http://sports.espn.go.com/action/surfing/news/story?id=5715833&campaign=rss&source=ACTIONHeadlines
jalma not santa barbara.
Santa Barbara County, that is
It was some 19 year old ucsb kid bodyboarder at surf beach. poor kid.
Without reading anything about this bite I knew that it was most likly Surf Beach. Second choice would have been the Rivermouth, third Govts. Notorious shark danger for years. THE reason that even when it is good(which is rare), the lineup is empty. But as one generation fades away and another generation moves in, the reputation of a spot fades. People forget about what happened there years before. They look at the beautiful natural setting, the inviting waves etc. Chances are he had never heard anything about this spot or it's rep as Great White headquarters for SB county. By the way in case anyone wants to check it out, maybe catch an evening glass-off. It is due west of Lompoc. Strange, two recent Great White fatalities within 30 miles of each other.
yeah man, that place is super sketchy when it comes to sharks. Today there was another sighting in between there and Avila(the last location of a fatality). I don't know if it was a white shark or not. I've already seen two this summer, one big, the other was super small, I don't know what's going on, but it seems as if ther has been alot more sea life activity this year. It's a super sad story though.
astevens---------Cherish your life my young friend. It goes to show that it doesn't really matter whether you are alone or with a buddy. it can happen soo fast. I lost a good friend on Maui a few years ago to a "Tiger" and muddy water. If you feel the creeps for any reason get out of the water. Open beaches like Surf Beach, Santa Maria R, Oceano etc. are always suspect. I have been vibed out of the water at those places a couple of times over the years. The dolpins that crusie Pole Eight and Oceano were always a welcome site if for no other reason that people always told me that they would chase off Great Whites. I remember when I was a kid at Pismo Pier; the lifeguards would use a megaphone to clear everybody out of the water and then go up in the old lifeguard tower on the Pier with a Winchester 30-30 to get a shot off whenever they had a shark siting. I always feel a little safer inside a kelp line at a spot like St. Anns or the Ranch. Although Governments has a long and well documented history of Great White incidents.
Thats insane that they'd try to shoot sharks. Wouldn't go very well today with PITA and all :)
Funny you should mention st. ann's, I always feel safe there, but a guy I know was bitten by a leopard shark in June (4 footer), and the sighting today was at the same place, about 1/2 mile north at silver shoals. Kinda murky there especially after a rain. I've spearfished near leopards in gaviota, and haven't run into problems, so it was probably a case of mistaken I.D. I have definatley been a little sketched out by all of this and have been playing it as safe as possible.
Plus,this is the time of year when the bait moves close to the beach bringing the whole food web with them. It’s shark season on the central coast. Be careful and like McDing mentioned, pay attention to those creepy feelings. Mike
I agree totally with McDing, if it feels “hinky” at all, paddle in, don’t wait for a wave. I thought of Will McGinnis one day this spring while out alone at my “secret spot” on Maui. Early south swell after a rainy night, murky water, etc. I realized I hadn’t seen a turtle all morning, I had a creepy feeling and I was noticing a strong fish smell. I never did see anything to confirm my gut feeling, but I didn’t get this old by not listening to that gut. I paddled in and told my wife not to take her sup out, she agreed with my reasoning. The MOC catches their Tigers near this spot, so that worked on my psyche too.
i spent a beautiful day riding those winding lefts all by myself one day. it was definatly on my mind but if you don’t get over it and just surf you’ll never know what you missed out on. my friend didn’t want to get in the water, but it was sunny and warm and the water was clear and about mid 60’s, i figured you couldnt beat it. i feel bad for the kid but sometimes you should know better, in a wetsuit in murky water with you legs dangling in a zone thats notorious for sharks. sometimes im glad i’m a longboarder so i can just lay down and pick my limbs out the water. i was just thinking the other day, do fish finders pick up sharks, if so maybe take a boat there and have a little buddy system to keep a look out for sharks in the area.
I don't think that a longboard would stop a several thousand pound shark from attacking
Long Board !!!!!! Shark ----UM! really big turtle ! Don't hardly see em that big anymore !!!! Yum!!! Time to eat!!!
Longboard eh. So will I see you out there this weekend?
I think it was about 20 years ago. LA county. Two people in kayaks were killed. I don’t think they ever found the bodies. I have a fuzzy memory. A longboard isn’t protection, though. It’s a Chevy van with teeth. Mike
i’m not saying it’s protection. it just make me feel more comfortable to not have my limbs dangling in the water. as far a sharks go i have watched them swim right through a wave in front of me and continued surfing, . it’s not gonna keep me out of the water and if it weren’t 300 miles up the coast from me i would go out there in a heart beat given the correct conditions.i might be nuts but i’m not stupid and like someone stated earlier on this post it’s all in your gut, you naturally know when you are in harms way. maybe some think it’s stupid but like i said you gotta get over it. i tend to have an extremely different view and opinon on everthing in life, so pardon me if i don’t fit into you group.
[quote="$1"]
I think it was about 20 years ago. LA county. Two people in kayaks were killed. I don't think they ever found the bodies. I have a fuzzy memory. A longboard isn't protection, though. It's a Chevy van with teeth. Mike
[/quote]
Yeah but the Kraken got them.
Yeah, that Kraken is a bad hombre.
To some extent I agree with you(and I'm not the member of any group or club). Point is when your number is up; your number is up. But a lack of fear(which is really defined as a "Healthy Respect") and the desire to surf barrels isn't enough to throw caution to the wind. What I said previously should hold true for all of us; If you are vibed out, get out. Surf Beach is a nice natural setting that occasionally has rideable waves. Like most places between Vandenberg and Cambria, very hit and miss. Owning a boat and surfing the Ranch is a better bet. PS Know a little about a spot before you surf it. Had this young man known about Surf Beaches' history he might be alive today.
well agreed, knowledge in every aspect is a must to survive life.