Are kitesurfers less likely to be attacked by a shark than a surfer?
I was thinking... there are plenty of moments when a surfer is perfectly still in the water waiting for the next big wave to roll in. They also look
like injured seals underneath the water from a sharks POV.
Now a kitesurfer travels much faster over water and would look less like an injured seal than say a surfer. Would this result in fewer shark attacks
on kitesurfers than surfers & swimmers?
the constant momentum on water means the shark would have to chase you to get close to you?
All of the above assumes that sharks hunt by sight alone, which just isn't the case.
A sharS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s sense of smell is so acute that he can detect a single drop of blood in an Olympic-size swimming pool.
He can tell which nostril picks up the odor first, allowing him to turn in the direction of his potential prey.
"Lateral lines" that run down each side of the sharS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s body allow him to detect vibrations or pulses in the water.
Small pores in the sharS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s snout, called ampullae of Lorenzini, let him detect electrical impulses emitted by other
creatures.
A tiger shark can sustain speeds of 20 mph.
A mako can sustain speeds of 30 mph, with burst speeds of 50 feet per second.
Those speeds makes the speed difference between a surfer and kite surfer pretty pointless.
A kitesurfer impacting the waters surface from a boost is like a dinner bell from a mile away.
ATB,
Sam
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12 - Jesus, does anyone?" - The Body by Stephen King
I just want to know if a kitesurfer is more likely to be attacked than a surfer?
If a surfer and a kitesurfer go for a 4 hour session on the water.
The surfer spends 3 hours just sitting on the board waiting for a wave and not moving. 1 hour is spent padding / riding waves etc
The kitesurfer spends almost 3 hours constantly being pulled on water by the kite and the last hour in the water detangling and relaunching kite.
Kitesurfers move much faster on water than a surfer does.. and I am quite certain a kite surfer can almost travel faster on water than a shark.
What is the average speed of a kitesurfer on water with some experience? I am sure they can get up to 20miles per hour?
I do not think a shark will attack a surfer if they sit perfectly still while the kitesurfer will make a lot more noise on the water than a surfer
will.
I still think the kitesurfer will not be attacked providing he or she is constantly moving at a good speed and not falling off the board etc...
IN the water is in the sharks environment, ON the water is a considerable separation.
i see sharks all the time, in the break i get bumped enough to keep motivated and moving , more seemingly on strapless, mostly because i'm in the
water more and fall more.
sharks are following the food , if you play where their source is located chance of a mistaken menu item is gonna happen.
an attractant for sharks are bait , like shore fisherman, or struggling catch , like on fisherman's line. so thats will give you some odds to work
with.
then theres the black tip spinners that jump and spin and are common around here. not really considered threatening.
if your riding where seals and large fish feed then odds are much higher. in the water are higher odds on the water is much lower .
15-25knts surface speeds are normal. a sitting surfer is the easiest of prey. its more about food simulation, and location
ok well... I have never felt comfortable in deep water not knowing what could be underneath me. Surfers are basically sitting ducks for a long period
of time...
the 2 most common sharks at my beaches are bronze whaler and great white shark. I will probably invest in a shark repellant device and have it
attached to my surfboard.
There are some interesting videos on you tube by kite surfers with shark activity involved.
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