Great White Shark: Face to Face

I spotted a big slow swimming, beautiful Ray in the 2' landing zone -wave, at p.i.f/mbk few hours ago ,I set the bucktail i was fishing ahead and on bottom in front of it and it slowed then went on -right in the wave to the condos...folks looking at it---When im fishing there I've wondered if they eat those -or butts... if 6'-20' ones are in here for them too,or only in here for fur...

thank you for the report glad you made it out safe without incidence

+1

2nd the +1

glad to hear you have a loaner one until you can buy your own. I went a year without and was really stoked to get a replacement unit. The sharks in Cap started as 3-5ft fish, a few years later we were seeing 6-7ft fish, now it is 7-8ft with the occasional 10 footer tossed in.
In 2023 we'll be seeing some porkers out among us.

Not very sure about the accuracy of this, Sean.....

Bushy

elaboration?
I get that the area around Cap holds the nursery sized fish, but as they grow they will push out into other areas. While it is just my own musing, is it that unbelievable? I expect to hear of larger fish spotted in the coming years, maybe not right at Capitola, but say Long Marine area, Wilder, and into San Mateo Cty. Not sure why this would even be disputed.
I certainly wouldn't mind if research showed that GWS either move away from Santa Cruz as they reach into the 15ft range, or even if they just stop growing around here!

glad to hear you have a loaner one until you can buy your own. I went a year without and was really stoked to get a replacement unit. The sharks in Cap started as 3-5ft fish, a few years later we were seeing 6-7ft fish, now it is 7-8ft with the occasional 10 footer tossed in.
In 2023 we'll be seeing some porkers out among us.

Not very sure about the accuracy of this, Sean.....

Bushy

elaboration?
I get that the area around Cap holds the nursery sized fish, but as they grow they will push out into other areas. While it is just my own musing, is it that unbelievable? I expect to hear of larger fish spotted in the coming years, maybe not right at Capitola, but say Long Marine area, Wilder, and into San Mateo Cty. Not sure why this would even be disputed.
I certainly wouldn't mind if research showed that GWS either move away from Santa Cruz as they reach into the 15ft range, or even if they just stop growing around here!

When I lived in Monterey I had a buddy who used to tag & track GWS for work. At the time, they were working on a real-time version of the Discovery Channel’s GWS tracking app that came out a few years ago. Not sure anything ever came of it, but it was neat (if a little terrifying) knowing which sharks were prowling my dive sites on any given day.

Anyways, my understanding from talking to him is that we have the full range of GWS sizes around here. The most problematic sightings (read: attacks) tend to happen in the fall, when the nursery population is in and starting to mature into big fukkas. That’s when we get the sharks in the 8-10ft range as they transition from a fish-based diet to a mammal-based diet, and they’re learning how to identify their new prey. That’s when we’re most likely to have run-ins, because that’s when they’re most likely to misidentify us as food. My understanding is that they do grow into monsters around here, we just tend not to have problems with the bigger ones.

we just tend not to have problems with the bigger ones.

"tend" being the important word here

seriously though, all that info in your post is correct as far as I know.
I do think the sketchiest fish are the "in-betweeners"

http://spearingforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7436

  No Bueno

Silent Hunter has been zapped so many times by his shark shield he said he's experiencing PTSD from it.

He also can't wait till I suffer from the same 

Just bit the bullet and purchased another one.

Been Scuba diving 30 years and free diving 10 years without one.

Bought one for my son last fall thinking what kind of dad would I be to allow my son to dive in these waters without one.

So just bought this one thinking what kind of dad would I be to have my son have to watch his dad being attacked unprotected.

I know it's not a guarantee but at least I feel comfort in him having as safe a diving environment as possible. 

Just bit the bullet and purchased another one.

Been Scuba diving 30 years and free diving 10 years without one.

Bought one for my son last fall thinking what kind of dad would I be to allow my son to dive in these waters without one.

So just bought this one thinking what kind of dad would I be to have my son have to watch his dad being attacked unprotected.

I know it's not a guarantee but at least I feel comfort in him having as safe a diving environment as possible. 

I guess no more trying to shock you with mine.  Now you can shock yourself.  It sure wakes you up if you get tired. 

glad to hear you have a loaner one until you can buy your own. I went a year without and was really stoked to get a replacement unit. The sharks in Cap started as 3-5ft fish, a few years later we were seeing 6-7ft fish, now it is 7-8ft with the occasional 10 footer tossed in.
In 2023 we'll be seeing some porkers out among us.

Not very sure about the accuracy of this, Sean.....

Bushy

elaboration?
I get that the area around Cap holds the nursery sized fish, but as they grow they will push out into other areas. While it is just my own musing, is it that unbelievable? I expect to hear of larger fish spotted in the coming years, maybe not right at Capitola, but say Long Marine area, Wilder, and into San Mateo Cty. Not sure why this would even be disputed.
I certainly wouldn't mind if research showed that GWS either move away from Santa Cruz as they reach into the 15ft range, or even if they just stop growing around here!

No dispute.  You know I love you. I'll do some research talk to the 'other' Sean, but my impression is the cement ship gaggle are those adolescents measuring roughly between 6 and 10 feet. I don't think they are the same sharks every year getting bigger and bigger, which your post seemed to suggest.  I sure hope not. 

I DO think we will continue to see an increase in sightings and interactions with adult GWS in the future.  The curve is trending that way.

Bushy

Welcome to the club.  It was only a matter of time.  Glad you are ok.
Dave

http://spearingforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7436

  No Bueno

Silent Hunter has been zapped so many times by his shark shield he said he's experiencing PTSD from it.

He also can't wait till I suffer from the same 

Just bit the bullet and purchased another one.

Been Scuba diving 30 years and free diving 10 years without one.

Bought one for my son last fall thinking what kind of dad would I be to allow my son to dive in these waters without one.

So just bought this one thinking what kind of dad would I be to have my son have to watch his dad being attacked unprotected.

I know it's not a guarantee but at least I feel comfort in him having as safe a diving environment as possible. 

How is he getting shocked? 

I had a buddy that was getting zapped as he tucked into a dive because his upper body got close to the tail of the SS. What he did was cut a few short pieces of pvc pipe lengthwise. Make sure the pvc has just a  big enough ID to accommodate the SS tail and the fin rail together.  Slide the tail into the pvc and slide it up the rail to hold SS tail along the fin rail so that it stays out and doesn't get close enough to zap you.

http://spearingforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7436

  No Bueno

Silent Hunter has been zapped so many times by his shark shield he said he's experiencing PTSD from it.

He also can't wait till I suffer from the same 

Just bit the bullet and purchased another one.

Been Scuba diving 30 years and free diving 10 years without one.

Bought one for my son last fall thinking what kind of dad would I be to allow my son to dive in these waters without one.

So just bought this one thinking what kind of dad would I be to have my son have to watch his dad being attacked unprotected.

I know it's not a guarantee but at least I feel comfort in him having as safe a diving environment as possible. 

How is he getting shocked? 

I had a buddy that was getting zapped as he tucked into a dive because his upper body got close to the tail of the SS. What he did was cut a few short pieces of pvc pipe lengthwise. Make sure the pvc has just a  big enough ID to accommodate the SS tail and the fin rail together.  Slide the tail into the pvc and slide it up the rail to hold SS tail along the fin rail so that it stays out and doesn't get close enough to zap you.

They should call it a shock shield... mine zaps me often. I prefer to do the 2 feet in air dive but have to jack knife when wearing the SS. After a couple hours in the water, I start feeling it in my ankles as well - not bad just noticeable. Anyone else have that?

I've not heard fro PSRF on the topic, but recently learned it's 'common knowledge' down around the cement ship that there is at least on Big Mama sighted sporadically, mingling with the teenagers.  In the 14-16 foot range.  So, there we go.

I saw four or five small ones over the past two weeks, chasing or eating stripers.  One was no more than 10 feet from dry sand.  I was compassionate enough to walk all the way down to a young couple swimming nearby (20 yards) and let them know what thea "little black thing moving on the surface" was attached to.

Bushy

I've not heard fro PSRF on the topic, but recently learned it's 'common knowledge' down around the cement ship that there is at least on Big Mama sighted sporadically, mingling with the teenagers.  In the 14-16 foot range.  So, there we go.

I saw four or five small ones over the past two weeks, chasing or eating stripers.  One was no more than 10 feet from dry sand.  I was compassionate enough to walk all the way down to a young couple swimming nearby (20 yards) and let them know what thea "little black thing moving on the surface" was attached to.

Bushy

Ugh.....

Not making me excited to try diving for stripers again this year Allen!!

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

"little black thing moving on the surface" was attached to.

  hahaha

I've never hunted striper. When is the time of year to do so?

http://spearingforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7436

  No Bueno

Silent Hunter has been zapped so many times by his shark shield he said he's experiencing PTSD from it.

He also can't wait till I suffer from the same 

Just bit the bullet and purchased another one.

Been Scuba diving 30 years and free diving 10 years without one.

Bought one for my son last fall thinking what kind of dad would I be to allow my son to dive in these waters without one.

So just bought this one thinking what kind of dad would I be to have my son have to watch his dad being attacked unprotected.

I know it's not a guarantee but at least I feel comfort in him having as safe a diving environment as possible. 

How is he getting shocked? 

I had a buddy that was getting zapped as he tucked into a dive because his upper body got close to the tail of the SS. What he did was cut a few short pieces of pvc pipe lengthwise. Make sure the pvc has just a  big enough ID to accommodate the SS tail and the fin rail together.  Slide the tail into the pvc and slide it up the rail to hold SS tail along the fin rail so that it stays out and doesn't get close enough to zap you.

They should call it a shock shield... mine zaps me often. I prefer to do the 2 feet in air dive but have to jack knife when wearing the SS. After a couple hours in the water, I start feeling it in my ankles as well - not bad just noticeable. Anyone else have that?

When I get zapped it feels like a tiny minion kicking me. Some times it feels like I'm getting jumped by a few of them