A number of bros continue to chide me for my reluctance to surf the coast north of Santa Cruz. They understand why I'm hesitant but they keep bugging me anyway given the fact that I used to surf alot of the coastal reef breaks between SC and HMB.
Why my reluctance you might ask? Three words "lingering shark paranoia"
It happened about five years ago at a session by myself at Davenport Landing. Early morning glass on the north end of the beach. 4-6 ft set coming through. Crystal clear water and bright sun.
Been out in the water for an hour catching alot of rights and just paddled back out to the line-up after a nice set and am sitting there waiting. I noticed a boil off 20 yards to my right as I watch the horizon for the next set. Then the boil appears again 10 yards off. No big deal I think but the fact the boil appears to be moving is alarming. I think, "seal"
Sudden there is a swirl of current around me strong enough to spin me 180 deg. and it's obvious something big has just swam around me. The water movement moves off 20 feet or so and then stops. OK, stay calm, bring the heart rate down from the stratosphere.
What to do? "It's only a nosie seal" no worries. Then I sense something off to my left moving very slow, slow enough to not disturb the water. I could make out a big, dark shape back lit by the morning sun gliding about 10 feet away and about 2-3 feet under the surface. Damn, no mistaken that shape with the obvious dorsal fin and big head, but what do I do now. Stay put?, Paddle for shore like a madman? The shape is moving towards shore between me and the beach. I decide to slowly start paddling towards shore, watching the water for any sign of this thing. I try and not to make any splashing as I paddle, trying to tip-toe back to the beach. My imagination has this fellow swimming inches off the tip of my fins as I paddle but I never saw another sign of him.
I get to the beach and start getting the shakes as the adrenalin wears off.
My first close encounter with "the landlord" has given me a good dose of reality about where I live and surf. They're out there and, I would suspect, alot closer then we would like to think about.
PS- I just heard a couple guys got "removed" from the water after a "close encounter" at Seacliff.
A Toothy Companion
Moderator: Moderator
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SFKneelo
Fortunately, I don't have first-hand accounts... my lame strategy is to be so bloody slow getting out in the water that it's been tested by everyone else.
Here's a link to a couple more quick stories. Go to 3/30 Comments link.
http://www.niceness.org/surf/report.htm
Here's a link to a couple more quick stories. Go to 3/30 Comments link.
http://www.niceness.org/surf/report.htm
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stemple
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gsurf,
I don't blame you. Davenport landing is pretty scary. I know of at least three confirmed sightings of uncle whitey in that bay in the last 6 years. If you ask me the stretch between davenport and ano is one big red zone. The story that really gets me is one about the windsurfer who was coming in very slowly under low power, the shark came up and bit the tail of his board. I personally couldn't really get the balls up to surf davenport alone. You got to get the odds at least up to 50/50 and have someone gather up the pieces.
One thing of comfort is the radio tagging that was done about a year or so ago. The gps tags showed that by late spring and summer as upwelling occurs and water visability gets worse most of the sharks move out the SC coastal areas. The data did show that highest concentration of sharks along that section of coast occurs in the late fall, early winter when the seals are coming to Ano. and water clarity is at its best. Unfortunately, this is when those reefs really like to fire with long interval swell. Hey but at least odds are lower during those south swell times.
I don't blame you. Davenport landing is pretty scary. I know of at least three confirmed sightings of uncle whitey in that bay in the last 6 years. If you ask me the stretch between davenport and ano is one big red zone. The story that really gets me is one about the windsurfer who was coming in very slowly under low power, the shark came up and bit the tail of his board. I personally couldn't really get the balls up to surf davenport alone. You got to get the odds at least up to 50/50 and have someone gather up the pieces.
One thing of comfort is the radio tagging that was done about a year or so ago. The gps tags showed that by late spring and summer as upwelling occurs and water visability gets worse most of the sharks move out the SC coastal areas. The data did show that highest concentration of sharks along that section of coast occurs in the late fall, early winter when the seals are coming to Ano. and water clarity is at its best. Unfortunately, this is when those reefs really like to fire with long interval swell. Hey but at least odds are lower during those south swell times.
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kneelo_44
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Folks
The unfortunate thing about surfing is some of the best spots are also the best spots for sharks and seals. I have over my time of surfing, had 6 encounters with sharks. I have never been bitten, but I have the absolute crap scared out of me. Once in QLD, twice in NSW and three times in VIC. The worst in QLD on the Sunshine coast, it still haunts me to this day (1989). I was on my own on a small beach break at about 6 am, and I was paddling out after catching a wave. When out of know where a 5-6 foot bronze whale was coming straight at me (from my left). It was about 10 metres away a small wave was coming through, but I was to busy crapping myself to do anything I was just staring at it. The wave sort of caught/picked me up. I didn't catch it and as the wave passed the board sort of splashed down. The shark dropped below the surface about 5m away and disappeared. I just froze even more, and I would've looked like a free fall parachutist/skydiver. But it was gone as far as I could tell, I just lay there and waited and waited. After about ten minutes I paddled very gingerly (head turning every which way) over to another break (100 m) where there was a 6 other surfers. I paddled into the middle of them and just sat there white as a ghost. After another 10-15 mins I paddled in. My last exp was 03 at Heyfield st RYE in VIC surfing with Kripchik (Sophia). But I must also say I have at the same time I have seen some other wonderful sights (Whales, Dolphins, seals, string ray and mantas rays). We have to take the good with the bad, and plus I have never heard the music. When I hear the music I will really start to panic.
John
The unfortunate thing about surfing is some of the best spots are also the best spots for sharks and seals. I have over my time of surfing, had 6 encounters with sharks. I have never been bitten, but I have the absolute crap scared out of me. Once in QLD, twice in NSW and three times in VIC. The worst in QLD on the Sunshine coast, it still haunts me to this day (1989). I was on my own on a small beach break at about 6 am, and I was paddling out after catching a wave. When out of know where a 5-6 foot bronze whale was coming straight at me (from my left). It was about 10 metres away a small wave was coming through, but I was to busy crapping myself to do anything I was just staring at it. The wave sort of caught/picked me up. I didn't catch it and as the wave passed the board sort of splashed down. The shark dropped below the surface about 5m away and disappeared. I just froze even more, and I would've looked like a free fall parachutist/skydiver. But it was gone as far as I could tell, I just lay there and waited and waited. After about ten minutes I paddled very gingerly (head turning every which way) over to another break (100 m) where there was a 6 other surfers. I paddled into the middle of them and just sat there white as a ghost. After another 10-15 mins I paddled in. My last exp was 03 at Heyfield st RYE in VIC surfing with Kripchik (Sophia). But I must also say I have at the same time I have seen some other wonderful sights (Whales, Dolphins, seals, string ray and mantas rays). We have to take the good with the bad, and plus I have never heard the music. When I hear the music I will really start to panic.
John
I would rather be slotted
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southpeakbrad
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- Location: San Diego
When I lived in The City in the mid 80s I never saw any or heard of any 1st hand accounts although I always thought about it. My thoughts were something like Bob's except I tried to sit in the middle of the pack thinking the perimeter was somehow more at risk.
One classic, sunny late Fall day circa 1990 at Blacks my good friend GSB and I were sitting there waiting for a set when we both bacame aware of a large, dark shape not far in front of us just sitting there. After we both had spent some time staring at it and trying to figure out what it was he says "Brad, do you seee thattt!", but quietly, as if we had better not do anything to disturb it. It was actually a giant manta ray, we agreed, as we gently, quietly, slipped away to another peak.....
The local paper had run an article not long before that encounter about a surfer who years ago at Blacks got tangled up with a giant manta ray and suffered a significant leg injury as a result. Fortuntely, it's usually just dolphins and an occasional sea lion in the lineup (and too many standups).
One classic, sunny late Fall day circa 1990 at Blacks my good friend GSB and I were sitting there waiting for a set when we both bacame aware of a large, dark shape not far in front of us just sitting there. After we both had spent some time staring at it and trying to figure out what it was he says "Brad, do you seee thattt!", but quietly, as if we had better not do anything to disturb it. It was actually a giant manta ray, we agreed, as we gently, quietly, slipped away to another peak.....
The local paper had run an article not long before that encounter about a surfer who years ago at Blacks got tangled up with a giant manta ray and suffered a significant leg injury as a result. Fortuntely, it's usually just dolphins and an occasional sea lion in the lineup (and too many standups).
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Eric Carson
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khoningford
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toothy encounters
Growing up in a military family had both it`s bad sides and it`s good, one being that we were fortunate enough to be stationed at Hickam AFB, Oahu back in the early 70`s. Another is that your dependants` I.D. card gave you virtually unrestricted access to any of the other military installations located on Oahu, such as Kaneohe, Schoefield, and Barbers Point. After cutting our teeth (both literally and figuratively) on the South Shore reefs, my brother and I began seeking out some of the less crowded spots around the island. One of these was Barbers Point.
Ahhhhh.... Barbers Point, NAS. Located on the Southwest "corner' (Eva side) of the island, picks up mostly south to southeast swells, although a west will wrap around if it`s big enough and create almost point like surf. Water clarity ranges from carribean tourqoise to Nestle`s Quick, and almost never gets clear enough to see more than a few feet beneath you. (Cue the Jaws soundtrack). The bottom is comprised mosly of rock/ reef and sand, with deep water "surge pits" spread out over the playing field. (Yeah, you know what I`m talkin`about...where one minute you`re sitting there minding your own damn beeswax and the next thing you know, Moby Dick himself is swirling his tail around trying to scare the tootsie roll out of ya)
But back then if you were looking for some room to breathe, BP was like Bikini Atoll after they flipped the switch, especially during the week. Weekend "crowds" were mostly made up of off duty squids looking for a little R & R. On the rare occasion that one of them did happen to take off in front of you, usually you just waited for them to do the classic "Gidget/ Beachblanketbingo roll back on the trailing foot and off" cartwheel. Yeahhh.....good times. And hostile "mokes"????( What brah, jus crackin` ehhh???) Most of them kept heading south into town or up Nanakuli way. The few that actually surfed there said something about it being a little too close to the "Pearl Harbor outflow feeding zone". Whatever that was...
So here we were, my braddah and I ditching 1st period to tap into a few glassy walls, when during one particularily long lull I flashed on what I thought was a large shaddowy object instantly appear and then disappear underneath me. "Yeaaahhhh?????", my brother inquired of me with tempered concern. Nawwwwwww..., I shot back with 15 year old haole-boy bravado. Just then in a spot roughly 20 feet in front of the both of us a huge splash of thrashing teeth and torque-ing, flexing fins blasted out of the water like some nuclear submarine gone lo-lo. Just before it re-entered the water you could see the remnants of what appeared to be a large ray clenched in its grisley jaws. FEETS DON`T FAIL ME NOW!!!!
Long story short, we both managed to make it back to shore without delaminating our boards or soiling our Hang Tens, and for a long time that was our favorite "Shahhk story".....
`till we surfed Kewalos.
good surfing to ya...
Ahhhhh.... Barbers Point, NAS. Located on the Southwest "corner' (Eva side) of the island, picks up mostly south to southeast swells, although a west will wrap around if it`s big enough and create almost point like surf. Water clarity ranges from carribean tourqoise to Nestle`s Quick, and almost never gets clear enough to see more than a few feet beneath you. (Cue the Jaws soundtrack). The bottom is comprised mosly of rock/ reef and sand, with deep water "surge pits" spread out over the playing field. (Yeah, you know what I`m talkin`about...where one minute you`re sitting there minding your own damn beeswax and the next thing you know, Moby Dick himself is swirling his tail around trying to scare the tootsie roll out of ya)
But back then if you were looking for some room to breathe, BP was like Bikini Atoll after they flipped the switch, especially during the week. Weekend "crowds" were mostly made up of off duty squids looking for a little R & R. On the rare occasion that one of them did happen to take off in front of you, usually you just waited for them to do the classic "Gidget/ Beachblanketbingo roll back on the trailing foot and off" cartwheel. Yeahhh.....good times. And hostile "mokes"????( What brah, jus crackin` ehhh???) Most of them kept heading south into town or up Nanakuli way. The few that actually surfed there said something about it being a little too close to the "Pearl Harbor outflow feeding zone". Whatever that was...
So here we were, my braddah and I ditching 1st period to tap into a few glassy walls, when during one particularily long lull I flashed on what I thought was a large shaddowy object instantly appear and then disappear underneath me. "Yeaaahhhh?????", my brother inquired of me with tempered concern. Nawwwwwww..., I shot back with 15 year old haole-boy bravado. Just then in a spot roughly 20 feet in front of the both of us a huge splash of thrashing teeth and torque-ing, flexing fins blasted out of the water like some nuclear submarine gone lo-lo. Just before it re-entered the water you could see the remnants of what appeared to be a large ray clenched in its grisley jaws. FEETS DON`T FAIL ME NOW!!!!
Long story short, we both managed to make it back to shore without delaminating our boards or soiling our Hang Tens, and for a long time that was our favorite "Shahhk story".....
`till we surfed Kewalos.
good surfing to ya...
spidah da kneeridah
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Tom Linn
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My most alarming encounter with the men in gray suits occur one spring at Teecla Point in Mainland Mex. My two bros and I surfed good 6-8' Teecla all morning. Several times we pointed out the many fishing boats hauling up big ones several hundred yards offshore.
Later that day we decided to cruise down to the nearby fishing village to see what the boats had been catching and maybe buy some fish. When we got down to the pangas we discovered a huge pile of dead sharks. Many of them were 10-12 ft long. The Mexicans had been catching them just offshore of Teecla Point all morning. From what we could tell, they would just cut the fins off and the rest of the fish became garbage.
Although I dislike sharks as much as the next guy, we were sickened by the waste and destruction of these amazing animals.
Later that day we decided to cruise down to the nearby fishing village to see what the boats had been catching and maybe buy some fish. When we got down to the pangas we discovered a huge pile of dead sharks. Many of them were 10-12 ft long. The Mexicans had been catching them just offshore of Teecla Point all morning. From what we could tell, they would just cut the fins off and the rest of the fish became garbage.
Although I dislike sharks as much as the next guy, we were sickened by the waste and destruction of these amazing animals.