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Surfing Tamarindo rivermouth in the 1999 or so, saw what I thought was a log floating around. Come to find out later it was a large croc that was cruising around. Woops.
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Oh, yeah. We used to paddle across that river at high tide to surf Grande-I forgot about that one. Definitely more crocs (cayman?) in CR than sharks.
caiman don’t go for the brackish or sea water, but 6ft crocs are considered big at all. regularly get over 15’, some close to 20’
I surfed a couple spots in N. California by myself on a trip down the west coast and was definitely feeling spooked. One was mentioned - Russian Rivermouth - just me and the seals and a super fun little left seeing off the sandbar in front of the river. Another at a random beach break north of Half Moon Bay - a lot of water moving around and just felt like fish food. Had a spinner shark jump out of the water and do two full spins in the air in between me and a friend in the lineup at Reef Road. Saw a fin hanging out in the impact zone at an inlet outer sandbar here in South Carolina. Always feel squeamish out there as I have caught plenty of sharks and stingrays in those areas. Some sort of seal scared the piss out of me surfing (alone again) a break at the tip of Apollo Bay in Victoria, Aus. Definitely a spooky area with unbelievable waves but good luck finding anyone to surf with! Surfed with whales right in the lineup on the same trip at ‘Jap’s Beach’. Right whales I think and pumping overhead barrels. Again no one around?!
Grasshopper, I used to live coastal NorCal and always thought of Russian River mouth as being sort of a fast food, take-out joint for Mr. Whitey!
There is a “secret” spot in that part of the state that a friend has flown over in a small plane at low altitude. Said he could see the outlines of a number of sharks lying on the bottom, waiting to do the rocket launch through their lunch. Also, has seen huge hunks of blubber floating in the line up at same spot. No worries that I can’t/won’t name it as no one in their right mind would surf there. It often has a bit of a crowd when it’s on though. Guess that says something.
You paddled out at Russian River? I checked it. There was a fun peak, no one out and pretty nice weather, but there was that White Shark snack bar sitting on the beach… I gave it a pass.
I surfed a spot further north, another river mouth, but this time there were a few guys out so I paddled out. Of course, as soon as I paddled out they paddled in, so I was sitting out there, at a Norcal rivermouth, all by myself. The water was so clear that every time a wave passed a dark shadow would also pass on the bottom. It kept freaking me out and I finally decided I was not having fun and went in. I think if I lived in Norcal I would just resign myself to getting eaten, take out some life insurance for my family and then get on with…
That is pretty much it. Some days no worries. But a lot of days, hearing that old Jaws theme in my mind. Yeesh. Does tend to help keep the crowds down a little though not as much as you might think.
llilibel - that was just what it looked like when i was there. super fun little peelers.i fugured the sharks have plenty of seals to eat there. no need for a human snack. definately felt the spooks though. one seal ventured out to the lineup and was curiously checking me out.
caught some really good waves up in oregon on the same trip. left hand cobblestone pointbreak overhead and really pumping. seals playing around. kept popping up next to me and giving me a fright. felt spooky out there too but at least a couple of other surfers out there with me.
another trip down the coast, my wife and I stopped to check out all the seals at the ‘seal beach’ on the southern end of big sur. there were some really fun looking reef breaks straight out. sunny, warm, blue water, small west-chest high swell. looked inviting except for what was on the beach. that was too spooky to even try. thought to paddle out did cross my mind though…
does anyone ever actually surf here? caught some really fun waves not too far south from here…
That’s the thing though, white sharks don’t eat people but when you are, as always, a sort of torpedo shape and looking ever so much like a small seal, just a nip to test your flavor is enough to do ya. If seals are close by, that adds some confidence for me as they will suddenly disappear if they sense danger. Of course, they often don’t until too late (that’s how sharks earn their living) so your playing the odds there. At least I am pretty sure that seals have sharper senses in the water than I do.
Hahaha, yah but predators go after the slow weak animals… That’s YOU (me too =P)
There is an old hiker saying about bears. “I don’t have to be able to run faster than a bear. I just need to run faster than you!” I think seals have a version of that about surfers. That’s what all their commotion is about. One of them barks it out every time they see us in the water then they all laugh their asses off.
world record tiger shark caught in south carolina…http://www.examiner.com/fishing-in-columbia/world-record-tiger-shark-caught-at-myrtle-beach-sc
BUMPING UP, BECAUSE IT’S SHARK WEEK ON THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL.
It’s Summer, sun cooking cancers on my back, shitty waves just drifting in and past, too busy talking to my cousin out the back and then BLAM !!
The ocean erupts between us with a massive spray that blinds me for a few seconds…
The spray settles like on the far side of a winters off-shore peeler and
My cousin is still there, he pauses and says…“Stupid fuckin shark.”
We get a few more waves, paddle in and we tell the Surf School guy about the shark and he says “Dont tell anyone but there’s a few out there…”
I’ve had a lot of 'Sharky ’ moments and if you trust your instincts… Paddle in.
I used to do a lot of shark fishing. Good times.
I have been eye-ing that reef in your first pic Grasshopper the last few times we have gone by there… I have seen it pretty good I just can’t bring myself to paddle out.
Something to think about…
Mama?
The expression that comes to mind is, HOLY SHIT !
I call this pic Happy Customer
This attack was featured on CNN