attack here on Saturday...

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Originally posted by bigkahuna BTW, there was a shark attack here on Saturday...

Damn how did that turn out?

yeah man, can't describe the gut feeling I had, and bigger sharks in cooler water lower the odds of gettin hit, but a kid I wend to high school with was nailed in the leg three years ago during the winter surf season here. he recovered and was fine! But it was a 10ft great white in 50 degree water. The attack was in large surf during a storm....wierd.

It pretty amazing how many locals have scars from sharks here.

BigKahuna: I can't imagine getting blasted off a board by a shark....Does anyone you know use any of the shark deterant devices????

I was talking to a guy who was diving for tropical fish, he said a hammer head started to circle him, when it came at him he dumpes his "dope, something he uses to get fish to pass out" and it took off the other way, but he said it was definently coming for him.

It might be a good idea to see them, day before yesterday I had good winds outside, and off shore winds inside, so after my session I had to swim all my gear in about a quarter mile through the surf zone, same thing, fish jumping all around me and I felt vibed, I just kept my head down and swam as gracefully as I could carrying my kite and board behind me..

What a stress to be on alert for sharks 24/7...I'm aware of them but want to trust the stats.

Of heard of Maikos whites and blues at the oregon coast, small 4ft sharks wash up all the time...

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BTW, there was a shark attack here on Saturday... Damn how did that turn out?

She was wading in about knee deep water at about 7:30 pm when a small shark grabbed her foot. It tore some flesh and ligaments but she's going to be fine.

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I can't imagine getting blasted off a board by a shark....Does anyone you know use any of the shark deterant devices????

Nope, never seen anyone use any of those. I think sharks are a bit more predictable back in Hawaii than they are here in the OBX. I did a quick search of past shark attacks and there doesn't seem to be any pattern to them. Some are in shallow water, some in deep. Some in the early/late hours of the day, others in the middle of the day. Plus the water here tends to be pretty murky if the wind has been blowing, which just puts me on guard anyways.

I know I've gone over some big something or others when I make it out past the breakers. ALways makes ya wonder.... THen again, caught some decent sized sharks now and then on the 'ol rod and reel at the same spot. If it's salt water, there is stuff living in it you might not wanna know about.

I worry more about stepping on a sting ray than sharks... or at least in the Gulf.

I worry about the occasional submerged attached tree here where I am at. The reservoirs here are fill and drain things and a tree while body dragging would be very bad, then there is the idiot with the tossed out car body, barbed wire or a rapella 4 treble hook lure... "That big of a kite kite is dangerous, you have to have a permit" they say,rapella 4 treble hook lures are not? (i say)

I think it is time for me to relocate. :flaming:


Good you are writing about your vision!

Jerry

Eli - is this the same place you say "Sure, come on down for lessons! We'll get you riding!"

Eat or be eaten perhaps? Who knows, maybe it's a good teaching model:singing:

Everybodys gotta eat somebody,it might as well be YOU!

kiters that wipe out will be eaten..... no pressure though..... relax...... they only eat fish........

Speaking of critters that live beneath the sea, I was kiting here last month when I saw what looked like lots of large brown "spots" just below the surface as I was cruising by. A couple minutes later I learned what the "spots" were... -stingrays-. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of them, all going the same direction with maybe a foot or so between them and only inches beneath the surface. Visions of getting "speared" by a frightened one flashed through my head was I started my gybe... I kept on kiting that day, being careful to gybe only while in a gap in the flock. It was super cool.

I've also, on many occasions, been surprised by a dolphin or two that suddenly surfaced a few inches from me. Had one follow me, turn on his back and swim upside down while he watched me kiting. That was an experience I'll never forget.

It's experiences like these that remind me that I'm just a passing visitor in -their- world.

wow... great stories! i like to live vicariously through others when it comes to ocean creature stories :P

nah come on down, I've been here long enough with no incident. That was my first, but other say it's common on the coast, plus there is plenty of fresh water to ride in....

see you at the beach!!!!